Our Story, Part Fifty (Mason's Miracle!)

"Praise the Lord, Oh my soul,

and forget not all His benefits-

who forgives all your sins,

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

and crowns you with love and compassion."

Psalms 103: 2-4

After a very long night, God answered our prayers and Mason was feeling much better by the next day. As insignificant as this may sound, one of my main concerns was that he be able to participate in the birthday party with all the other boys. It had been a very long time since he had been able to enjoy the simple things in life that so many of us take for granted. I wanted him to be able to camp out in the tent and to enjoy a fun, wholesome night of activities with boys his age. With so many serious events in front of him, I wanted him to have this last day to enjoy being a kid. I am certain that Michelaine was feeling the same way, and God was faithful to give him this!  He wasn't able to play football or be as active as we might have liked, but he was out there. This truly brought joy to both our hearts.

Mason's future was very uncertain, as this disease was continuing to spread into the remaining parts of his intestinal tract.  After the removal of his large intestine, a section of his small intestine was formed into what is known as a J-shaped pouch, in hopes to eventually reconnect him internally so that he would no longer need to wear a bag. After re-connection, this J-pouch would then act as a rectum, allowing him to eliminate waste the normal way. This was Mason's only hope of being able to live what he considered a normal life again. Needless to say, this was extremely important to him.

Unfortunately, with the spreading of this disease, the site of the pouch had also become inflamed as well, a condition known as pouchitis.  Most recent pictures had revealed that the pouch was not only positioned too high for possible re-connection, it had also fused together and no longer formed a J. With the site of the pouch now being diseased, the doctors felt it might have to be removed altogether. This would mean that Mason would never be reconnected internally.  

But as you know, Mason had found new faith.  He was completely convinced that God was at work inside of him.  He knew about the prayer warriors who Michelaine had called for this day.  Although it was not likely they would be able to reverse the effects of the disease on the J-pouch, Mason continued to plead with them to try!  He believed that anything was possible and that God would be present and working along with them during this surgery. 

At some point before they arrived in Cincinnati, Michelaine received news that she had breast cancer again.  She had already battled cancer three times before (breast cancer twice), and I know this news had to be devastating for her!  Yet surprisingly, she seemed to take the news in stride. Somehow she was able to quickly put it out of her mind and remain focused on Mason.  She did not allow this news to cause her to question God or rattle her faith in any way. She knew that she didn't have time to focus on herself. Her strength continued to amaze me! 

Michelaine and Mason arrived in Cincinnati this time with a new sense of hope.  Throughout the entire trip Michelaine continued to feel the powerful presence of God. In the days leading up to the surgery, the two of them were constantly reading their Bibles and praying. God was continuing to confirm to Michelaine that He was with her and leading her every step of the way.  These were the kinds of messages I was receiving from her during that week:

Laura, look at Mark 1:32-34 Amazing! Coincidence that I set the Prayer Vigil for dusk on the Sabbath??? I think not!! God is so AWESOME!

Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him & healed them all.  In the study portion it says Prayer is not a way for us to control God but it is a way for us to put ourselves under His control. I love it!

I love that I can look back through our messages during this time! 

In spite of everything she was going through, Michelaine's faith was at an all time high.  I was doing my best to stay up there with her in my level of faith, but if I am being completely honest, from the moment they left my house I began to get fearful again.  I couldn't help but wonder if they were expecting too much. Kaylee's healing had taken a very long time, and I just wasn't sure what to expect for Mason.  I looked back through some of my messages and found this message I had sent to my friend, Rachel Shaneyfelt, during this time:


Hello Rachel! I am so happy that you are doing well! Thank you so much for joining us in the prayers for Mason! I cannot even begin to explain the changes and spiritual growth I have seen in him over the past couple of months. I know that God is at work, but it is so hard to believe for something this big.... I mean, he needs BIG! My daughter got her miracle, yet it took almost 10 years to be completed. Mason does not have that kind of time! Anyway, I am nervous and anticipating this Monday. But I do want to thank you again. We don't really know what to expect, we just know that we need all the prayers and support we can get right now!

Rachel was one of many who were standing with us in prayer for Mason!

