Sunday, March 22, 2015




An Update on Lesa from today, June 24, 2015










Still His Little Lamb................




We are praising God at the Young home today!!

One year and four days ago, I underwent a surgery which has forever changed my life both physically and emotionally.  More importantly, it changed me spiritually...and, for that I am grateful.

As I wrote in the blog below...the first one....


He is the Shepherd who can heal me.  He is the Shepherd who can make me whole.  

And, I believe He will.

But, more than even that….I go with confidence into His will for my life

His will be done

Because, I have learned that when I give over my will….into His hands….into His will

There is not greater place to be.


For the past 369 days God has been working on me....it's easy to write the word to what I want to be like and hold as truth but it is much harder to walk my words as truth...to live my faith.

I don't know why we go through challenges in our lives....I don't understand fully what purpose my own journey has, but what I have learned is a very simple lesson

When God's will is done..and you strive to not waiver in your faith in His will

You come out on the other side healed...

Maybe not in the way you think or want to be, but in the way which matter.

In my case, as I write this, I am on track for a real healing....and, just as I wrote that I believed He would...He has.

In this season of my life...His will has been for me to walk in a healthier body...by His grace

I am thankful.  I am grateful.  I want to always remember this journey and not forget it as I continue on my way....

Thank you all for your faithful prayers on my and my family's behalf.  We "still have miles and miles to go", but this woman of God knows with all confidence that she goes not alone

He is with me

As are you, and I am grateful.

Love and Blessings on all of us,
Lesa

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An Update on Lesa: Easter Sunday 2015  (So many of you have asked for an update that my heart is touched.  I thank you for your care and compassion)

I go tomorrow, Monday, April 6, 2015, to The Vanderbilt Clinic for a pre-assessment by the Physician’s Assistant of my surgeon.  She will examine me (and discuss with my surgeon) to see if I am ready for the cystogram scheduled for 11am.  If I am deemed ready (it’s been 13 days since surgery), then I will have the cysto.  If not, I’m not sure what will happen outside of a Foley catheter change.  Based on what happens, they will determine my next steps.

To date, it appears that this surgery has “taken hold”.  I wrote before the surgery that I believe God will and has healed me and I do.  We don’t know the long term affects, but do know I have a few complications which I will address for the days to come.  It’s in God’s Hands.

So…please do keep me in your prayers.  For total and perfect healing as only God can provide and for peace of mind knowing that the ultimate physician has me in His good hands.

I go with great peace and every expectation that God has healed me.

Thank you for your many prayers.

His Will Be Done…..

Our love,
Lesa, Ian and children



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I Am His Little Sheep and He is My Shepherd

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all of his own, he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.  Therefore, Jesus said again, very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. “  John 10: 1-5
“- and I lay down my life for the sheep” 

~ Jesus

June 20, 2014 was a life changing day for me, my family, and those who love me, including many of you who are reading this.  Not because of a surgery which caused physical harm to my body, but because I was forever changed in my relationship with God. 

 I am not the first, nor will I be the last to have a struggle in my life. 

My struggle is not the biggest nor is it the smallest of the world’s struggles.  But, what it was for me was an opportunity to grow in my relationship with God or against God as I have walked these past 9+ months.  We all have a choice in which direction to change, and I choose to grow toward God.  To follow His leading.  To listen to Him call my name.

On another day, God willing, I will share with you all that God has taught me since last June 20, 2014…but, for now, I leave you with this…

I am most confidentially and certainly, His little lamb. 




 He opens the Gate and I follow.  He knows my name and I listen for and to His voice. 

 He goes ahead of me preparing my way and I will follow Him because I love Him. 

 I do not follow the voice of this world because it is as strange to me as that of a stranger’s voice.

In fact, I choose to run away for the strangeness of this world.

Instead, I run toward toward the Gatekeeper….the one who gave me life here and who prepares me for that life there, with Him in Heaven.

I have total faith in my Shepherd, that He will bring healing to me. 

 I pray with all of my heart for His Holy guidance of the surgeon who will operate on me this Monday. 

 I pray for all the medical professionals who will care for me.  I pray God bless each and every one and lift them up.  

I pray for you who will be praying for me and I thank you in advance.

I pray for a Godly husband who has cared for me like I am the most precious of lambs.

I pray for my children who God gave me to teach me about living for someone other than myself.

I pray for Godly parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

I pray for Godly family and friends.

