These are excerpts of Julie Pilling’s emails to her family, friends, and prayer warriors. For sake of space, much detail was omitted, including some medical and personal information as well as repeated thanks to those supporting her. The editors thank the Pilling family, and particularly Mary Alice Pilling (Julie’s mother) and Sharon Pilling (Julie’s sister-in-law) who provided the information. Julie was a member of the Sharon (Morning Sun, Iowa) RPC.

10-16-03 Hi, everyone.

I went to Dr. Phillips today. I found a lump in my right breast and I had a mammogram on Tuesday. Dr. Phillips has sent a sample to the lab for diagnosis. I will have a followup on Tuesday. He seemed fairly confident he would need to do some type of surgery; if nothing else to take a biopsy.

It is in the Lord’s hands and we will know more on Tuesday. I’ll keep you all updated as things progress.

Please keep me and the doctors and the lab technicians in your prayers.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our heart knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. 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” (Rom 8:26 - 28).

10-21-03 Hi! Me again with an update. Dr. Phillips said the lab tests confirm that I have breast cancer. I am scheduled for surgery on Oct. 27.

The Lord can heal and He may without surgery or with surgery. We don’t know His purpose or plan, but we do know that He is the same today as He was a few weeks ago and as He will be tomorrow and next week and forever.

God has confirmed His closeness to me and His good purpose in the following passage I read last night [from Isaiah 41]:

Thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

 God in His Spirit is with me and will be with me. He will make all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes. (Rom 8:28). Please don’t worry; just pray and wait to see what He will do.    11-04-03 The name of my cancer is infiltrating ductal with positive nodes, with poorly differentiated cells. It is an aggressive cancer, but that is to be expected because I am young for breast cancer. So, we await the workings of our Father in heaven.

Today, He directed me to John 6:16-21. It is the story of Jesus walking on the storm swept sea to the disciples in the boat. “And they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”

The Lord continues to heal me and draw me into His love. I am still peaceful and await Him to see where we are headed. Pray that I will always take Jesus into my boat. I pray that all of you will take Him into your boat and go for His ride always. He will always be with us.

11-10-03 I will have chemo every third week for six months.

I got my hair done tonight when I got back from Iowa City. It will be my last hair appointment for several months. Sometime this week I will need to go to a wig shop to let them see the way I fix my hair and the color I have in order to pick out a more realistic wig. I have a lot to learn!! Please continue to pray. I think we are heading into the hardest part.

Pray for wisdom regarding treatment. Pray for God’s mercy regarding side effects and working. Continue to pray for peace and His strength to do His work.

The storms are on their way but through Christ my house is built on the Rock!

11-15-03 Mom, Jim and I just got back from Kansas City; we went to a church revitalization meeting. It was very enjoyable and I would say I held up well for the length of the meetings.

 Continue in prayer for God’s preserving mercy and His strength to sustain my spirit and body. The most recent verses and encouragement from God through His Word come from Haggai 2:1-5. God is instructing the people of Israel to build His temple again after the exile. He tells them three times to be strong and then He says work! He reminds them He is with them and that His Spirit is among them. He also reminds them of His covenant and His rescuing them in the past from slavery in Egypt. He finishes with, “Do not fear!” Pray that I won’t fear and that I will be about His business and not be focusing on the storm and the uncertainty. He is continually reminding me that He is with me and not to fear. He has it all planned and will take care of it.

11-20-03 Good afternoon! I know God is the one who will heal me; the “horses and chariots” are not my comfort or healers. I know the Lord will give success as He wills it no matter where I receive treatment. So rest with me as I glean as much info as I can and make the decision that is best for me and for the Lord’s greatest glory!

Thanks for your prayers and love and emails and calls and attempts at calling.

11-26-03 Hi! I just got home from my appointment with Dr. Reganti, our local oncologist. The PET Scan shows extensive lymph node involvement, which she suspected. The PET Scan did not show any other organ to have cancer in them at this time.

The Lord has answered prayers for peace and His constant presence. He also appears to be guarding my vital organs from the cancer cells. Pray for God’s mercy as I begin chemo and praise Him for who He is and His Greatness and immeasurable power. Pray that I will be bold and strong to continue to work by His strength and through His wisdom.

12-07-03 Hi! I always seem to email when I need some special prayers or with something major but I rarely have emailed when I feel good and so I am emailing to say I feel good today!

Yesterday afternoon, I started to feel much better. I wasn’t as tired and I started to have a little bit of an appetite. I had been good and eaten even when I really didn’t want to eat anything, but yesterday food started to taste good and today I was even hungry a couple of times.