Mason's faith was incredibly high throughout this time as well, and he was in constant prayer! Before he left for Cincinnati, I had given him a copy of Kaylee's prayer.  He took the prayer with him and continued to pray it that week.  This was Mason's version of the prayer and what he was continuing to pray leading up to his surgery:

I give all of myself to You, Father. Disease will no longer rule my body. My body will not obey disease’s evil longings. Instead, I will be Yours. I have been brought from death to life. I offer every part of my body to You to do what is right. I offer my cells, my intestines, my immune system, and all of my inner most being as "instruments of righteousness." For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Disease will not be my master. Law does not rule me. God's grace has set me free. I am not a slave to disease. I am a slave to God. I have been set free and all of me is a slave to righteousness. Praise You Jesus that I have been given eternal life because of what You did on the cross. I praise You -O my soul; may all my inmost being praise Your holy name. Praise You Lord, O my soul, and I will forget not one of Your benefits. You forgive all of my sins. You heal all of my diseases. You redeem my life from the pit and crown me with love and compassion. You satisfy my mouth with good things so that my 14 years will be renewed like the eagles. Thank You for justice and righteousness. Fill me with joy in your presence. For You are my God, who heals me.

Mason was in constant prayer throughout that week. I remember Michelaine telling me that he would pace back and forth in their room praying. The night before his surgery he told Michelaine, "I have to get to the altar to pray!  I have to go right now!"  

Michelaine took him down to the hospital chapel. Once he got there, he went down to the altar, started pacing back and forth again, and continued to pray.  At the entrance to the chapel there was a book where you could sign your name to show you had been there. Instead of writing his name, Mason wrote out Kaylee's prayer in the book.  I suppose he was thinking that someone else coming to the chapel might be in need of this prayer. The way he appeared to be led by the Holy Spirit in those final hours leading up to this surgery, I believe that is very likely.  I thought this was absolutely precious! 

The day of the surgery I received this message:

I wish you were here!!!! It would be awesome for him to see you when he woke up! His last words going through the doors as he pulled me close to his mouth was "Mama call Ms Laura & Kaylee & get on speaker phone & pray." God love him!! Thank you Jesus! I just exhault your Holy Name!!!! To GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!

Michelaine was fasting and praying throughout the surgery.  When she walked into the waiting room she looked up and saw a sign that read: 

Please be mindful of those families fasting and eat in designated areas only....

Once again, Michelaine felt that God was confirming to her that she was doing what He had called her to do. (The next time she returned to the hospital, the sign was no longer there.)

Back in Auburn, I was a nervous wreck!  I am so embarrassed to even admit this, but I continued to be very double-minded concerning Mason's healing. Although I had felt a calling on my life to encourage people to pray and believe for healing, I wasn't convinced God would do it.  It was one of the longest mornings of my life waiting to hear about Mason coming out of his surgery!  At times I even feared he would not make it.  

The first phone call I received that day was from my mother. When I answered my phone, she was crying. My heart sunk, and I feared the worst. 

"Did you see Michelaine's post?" she asked me.

I could barely respond. "No, I didn't." 

"It says that Mason is healed!" she told me. She had been crying tears of joy!  "Go look!"  

I quickly pulled up facebook and this was what I saw:

PRAISE GOD!!!!! Mason Marchand's surgery went beautifully & God's work was seen! They only had to remove the remaining rectum but the pouch was FINE!!! They did not reconnect him yet so that he may heal, however; we could return in 2-3 months for this. HOWEVER, the docs have instructed that Mason is FINE & in the best place he has ever been & for me to get through my surgical procedures & then we will complete his connection. PRAISE BE TO GOD!!! HE IS THE SAME TODAY AS YESTERDAY, TOMORROW & FOREVER!!!! I JUST GLORIFY YOUR HOLY NAME & YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! PRAISE GOD MASON IS HEALED!!!!!

Not long after this, I got these messages from Michelaine:

No its fine give me a minute! Mason is HEALED!!!

Praise God!!!!

Oh Laura It was AWESOME!!! I wish you could have seen the doctors face. They called out & said things were going well & it would be about another hr which was 3/4 less than it was supposed to be. Then less than 5 minutes later I was being called into the conference room.

His GI happened to be walking by & came in & started talking to me when the surgeon came in...he had a look on his face like something was wrong. I asked whats wrong & he said nothing, shook his head & said everything is great! He has never been in a better position!!! He can be reconnected once he heals from this & everything is good with me & lead a more normal life!!!! PRAISE GOD PRAISE GOD PRAISE GOD!!!!!

To sum things up, when the surgeon got in to attempt to bring the J-pouch into position and see if it could possibly be fixed (from being fused together), MIRACULOUSLY,  it was already perfectly positioned, no longer fused together, and no longer diseased! In other words, the work had already been performed by the hand of God! 

The surgeon was shocked that only a the small remaining part of the rectum had to be removed in the surgery. Everything else was perfect! The surgery had taken much less time than expected, and when they called Michelaine to the conference room, she initially feared that something had gone terribly wrong.  The biopsy later revealed no evidence of disease in his small intestine! 

