All posts written by Bryan

Migraine Update #2

February 3, 2012 in Family with 8 Comments

Last night we attended a seminar with Dr. Reed and his team going over all the information regarding the procedure. There were about 50 people in attendance from all over the country seeking help for the same condition. From everything we learned last night, Jennifer looks like a prime candidate. We will be meeting with her surgeon at 11:00am CST this morning for him to personally examine her and review her case. Pray for wisdom and favor.

What we also learned is that the process will probably take between 4-5 weeks from now before she can receive the implant. So, we are both very encouraged and frustrated at the same time. But that’s ok because God is still working a miracle right in front of us.

We will be making some tough decisions over the next few days about whether Jennifer will stay in Dallas through this whole process or return to Wilmington as we wait. The flights to get here were pretty brutal for Jen and I’m not sure it would be healthy for her to fly back and forth. We need wisdom to know how to proceed over the next several weeks as we see God continue to unfold this amazing miracle.

Thanks again to everyone who continues to pray for Jennifer and our family. We are blessed.

Migraine Update

February 2, 2012 in Family with 16 Comments

I’m writing this post as we climb to an altitude of 57,000′ (totally made that number up) on our last flight to Dallas. This has been an incredibly rough journey over the last several weeks. Jennifer is pushing through day 26 of a brutal migraine battle. This has been the single longest battle in her war with migraines. For over 6 years, she has had 2-3 migraines a month last 1-2 days. Jennifer has tried almost every prescription, diet, exercise, relaxation technique known to man. We have prayed, fasted and believed God for a miracle. Herbal teas, acupuncture, chiropractic, supplements, cleanses, caffeine, no caffeine, chocolate, no chocolate. With all the tests, treatments and prayer the battles became more intense and began to last longer and longer. The last 3-4 months have been filled with migraines much more frequently (15-20 times each month).

Over these past 4 weeks, we have found ourselves in doctor’s offices, the emergency room and finally a 5 day stay at the luxurious Duke University Hospital under the care of a leading migraine doctor. None of these have been helpful. So, we have continued to fast, pray, believe and trust that God has a plan.

Because of the intensity of this battle, Jennifer has taken a leave of absence and has been pretty much confined to a darkened bedroom. But, our faith is still strong.

While in the hospital at Duke, I received a call from Jennifer’s mom, Kaye, in Dallas. Through a divine appointment, God connected Kaye with a prayer partner working with another one of the nation’s leading migraine experts. Dr. Reed was recently featured on an episode of the Doctors talking about a revolutionary surgical procedure that has seen miraculous results. After talking with multiple people in Dr. Reed’s office, it appears as if Jennifer may be an ideal candidate for this procedure.

So, today we find ourselves on a plane heading into uncharted territory. Our insurance is not approved yet. What we know today is that it may take another 4-5 weeks to do all the testing, insurance approvals and other arrangements before the final procedure. After meeting with doctors tonight and tomorrow, we will have a better understanding of what is in store for us.

My dad taught me to never give up. We do not play 9 inning ball games or fight 10 rounds. We play until we win. We fight until we are victorious. And we pray until we see the miracle. So, that is what we will do.

Thank you all for praying for us. Thank you for the cards, texts, emails, Facebook messages, meals, errands and encouragement. We are so grateful to be surrounded by so many family, friends and intercessors around the world. The McGees are incredibly grateful.

Stay tuned as we share more of our miraculous journey of faith, hope and healing.

I shot a video about our special Growth Track especially created for all of our Dream Teamers. Check it out…

Growth Track for Dream Teamers

link January 27, 2012 in ROCK Church with 2 Comments

Cheering for the team

January 25, 2012 in Great Churches with 0 Comments

One of my great joys in ministry is the amazing pastors I get to call friend in this city. We are not in competition with each other. We are on the same team. One of these great friends is Pastor Jeff Kapusta over at Lifepoint Church. They are in the midst of a building campaign where they are outfitting an incredible space on the south end of town.

For the first time in their almost 6 year history, Lifepoint Church will soon be able to have a dedicated space for their church to worship. I couldn’t be more proud or excited for them. When I heard they were securing this facility, I knew ROCK Church had to be a part. We needed to do more than just pray for the resources they needed for this project. We had to put our money where our faith was focused. On behalf of the incredibly generous people at ROCK Church I was able to bring one of the first offerings given toward the Greater Things God is doing.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to walk through the building with Pastor Jeff and record a short video. Take a look.

I can’t wait to walk through the finished building and celebrate with my friend.

Who would you like to celebrate today?

Reboot

January 24, 2012 in Life with 0 Comments

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of stuff around here. Let me take a minute to summarize briefly a few of the events since Thanksgiving.

  • On December 8th, I had surgery #5 on my sinuses at UNC-Chapel Hill. I’m doing great!
  • Christmas was amazing!
  • We had some more staff changes at ROCK Church.
  • Gabriel and I spent 5 days in New York City visiting museums, the symphony and basically conquering Gotham in a matter of days.
  • We began another 21 days of fasting and prayer at ROCK Church. Today marks day 9. Only 12 more to go!
  • Jennifer is coming to the end of a 15 battle with migraines that landed her at the doctor’s office, the emergency room and then 5 nights at Duke University Hospital. Although she is not completely free of it, she is doing much better.

Also, somewhere in the midst of all this chaos, my blog became infected with a virus that destroyed almost 6 years of posts. Yes, I lost everything. Somehow it became infected in the weeks leading up to my surgery. Because I was giving everything I had to staying focused until surgery, I did not catch it in time. By the time I contacted my hosting provider, all of their backups were also infected.

So, today I press reset. I could cry over all of the lost posts. I could complain about how it’s not fair. I could find someone to blame. All of these options are lame and do nothing to move forward. Instead, I will press reset and move forward.

I hope you will enjoy me on this adventure as the slate has been wiped clean and we begin again.

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13–14 (ESV)

What do you need to press reset on in your life?