I came across this story recently and thought you might like it.

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Freedom and I have been together 10 years this summer.  She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn’t open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She’s my baby. 

When Freedom came in she could not stand.  Both wings were broken, her left wing in 4 places. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vet’s office.  From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight;
and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn’t stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn’t stand in a week. You know you don’t want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn’t want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn’t bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her dowl cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle.  She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses (birding straps), and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington. We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV.  Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair — the whole bit. I missed a lot of work.  When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer.  This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant.  Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.  Yahoo!

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn’t said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don’t know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note:  I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power coarse through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom’s.  Hope you enjoy this.

Jeff

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Jocelyn

Mom -

What a BLESSING and JOY it is to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!  Where birthdays are normally a time where life is celebrated, today we shout joyful exaltations and REJOICE in your life. 

You have truly been salt and light in my life, mom; and for many others as you have blessed all of our lives. 

Today I rise and call you, Irene Dias, blessed. 

Proverbs 31
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Thank you, Mom, for being a woman of Noble Character, who fears the Lord, and is irresistible to all who greet your smile.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, jocelyn

I am so grateful that my mom is home.  The memory of her roughest day still haunts my mind from time to time, but I remain focused on Mom being healthy, renewed, healed by the Hand of God. 

Her bright smile that lights-up any room, remains the same.  Right now due to the bilirubin her skin is very dark and her eyes are a yellow hue, but her smile remains bright white and shining, a toothpaste commercial grin, with the shining star on the left incisor *tink* - Brilliant.

It is so good to hug ‘little mom’ who, although is a ‘fall risk’ right now is still quite strong – and getting stronger every day.

Mom is home the words hardly feel real after some of the moments we shared at UCSF.  I REJOICE in the reality. 

God has spared my mom for a PURPOSE, she, and our family, are forever changed.  I am eager to see what the Lord has ahead.

17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons [and daughters] of God to be revealed.
(Rm 8:17-19)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Ephesians 2:8

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts [our] prayer(s).
Psalm 6:9

Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.
I Chronicles 16:11-12

Creator of all things
Healer of my being
Through your righteousness
I’ve been redeemed
Forgiven by your grace
Your joy is my strength
When everything has changed
You stay the same
You are God
Bright and Morning Star
When I’m down you lift me up
You’re the Lover of my heart

You are God
Mender of my soul
You’re the rain that makes my whole
You are God
Ever-present help
Savior of my life
Everything I have belongs to you
My time is in your hands
My purpose is your will
I know that you’ll provide
so I’II be still

You are God
Bright and Morning Star
When I’m down you lift me up
You’re the Lover of my heart
You are God
Mender of my soul
You’re the rain that makes my whole
You are God

You are the One
that delivers me
It’s not because of what I am
but who You are

You are God
Bright and Morning Star
When I’m down you lift me up
You’re the Lover of my heart
You are God
Mender of my soul
You’re the rain that makes my whole
You are God

You’re my provider
When I’m down
You lift me higher
When I’m weak
You are the fire
That turns me into gold
You are God
Alpha, Omega

Take my life
Lord I surrender
You’re the rain that makes me whole
You are God

You Are God
written and performed by The Katinas

I had never heard this song before June 8th, 2007. When my dad woke me at 5:30a, that day to be at my mom’s bedside, I still had 4 hours before I could get JoAnna at the airport to go to San Francisco. In the interim, I dusted off the old CD Library and found: The Katinas, Amy Grant, Sonic Flood, Steven Curtis Chapman, and several other Non-Secular artists that I had not listened to in quite sometime to create a ‘praise and worship’ mix for my sister and I to listen to on our way to SF that day. You Are God was amongst the mix. When it came on, just a few notes into the song JoAnna said, “Oh, I love this song!” – I confessed I had never heard it. As The Katinas sang I became immersed in the lyrics and have loved the song ever since. My stereo is broken in my car right now, so when I went to see my mom on Sunday there was nothing better to do than sing all the way up…I definitely sang this song.

You are God
Bright and Morning Star
When I’m down you lift me up
You’re the Lover of my heart
You are God
Mender of my soul
You’re the rain that makes my whole
You are God

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

A couple days before my mom’s transfer to UCSF my dad and I were praying over her with Dave and Laura Gschwend and anointing her with oil.  Laura had prayed for my mom to have peace without even knowing that Irene is from the Greek Ειρηνη (Eirene) which meant “peace”.

When I was little and had to get inoculations or had a bad dream my dad would comfort me by singing:

In the name of Jesus
In the name of Jesus
In the name of Jesus
There is Peace, Sweet Peace.