Mason was in and out over the next several hours, but Michelaine told me that every time he woke up he would say, "We have to keep praying, Mom, keep praying!"

Mason Today

Within 4-6 months of this surgery, Mason came off of ALL his medication.  He was immediately able to start eating again, and has been completely off his feeding machine for a year now.  He has gained around 40 lbs or more!  

He has not been able to be reconnected yet through his J-pouch because the doctors are not convinced that the disease will not return.  If it was to return, it could cause serious complications if he was reconnected.  He is still waiting.


Occasionally Mason's numbers will spike, indicating the presence of inflammation in his body. When this happens, Mason will pull out the prayer again, start to pray, and the numbers will return to normal.  Just as with Kaylee, he has continued to have to fight through the years to keep his healing.

Spiritually, Mason is not in a good place right now. I would like to ask everyone who is reading this to please be praying for him!  He has continued to struggle to fit in, and we all know how difficult this can be for any teenager, but especially one with his history of isolation.  Satan comes after all of our children, and Mason is particularly vulnerable. In addition to everything else, Satan is afraid of Mason's testimony!  He will continue to set traps for him to pull him off the path.  Michelaine desperately needs for us to rally and stand with her for Mason's protection right now. With Mason's father being killed last week, this has created an entire new set of problems.   

I personally believe that God may be holding off on Mason being reconnected to keep Mason in this place of dependency on Him. God was faithful to answer Mason's prayers, but Mason also made a commitment to God that he has not kept. None of us will ever be perfect or without sin, but when we give our life to God, we cannot continue to live a life outside of God's will and expect Him to continue to bless us.  God is very patient (which has been a very good thing for me!) and He is merciful! It may be His mercy that he keeps Mason in this place of need.  God wants Mason to return to Him with his whole heart. I am continuing to believe this will happen and that Mason will one day be reconnected!  

God touched Mason's body and he received a true miracle on October 17th, 2011.  On this day, God demonstrated, not only His power, but His amazing love and compassion for Mason!  All of this was medically documented.  

Following this blog, I am going to post the video we took of Mason being Baptized shortly after his return from Cincinnati.  This video is extra beautiful because, in this moment, you can see someone who fully understood ALL that he has been saved from! 

To God be the glory!


PLEASE KEEP OUR BROTHER, MASON, IN YOUR PRAYERS!    


     

Our Story, Part Forty-Nine (Mason's Salvation)

"In all their distress He too was distressed,

and the angel of His presence saved them.

In His love and mercy He redeemed them;

He lifted them up and carried them;

all the days of old."

(Isaiah 63:9)

How do you convince someone who has endured so much suffering, and who has already lost all of his large intestine due to a relentless, chronic disease, that God loves him more than he could ever imagine?  When I first met Mason, he was an angry young man, and understandably so. There were so many things happening in his life that he could not understand. Fortunately, it wasn't my job to convince him of anything. God was bringing everything together and setting things in motion behind the scenes to demonstrate His love for Mason in the most incredible way. It was truly an amazing thing to witness God's love for this lost and hurting child!

After our time of prayer for Mason, we headed to church.  It was around the first week of September, 2011, and this church was just beginning their annual "At the Movies" series.  This series, which was purposely planned around the month of highest attendance each year, was my children's absolute favorite series.  Not only did this series always contain a great message that pointed people to Christ, it was sure to keep your attention.  The pastor would take a popular movie, show clips from the movie, then take the theme and turn it into a powerful message.  I was confident that this particular series had the potential to reach Mason. Now that all of his anger had surfaced, I was praying that this message would somehow touch Mason's heart. I wasn't confident that we would be able to get him back in church again any time soon.

I continued to pray silently in the car as we headed toward the church.  We made our way in and slipped into the back of the church.  My mind was on Mason the entire time, and even as we began our time of worship, I continued to pray that Mason would feel the presence of God.  Although Mason did not appear ready or willing to receive anything, because of the powerful prayers that had just been prayed over his life, I felt hopeful. 

It wasn't long into this service that it became evident to me that God intended for Mason to be at this very service.  The movie, Cinderella Man, inspired by the life story of heavyweight boxing champion, James J. Braddock, was a story of hope and triumph in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances. In the story, which takes place during The Great Depression, this former light heavyweight champion is offered a chance to come back after a career ending injury had left him struggling for work to provide for his family.  The circumstances appeared impossible for this 10-1 underdog, but with much more at stake than just a title, he refused to give up.  Against all odds, with everything on the line, he demonstrates no fear and goes on to pull one of the greatest upsets in boxing history.  

