Today August 29, 2025, is my 70th birthday. I was thinking about all those years and where they went! I started my life with a unique twist. I was born on my Dad’s birthday and my Mom & Dad’s anniversary. I was also a girl after my three older brothers. Sharing that special day with them was always a big celebration time. They were great parents and every year I really miss them the most on August 29th. They taught our family that faith in God, and love of family are most important.
My kids and grandkids in Texas sent those fun charts that tell you what happened in your birth year, 1955. For example, Gunsmoke(one of my Mom’s favorites) was a popular TV show, a popular song was Rock Around the Clock, and gas per gallon was $0.29! Things change through the years, but our love will live on in our children.
One of the charts said that 70 years was 840 months! Wow put that way I was really wondering what accomplishments I have made? Yes, I had my share of jobs and success in them. I have traveled to some wonderful places and lived in Indiana, Texas, and now Florida. What am I most proud of? It is family. What were my best decisions? First to accept Christ as my Savior and have a personal relationship with Him. Second, to marry a wonderful man and have two amazing children who married amazing people and gave us 5 amazing grandchildren. We are so blessed!
What is your legacy? What do you want to be remembered for? I want mine to be that I loved the Lord and served Him daily, by helping others know of His love and sacrifice for them. To love my family completely and always let them know how special they are.
I ask the Lord today as I start on my 841 month of life, to direct my paths and show me where I can love more and share more about Him. Make each day count. It goes by so fast.
Now I am off to celebrate with my Florida family and enjoy every moment.
Today January 23, 2025, it is 11 years since Finding His Purpose started. We had our first meeting at Calvary Chapel Melboure on January 23, 2014. We stepped out in faith to lead this group and we learned fast that it was going to be a mixture of challenges and triumphs. They say you get more out of serving others than you give and that can also be true. In the eleven years we have met many inspirational people who had the challenge of living with disability, chronic pain and many illnesses. Many will be our friends for life.
As we look back on the previous years, let us never forget that God is an amazing God of possibilities! We put our trust and faith in His word and His provision for each of us. At times it can be overwhelming dealing with some issues in life. Looking back to see where God has brought us through is so helpful to boost our hope. We must always ask Him to help us to explore the possibilities.
God, please help us to serve others well, to encourage and inspire them to be their best. Thank you for all the miracles we have seen. Help us to always give you the glory.
As the year 2024 comes to an end it is good to look back and see where God has taken us. What trials He has seen us through. What blessings He has given to us.
We have lots to be thankful for in 2024. God had a plan for John to walk again and it has been awesome to see God work it out. God has blessed us and our families this year with so much. We give all the glory to God for everything!
If you missed hearing John’s testimony/ story at Calvary Chapel Melbourne on the weekend of 11/10/24, the link is below. We hope it will encourage you to keep moving forward even when it might seem impossible. We serve a great God who has great plans for all of us.
Sometimes you have no idea what God has in store for you. On June 13, 2024, my husband, John was unaware of how the day would play out. He had a physical therapy appointment and had been working very hard on standing and strengthening his legs. His therapist, Nicolas, asked him if he would like to try a walker. He was able to walk over three minutes by himself with a walker (of course they had safety measures in place.) I think he surprised himself too. Nicolas had to tell him to take smaller steps since he was so excited to do this first walk in over 21 years!
God has been with him through this hard journey of disability and chronic pain. Chronic pain has been gone for at least three years now. Praise God! In 2022, he had multiple surgeries, including a heart valve replacement. Since this was behind him and he was feeling so much better, John started to think maybe he could try to strengthen his legs to at least stand. He made an exercise bike that would move your legs by using your hands to operate it. He used that for over six months. It was very frustrating getting insurance to supply the nerve stimulator that he needed. We finally got that device and also with the help of his new doctor, got set up for physical therapy sessions. Don’t give up! If God puts a desire in your heart, pursue it. God will direct your paths. Remember God expects us to do our part. “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.” Psalms 25:4
People who do not know the Lord will be moved by what has happened to John. Maybe they will start to believe the Lord can do great things and put their trust in Him. So thankful and proud John always knows where his strength comes from and voices that when he speaks with others. “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
God has blessed John for his faithfulness. So glad our children and grandchildren can see and experience all God has for their Dad, GPA/ Papa. (John did not know he would try walking on that day but he wore his “Press on Shirt” that day-God knew!) “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
Since that day in June, John has doubled the time and distance he is walking with a walker. He will continue to do his physical therapy and get stronger each day.
