During 2016, Brynn was released from physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology test/checkups. Yes, you are reading that correctly! Outside of speech therapy twice a week at her school and a turning in of her left foot, which doctors say should correct itself as she gets older, Brynn is a normal, preschool attending, 4-year-old.

The irony in Brynn’s story is that her return to a normal life has pushed others out of their normal life. It’s similar to biblical accounts like Dorcus in Acts 9:36 or the lame beggar in Acts 3:1-10 when, after seeing God do the miraculous, it moved people to examine their own life.
Our examination has been no different. After witnessing God’s Miracle in Brynn, we saw just how powerful God’s Church can be when she has one common focus. And as 2017 started, Amy & I knew that He was calling us to something different.

Like most of you, I was so moved to be a part of Brynn’s Story that I found myself standing at a CROSSROAD. A crossroad that had several paths, but hinged on one decision. The decision was motivated by the love people had shown and a calling God had placed on my life, so Amy & I said ‘yes.’

Yes to a new calling to plant a life-giving church in our area that would share the same community, love, pursuit of God and people; as Brynn’s story had done the previous year and a half. It was birthed out of a desire to never go back to the norm that was life before Brynn’s fall and a desire to see God move so mightily in His Church on a regular basis.

In April 2017, Amy & I stepped out of our comfortable ministry to launch Crossroads Community Church in Cleveland, TN. Since April, I must declare… “God is as faithful to His Church as He was to His Miracle in Brynn.” Crossroads publicly launched on September 17, 2017. When I stepped out on the stage for that first service I realized, God’s Miracle in Brynn was not the finish line for us, but rather the starting point for us all. It was the catalyst to push us all to something greater. At Crossroads Community it’s worded this way:

CRCC exists to be a life-giving church in our community that helps people:
Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference

It’s the essence of Brynn’s Story – LIFE-GIVING!

I believe the tough question for all of us is; “So what do we do with God’s Miracle in Brynn now that we have seen/heard it?” I encourage you to go back to the two accounts mentioned above from the Bible and see how they dealt with them. I know this, Brynn’s Miracle was never meant to be the end!

If anyone were to ask about the little girl that fell off a stool at church, you can answer, “She is still telling her story.” She tells it by walking, hearing, and breathing like a normal student at her school. If by chance you were to visit that school on team spirit day and watch closely, amidst all the orange you will see one little girl sharing her story by a simple Crimson cheerleading outfit with a “Big A” on the front. Stay long enough and you’ll hear most teachers and the principal saying, “Brynn, Go Vols” in which she turns and smiles and replies, “ROLL TIDE!” Yes, even in Big Orange Country, we all need a little Roll Tide.

Let’s Be Life-Giving,
Mickey

Brynn has been home since November 10 and continuing to improve. She goes to to weekly therapies (physical, occupational, and speech) and seems to be getting closer to her baseline prior to the fall on 0ct. 11. We have had many doctors, nurses, and therapists testify to God’s Miracle in Brynn and have been left speechless at how well she is doing and her current state only eight weeks after the fall.

Most recently (last Tuesday to be exact) Amy took Brynn for her OAE hearing test – a test she has never passed since birth. This is the test that gave us the first insight into Brynn’s hearing lost as an infant. Amy told me as she arrived at the doctor’s office the nurse was so excited to meet Brynn. She had been praying for her, like many of you, and when she saw Brynn’s name on the docket that morning, she was excited at the chance to finally meet her. Amy said it was so sweet to see the nurse’s genuine excitement and love for Brynn as she had been getting updates from friends in Cleveland and Atlanta during her healing. 

After the greeting, they started the OAE test and as the nurse was explaining the results she got teary eyed. For the first time ever BRYNN PASSED in her right ear. Amy asked “What does this mean?” to which the nurse responded; “it means what it means – she can hear completely in her right ear.“

After celebrating the news Amy took Brynn to her audiologist on Thursday. And to confirm just how powerful Jeovah Rapha is, Dr. Richardson said, she has “never seen this.” She has no explanation, and “nothing from a fall, medical treatment, or on this earth could have corrected Brynn’s inner ear issue.” Amy simply responded, “so what you are saying is it’s a miracle.” In which Dr. said, “I do not just throw that word around loosely, but YES!” As Amy and Dr. Richardson sat their speechless, Amy was curious as to what would be next. The Doctor simply said I do not know, but we will see!

It reminds me of so many times people in the Bible (the paralytic outside the gates Acts 3:1-10 or the man lowered through the roof Luke 5:17-26) that spent their whole life striving for help – to be healed in a moment. I believe after the moment of healing passed that each of them had to have had a “what now” moment. Their life had revolved around their disability and now the chains of that disability were gone.

