Our Journey to Healing: Introducing Hope Found

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Introducing Hope Found

We have some really exciting news we wanted to share. For the last seven years, we have been turning our story into a book. It contains excerpts from this blog that so many of you have honored us by reading as well as the lessons we have learned on our journey. Our goal in sharing our journey is to provide HOPE to those of you in the midst of your trial or those of you supporting those you love in their pain. On this Thanksgiving week, we are so grateful. We are grateful most of all for God’s sustaining love and incredible faithfulness in our lives. We know there is no way we could have found the peace that we have or the meaning in our suffering without His mercy and grace. We are grateful for each other and the love that we are blessed to share. And we are grateful for our family and friends that have walked this journey with us and poured out their love on our family.

We are humbled to share with you that when God placed on our hearts the vision of turning our story into a book, we had no idea where the road was going to take us. After many sleepless nights, thousands of edits, some tears and some trepidation – we are sending our book to the publisher this weekend.

HOPE FOUND will be available in April 2017. Updates will be posted here on our blog. Please pray with us that God will use it to help others find healing and hope in their situations.

With much love and gratitude,

Jim & Ginger

3 comments:

AnonymousDecember 11, 2016 at 11:42 PM
Ginger, Jim: The fact you have found each other in the midst of overwhelming personal grief leaves me a with small smile, and more than a few tears. Sometimes, life happens for a reason. I wish you a long and happy life together.
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Mike MichelsenDecember 13, 2016 at 11:55 AM
I read your wonderful story. I am a writer in Southern California. Would you allow me to interview you for a story? Please contact me at mmichelsen@charter.net
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AnonymousApril 9, 2017 at 9:45 PM
Are you aware there is a Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall in Marseilles, Illinois? Major Troy Gilbert's name is engraved on the wall. If you'd like more information and pictures, I can provide them for you. You may contact me at tbruno@mtco.com.
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About Us

This blog began as as an account of Andrea's and my journey though breast cancer and her eventual death. My intention was to chronicle our experiences from sickness to physical healing but God revealed His plan was beyond the mere physical. I have continued to experience healing in my life and now God has opened a door to a new chapter in my life. This journey has not ended but has transformed into a new normal and the hope of a new beginning

My monthly updates, which grew into this blog, reached an Air Force pilot's wife in Jan 2007 who had lost her husband two months prior. Her name is Ginger and her husband's name was Troy. Through this tragic bond developed a friendship. And now, through marriage, God has merged all of our journies to healing. This blog is a compilation of these four lives; two sadly taken and two left behind. In this common grief God has given Ginger and I a desire to journal our experiences as therapy for our pain and a source of encouragement to others who face life's most enormous challenges

Andrea was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in Aug 2003 while we were stationed in Anchorage Alaska. After 6 months of chemo and radiation we moved to Washington DC. In June 2005 we moved again to Seymour Johnson AFB in NC. Two weeks later Andrea was told the pain in her hip was breast cancer that had spread to her bones. Two weeks later we were told the cancer was also in her liver and lungs. July 5th 2005 Andrea began chemo treatment. On Dec 17th 2007 Andrea lost her fight with cancer but won her place in eternity.

Troy was a loving father of 5 children, and like Andrea was a
faithful servant of Christ. Troy was an F-16 pilot who volunteered to serve in Iraq. He deployed in Sept 2006. One day during his tour there he was tasked to provide close air support to a special operations unit who had come under overwhelming enemy fire. In an attempt to limit civilian causalities Troy made two low level passes employing the gun from his F-16. After a successful first pass Troy attempted a second pass to ensure the safety of the American soldiers. It was during this pass that Troy's F-16 impacted the ground. On Nov 27th 2006, Troy lost the fight in Iraq and that day won his place in eternity.

This blog is about our experiences, what God has taught us and most importantly about God's faithfulness. It is about dealing with life with cancer and life after cancer. It is about dealing with the sudden tragic loss of a spouse. It is about death and life and the deep grieving and growing process we are going through. It is about our victories and our struggles. But always it is about God's unfailing love for us.

We write this blog to tell you what the Lord has placed on our hearts or simply our feelings at the moment in hopes that this helps you understand what we are going through as well as give you encouragement as you face trials in your own life.

Some writings will be from Jim, some will be from Ginger, some from both of us. Some are writings that express Andrea and Troy's faith and impact during their short lives on this earth.

With thankfulness to Christ,
Jim and Ginger

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Introducing Hope Found

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