I plan on a full day of work tomorrow. I pray the Lord will give me the stamina that I need. I also pray that my blood counts will stay high enough that I can stay on a Thursday schedule for chemo. I know God will direct things for the best at all times.

12-11-03 Hi! Work is going better every day, with less fatigue and better productivity! I have a great team of people who work with me and attempt to protect me from myself. We have a great group of patients, too. Tomorrow, depending on how I feel, I may be doing chart reviews or working with patients. I pray the Lord will allow me to feel well enough to work with patients. I still have all my hair and this week I have been feeling great.

Continue to pray for an increase in my faith in My Lord daily. Pray for continued strengthening of body and an increase of stamina. Pray for patience and perseverance. Continue to pray for my friends and acquaintances who need the Lord. Pray for the staff to figure out my blood work plan.

Pray for a joyous and thankful celebration of Christmas as we ponder with amazement the fact that the God, who created every part of this world and all its contents, chose to come to earth as a man. He can relate to our vulnerabilities and weakness and pain and struggles; this makes Him our perfect mediator with God the Father in our times of joy and sorrow. Praise God for His grace! Call upon Him for the salvation He has prepared for those that call upon His name and believe in His work on our behalf before the Living God. Thank Him for His grace for me and for you in giving us His salvation, that we can never be separated from Him once He has changed our hearts and entered our lives!

He has encouraged me very much in the past several weeks, especially in the fact that He is my Savior and Lord and nothing can separate me from Him. It is not my faith, per se, it is the One on whom my faith stands that gives me confidence in the future, whatever it holds!

1-19-04 The past couple of weeks I have been dealing with the reality of the situation.

Thinking more about the what ifs and letting my mind wander. I have been praying for God’s peace and that He would remind me often of His constant presence and sure faithfulness. He has been helping me through prayer, His Word, sermons and friends and family. At this time He is granting me energy to do my work and faith in Him.

I do struggle at times with the thought of death. But, we all will die at some point. I know, in my mind that death is a good thing, because I will be with God and will not have any struggles or problems. But, I do love all of you and it is hard to imagine not being with you. I also struggle with wasted time and opportunities that the Lord has held out for me.

He is helping me be more heavenly minded. No matter when we die, young or old, we need to live our lives unhindered by the things and relationships of this life. God is teaching me daily to love Him more, which has been a prayer of mine for a good part of this past year, even before I knew I had cancer. He is so good. He is teaching me more about my character, as well. He is showing me the things in my life that do not please Him. Time is such a precious commodity. We all need to value it and use it wisely!

I also would like to ask you all to pray for the many people I am beginning to interact with while I am in treatment. So many look so sick and it is obvious they are not reacting to the medicines with limited side effects. Please pray for a special blessing on the Cancer Care Center in Burlington and the many people who receive care there. Pray that I will not be so self-consumed on my treatment days and for opportunities to develop friendships and to encourage those around me. I know I am there for a reason. I don’t really need to fully understand why; but, I do need to be faithful to my God while I am there.

2-12-04 Hi! Everything went well today at treatment. I had the opportunity to talk to two other patients today that I have briefly talked to before. The Lord is answering prayers for making friends at chemo.

I praise God for the ability to walk and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. I continue to be thankful for friends and family that selflessly help me with work and play!

5-12-04 This is a hard time for me. I really am struggling with the need for the chemo and the lack of desire to receive the chemo with its side effects. Please pray that I will learn all that Jesus desires for me to learn through this time of illness. Pray that I will be a helper to those who need comfort and need to know Jesus. Pray that I will not be discouraged or believe the lies of Satan.

My desire is to be healed and return to health and strength. I also know that apart from God’s direct intervention for His greater glory I will not be completely rid of the cancer this side of eternity. Pray that I will desire to walk with Him rather than futilely attempting to pull Him onto the path I continue to desire to walk.

Being a child of God is all about complete and willing submission to His gentle and easy yoke. It is gentle and easy because we are yoked to Him. Oh what peace and joy comes from walking with Him rather than pulling against Him. Pray for patience and persistence.

Thank you for helping me bear this burden.

10-21-04Hi everyone! I have had a great several months. My hair is growing back and I have removed my wig and now don a spiky gray do! I’m hoping the Lord will be gracious and allow the hair to remain on my head for a very long time.