It has been a long time since I remember John Miller walking due to his injury in 2003. He has been in a wheelchair since his accident at a construction site. So many unanswered questions are still surrounding the event. How and what really happened? He is not sure. When he woke up he really did not remember much. This could be a good thing but questions still linger. I did not remarry John until 2009 so I have very little to add to the details. All we know is he fell 30 ft onto cement, broke his back in multiple places, and had rods placed in his back by the doctors. This was a dark and uncertain time for him. He was far from God.
As time went on he made the move to get the help he needed. He renewed his relationship with God and committed to follow Him daily. God was working.
We remarried in 2009 after a miracle reconciliation and much forgiveness only God can bring. We were blessed to put all our family back together again. That family included our children and grandchildren. We all had a new start. God was working.
We attended church at Calvary Chapel Melbourne in West Melbourne, Florida. We enjoyed services weekly and joined many Bible studies through the years. In 2013 John told me he felt God wanted him to start a support/ Bible study for those with chronic pain and disabilities. That seemed like a big project to me but I saw how important it was to John. We knew nothing about starting and leading such a group! We asked God to help us. We did major research on other groups and ministries. God sent people our way that were able to help us make a detailed plan and give us the encouragement we needed. God was working.
Finding His Purpose started in January 2014. We got everything approved by our church and yet the name was a problem. We held our ground on what the name should be and so glad we did. Finding His Purpose was the name we really believe God gave us for this group. John wanted people with pain, illness, and disability to know that they still had a purpose even after such trials. God has a purpose for all of us. Romans 8:28 was always the verse we came back to, so the name Finding His Purpose was just right. Finding His Purpose became the official group name and has been now for 10 years since that first meeting on January 23, 2014. God was working.
Through the years we have done many different Bible studies at Finding His Purpose. The studies we have enjoyed the most were by Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, and especially Joni Eareckson Tada. The last year we have been in a study, Finding Jesus In Every Book of The Bible, by O.S. Hawkins. It has been good getting back to basics and we wanted everyone to have a firm foundation to build on. Our new study The Gospel in Hard Times, by Joni Eareckson Tada will start soon. It is written specifically for those suffering with physical disabilities and shows us how to help others suffering. God is and was working.
In the year 2021 John was healed of the chronic pain he was experiencing for 18 years. It was so great for him to get off of all the pain medication. It was a new start for John with renewed strength. We thank God for such a blessing! God was working.
One of the highlights of the ten years was the event Finding His Purpose hosted in September 2022. We were so blessed to have Jen Bricker Bauer and Dominick Bauer share their amazing story. We couldn’t have done this large event except we had our group and wonderful church friends who stepped up to volunteer their time. It was such an inspiring night that we won’t forget. Many people went home encouaged and with new hope. God was working.
The year 2022 was a tough one, John was in the hospital multiple times and had three surgeries, appendectomy, vascular surgery and a heart valve replacement. I had unexpected surgery the end of 2022 also. We were reminded of how much we need to trust God in the hard times when we can’t see the end result. God was there and got us through it all and John is feeling great. God was working.
This last year, John has made progress in strengthening his muscles in his legs and started to work on standing for short periods of time. He is now up to 4 minutes. That might not sound like much but for someone who has not been able to stand since 2003, it is amazing. He will continue to trust God, use physical therapy and see where it goes. God is working.