After we viewed clips from this inspirational story, the pastor began to speak to us.  He asked if anyone was facing something that appeared hopeless or impossible.  He began to call out different scenarios that many of us have faced at one time or another in our lives. When he mentioned disease, I saw Mason raise his hand up as high as it would go. "Me!" he shouted out.  The pastor then went on to deliver another powerful message as he assured us that nothing we face in this life is too big for God. He had Mason's undivided attention. 

Mason left the service on this night in a much different state of mind. He no longer appeared angry. Although he had demanded that Michelaine take him home before we left for church, he did not ask to leave again. Something had changed inside of him. I believe that perhaps, for the first time in his life, he had hope.  

Once we got back to my house, it became evident that something was also taking place inside of Mason's body.  He began throwing up profusely. This was not typical for him, and this continued on throughout much of this night. I don't really have a clear explanation for this, but because I had prepared Michelaine that Mason might get worse before he got better, we wondered if this might be a result of our prayers. It was hard to know for sure, and it was a little frightening.  Yet, in a strange way, we both had a peace. 

Something else surfaced in Mason shortly after this, and one night he "broke" emotionally.  He crawled up in Michelaine's lap, got in a fetal position, and began to cry.  "I ain't got no friends," he kept saying over and over.  "I am all alone."  It was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have ever witnessed. Michelaine just held him in her arms like a baby and assured him over and over that it was going to be okay.   

I want to go back and mention something I forgot in the previous blog.  Michelaine had been given a sign, shortly after their first visit with us, that let her know God had ordained our time together long before the two of us had reconnected through facebook.

Years earlier, before Mason had become so critically ill, Michelaine felt that God was calling her to something.  It was one night during a church service that she felt this calling, and she documented this in her Bible, along with the date. She told me that she remembered feeling that the date was significant. After she returned from their visit with us, during a time she was still struggling with doubt, she pulled out her Bible and noticed the date she had written in it.  It was August 18th, my birthday, and the day of Kaylee's healing. In that instant, she told me that she felt a peace that God was leading her. Amazingly, He had already provided her with an answer for Mason, even before the crisis came. Because of this assurance, she was able to remain steadfast in the weeks leading up to Mason's surgery, no matter how bad things appeared.     

Although we were seeing many changes in Mason, he had still not asked Jesus into his heart.  It was evident that God was working, but again, I believe there were many doubts and questions in his mind. In many ways, Mason reminded me of the children I had worked with and counseled through the years. He had a rough exterior, but deep down, I believe that he just needed to know that he had value and worth.  God had instilled the importance of this in me by using the troubled children in my classroom to bring me messages concerning Kaylee's healing. He was about to reach Mason in the same way (by playing the broken "violin").  I didn't even think anything about it when I asked Mason if he would pray for a friend of ours who was in some serious trouble.  Mason eagerly agreed and took this "assignment" very seriously. 

Michelaine and Mason had been making plans to move in with us, and were back and forth a few times before finally settling in.  During one of their trips back to Birmingham, Mason stayed in the car to pray while Michelaine ran into the store to pick up a few things.  While Mason was in the car praying for our friend, he had a life-changing encounter with God.   

While this was taking place, the children and I were in church.  In the middle of the service, I began to get numerous text messages telling me about his experience! After he texted me, he ran into the store to tell his mother about it.  He was overcome with excitement about what had just happened to him, and Michelaine could not keep him quiet.  He could not contain his enthusiasm about his experience with God! 

I believe that Mason was saved that night in the car, as he experienced the mighty presence of God, but he came back to my house wanting to make sure he went through the proper steps of salvation.  He prayed to receive Jesus into his heart, and from that point forward, he was a completely different child! I had never witnessed such a dramatic turnaround in my life, and for the next few weeks, we had an amazing time together with God. After they moved in, we would gather together at night to pray. Mason was the one making sure that we didn't miss a night. The weeks leading up to Mason's surgery were filled with a new excitement and hope! 

With Mason's surgery quickly approaching, Michelaine was hard at work preparing for their trip to Cincinnati. There were so many details that I had never even considered, including working out a private plane ride to get him there.  Everyday life with Mason was a full time job for her, but she handled it all amazingly well.  This time, however, in addition to all of the normal planning, she was also working hard to prepare her spiritual "battle plan" for the trip. 

She created a facebook page inviting everyone to join us in prayer for Mason during this surgery.  She also called a fast.  Bob and his wife joined us, and we all began fasting and praying together over this surgery that was ahead.   