On Oct. 27 last year I had my surgery! I am so thankful for His tender care and grace throughout this past year. I must say with great love that I know my God with a new depth and in ways that I could not know Him without having gone through the experiences of the past year.

I have been enjoying feeling normal. I am able to keep up with work fairly well and I think I am almost as strong as I was a year ago.

10-30-04 Hello again! God is so gentle and kind! My tests are all good.

God has been so good to me! I know that seems crazy to some of you. You say, “How can God be good to you when you have had so many changes in your life and your health is so uncertain?” Well, He has shown Himself to be so real to me! He hears my prayers and He teaches me from the Bible. God is faithful to His promises! He says, “Seek Me and you will find Me.” This is true. He truly comforts His own. I am comforted.

Yes, I have known Jesus my whole life, which is going on 40 years now. But, now I can say I have seen for myself His mighty arm of power and gentle wing of protection.

I truly believe He has something specific for me to do with this experience. I know I have a greater compassion for my patients. I trust the Lord will hear my prayers when I ask Him to increase my boldness and compassion for those around who are hurting.

I continue to pray for complete healing and restoration this side of heaven! The Lord has shown me the time and energy I have wasted on my own selfish plans and desires. I would love to be granted more time to glorify His name and to share with others His personal, faithful and eternal love. He is real in everyday life and I am thankful for His awesome grace! Pray for focus and priorities!

2-18-05 I have been enjoying return of strength and healthy days the past 3 or 4 months. I continue to feel strong and well.

The Lord is good to us all! This morning in my devotional booklet He had selected Psalm 32 for the reading. He had brought this psalm to my attention the first time a few months ago as I was listening to a tape by New Song, a mixed octet from Geneva College. The whole psalm is comforting but I will emphasize verses 6-7. “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Remember that my primary verse is Isaiah 43: 1-3. In those verses, He promises to not allow the waters to overtake me. And He does remind me of His many times of deliverance, not only in the past year and a half, but throughout my life.

I may not know in what way He will fulfill His promises in regard to my life, but I do know He will always be with me and provide the strength I will need to continue to strive toward the goal of His glory.   9-22-05 I haven’t sent an email for a long time. I got back last Friday from a two-week vacation to the southeast, primarily Florida, with a friend. We had a great time and despite the many tropical storms this fall, we had great weather.

The results of this round of tests isn’t as good. As I have said all along, it is the Lord that heals, not doctors, not medicines, not anything else. I ask for your prayers, again! The Lord has been very gracious for giving me such a long break from chemo; I had my last dose of chemo June 2004.

I, of course, am praying for healing as always. But, I am also trying to pray as Jesus did, “Not my will but Thine,” when He faced the cross and struggled with the weight of our sin and the forthcoming pain and separation from God the Father. He did exactly what the Father asked of Him willingly. We as Christians are to grow to reflect our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m still trusting Him and waiting on His plan, but He promises me in the Bible, which is His Word, that when I cry unto Him He will hear me! That doesn’t mean He will do what I say; it simply means He will hear me and answer me. I trust Him! This does not mean I am not sad or edgy about what the future holds. It just means that I know God is good and greater than anything I could face, even metastatic breast cancer.

So please pray for me and with me for God’s great mercy once again! Pray that I will listen to Him and wait on His perfect timing and plan.

9-28-05 I am to have my PET scan today. Tonight at 7-ish the elders are coming to pray over me. I am contacting you to please pray also. God is faithful and He promises to hear our prayers. I want you to pray for whatever the Lord leads you to pray in regard to my illness and my faith.

I have been praying for Him to bring to mind anything that I need to be forgiven of and any situation that I need to change. I have been praying for healing. I have been praying that He will teach me. I have been praying that I will wait upon Him and rest in His perfect and good will. I have been praying to be effective and productive for His kingdom. I am praying for a submissive spirit. I am praying for Him to increase my love for Him and for others. 

He has been answering my prayers already and I’m sure He is answering your prayers, as well. Thank you for your many prayers to the Lord on my behalf!

10-01-05 Our times are in His hand. What good and great hands to be in!

I often share a verse from the Bible with you: Read John 15 about the Vine and the branches. I notice that the only two options for a branch is to be cut off completely from the Vine, who is Jesus, or to be pruned. I guess pruning isn’t such a bad option when it is presented like that. I am being pruned. The verse also says that if you are pruned you will bear much fruit and that is what we are here for, isn’t it? We are here for Jesus and to work in the kingdom of God.

2-3-06 I have been silent for a while, but my world has not been.