This world is not our home, heaven with the Shepherd is. 

 But, while we are here, He wants us to remember Him….to know Him….to recognize His voice as He calls to us.

He wants us to be such precious lambs that those who are near us can tangibly feel His love for Us….and, through us, for them as well.  

So, as I head into Monday and the weeks that follow, I go with great confidence.   

He is the Shepherd who can heal me.  He is the Shepherd who can make me whole.  

And, I believe He will.

But, more than even that….I go with confidence into His will for my life

His will be done

Because, I have learned that when I give over my will….into His hands….into His will

There is not greater place to be.

God go with all of us….and, may we all remember the wonder of being His Sheep….

May we all answer when He calls our name…both while on this earth…and, in Heaven.


Love and Blessings,
Lesa

 Surgery at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Monday, March 23, 2014 at 7:30am.  Madison will post once I am out of surgery.  Humble, joyful thanksgiving for the outpouring of love you have shown me.  my family.  You are His hands, feet, and heart in our lives. 


Sunday, March 1, 2015



For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he – Proverbs 23:7

The heart is an important place.  I am convinced of it.  

More and more every day, I am coming to realize how vital, how important, how necessary it is to have a good one

A pure one

A clean one

How much different is my life when I think with my heart?

Contrary to what the world will tell us, thinking with our hearts is not an emotional, unstable, or foolish thing to do….

It is a Godly expectation

While the world puts down a person who thinks with her heart, who looks at things, situations
People

With their hearts….

The Lord is….

Searching my heart

Wanting to know my heart

Wanting me to consider life, people, and circumstances from my heart’s perspective

I’ve been thinking a lot about that as I head into my third surgery, fourth time to be put to sleep and seventh medical procedure within the past eight months.  It would seem that before I can catch my breath and give my human body a chance to heal from one event, I am having to prepare and move onto the next

It is a frequent thought that I wonder, “how much more can this old heart take?”

I’m not afraid.  I don’t worry about if I die….

More is my thought toward my heart….

Have I lived the days God has given me according to His purpose for my life?

Have I shared my heart in such a way that when others see me, they see Him?  And, better still, do they see in my heart, the heart of my Father?

I think we all know the answer to that is a pretty resounding no

I have not
Not perfectly
Not mostly
Not every single moment of every single day of my life
No

And yet

I woke from a deep, fitful sleep this morning to hear myself calling out for my daddy….

I am soon to be 53 years old the end of this month and never in my entire life have I ever 
remembered myself calling, thinking to call, starting to call much less actually calling God my Father…………..Daddy

My earthly Daddy has always been my Daddy and my heavenly Father has always been Father

But, for some reason a little before 7 this morning as I was coming awake I realized that I was calling out to my Daddy and it was my heavenly one to whom I was calling….

Odd?

I don’t think so

The reality is, I am just a child in this human body
And, I make no apologies for it

I am His child

His little girl
His daughter

Tears flow from my heart just typing those words because I am coming to so fully understand their significance in my life

It is from my Daddy that I gain strength of heart to carry through with the plans He has for this life of mine, plans to prosper, not to harm, plans to use my life for His purposes, plans to illuminate my sin so that I may grow closer to him, plans to forgive my sin so that I become pure through Him.

My Daddy gave me my heart

And, my Daddy can take it away

I find comfort when He tells me

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity.”

And all HE really wants 

Is my heart

All of it

The entirety of its physical muscle walled within my chest
The wholeness of my heart’s thoughts
The fullness of my spiritual hearts giving’s

God is the master potter, constantly shaping and molding and defining and refining
But, in lieu of a lump of clay

His medium
Is our hearts

My heart

At first, He knits it right beside the very heart of a humanly mother who will love it and protect it and care for it second only to God himself…

Then, he grows it
He stirs it
Searches it
Calls it
He watches it
He judges it
He breaks it

He tells us to fix His Word on our hearts

To fully commit our hearts

To pour out our hearts to Him

He knows what He is asking

He wants it all
Our total heart

He makes no apologies and in fact,
Makes clear to those will listen

He expects it all

Because He knows that until we freely give

Fully give
Totally give

Our whole heart to Him

We will never have a whole heart

We are called to trust Him with all of our hearts….

Our whole heart

And, I do

Out of my heart, I think it
From my heart I give it

All of it

The sum total of it

The whole of it


Blessings

Lesa