Only HIM

4:38AM Jan 10,2013

Shock.  Awe.  Worship.  The incredible sovereignty of God is overwhelming me like a Technicolor dream, quite literally, without any illegal drug consumption.  At this moment my life partner and soul mate from God sleeps, and I am so thankful he can.  God gave Him what he needed to respond in faith, wisdom and clarity when my body and mind could not.  His life experience, upbringing and intuition all God given kicked into overdrive when all those things in me flew the coop.  Now, I can’t sleep.  It’s kinda ironic.  I am not a medical professional, and I don’t pretend to be able to understand what’s taking place in my body.  But, I would imagine it’s the epinephrine (adrenaline) surging through me from the shots I’ve had (3 in a smallish time frame).  So, my brain is in overdrive, dreams feel real, and my mind won’t stop.  I have this perma “ice cream headache” and can’t get my head to just STOP.  It doesn’t feel good physically, and yet the surreal peace of God floods every part of my being.  I am speechless with praise.  What God can do is supernatural.  I always knew that, would tell you confidently I believed that.  I can say from an angle of God given experience that only He could have orchestrated, HE IS AWESOME. 

WOW.  Tears stream down my face, and I pause, physically exhausted, mentally overstimulated…… Amazed.  Humbled.  Wanting to write just to put these thoughts down somewhere so I can look at them again, to set up altars of worship, memories of God at work.  He did this.  He alone gets praise.  Do not, please do not cheapen the recent events of our lives by in any way giving us any glory.  It was God.  Wholly, completely GOD. 

Exciting NEWS from our home :)

This lovely couple met in 2008 started dating Aug 18, 2011 and now.................

Nathan and I are delighted for our unofficially adopted daughter Meaghan Leigh Magill MacDonald who got engaged to her long time sweet heart Timothy Fritz on December 29th.  Tim came to Nate to ask his permission/blessing to propose to Megs some time ago, and we didn't know when he'd pop the question, he kept that a well guarded secret.  We are proud of them, praying for them as they make decisions for the future and desire to honor the Lord in their lives.  Congratulations Meaghan and Tim, we love you, and are anticipating June 7th, and all the Lord will do in your lives each day between now and then, and in your future marriage.  

Much Love, and many prayers.   

Nate and Karen Earls

allergic reaction update :)

Thanks for all the love, care and prayers.  We had the appointment with the allergy specialist, and have really good news.  The ER doctor in Owen Sound diagnosed me as “anaphylactic” but we have been educated more from the allergist what exactly “anaphylaxis” is (see link).  I did have a severe allergic reaction that caused many symptoms of anaphylaxis, but the time frame of such an episode happens super fast, within seconds or minutes of exposure to the allergin.  So, I didn’t experience “anaphylaxis” but a really bad reaction.  Good to know, and not a real fun way to be educated, but thankful for it none the less and grateful to be able to see the hand of God in so many ways through this.  I am now able to get back onto my endometrosis prescriptions, slowly back off of Benadryl and Ranitidine and get back to normal hopefully.  I will never know the cause, the allergist explained random hives happen, and to varying degrees, I had an extreme case, will be prepared with drugs on hand if needed, but here’s hoping that’s never again. 

2013 here we are...quite the start

Well 2013 has begun with a reality check in our lives.  Itchy rash from an allergic reaction started Tuesday January 1^st in the evening….alright pop a Benydryll, no biggie, lots of holiday merriness, all kinds of possible agents that could have caused a little allergic reaction.  Cool.  Go to bed, hives spread and wake me up… oh wow, there kinda all over me and I’m swelling (eyes, etc)….. huh?  Wake Nate…  his calm and wise assessment leads to an ER run, and in a room waiting to see the doc, a nurse is putting in an IV, I ask to use the bathroom, she adamantly refuses. That’s all I remember…… BLACK….. (lead to an anaphylaxis seizure in the ER)……. Unexpected.  Unscheduled in my books, ordained by the God of the universe.

Okay Lord. 