I have been taking a new chemo drug for four months, since October, because the cancer had spread to the right middle lobe of my lung and to a couple of places in my bones.

As most of you probably understand, the human objective for continuing with chemo is no longer to completely eliminate the cancer but rather to control it from growing or spreading rapidly, with an ideal response being a 50% shrinkage of the cancer. As you all know, my hope has never been in the wisdom of the medical world with nail hanging dependence on statistics or chemicals. My hope is and always has been on the Lord’s direction and use of His power through and above the medicines. 

You see, no matter what happens, I win! If the Lord would graciously heal me with a miracle, I will rejoice and tell of His mighty power to save, giving Him the credit! It is certainly a situation that requires His miraculous work. If the Lord allows continuation of the disease over the next months and possibly years ending in death, then I still win, because I can confidently say, “I love Jesus!” He will not allow anything to harm me without His all-knowing, all-good direction. Nothing can separate me from Him and His love. Nothing else matters, ultimately! What makes heaven? Heaven is Jesus!

Now, what about you? Do you love Jesus? Do you love Him more than anything or anyone in your life? Don’t wait to decide! It is the most important question you will ever ask yourself. When you have nothing left but Jesus, it is easy to be bold. It is during the everyday life that it is easy to sit back and coast and waste time and energy on nonvaluable things. It is easy to not love and let those you love and care about continue along a path that leads to destruction and death. I love you all and desire for you to be able to live and die with confidence; not in yourselves but in the Lord. Jesus saves and not just for a few years of human life and struggle but forever and completely!

Trust is the new word that God has brought to the forefront of my mind. I see it almost every time I open the Bible or listen to the radio. Trust in the Lord…, Trust me in this…, Those who trust in the Lord….

7-21-06 Hi! God is good all the time! My tests were all good (no cancer showed up) and I am officially on a three-month break from my chemo drug. If you remember, the doctor only expected the drug to stabilize or possibly shrink the cancer by 50%. God has other plans for now!

I am so thankful. My body was really wanting a break; I was getting more tired and achy and bloated-feeling.

My breast cancer monitor, which is a periodic blood test, was high, though. My hair has grown back fairly well; I took my wig off. I plan to go gray and spiky again!

Thank you so much for your prayers! God has a family and He makes it clear we are to act like a family and be concerned for one another!

It is so true that I wouldn’t know my heavenly Father the way I do and desire to know Him more, if I hadn’t had this cancer and needed Him so much. I have great confidence in His perfect plan. I know that everything that comes in life is there with His full knowledge and full control. From our limited understanding and vision, life may seem random and unfair, but it is not! Life is for the sole purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever! Really, if you think about it, those who know God are treated unfairly by Him; we are given blessings and grace and love and freedom that we don’t deserve. That is one thing that is so wonderful about Him; “yet, while we were still sinners, He died for us!” Undeserved, but so lovingly and patiently given by our perfect, good Father; He truly is Awesome!

8-17-06 I have really enjoyed this past month being off the chemo. I was challenged and enjoyed my time at family camp. Our speaker was John McFarland from the Lawerence, Kan., congregation. He challenged us to know our neighbor in order to love our neighbor. Our society is changing and the way people view standards, morals and the relevance of Christ today. He talked to us about world views and then about our response as ambassadors for Christ in today’s society.

 I read a good quote from my daily devotional this past week; it was by Os Guinness: “All the known facts are not all the facts.” It is easy to jump to conclusions and worry about things. But, even though we won’t always know all the facts, God does. And, not only does He know all the facts, He knows what to do with them!

We have been studying the prayer, basing it on the Lord’s prayer, in my high school Sunday school class. Last week, we studied the phrase, “Thy kingdom come.” I posed these questions to the youth and to myself, “When you pray this phrase, do you really want Jesus to return soon? Or are our hearts not fully submitted to Him or are they divided, wanting something else more than the growth of His kingdom and His return?” “Do we want to do our own thing and live our own life and then maybe when we are older and less able to do what we want, then we want His kingdom to come?” I know that often my thoughts and desires are divided. Oh, to be more like Jesus and do everything that our Father commands us to do!

10-06-06 I had a great vacation and returned to work and had planned on having a surgery Oct. 23. I had a pelvic, abdominal, chest CT scan and a cardiac function test. My heart is fine and my bones are fine and pretty much all of me is fine, except my lungs. The chest CT showed the cancer is back in the lymph nodes of the hilar region of my lungs and in small nodes in the pre-tracheal area.