Mason's new found faith was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.  Not only was he like a sponge, taking everything in about God, he was a "clean slate" with pure, child-like faith. He had not been programmed by any specific teaching or theology telling him what God would or wouldn't do.  He didn't limit God at all, and believed in Him completely! Those personality characteristics, which once seemed to be a negative, made the "new" Mason all the more beautiful! Mason would NOT stop talking to everyone about God!  

With our "battle plan" in place, we were counting down the days to Mason's surgery, scheduled for mid-October.  Mason had to be in Cincinnati about a week before the surgery, and I had planned a birthday party for Barret right before he was scheduled to leave. I invited several boys to come camp out in the backyard and to watch some football together. I had also invited a couple of Barret's cousins to spend the weekend with us.  We had a house full that Friday night, October 7th. 

Although Mason was doing very well spiritually, he was continuing to struggle physically.  That Friday night, less than two days before he was scheduled to leave, he suddenly took a terrible turn for the worse.  I was asleep in the next room when I heard him get up and start throwing up again.  This happened several times, and at some point in the night, Mason got so terrified by what was happening to him that he began insisting that he needed to go to the emergency room. Normally, he would do anything to avoid a trip to the hospital, so I knew it was bad! Michelaine was always the one insisting that they go, but this time, she was afraid that if she took him, he would be admitted and they would miss their scheduled flight to Cincinnati. She was well aware of how things worked, and if they felt Mason was too sick  for the flight, he might miss his surgery altogether.  

It was a very long night, to say the least, and not knowing what else to do, I just laid there in the bed praying.  After what seemed like forever, Mason finally calmed down and everything got quiet. At this point, I got up out of the bed to go make sure everything was okay. As I made my way toward their room, I saw the two of them laying in the middle of my living room floor.  Mason was curled up in a ball, completely wiped out, and Michelaine was laying on the floor beside him asleep.  I will never be able to erase that image from my mind, and in that moment, I was completely overcome by the reality of what the two of them had been living for so long!  I went back to my room, fell to my knees, and began to beg God to deliver them both! I knew God had just allowed me to see a picture of what had been so heavy on His heart for a very long time.  


  

Our Story, Part Forty-Eight (Pick Up Your Sword)

"Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit
which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions,
with all kinds of prayers and request.
With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying 
for all the Lord's people."

Ephesian 6:17-18

This has been a very difficult blog for me to write, and often times when this happens, God has something He needs to show or remind me in order to help me move forward.  The comforting part about this is that I truly cannot move forward in my writing without God.  All last week, I struggled to even be able to formulate a sentence.  Finally, last Saturday, I did begin to make a little progress. Later that morning, however, everything came to a screeching halt when my son, Brady, told me that he wasn't able to eat.  He went on to explain that this has been coming on for some time now, and that he hadn't had much of an appetite in the last month. It was then that I noticed he looked like he had lost some weight.  He also looked a little pale and weak in his eyes. I asked him to go weigh himself, and we were both shocked when the scales showed he had dropped 15 lbs!   

For most anyone, unexplained weight loss, of that amount, in someone who does not have any extra weight, would be a cause for concern.  But for me personally, this triggered a much deeper level of fear. The last time mysterious weight loss had occurred in one of my children, it had resulted in an emergency helicopter ride to Children's Hospital and a diagnosis of chronic disease.  I tried hard not to let my thoughts go there, but as the day progressed, Brady continued to get worse.  By Saturday night, he felt horrible and hadn't been able to eat all day. Here we were, less than two weeks out from his high school graduation, and to make matters worse, because of a recent change in jobs, we were without medical insurance for the next two weeks.  I had just been informed of this temporary lapse in coverage a few hours earlier. 

Although I tried to fight it, by the time I got in the bed that night, I was overcome with fear and anxiety! Was God really going to allow something like this to happen now?  Somehow, I finally managed to fall asleep, but as it often goes, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with my thoughts going to the absolute worst case scenario: What if this is auto-immune disease?  Rapid weight loss was the first sign that something was wrong in both Kaylee and Barret! How could I possibly take on another battle right now? Are any of my children going to be spared?  These anxious thoughts continued on for hours.

Even as I am in the middle of sharing our story about Kaylee's healing, and trying to encourage people not to accept disease as God's will or plan for their lives, it is still my first inclination to question God when things go wrong.  I suppose that this is because I am fully aware that He does allow bad things to happen when He has the power to stop it!  I mean, after everything I have already been through, don't I deserve some kind of "protective bubble" or something, at least concerning my children's health?  I began to question God, and as I did, feelings of hopelessness and despair began to overtake me. I didn't want to question God. I didn't want to revisit that dark place; but in that moment, I felt so weak.  