I love you Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul
Rejoice
Take joy My King
In what you hear
May it be a sweet
Sweet sound
In your ear

This journey has required that comfort.  The first night my mom was transferred to UCSF I called my dad and asked him to sing it to her. 

Recently, as I pondered all that my mom has endured and continues to battle daily, rather than get caught up in grief or worry, God called me to make a joyful noise.  While it felt silly at first shouting out HALLELUJAH in my bedroom, it sure gave me a sense of His presence and peace followed.

Psalm 100:1-5
1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Tonight, I continue to SHOUT TO THE LORD on my mom’s behalf.

Shout to The Lord
Words and Music by Darlene Zsche

My Jesus, my Savior, Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love.
My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength;
Let ev’ry breath, all that I am, never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and Majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of your hands,
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and Majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of your hands,
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

HALLELUJAH for the Healing of Irene!
I love you Mom!

Dear Mom,

Over the last three weeks I have found immense comfort in Steven Curtis Chapman’s song His Strength is Perfect

Specifically, the verse ”We can only know/the power that He holds/when we truly see how deep our weakness goes/His strength in us begins/where ours comes to an end/He hears our humble cry and proves again/His strength is perfect when our strength is gone/He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on/Raised in His power, the weak become strong/His strength is perfect”

I truly saw how deep our weakness goes as I saw you struggle through the last week. I am so blessed to see you raised in His power as you continually become strong.

I woke up from a dream sometime around 4:30, this morning and pictured you sitting in your hospital bed with a banquet table spread out before you, anything you could imagine to eat was there before you, and you were feasting. When I got in the shower this morning I kept singing:

He brought me to his banqueting table
His banner over me is love
He brought me to his banqueting table
His banner over me is love
He brought me to his banqueting table
His banner over me is love
His banner over me is love
I am my beloved’s and he is mine
His banner over me is love
I am my beloved’s and he is mine
His banner over me is love
I am my beloved’s and he is mine
His banner over me is love
His banner over me is love

...and I was reminded that DAVID means BELOVED. God, and Dad, have faithfully seen you through this, and I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for my two Fathers who demonstrate unconditional love - true love - to you, and to our family.

Soon Dad will be picking up Spicy Tuna from Sushi on the Run in Aptos for you, Mom, and you will feast on it and whatever else your heart desires.

Bless the Lord, O my soul
And all that is within me
Bless His holy name
Bless the Lord, O my soul
And forget not all His benefits
Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from destruction
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies
Who satisfies your mouth with good things
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles
The executes righteousness
And justice for all those who are oppressed
He made known His ways to Moses
His acts to the children of Israel
The Lord is merciful and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in mercy
He will not always strive with us
Nor will He keep His anger forever
For as the heavens are high above the earth
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him
The Lord has established His throne
In heaven and His kingdom rules over all

Love, Jocelyn

How quickly things have changed. I never would have guessed in February when my mom’s cholesterol spiked that the valley of the shadow of death lay ahead. Yet, here we are.

We don’t know the outcome, we only know that our happy lives in which we were steadily plugging along have forever been altered. Right now, my mom is resting in sedation, experiencing “rebirth” - healing…struggling. But it is not in vain. Because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Rm 5:3&4).

When I woke up this morning, my mom’s smiling face greeted me as it does every morning from the picture I put up of her beside my bed of her smiling at Thanksgiving dinner. As I smiled back at the picture and thanked God for blessing our family by healing my mom, I basked in the Peace of God and a vision of a cocoon settled in my mind.

We: my dad, mom, sister and I, have been living the life of happy fat little caterpillars, plugging along enjoying the Fruits of The Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (Gal 5:22&23). God has truly met all of our needs and blessed us beyond anything we could imagine. Now with our present sufferings we are in a waiting space…everything has changed. We are in a cocoon: the valley of the shadow of death, being still, knowing He is God, resting in trust and obedience, awaiting metamorphosis.

The restricting cocoon and struggle required for a butterfly to get through the tiny opening when it is time to emerge was by God’s design to force fluid from the body of the butterfly (once a fat little caterpillar) into it’s wings so it is ready for flight once it achieves freedom from the cocoon.

God does not give His children anything we cannot handle.

17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons [and daughters] of God to be revealed (Rm 8:17-19)

Strength, Comfort, Rest

Trusting Mom will be home for her Birthday – healing, is the Hope that we have.  Right now my mom needs Prayer Warriors to rise up and request of the Lord to work a miracle that she will not need pain medication. 

The medication dosage needed to provide relief to her agonizing bones tears up her stomach.  Even at total health my mom was hesitant to take ibuprofen because it reacted uncomfortably with her stomach.  Please request of God to work a miracle for her to rest comfortably without further abrasion to her body so she can heal. 