Dr. Reganti and I talked a little about God today. Of course, my God and her god are different. I shared a little of why I don’t get too shaken up, and she shared a story from her bible about grief. We connected and at this point appreciate each other. I trust the Lord will continue to give reason and opportunity for us to talk more of who He is.

God is working! He promises that as His child, as are all His children, I am the apple of His eye! He promises this of Himself in Deuteronomy 33:27: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” As I have always said and will continue to say, God is the One who heals; He may use the medicine, but, He is the Healer. God is able to heal and I will continue to pray for healing. I will also continue to trust that He knows best and that may not be physical healing. He does heal me constantly emotionally and speaks to my heart through His Word. He has healed me spiritually and I am thankful that I can face everything through His power because He has saved me from my sin and to live for His glory.

Please friends, don’t live your life with half devotion or promises made for tomorrow. God is real and the Bible explains who He is. Live your life sold out to Him and always be praying for His will in your life, rather than your own best thoughts and efforts. You will have great freedom and great satisfaction in life if you believe that Jesus is God and that He died for you. There is no greater joy than to live for Jesus!

3-2-07 Sorry, it has been so long since I have sent an email! I can only blame it on laziness! The last CT scan I had showed the cancer in my lungs was a little bit bigger.

In my daily reading of the Bible and in a Bible study I have been doing with the women at church, God has been reminding me of basic promises and truths from His Word. He has reminded me of the importance of obedience; not a real popular topic but basic to life. So, in prayer I asked God what He specifically was wanting me to obey. He didn’t delay in His answer that day. His Spirit brought to mind the original verse He gave me from Isaiah 43: 1-7. Two times and in the only commands in that section, He says, “Fear not” and “Don’t be afraid.” He also reminded me that He has redeemed me and that I am His! In verse 4, He told me that “You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.” He is with me and of course, the most reassuring part is in verse 3, “For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” How can I be afraid when He is the source of all that I need now and forever!

Those of you that know me well, know that outward affection and saying “I love you” is not my strong point. But, I have a God who loves me unfailingly, not based on me deserving it or even being lovely; but, based on His unfailing love.

Now, back to the thought of obedience. I was reminded in my Bible study that my Savior and Father have bought me with Christ’s death in my place; so, to not believe that God’s love for me personally is unfailing, no matter what, is sin! How could I not believe! He is so patient and compassionate and over and over again in the Bible He specifically says He does many different things because of His unfailing love for His children. How can a person have faith in God for anything in life or beyond, unless we believe in His unchanging character and His faithful love and mercy for those whom He has saved? God is very good and personal with His children! God has strengthened my faith the past few weeks and continues to encourage me! Bottom line, I don’t know what God will do with my life and my cancer, but I do know this: My cancer is subject to my Father, who loves me. He is able to cure me with one word. He may not heal me, but I know that if He does not heal my body, it is the best for me and for Him; and if He does heal my body, it is the best for me and for Him! “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4: 18).

7-14-07 This update has been a long time in coming. I know to some of you the silence has been deafening, and to others just a pause. This is probably one of the most difficult to write, and so I ponder and pause and wait for the right time. Now is the time!

I have entered the thick of the battle. I am not alone. I have my elder brother, Jesus, at my side constantly and my many prayer and mercy brothers and sisters at my side often.

At the end of May I underwent medical tests and discovered that the tumors in my lung area continued to grow despite treatment. I had a couple of weeks to pray and read and decide whether to try one more course of treatment available to me that may have delayed the progression of the disease or may not have worked. After much prayer and thought and seeking the Lord’s counsel, I decided with Dr. Reganti to stop treatment. She was informative and unbiased regarding my choice.

Pray for my coworkers and hospital census; there have been a lot of changes in staffing. My supervisors have been very good to me.

As I said at the beginning, I am in the thick of the battle now! I desire your prayers as never before! I want people to understand that my decision is not one of giving up or lack of clarity. I believe God has clearly led me to this point. He has been very clear throughout the past 4-1/2 years that whether I am taking treatment or not, I am in his hands and He guides me. He is good all the time! And, more importantly He is to be trusted. So, by His grace, I press on, praying, trusting and listening to Him.

Although in a battle, I know the outcome. I will be healed; whether in this life or ultimately healed as I enter the presence of the Lord, whom I love and whom I serve. We are not our own, whether we know it or not. We are His! I can tell you from His Word and from good, rich experience that He is worthy of every ounce of praise and obedience!