Fortunately, I had informed my mother about what was going on with Brady, and while I was having my "meltdown", she was praying!  All throughout the night, while the fear had weakened my ability to fight, she stood in the gap for me.  To my surprise, when Brady woke up, on Mother's Day, he was able to eat again. By the next morning, I was feeling stronger as well (even without much sleep). God began to bring things to my mind that would help Brady.  I went to the health food store and picked up some Primal Defense (probiotics) and digestive enzymes.  I loaded him down with supplements, and by that night, he was able to eat a full meal without any of the problems he'd been having the day before.  He is not fully recovered (and I would appreciate any prayers) but I believe with all of my heart that God touched Brady's body as my mother prayed that night.  I also believe, as a result of these prayers, I received strength so that He could then lead me in what I needed to do for Brady.  He has continued to improve throughout this week.  

Ryleigh, my youngest daughter, has been reading the book Heaven is For Real. For anyone who may not know, this is a true story about a little boy named Colton who took a trip to heaven while he was on the operating table, close to death.  During this trip to heaven, Colton's father had been in another room in the hospital praying (and having a "meltdown" which sounded similar to my own).  Colton later told his father that, before he went to heaven, he "went up out of" his body and saw him (his daddy) in a room praying. This was the beginning of many experiences Colton would go on to share with his father about this time. There is a movie out, based on this book, and if you haven't seen it yet, it's a must see!  It is a very fascinating and touching story. I personally love it when God uses innocent children to bring us powerful messages!  

After Ryleigh finishes reading a new chapter, she will come tell me about it.  Monday morning, she told me that she was so shocked by what she read that she dropped her book.  "Mama!" she came in the room to tell me.  "Did you know that Satan is not in hell yet?"   

I hadn't really thought about it like that before, and apparently neither had Colton's mother.  One night, after watching the movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, she said to Colton, "Well, I guess that's one thing you didn't like about heaven - no swords up there."  

"There are too swords in heaven," he quickly corrected her. 

Surprised by his response, she questioned him as to why they would need swords in heaven. 

"Mom, Satan's not in hell yet," he said, almost scolding. "The angels carry swords so they can keep Satan out of heaven!"  

As Ryleigh was enthusiastically sharing all of this with me, it suddenly hit me: If the angels have to continue to stand guard with their swords IN HEAVEN, why should I expect it to be any different for me here on EARTH?  I then had a funny thought. What if one of the angels, assigned to guard heaven's gates, was to have a "meltdown" the way that I did the other night?  What if the angel suddenly dropped his sword, started to cry, and began to question God as to why Satan was continuing to come after him?  Can you even imagine something like this?  I was reminded, again, that God never promised us it would be easy. But He has equipped us with a powerful sword (the word of God). And although he may not give us a "protective bubble", we have our shield of faith with which we can extinguish those flaming arrows the enemy shoots our way! Saturday night, I put my shield down, and when I did, Satan had full range to come after my thoughts and fill my mind with fear. Thankfully, I had a mother stand up and take over the battle for Brady that night!

God brought me the reminder I needed, and it came from Colton, through Ryleigh: Satan is not in hell yet! As long as we are here on this earth (and apparently even in heaven), we will continue to battle against evil!  God has always been very merciful with me in my times of weakness, but it makes things much harder on me when I start to question Him. It makes me weak.  

On another note, what if one of the angels was to lay down his sword and say, "God is in control." This is another common mistake that Christians are making these days. We have been called to be an active part of the on-going battle! We will continue to encounter evil on this earth.  We will continue to struggle with sin and disease. As I have continued to say, disease is NOT the calling God has on our life.  But if we lay our swords down and begin to believe this lie, it can greatly impact or hinder the greater plan God has for our lives. 

It wasn't long after I met Mason for the first time that I talked Michelaine into coming to visit us in Auburn.  Mason was in-between hospital visits to Cincinnati, and although Michelaine had found a place for them to live temporarily, she wasn't very happy with these new living arrangements.  Among other things, she felt that the environment was not good for Mason.  I convinced her that it might be good for them to get away for a bit and to come spend a little time with us. I was very excited when she accepted my offer.

It was the summer of 2011, nearly three years since Kaylee had received her healing, and although I felt God leading me, my confidence had been seriously shaken in that three year period. If Mason's healing had been dependent on my faith or prayers at the time, we would have been in big trouble.  But I wasn't really thinking that far out yet. I was just hoping that I could build a relationship with Michelaine and establish some trust with Mason.  I was counting on God to take over from there. 