It is also my prayer that she will be able to rest comfortably with the humidifier on her face to help her breathe.  Her mouth and throat are dry from the Chemo, and although the humidified air would help, she doesn’t like the tubes, and elastic that is constantly stuck to her. 

Seeing her discomfort is crushing to my spirit, but even in suffering, Mom remains strong.  In surrender she said today, “Just tell me what I have to do so I can go home.”

Just rest mom, rest and let God heal you, he accepts our prayers, and has heard our cry for mercy.

2 Be merciful to [Irene], LORD, for [she is] faint;
O LORD, heal [her], for [her] bones are in agony.
3 [Her] soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?
4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver [Irene];
save [her] because of your unfailing love.
5 No one remembers you when he is dead.
Who praises you from the grave?
6 [We are] worn out from groaning;
all night long [we] flood [our] bed(s) with weeping
and drench [the] couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow…
9 The LORD has heard [our] cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts [our] prayer(s).
Psalm 6:2-7,9
11 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.
I Chronicles 16:11-12

AMEN

Since I was a little girl my mom has always loved the smell of soil and the ground after the first rain. 

This following story is taken from an email that has been going around for sometime, but I thought it appropriate to post.

Enjoy!

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.  That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple’s new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor’s soft words dropped like bombs.  “I don’t think she’s going to make it,” he said, as kindly as he could.  “There’s only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one.”

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on. 

“No! No!” was all Diana could say.  She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away but as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. 

Because Dana’s underdeveloped nervous system was essentially ‘raw’, the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn’t even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.  But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.  At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time.  And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.  She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story. 

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother’s lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin’s baseball team was practicing.  As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, “Do you smell that?”

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, “Yes, it smells like rain.” Dana closed her eyes and again asked, “Do you smell that?” Once again, her mother replied, “Yes, I think we’re about to get wet. It smells like rain.” Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, “No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.”

Tears blurred Diana’s eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.  Before the rains came, her daughter’s words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

Happy Rebirth Mom! June 15th, 2007

Dear Mom,

I watered your plants today, inside and out.  How nice it was to hear the water flow from the hose.  I held my thumb over the spout a bit and let the water arch over the succulents in the yard, (they are yellowing without your attentive hand) and I was reminded of countless hours spent in the evening through dusk with you and dad washing the car and attending to the yard while I rode around on my roller skates or bike and Annie played with sidewalk chalk and a jump-rope.

I miss you, Mom, and I can’t wait to celebrate your return home to your yard and the ‘Peaceful Garden’ Dad has named “Wisteria.”

I was pleased to see Wisteria today.  There is a sunflower blooming in the center pot that is usually on the upper deck.  The Jade is deep green and plump.  The bamboo I gave to you because I under-watered it, is shooting nicely, and I repotted the pink roses you received while still on the 14th floor.  Everything waits for you to grace it with your radiant smile, Mom.  Especially the Ficus. 

The beautiful Ficus that once stood over eight feet tall in your living room, which because of over-fertilization, is half the height it was. 

Remember when it first showed spots on the leaves and we wondered if it was over-fertilized?  You rinsed the roots and repotted it several times before you had to prune it back significantly and send it to recovery in Wisteria.

It has new leaves, Mom.  It’s recovery is slow.  It comes and goes with the temperature changes, strong and weak breezes, hydration, fertilization, sunshine and fog.  But it IS coming back.  Although not very visible at first, gradually, it is returning to its splendor after the trauma it experienced.  I can’t wait for you to come recover in Wisteria, Mom.

You are the Lords.  Do not be afraid. 

Matthew 6:27-34
27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

2 Chronicles 20:17
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face [amyloids] tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ “

Psalm 46:10-11
10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

:::::NOTE:::::
[Selah (Hebrew: סלה) may be the most difficult word in the Hebrew Bible to translate. Selah is probably either a liturgico-musical mark, being held to be a variant of “shelah” (="pause"); or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like “stop and listen”.  Alternatively, Selah may mean “forever”.]

Peace and Joy

Romans 5:1-6

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Today Mom returned to the Oncology ward - she is out of ICU!  Hallelujah!!  MOM - YOU WILL BE RETURNING TO APTOS SOON!  God’s Strength through you!!! 

XOXO

Irene Dias is More Than A Conqueror

My dad called and woke me up at 5:30a, this morning requesting my presence at my mom’s bedside.  I am not there yet because I am picking JoAnna up at 9:30a, in San Jose so we can go see my mom together.

God’s Peace Is Amazing.  The gift he laid on my heart to share with my Dad, Our Rock:

Romans 8:28-39

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

AMEN

GET WELL SOON MOM! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!