As we look back on 10 years of Finding His Purpose, we thank God for all He has done in our lives and in the lives of our members. We pray God will continue to bless our group. We are hoping more people attend so they might also be encouraged and find the purpose God has for them. We thank all our members and look forward to more years to come, serving the Lord together. God is still working.
“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.” Romans 8:28
Happy 10th Anniversary to Finding His Purpose! To God be the glory.
As we start a new year, many people like to make a new plan for reading the Bible. Devotionals are one way of getting in some Bible reading and also exploring new topics you are interested in. There are many varieties of devotionals to choose from. Devotionals can be in the form of a book or there are many devotionals you can access online. One of my favorite places to find devotional plans would be on the app, You Version. They have many options for plans. Some plans are for reading through the Bible in one year or as short as a few days on a particular topic. Topics can be a great way to get started. Maybe you have a goal in mind you want to pursue. Topics can range from family, faith, leadership, health, prayer and many more. YouVersion also lets you save plans that you might want to come back to later so you don’t have to once again hunt for it. I like this feature because I might need a topic for encouragement or grace and it is there to easily read. Lots of choices for everyone. You can do a plan privately or share with others. They even offer to send you a daily reminder. After you complete the plans they are in your completed plan area and it can be encouraging to see how many you have read. They are also there if you want to reread them or pass them on to others.
Our church, Calvary Chapel Melbourne has a daily devotional available at https://www.calvaryccm.com/ Click on connect then devotions. It is a good way to get extra insight and study on an area of the Bible we are doing as a church or for that time of season. Each devotional will give you scriptures along with life application. This is a great way to provide extra study in a short time of reading. You can also subscribe to the Calvary Chapel daily devotions so they are sent directly to you by email.
Maybe you are the type of person who loves to actually have a physical book in your hands. The Watermark Christian Bookstore located at our Calvary Chapel Melbourne campus has plenty of devotional books to choose from. Some are topical and others can be a daily reading for each day of the whole year or for shorter periods of time. They all have scripture highlighted and build on that through the book. Devotional books can also have area in them for journaling or note taking. Once again the books can be for a variety of people, women, men, families, teens to name a few. They come in different layouts, a wide assortment of covers and prices. Come by the Watermark Christian Bookstore and the staff there will be glad to help you find the perfect devotional for you or a friend.
Why read devotionals? We want to keep growing and developing our faith. Daily Bible reading should be top priority for a Christ follower. Devotional reading can enhance our journey but should not replace our daily time in God’s word. We can explore new life topics that maybe we need help with. We can learn by reading about someone else’s experience and how they fought their battle alongside God. Devotional reading can make us want to study the Bible even more. God wants us to set aside daily time to just focus on Him. Devotion means having a deep love and loyalty. We are showing our love for God by privately spending time with Him as we apply scripture to our daily lives.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything rotten in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8 NIV
Pray before you read daily. Ask God to show you something you can learn that day. Ask Him how you can be a good witness and an encouragement to others. So many new opportunities are coming in this new year. Take time to find that ideal devotional to get you started. You will be blessed if you do.
It has been many months since I have even had the desire to write on our blog. I wasn’t sure what the problem was but came to discover that the massive stresses of last year had just left me depleted! My husband’s four hospitalizations, three surgeries and my own surgery last December was tough. We also lost some family members last year. We are rejoicing they are with Jesus but miss them. It was a lot! So I will be sharing my personal struggles, hoping to help someone else who may have the same experience as I had.
I found myself feeling overwhelmed by even the easy everyday things. I kept up my regular activities and responsibilities but found no joy in them. Always being exhausted and feeling frustrated with life in general and being critical when I obligated myself to do more. Was it depression- maybe? I knew how I felt was not the real me but it was hard to determine the cause. This is not a place you want to be in or stay too long. People in my family are great during a crisis but tend to fall apart afterwards. So this could also be where I was at.
The good news is even in these dark times, God was there available for the asking. As months went by I continued to read my Bible and daily verses. I participated in Bible study as a group and alone. Even in those so called uneventful days, God still showed up to keep me going and gave us unexpected blessings along the way. God waits for us to seek Him in these times but He is always available. He is present even when it is hard for us to make a move. As we grow in Christ we know this fact but it is sometimes hard to fully understand it. I have turned a corner and feeling much better and hopeful again.
