Child Overcoming a Malignant Brain Tumor - Testimony by Dineen Miller

Dineen, welcome to Overcoming With God blog.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Thank you for having me! Always happy to share. Testimonies are powerful and encouraging. I love being encouraged by them and also love encouraging others with my own.

Would you tell us about one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help? 

In 2008, our 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Things moved very quickly after that—two surgeries, radiation treatments, MRIs, doctor appointments...and a string of miracles that continued to be revealed several years after it all culminated.

Before we even knew what was wrong, God answered in a moment of fervent prayer from a worried mother’s heart, “She’ll be okay.” I was relieved but realized God was telling me this because whatever was coming would be big. And He continued to answer and be very present through all of it.

Amazingly this unfolded after I had developed the story of The Soul Saver, a story about a mismatched couple, Hugh and Lexie Balitmore, who lost their toddler daughter to a malignant brain tumor. In the story, Hugh is a physics professor at Stanford University. In real life, a physics professor at Stanford University designed my daughter’s radiation treatments. It was all very surreal. Trips to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Hospital also became research for the story I was writing. 

Through this and various challenges sine I learned that God is very complete and multifaceted in His love and provision. His ways are surprising and He always seems to have more than one purpose in what He does. But He always works to bring good out of everything we face. And since then I’ve learned that for every challenge we face, He’s already put a promise and provision in place for us.

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times?

Romans 8:28 has been a life long favorite but truly came to life during that time. “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.” (NIV)

Psalms 91 and 27 are a powerful prayers of protection over ourselves and our family. 1 Peter 5:6-10 is about giving God our worries and trusting Him to restore and make us strong, firm and steadfast.

There are so many promises in the Bible. God’s Word is one big promise revealed in Jesus. I love 1 Cor. 14:1 so much. It follows the love chapter. It’s my ultimate verse to guide me in every thing I do. “Let love be your highest goal.”

How has praying helped you to overcome?

In the beginning of 2014, everything around me looked ideal. Yet inside I completely collapsed. My body rejected a medication I’d been taking for my thyroid, and all the stress of taking care of my daughter, ministry, writing and striving hit me with a powerful punch.

I met with God every morning on my porch with my Bible and my journal. Each day I would start with reading the Scripture the Holy Spirit had shown me to write down the day before and pray it out loud over myself. This is the key to what Romans 12:2 calls the transformed mind. I did this every day for several months. The result was a healed mind and thyroid. I continue to speak the truth and promises of God’s Word out over myself and my family. God spoke the world into existence and Jesus is the Word (John 1). That’s why the Bible says our words are life and death. What are we speaking everyday over ourselves, our family, our friends, even our nation? Praying Scripture is powerful and life giving. Jeremiah 1:9 says that God watches over His Word to perform it. That’s a HUGE promise!

What helped you get through or helped you cope with this difficulty?

Knowing without a doubt that no matter how bad things may look, that doesn't change or diminish God’s goodness and power. Romans 8 where the Holy Spirit sat me for weeks and began to reveal the lies I’d believed and brought me to the freedom we truly have in God’s love. I recommend that chapter a lot. It’s life changing.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 

I wish I did have more to offer there. My two nonfiction books, Winning Him Without Words, and Not Alone are available in audio.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  

The Soul Saver deals with being spiritually mismatched and shows how we stand in faith in these places and learn to love others unconditionally just as Jesus loves us. Many of the keys I wrote about in Winning Him Without Words are shown through the characters in this story. So, if you’re in a spiritually mismatched marriage, I pray this book encourages you and inspires you to pray and hope for more what you can think or imagine for your marriage and your spouse (Eph. 3:20)

Question you’d like to ask readers:

What kind of stories inspire you? What parts of a story stay with you and continue to inspire you in your life?

CFP: MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR WRITING!!! Thank you for sharing with us, Dineen. What a powerful testimony of God's faithfulness!

Thank you! 

Bio:

Dineen Miller is passionate about God’s Word and truth. She’s been featured the Moody Radio Network, Focus on the Family Radio, Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk, FamilyLife Today and INSIGHT on Miracle Channel. Dineen is the coauthor of the award winning book, Winning Him Without Words and Not Alone: Trusting God to Raise Godly Kids in a Spiritually Mismatched Home. She is also the author of the ACFW Carol Award winning book, The Soul Saver. She and her husband love to collect shells and walk the famous white sands of Siesta Key Beach. Visit Dineen online at SpirituallyUnequalMarriage.com and DineenMiller.com.