In His Psalms He reminds me of my frailty and His worthiness. He reminds me in the 94th Psalm that He formed my ears and my eyes and He hears and sees. His wisdom and plan is far better than we can ever hope or imagine. He is my stronghold and yours!

One thing God has made me more acutely aware of is the struggle many of you are having because of my illness. This is very humbling and encouraging. When we struggle we are learning! Please know that it is not by my faith or my strength that I fight this battle. It is and has always been the God I trust who gives me faith and strength. This is not a faith or strength that is unique to me and I know many of you know this, but I am addressing those of you who struggle with this idea. When the God who is mighty and made the universe shows Himself to you and He allows you to know and believe in His personal care and concern for every hair on your head, then you know He is good and trustworthy, and you realize it is not about yourself anymore. It is Him and Him alone! He gives us the grace and faith we need for the situation and in His perfect timing.

Please, don’t be amazed at me. I’m weak and human. Praise Him and ask Him for his saving and daily grace in your lives! “For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13)!

Please pray for me—for strength, wisdom and for trust in the One who knows all things and can do all things. But as important to me is that you pray for one another. Pray for understanding from the Lord, pray for comfort and peace, pray for growth and strength. We can always be honest with the Lord; just ask Him. He will hear and He will answer.

11-01-07 It has been a long time since I have written. I had fair excuse for a few weeks but now I am beyond excusing an email!

About 7 or 8 weeks ago I became a hospice patient. At that point I was sick. I was dealing with daily nausea and difficulty breathing, etc. The Lord has blessed me with no pain; except for brief pain one or two times! I was tested and tried for about 2 to 3 weeks and then with medication changes and the Lord’s mercy, I have become stronger again! When I was weak and not sure how long I could hang in there, I struggled some with life and death and God’s plan. It was hard for me to pray and spend time reading His Word partly because of fatigue. But, slowly and surely He restored my soul and has encouraged me!

In fact, He not only has spiritually encouraged me, He has physically restored me in many ways. My appetite is good and I can eat pretty much anything without trouble. I’m maintaining my weight. I don’t use oxygen at all right now and my oxygen levels are staying around 95% even at a night. I sleep in my own bed (rather than the hospital bed I used for about two weeks) and don’t need to have my head elevated. I go on short walks on the level by my house or go out for a few hours to visit here or there. I don’t have any pain. I have been able to go to church the past 5 weeks; I get tired but not bad. So, for the past 5 weeks I would say I am getting stronger slowly. God is being good to me! He has given me time to communicate with family and friends in so many ways! What a blessing the past few weeks have been!

Thank you for your continued prayers and visits and cards and flowers and emails and just simple thoughts of me throughout these weeks. It is so encouraging to see the Lord working through so many of you. Thanks for your love! Continue to find your strength in the Lord and look for His blessings in your lives; this also gives me encouragement!   12-26-07 Hi and a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Just a quick note with some changes in my condition.

Over the past 2 to 3 weeks I have developed difficulty swallowing thin liquids. I can still eat solid foods fine. I also have a very soft voice, presently like laryngitis. I cough more. So, talking on the phone is harder. My family doesn’t leave me at home alone anymore. Mom is here almost all the time and my friend, Amy, has taken time off from work full-time to help. Sharon, my sister-in-law, visits frequently to help and allow Mom and Amy a little time to run errands and get out of the house for a little while. Pray for Mom; her hip has been causing her a lot of pain the past two weeks.

I am still blessed with minimal to no pain. My legs are tired when I try to walk. I have gotten out of the house a couple of times this week with a little help. I hope to be able to celebrate our family Christmastime together on New Year’s Eve late afternoon at Jim and Sharon’s house, Lord willing.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Editor’s note: Julie went to be with the Lord on Dec. 29, 2007. The following note that Julie had prepared was read at the memorial service on Jan. 5.

Dear Family and Friends,

This is my final update. I have been overwhelmed at the outpouring of your love, prayers, cards, gifts, visits. Each one of you are special to me and have been brought into my life to help me learn more about Jesus and His love and compassion. I would be incomplete if it weren’t for each one of you.

My prayer has been that each one of you would know and believe Jesus is the only Savior and Lord. I have also prayed for your growth through reading the Bible and prayer and by going to church regularly.

The past four years the Lord has taught me many things–most of all that we only need Jesus. Things can be stripped away little by little, or all at once. But, if we have Jesus that is all we need. And, as we get to know Him, Jesus will be all we want.

I want you all to know your prayers have been answered–I am healed! I am whole and I am enjoying Jesus and the wonders of heaven!

With all my love, Julie