Things to do if you find yourself struggling like I did.
Stay in the word, even if it is just a daily verse. Start a devotional plan and commit to reading it daily. Put up some favorite scriptures for tough days, where you can read them easily.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5 NIV
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 NIV
Get plenty of rest and enough physical exercise. Take a walk and enjoy nature appreciating all God has created. Listen to the word as you walk. Psalms is a great place to start.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NIV
Continue to connect with others even if you don’t feel like it. Go to group functions and meet up with friends. Find a trusted friend that you can confide in and share your heart and struggles with. Be honest with God (He knows it all anyway)
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4 NIV
Pray for God to show you new things. Pray for a breakthrough in your situation. Pray for others and look for ways to serve them. Giving of ourselves always makes us feel better and we get more than we give.
Laugh, do something fun and never give up! Count your blessings and remember where God has blessed you in the past. Trust God and He will bring you through tough times and help you find joy again.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
God shows up in many ways as we follow Him, keep looking for His fingerprints along the way. He will amaze you and you will be rejoicing in His wonderful goodness. He never left.
It has been a while since I have written anything on this Finding His Purpose site. I couldn’t let the year 2022 finish without writing about some of the highs and lows of this year. God has brought us through the storms and renewed our hope for the future as long as we continue to depend on Him.
We lost some loved ones this year. John’s Mom Anna passed away at the age of 95. She was an amazing woman who raised ten children mostly on her own since her husband (Jacob) passed away so many years ago. She leaves a very large family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved the Lord and her life was an example of it.
My niece’s husband Craig Smith passed away unexpectedly in July 2022. Craig was such a selfless, giving guy. He took care of my niece Julie through all her MS battles. Then after she was gone, always helped extended family when they needed him. He joins Julie now as she passed away a few years ago. They both were so young to leave so early but we are at peace since they knew the Lord.
Our son-in-law Nader’s Mom Dora passed away just this December. She fought a long battle with cancer and longed for as much extra time as possible with her children and grandchildren. We both were very different people and yet in the last few years, we bonded over our children and grandchildren and our desire for them to live the most fulfilled and happy life possible. I shared with her what Christ has done in my life and John’s life. Dora was very receptive to the message. She thanked us many times for leading her back to Jesus Christ. We were humbled and thankful to be there for her. We are blessed to be part of her journey. Remember always that others look at your life even when you don’t notice but it could be the opportunity to start a conversation that ends in securing their eternity.
This year also brought some storms for us as John had some major health issues. Multiple times in the hospital and three surgeries, it was overwhelming. He is now in great shape and with his new heart valve is feeling better than ever. God brought the right doctors to help us in our time of need and so many people prayed for us. Thank you Jesus for healing him completely. In December I ended up in the hospital with an unexpected surgery. This was very difficult since I usually am so well and the caregiver most of the time. God was with me and even brought the amazing surgeon that saved John’s life to do my surgery. That was such a miracle and gave me great comfort during that tough time. I am doing well and thankful for God’s healing.
The year 2022 also had some real growth for us and Finding His Purpose. We were so blessed to be able to host the evening with Jen Bricker-Bauer and Dominik Bauer on September 2nd. This event had many road blocks from the start but God had other plans. We quickly discovered that when God wants something to happen you can’t mess it up. Our group is small but we are mighty! With the help of wonderful friends and family who volunteered, we were able to have a wonderful evening that inspired so many who attended. It was a great success and an evening we will never forget. Jen and Dominik are such wonderful people with an awesome God story to share. We are sure we made friends forever.
We added an addition to our family this year, a Papillon puppy named Indie. He is full of energy with a cute personality. He keeps us busy but we love him and he is settling in well.