With my limited, human vision, the circumstances surrounding their lives appeared insurmountable. But God certainly appeared to be at work, and even the fact that Michelaine had gone from not responding to my messages, to making a trip to my home, was evidence of God's involvement. Following Kaylee's healing, I had felt a calling on my life to share our testimony, and God seemed to be giving me a perfect opportunity.   

Although I knew that Mason was very bad off, it was still overwhelming to see all that Michelaine was having to do just to keep him alive. I didn't even realize that it was possible for someone to live in that condition without being hospitalized. I had planned out meals for them, but Mason was not able to eat.  He had to be hooked up to a feeding machine so that he could receive his nutrients for twelve hours every day.   

In addition to a large backpack Michelaine had to bring with her to carry this feeding machine, she also brought along a large diaper bag which contained numerous other medical supplies.  I was shocked when she pulled out two gallon size bags full of maintenance medications. I had never known of any adult to be dependent on that much medication. I couldn't help but think about all the possible long-term side effects he was facing if this continued. But this was the least of their worries at that time. Every day that Mason was still alive was only because of all the medical intervention he was receiving. It was a very different reality than anything I had ever faced with Kaylee.  His reality helped put our miracle back into perspective for me.  

I couldn't even begin to imagine all the effort it had taken for Michelaine to make this short, over-night trip to my house.  She had two 8x11 sheets of paper on which she had written down all of Mason's medications and doses just to keep track of it all. Along with these medications, he also required a bi-weekly shot of Humira to help control the inflammation in his body.  These shots, which cost $80k per dose, were the only success they had seen in controlling the symptoms of this extremely aggressive disease.  The doctors had warned Michelaine that they weren't sure how long this would continue to work for him. I will never forget the sound of his scream the first time I heard him inject himself with this shot!  

Other than all the medical supplies (which included the bag attached to his abdomen for the elimination of waste) and his frighteningly, thin stature, Mason appeared to be a completely normal 13-year-old boy. In fact, it wasn't until he walked through the door that I began to consider that I knew very little about him other than his illness.  Naturally, it is always concerning, as a mother, to bring a young teenager, whom you know very little about, into your home when you have younger children. But within moments of these concerns hitting me, I felt a peace. I sensed the strong presence of God shortly after Michelaine and Mason arrived at our home. I could instantly feel God's intense love for Mason.  

During this first visit, I was able to share more of the details of our testimony and the things God had taught me throughout that time.  I wanted to encourage Michelaine to fight this disease and not to accept the lie that it was God's perfect will or plan for Mason's life.  I explained to her how this had been the first obstacle I had to overcome before God could teach me how to fight her disease. I didn't have to do a lot of convincing. Michelaine had already seen this for herself.  She described to me the times when Mason had died in the hospital and been brought back. There was no doubt in her mind that spiritual warfare was surrounding his life. On those occasions, she had sensed the strong presence of evil in his hospital room.  

Michelaine was very open and receptive to everything I shared with her this first visit.  God had most definitely already been working in her life to bring her to a place where she could now receive what I had to say. As I explained all of this, I could also feel my strength and confidence coming back. I was ready to do whatever it took to fight for Mason's life! 

It wasn't until after they left that I started to have doubts again.  I became overwhelmed by the seriousness of Mason's condition. I began to worry again about the possible negative influence Mason could bring into our home. I could see the anger in his eyes. I began to worry about what would happen if he wasn't healed.  I even began to fear that he might die. Fortunately, I was able to recognize what was happening and bring the thoughts captive. It was a situation that required me to keep my eyes on Jesus every minute.  If I removed God from the equation, all of the circumstances surrounding Mason's life would flood my mind with fear and doubt. 

On their way home, Michelaine and Mason also began to experience what she later described to me as "Satan trying to enter into their thoughts and feelings in the car."  She said that she could sense a strong feeling of evil the closer she got to her apartment.  Once they returned to their apartment, things began to unravel there. I am not going to get into the details of what came against them in this blog (that's Michelaine's story to tell) but I will tell you that it was so intense that Mason called me crying hysterically and asking for prayer. This was a pivotal moment for the two of us. Mason had said very little to me during their first visit, but somehow I had managed to establish trust with him. During this phone call, I was able to see a different side of Mason.  Behind all the anger, he was a terribly frightened child.  I prayed with Mason on the phone, and I had the opportunity to talk to him about God's love for both of them.   