What about us? Our chains are gone, but we still live like captives. The sin that so easily entangles also has a way of becoming our life and if we are not careful, though we have been forgiven, we live as slaves.

Live Free Today!
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Brynn is healed,
Mickey

This is the day the Lord has made,
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Let us Rejoice and be glad in it!

Testing today with the ABR was a little confusing due to her having tubes put in, but the sound booth test gave us a clearer picture:

Basically, at this time she does have hearing loss in both ears, but the baseline is considered right on the line of normal for all frequencies but the high ones. To put this in Mickey terms: as for now they do not think it is necessary for her to continue wearing hearing aids. The goal is to work on the higher frequency sounds (b, t, th, s, f sounds), try to see if we can get accurate readings on individual ears in the next 3-6 months, and let her ears heal from the surgery today.

I know this is a lot of information, but I want to make sure I explain God’s miraculous works clearly. So again; no hearing aids is confirmed by testing today for the time being. Now we will track her progress concerning hearing and speech.

I will have a longer, FINAL update in the next few days after we get settled in at home, but I wanted you all to know what God has been doing today in His Miracle in Brynn.
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Keep increasing the volume!

Had a great weekend with the rest of the children and made it back to ATL this afternoon. Tomorrow is a very important day as Brynn will be having new tunes put in her ears and an ABR test to discover her hearing volume and if she needs to keep using hearing aids. As for now, audiologists and doctors have said she does not need the hearing aids and we pray that tomorrow the medical test confirms their beliefs and God’s amazing grace in Brynn’s life. Please pray specifically at 7:45 AM as she will be sedated for new tubes and the ABR.

Through this weekend I have been trying to get caught up and ready for the plunge back into the real world on Wednesday. Preparing for all the things coming up and future plans, I have realized that life does not stop for tragedies, but as believers we should at least notice.

All of you have done an amazing job teaching me this lesson over the last four weeks and I believe this is what Jesus felt as He went from town to town, saw the people, and felt compassion (Matthew 9:35-38). Jesus immediately noticed the severity of the situation and asked the disciples to pray for workers to go into the harvest field. In 2015, I believe the field has only gotten larger with people needing hope, grace, and love; but the same dilemma still exists and it is God’s need for His people to be workers. Not workers chasing the American Dream, rather, compassionate people who will go into the fields and show compassion. Cry with those who are hurting, grieve with those who have lost, and celebrate with those who have no one to celebrate with. May we never be so self consumed to not notice other people and their struggles (not to try and fix them, but rather love them through it). This is what each of you have done with us as we have witnessed God’s Miracle in Brynn. For that I simply say, “thank you, I love you, and do not want to do life with out each one of you.”

Please take time to notice others today who are in need of the same touch as Amy and I have needed over the last four weeks and then validate them by noticing and giving effort to love them.
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Pray for Brynn’s surgery, healing, recovery, and story to go forward!

Crazy busy day, but it’s been another step in this huge story of God’s Miracle in Brynn.

It was discovered today that Brynn may be having some right eye vision neglect – which basically means she is not using her right side peripheral vision well or has a delay using her right side vision. She will have an appointment with a neurological ophthalmologist to see if there is an issue. This is a little like the other issues she has dealt with concerning her entire right side and God has been gracious at restoring it all. So please join with us in praying specifically for her right eye vision and eye control. I have no doubt that God is able.

The doctors said today in our meeting they are encouraged and amazed with her progress. Her story has been nothing sort of miraculous and SHE IS COMING HOME TUESDAY!

God is so great and I simply can believe that in 23 days He has done the miraculous because I have seen it. I am shocked it has all happened and embarrassed I would have ever doubted God prior to this situation.

I am excited about the completion of this stage of God’s Miracle in Brynn, but also confused for the sorrow I feel out of worry that I (we) will go back to the apathy of life prior to God’s miracle. My prayer is that we never forget what God has done and is doing. May we never go back to the mundane. May we be moved by our love for people, passionate about our faith in God and His ability to do the supernatural, and motivated to come together as God’s people to make a difference.
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Until it is finished…keep increasing the volume!

Wow. What a day.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the miracle we have all witnessed in Brynn in the last three weeks. It is hard to believe that 22 days ago she was minutes away from death and now she is full of life. Amy and I acknowledge God for His miracle in Brynn and do not take for granted the details of His thoroughness.

Today was an amazing day to watch Brynn show everyone what it means to love. She walked around the therapy sessions telling everyone hi, blowing kisses, and calling them by their name if she knew it. She rode in her wheelchair around the hospital making people laugh with her funny faces and animal sounds. She even made a cafeteria worker tear up when she said thank you and blew her a kiss with no prompting from me for her cheese pizza. It gave me a whole new insight to 1 Cor. 13 and the fact that everyone in this hospital needs hope and faith either because of their situation or their job, but LOVE overcomes the struggles. 