I am trying now to recall the moment I first prayed.  Honestly I think it was post seizure, a “Thanks, Lord!” and “Have your way.”  Then drugs took over…..literally, much of it is a blur.  Surely not to my wonderful husband Nate, wow, I can’t imagine seeing me like that.  His strength, faith, so quiet, collected, consistent.  When I woke after two Epinephrine shots there was a fury of activity, nurses, doctors, and a strong hand holding mine.  Nate.  His eyes were moist, I knew…….  “I’m okay Babe” I tried to verbalize from under the oxygen mask.  I can say I’m grateful our bodies are made the way God made them in those circumstances.  It just goes black, no pain, no recollection, nothing.  Again, this must have been soooo much more difficult for Nate than for me.  I have apologized….. I know I could do nothing, but… goodness, I’d be a wreck, he was a rock.  Thank you Lord.


Okay, so then they kept me at the hospital all day, saw the hives decline and I went home after 9 hours with a prescription for Prednisone and Benadryl (=dizzy city).  Slept much of Thursday, but then by Friday morning the hives were once again increasing, and more symptoms of severity.  Weird.  Okay, new Epipen education comes in handy…. One in the thigh for the road to the ER.  They’ve seen this girl before….. and there’s reasons for the sign posted that in the waiting room “Patients will be seen based on acuity not order of arrival” or something or other like that.  SWEET….front of the line.  IV, observation, 2 days in CCU…..  Lots of sleeping going on for me, and being faithfully loved, prayed over, and cared for by my man.  He’s a pro, his Mom was a nurse.  Some fantastic nurses at the Owen Sound hospital too, seriously, I mean, warm blankets, kindness, efficient, super great care.  THANKFUL for OHIP, and somehow scored the one room on the CCU floor with a TV.  Nice.  I am up on Duck Dynasty and the news now, just not sure which is truth/fiction (drugs :)).  I was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, and came home to an organized “safe” laundry table all done up as the doctor recommended (not knowing the source of the allergy, they suggest you wash all fabrics with no soap) and the bed all “safe”ified too, and fridge stocked with feel better foods…..Aaaahhhh, Nate.  Did I tell you? He is good.


Now it’s Wednesday Jan 9^th, 3:46 in the AM, had to check here by clicking on the time…yeah…. Lost time perception a long time ago…… this has been an odd week.   I am on Benadryl, Ranitidine, and at first I was dossier than after a Christmas turkey dinner, now the drugs are having the opposite effect, I am wide awake….. huh?  Not sure if that’s crazy bad, or completely normal.  I have gotten more sleep than the average person, that’s my logic and I’m sticking too it, so I got up and wrote……  If you are still reading this way long strange post, congrats BTW…..  I like to write when things happen in life, reflect, think, learn…… so there’s been a lotta thinking going on…..mostly incoherent for sure, but some lucid thoughts have been running through my mind.  Here are a few;

Revere the God who made, controls, gives and takes LIFE.  He is truth, be sure you know Him.  With all my heart, I beg you, be sure you know Him.  I want my whole life to shout Jesus Christ, because HE IS LIFE.  Don’t face death without Him, or hell will be your eternity.


Live with no regrets.  I only get to do this once, this day, this life, this moment.  So what if someone thinks I’m crazy, I will kiss my husband at church…… oh I know I’m wild (hhaaaaahaaaaa) I will tell you about my Jesus.  I will admit I am wrong often, and say sorry quickly.  I will try harder not waste time (eee…hummm…. Pinterest??…. Conviction). Lord, help me to live so I’ll have no regrets when you say my time is up.


Intentionally finding joy in the journey……. It can be done, there is always, always something to be grateful for, and an upside.  Lord, help me see it.


Less is more.  Less stuff, more contentment.  Less talking, more listening.  Less planning, more being

present.  Less of what I want driving my choices, more of what God wants, after all, it’s all that matters.  Less of me, more of Him.  I want to become a “less is more” person.  Lord, help me.

Finally, and I close with this because perhaps sleepiness is crowding in….. YEAH! :)  The WORD of God is hope, comfort, peace, joy…..all of these things in an unfailable way that nothing else is. Only God and His Word last.  1 Peter 5:10 has brought an unspeakable peace to all this…… “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” This hope, and eternal perspective causes me to say “I am good” because He is good, present and faithful. 


I am off all endometrosis drugs except Lupron which is a monthly shot already in me, dealing with some very interesting effects of this quick change to my system, (so that they can rule out the cause of the reaction), and on Benadryl and Ranitidine, seeing an allergist at 10:30 this morning.   

Best of all Nate and I are both safe in the hands of God.  Living.  Learning.  Thankful.