So many ups and downs in this last year. We thank all who prayed for us and supported us through this year. Sometimes we just have to take time to rest in Jesus. We look forward to moving into 2023 with new hope and strength to carry on whatever He has planned for us. We are excited to see what new experiences 2023 will bring our way.
Prayer is such a powerful thing that we use to connect with God. We see him work in our lives and in the lives of others. We go to prayer for many reasons. Prayer for spiritual and physical needs. Prayer for direction and protection. Prayer can be a means of discerning His will. As we pray we demonstrate our faith and trust in God’s word. We have his promise that our prayers are heard. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 Sometimes prayers are not answered the way we hope but He has the final say. Sometimes we must wait for that prayer to be answered and stand on our faith that He is working it all out for our good.
Do you go to prayer first? We sometimes tend to take things into our own hands not even thinking about praying. I have found myself in the past few years putting prayer first and that has been a big help in times of trouble. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
We have such wonderful prayer partners in our life. These people are amazing and are always there to pray for our situation. I love the term prayer warriors because that really describes what they are. These prayer warriors go to God without hesitation and pray continually for the need. The meaning of a warrior is someone who is experienced and brave. Just the kind of people we all need when we are faced with an uncertain challenge. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19
We are so blessed to know many prayer warriors. They are the first ones we go to for prayer. John has recently been in need of those prayers. He has had multiple health issues that has even led to unexpected surgery. As I was writing this, one of those surgeries was taking place. I put out the request to my prayer warriors and know they were praying right away. That gave me so much support and peace to know that they were there. Prayer to God was our first line of defense in trouble. “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22
So the next time you are in need of prayer, pray first, then call on your prayer warriors to pray for you. If you don’t have people you can count on to pray, start making those connections with others so you have that support. You can be one of those prayer warriors for them too. John did well through the surgery and is now recovering. So thankful to God and thankful for our prayer partner friends! Our prayer warriors are awesome and a gift from God. Thank you all. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”Romans 12:12
John will have more surgery to do in the near future but know God is with us and will strengthen us. “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”Philippians 4:13 Thank you Jesus
In the Bible we read that God set the world on it’s foundation. “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” Psalms 102:25 “He set the earth on it’s foundations; it can never be moved.” Psalms 104:5
When I was young I remember being told you need a firm foundation. What did that mean? It wasn’t too important to me then but now years later I see that is where it all starts. A home builder needs to make sure that the foundation of each house they build is done right and strong to last. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” Matthew 7:24
In the same way we need to have a firm foundation in our spiritual lives to hold us secure when things are crumbling around us. When we have a serious health issue, a challenging disability or when we mourn the loss of our loved ones, where do we go for comfort? When the world is in chaos and there seems to be no clear answers, who do you go to? This is when our established firm foundation comes in to help. We stand on the past blessings and promises that we saw the Lord do. We know where our help comes from and it comes from the Lord! Do not just wait but pray as we see what the the Lord will do. “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12
Focus on Him and trust He is in control and will be with us in all adversity. Fix our eyes on Jesus as we stand on our beliefs, our spiritual foundation. Do you have a firm foundation that you stand on? If so do it and don’t give up, keep trusting and praying. If you don’t, go back to the basics. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Study His word and fellowship with others who can help you grow in your faith. Seek out others who make you better and long after the things of God. Firm up your foundation so when the wind blows it won’t destroy you. Know what you believe and stand on it. Be strong and hold tight, still standing on the firm foundation and promises of God.
3/22/22
*I wrote the previous paragraphs a few days (3/3/22) before a personal storm started. Little did I know that I would need to read my own words for encouragement to get me through some tough days. My husband, John had a sudden life threatening illness and was hospitalized for 16 days. Each day was a roller coaster of confusion on treatment and possible surgery. We both saw God work behind the scenes and saw little miracles along the way. Some days were pretty dark and that is when I really needed to stand on the promises of God more than ever. God spared my husband’s life and will carry us through his recovery and future surgeries that are needed. “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10 We will put our trust in Him and continue to praise Him in the storm. We are still standing.
Finding HIS Purpose 