After their return home, Michelaine knew that she couldn't stay in that environment much longer.  If they were going to have any kind of chance to get their lives headed in the right direction, she felt that they had to remove themselves from that negative atmosphere. We helped them get a hotel room for the night, while I prayed further about what God would have me do.  After praying, I told Michelaine that they could come stay with us as long as they needed to. Once again, I felt God was giving us an opportunity.  The more time we could spend with them, the more we would be able to encourage them and pray with them during this critical time ahead.    

Things were moving quickly, and Mason had a major surgery coming up.  Michelaine told me that the doctors could not guarantee that he would survive this next surgery.  Although Mason had become more open to hearing about God, he was not yet saved. With his life hanging in the balance, this became a top priority.  I felt strongly that on their next visit, (before they moved in for good) I needed to get Mason to church!  

At the point when God brought Michelaine and Mason into our lives, I had been attending the church where Kaylee had received her healing. However, I was still not feeling comfortable. Although I was trying hard to keep my focus on the messages and on worship, a church is also a place where you should feel loved, encouraged and supported, especially when you do not have a husband around. Yet regardless of my personal feelings, I felt strongly that this was the church Mason needed at this time. If he had any hope of being healed, I knew that he had to be in a church that would encourage him to believe he could be healed.  This had been the church that had given me this truth when I needed it. It was a great church. When I first mentioned this church to Michelaine, and told her that Kaylee's healing had taken place there, she told me that God had been pointing her to this church for a very long time.  I knew that I couldn't allow anything to interfere with what God was doing in Mason's life.  

Although many of the people who had been a part of Kaylee's prayer service had turned against me, there were still a few at the church who had not. Among these people was a man name Bob. If God had allowed me to pick one person to stick with me after that night, I can honestly say that it would have been this man! Now that I felt this sudden urgency surrounding Mason's life and salvation, God had been faithful to leave me with this one person (two including his wife) that I could call on for prayer and support.  

Even as I think back to this time, my heart is leaping for joy knowing what God was about to do to show Mason how much He loved him!  But before we could even get to that point, we had to stand directly against the evil that had established a hold on Mason's life.  We had to confront the enemy with prayer!  I didn't even fully understand this at the time when I called on Bob to come pray for Mason before we headed to church. With Mason's eternal salvation on the line, and life hanging by a thread, Satan did not want Mason in church on this night!

After Bob and his wife arrived at my house, we all circled around Mason and began to pray.  I can't remember the exact order or every prayer specifically, but I remember being so touched by Brady's prayers for Mason.  Once again, it was a beautiful reminder of how God had been able to shape and mold Brady's heart throughout our hardships.

We continued to go around praying, and I remember that when it came to my turn, I was overcome with emotion and began to weep (just as I had when praying for the teenage girl). I truly felt as though Michelaine's burden was transferred onto me in that moment. It was almost more than I could take! 

I don't remember every word I prayed, but I remember, through my tears, these words coming out:

"Father, I know that You wouldn't do something only for my child. I know that you love Mason no less than you love Kaylee." 

Right or wrong, this was the earnest prayer of my heart. This was the heavy burden that I had carried since Kaylee's healing. 


Before Bob prayed for Mason, he talked to him a little about how he was going to pray.  He prepared him that he was going to be very bold and that he wasn't going to hold anything back.  I remember glancing up as he was talking and noticing that Mason appeared to be very tense and uneasy. I became a little worried about how this was going to go, but Bob didn't seem affected by his response at all. He began to pray, with power, concerning every aspect of Mason's life. I could feel the powerful presence of God with every word.  Yet at the same time, in a way I had never witnessed before, I could also feel the resistance as I sensed a strong presence of evil.  I truly believe we were seeing spiritual warfare take place right there in my living room that afternoon!  

After we finished praying, Mason got out of there as quickly as he could.

When Michelaine went to check on him, he was intensely angry!  "I want to go home!" he told her. "Get me out of this house now!" 

I am so glad, coming off of that powerful time of prayer, Michelaine had the strength and presence of mind to get the control back from Mason.  She remained calm, but firm, as she told him,  "I promised Laura that we would go to church with them, so that's what we're going to do. If you still want to leave after church, I will take you home."

This was how Mason's turnaround began, as we came together, picked up our swords, and declared war with the enemy concerning his life! The results were not instant; Satan doesn't give up very easily. But we had begun the fight. We were about to see God enter in and take over, not only inside of Mason's physical body, but most importantly, inside of Mason's heart!  

"And he replied, 'I saw Satan fall
like lightening from heaven.
I have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions
and to overcome all the powers
of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

However, do not rejoice that
the spirits submit to you,
but rejoice that your names
are written in heaven.

Luke 10:18-20