LOVE is contiguous. LOVE encourages. LOVE simply changes life. Whether it is love for a patient, love of a career, or love from a 2 yr old girl; LOVE MOTIVATES!

Their is no doubt that today I was able to see a two-year-old girl that has been held so tight by Her Jehovah Rapha that His love simply overflows to others and joy is spread.

Your challenge: make a thoughtful effort to spread joy tomorrow and love people. Do not focus on your own struggles or worries, but rather be a conqueror. Whether it be a contiguous smile or calling somebody by their name to validate them – show LOVE! Start with your family before you depart for the day and end by thinking how you used your day to love people and spread joy before you go to bed.

Please pray for us tomorrow at noon as we meet with all the doctors and find out their thoughts on Brynn, how long we will be here, and what’s next. I think I am most excited about what’s next because I know God can be trusted!
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Keep increasing the volume!

Actions speak louder than words:

Brynn is continuing to show improvement and I want to let you know what Jehovah Rapha is doing in Brynn’s life:

As you recall, last week we spent most of the week praying specifically for Brynn’s hearing and speech. For those that may not know Brynn’s full story she had a very rough entry into this world. In the process of an emergency delivery Brynn developed a hearing lost that required hearing aids. In fact, the first year of her life was very rough with many issues, a few surgeries, lots of therapy and appointments; but she kept improving and becoming the Brynn we all knew before the fall. That is a very simplified version, but it gives you a picture of Brynn’s life thus far which is nothing short of God’s grace and healing. 

So back to hearing – as of last Thursday the DOCTORS DO NOT BELIEVE BRYNN WILL NEED HEARING AIDS ANYMORE! There are a few more tests, but as for now the consensus is that she does NOT NEED THEM! To this I simply say, thank you Jesus and thank you all for praying. He is real, prayer does work, and God’s people are empowered by Him. God’s restoration of Brynn and His miracle story should move us all in faith.
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May your faith be seen today by the way you believe in what we have seen in God’s Miracle in Brynn, by the way we love people today, and by the way we acknowledge God in our life with our actions.

Please pray for Brynn’s speech, ability to stand, and her ability to walk. And keep increasing the volume!

From Amy Lou:
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As I sit and soak in God’s Word this morning, my heart is heavy for so much suffering that is all around me. I reflect on a couple questions that have been posed to me several times throughout this faith journey:

Why does God answer some people’s prayers and not others?

And

How can a good God allow bad things to happen?

I don’t pretend to know the answers to these questions, but I can share some insight on what God has shown me.

It’s important to begin with the fact that our “faith journey” doesn’t start at the moment of suffering, or conflict, or loss. It begins the moment we accept Jesus as sovereign Lord over our lives, over the whole universe, over all of His creation, and continues to grow as we walk in His truth daily. When we accept Him for who He truly is and place Him as Lord over our lives, it does not mean we no longer suffer or that we are no longer sinners. We still battle our human nature daily, hourly, sometimes moment by moment. We try to figure out the “why’s” of our circumstances using our own human reasoning and common rationale. But we have to snap out of this mindset and remember our LIMITLESS God, the Creator of all things, is so much bigger than our LIMITED reasoning and rational minds can comprehend. This has to be our foundation, the truth that anchors our soul daily so that when suffering and trials come, we will not be shaken!

Because of our humanness, sometimes our questions are backwards. Instead of “How can a good God let bad things happen?” Maybe a better question is, “How can God be so good to us when we are such sinners?”

Our mindset needs to be set on His Redemption story. He is redeeming a fallen world unto Himself. All of us deserve death, but by His redeeming love, we are offered life, eternally in the presence of our King. His plans are not our own, for everything He does is to bring glory to Himself and to draw others to Him. This is hard to swallow in cases that don’t turn out the way we ask. We start to question God in our selfishness, but when our faith hinges on the fact that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, we wait in anticipation for Gods glory to be revealed! This is to be our mindset in praying. It’s not about whose prayers get answered and whose don’t. All prayers are answered in a way that brings Glory to God. This should be the desire of our prayers! I have found this to be true throughout my journey and walking with like-minded sisters and brothers in Christ is that His glory ALWAYS prevails, EVERY time, without fail! He is so FAITHFUL in every circumstance and outcome.

This then, is our challenge. God calls us to have a bold trust in His deity and sovereignty. Our mental focus on who God is must be renewed daily because we are sinners living in a fallen world that wants us to believe otherwise. The natural thoughts of our human mindset is to resist truth about God, BUT when we look back on Gods record of faithfulness in the past, we must trust in His unfailing love for us – in every circumstance. He always was, always is, and always will be faithful! Grow each of us in our faith Lord Jesus! Amen.



Keep increasing the volume!

-Mickey