My Links:

My books: http://dineenmiller.com/books/

Websites:

http://www.dineenmiller.com

http://spirituallyunequalmarriage.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/dineen.miller

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/SpirituallyUnequalMarriage

Twitter:  @dineenmiller

GoodReads author page:  http://www.goodreads.com/dineenmiller  

GIVEAWAY: We're giving away Dineen's ACFW Carol Award winner The Soul Saver and we have a secret Christmas book (from Barbour) we're also giving away during this Barbour-palooza month on OWG blog. Leave a comment to enter.

Suzanne Wood's Fisher's "The Letters" - new Audiobook

The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne Woods Fisher possesses something no one else has--her voice. That certain Suzanne voice that defies description and when I've tried I've mangled it.  And the narrator of this book does a superb job of capturing the Suzanneness that I love. I purchased mine on audible.com and I've also got a CD MP3 audiobook as a giveaway for one lucky reader!

In "The Letters" you're introduced to a household of characters and some from nearby and some from out of the area.  But even with all the cast of characters each one has his or her own voice and  unique traits.  

Even if the listener doesn't agree with the choice the doctor's wife makes (or choices) by the end of the story you'll find yourself accepting them and seeing how it could work.  This secondary plot line was extremely well done.

Rose Schrock is a special heroine and Galen King a subdued but persuasive hero for the story. Loved how Suzanne had this one twist with the step-daughters "boyfriend." And the plot line with the underlying medical condition. 

Bibliotherapy Aspects:

Spoiler alert

One of the characters undergoes brain surgery.  The manifested symptoms of the disease prior to the proper diagnosis would be important to someone dealing with a brain tumor or someone who wonders if a family member may have dementia or another cognitive disorder.

A crime was committed during the story--theft. And crime had been committed before the start of the story.  The aftermath of dealing with crime committed by a love one is covered well in this book.

Death of a spouse, possible suicide. Death of a parent are aspects of this novel.  Both are woven tightly through the plot.

My recommendation:

Listen and ENJOY!!!

Giveaway:  A CD/MP3 audiobook of "The Letters."  You must have capability to play the CD which will not play on a normal CD player.  Although a computer can play it I do not recommend that.  Many new car sound systems will have CD/MP3.  I purchased a CD/MP3 player after I bought one of these by accident and had to listen on my computer (the problem for me was starting and stopping it, which didn't work out well on my old PC which was only a year old at the time.) This is a brand new, unopened CD/MP3. Answer the following question: Have you used Deeper Shopping yet to order any of your Christian books or materials?  If so, why or why not?  Leave your email address, too, unless you are well known by us.

Interview with Kimberley Woodhouse

Kimberley Woodhouse

Kimberley Woodhouse is the author of Mountain Wishes and Denali Guardians in the DenaliDreams novella collection, and of Welcome Home, A Life That Matters, No Safe Haven, and Race Against Time.

Kimberley, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers.

 Woodhouse Family Welcome Home!

 

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

That would have to be the diagnosis of my daughter’s rare neurological condition, and then again, when she was diagnosed with another rare condition and had to undergo brain surgery. Those were the toughest days of my life.

When Kayla was a baby, we noticed there were some things “not right.” We immediately started searching for answers only to find out two years later that there would be no “cure,” no easy fix. The Lord worked on me in a huge way. Through this process, I realized not only that I didn’t control anything, but I didn’t want to be in control anymore. God is the Great Physician. He made Kayla, He understood her—even when all the doctors were baffled. And I found myself no longer searching for answers because I knew the One Who had the answers.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

James 1:2-4

“Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It’s hard to face trials and tough times, but through each and every one—I’ve learned precious lessons. I’ve leaned on the Lord wholly and completely. And I’ve been able to praise Him through it.

Our faith will be tested, but we must persevere. I’m looking forward to heaven and being mature and complete. Aren’t you?

No Safe Haven

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?

I know No Safe Haven is available in large print/hardcover.

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

That the joy of the Lord is real. It’s always there. No matter what. It’s our job to grab onto it and hold on!

Denali Dreams

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

Oh, each project has taught me so much. Mountain Wishes taught me a lot about cancer survivors and my dear friend who passed away.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  

Cancer, cancer survivors, stalking, and many others issues including fear. I know books can be used in healing in so many ways.

Race Against Time

Thank you Kimberley for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

____________________________________________________

GIVEAWAYS this week: Kim is giving away 2 copies of each of her books!!! THANKS, Kim!

TO ENTER the contest, you must 'like' Kim's author page on Facebook, and leave a comment here. When you have 'liked' Kim's page then put KW in your comment and you will be entered.