Faith in Action

Kim and Violet

My friend Kim is one of the kindest most giving people I know. She would never say anything bad about anyone and she would do anything for you. She has such a big heart especially when it comes to dogs. She has her dogs, her daughters’ dog, and rescue dogs, foster dogs etc. She loves them! One of her passions is participating in search and rescue with her dog Violet. Recently, Violet sustained an injury during search and rescue tearing her Achilles tendon. Ouch! Very painful and she needed surgery….to the tune of around $3,000. We know with pets these things can creep up on you and it isn’t always something you have cash on hand to handle.
Another thing I also know about Kim is that she has faith. Not small faith but big faith! She loves the Lord and believes He can meet her needs. But here’s the thing. If Kim would have said, “Lord heal my sweet Violet. You know God I don’t have the $3,000 needed for surgery so you need to heal her.” She believes in her heart that God would do just that. Knowing the Bible, the Word of God like Kim does, she also knows that it says “Faith without works is dead”. James 2:17 says just this. You can’t have just faith and you can’t have just action. You need both. I love the way the Message Translation says it:

“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, ‘Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!’ and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

So, Kim and her daughter Sarah got busy organizing a fundraiser. It consisted of, securing a local restaurant, gathering items for a Chinese auction, and spreading the word to family and friends. From start to finish was 20 days!!! There were like 65 items donated from gift certificates to baskets to nice jewelry! The restaurant also donated 10% of the proceeds from that day! I was so amazing at the hard work and all that was accomplished in that short time. Instead of just speaking her faith, she put it into action and planned (in a ridiculously short amount of time) a great fundraiser.

Her faith doesn’t stop there. She needed to believe that people would actually come to the event! But here is where God really blessed her. You see, Kim has sown seed into soooo many people’s lives! She has been there countless times and people love her. Luke 6:38 says “If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return, It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.” CEV

Because of Kim’s faith, God showed Himself faithful. She had an amazing turnout and reached her goal!

Through my own current situation dealing with tumors I draw from her faith. I believe that God still heals people. I know that He can take these tumors away! My action is to still keep my surgery scheduled and trust in modern medicine which is also a gift from God. I am preparing for my time after surgery and resting before.

Thank you Kim for being not only a great friend, but a true living example of what it means to have faith and live a life of a Bible believing, Jesus loving, Christian woman.

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Joy + Wisdom = Peace

So, even though I have been a Christian for 14 years and have sat under amazing biblical teachers, at times I feel like such a novice when it comes to the word of God. As I have been going through this season in my life facing major surgery people always say how strong I am, or I seem so calm etc. It got me thinking, why is that? Should I be more nervous? Should I be upset? Of course at times I am going to be and that is natural but why am I not wringing my hands with worry or saying woe is me this is just too much. Why am I not bitter or angry or depressed? Well, I have had my moments, especially in the beginning when I felt like someone just punched me in the gut and said “Hey, you have cancer!” But I know I had peace and here is how I did. It’s a little formula:

Joy + Wisdom = Peace

Simple right? YES! It is simple, all you have to do is put it into action. Just like someone who wants to get physically fit needs to put a plan into action (healthy eating + exercise = physically fit) you need to have a plan in place to be spiritually healthy as well. You CAN stop waking up every day, looking at your doom and gloom situation, your diminishing bank account, your so called friend that betrayed you, your tired achy body and still have peace.
You need to put into place a formula to have peace – Joy + Wisdom=Peace.

All you need to do is take a good look at Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi and learn all about Joy! He mentions joy/rejoice 16 times in this short 4 chapter book of the New Testament. Chapter 4:4-7 has a passage many are familiar with and was actually the first verse I learned as a new Christian:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Rejoice Always = Peace
Paul lived with a past that could have haunted him for life. He spent the first part of his life persecuting Christians! He put them to death! In Acts chapter 9 we read about the transformation of Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus. His life was transformed through Jesus and it began an incredible journey preaching the gospel all over the region. During that time he was imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked and so much more all for the sake of the gospel. Even through all that he continually had joy.
Joy is not a feeling, it is not just being happy for a short time. There are things that make me happy like cooking a great meal. Nothing makes me happier than getting in the kitchen, creating a great dish and sharing it with my family. But that happy feeling is but for a moment. Once the meal is done and the kitchen needs cleaned up, not always so happy lol. But joy is different. Joy is a deep down feeling when you are secure with who you are in Christ Jesus. We read in Psalms where it says Sorrow my last for a night but Joy comes in the morning. The pains, sadness, depression etc. are temporary but Joy is everlasting through Christ. We are to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials knowing that it will produce endurance! (James 1:2-3)

When we go through trying and challenging situations it is not always easy to think clearly or rationally. I think back to when my daughter Katie was in a horrific car accident last summer. She was hit on the rear panel, spun around and then flipped 3 times! When I met the ambulance at the hospital and they brought her out on a stretcher with that big orange contraption around her head to hold it in place I really freaked out…..no I didn’t lol. From the moment I received the phone call I had peace. She said to me “mom, you are being so calm.” And yes I was calm but not really understanding why I was so calm but I was. I almost felt bad that I wasn’t more upset or worried. Sometimes I think to myself “I really should be more upset in this situation but I’m not.” Only through the wisdom I have from God’s word in the bible can I have that peace. Sometimes God will keep us at peace to help us think clearly and stay rational for the sake of those around us. I knew she was scared and upset, I knew her fiancé was going to be scared and upset once he got to the hospital so God kept me calm. Later that night, during some quiet time with the Lord I had my cry. A peaceful cry with my savior.

Proverbs is a great place to camp if you are looking for words on wisdom. Proverbs 3 (I won’t post it all but please open that bible app and read it!) has a great deal to say. Here are just some excerpts:
5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

Biblical wisdom is knowing what the Word of God says concerning every situation, every aspect of your life. Wisdom is that still small voice, the gut feeling, the I know what I know to be true feeling. If you lack wisdom, James tells us to just ask God for it and He won’t be upset that we are asking. He wants us to ask, He wants to help! However, it goes on to say, when you ask you must believe. You can’t be double minded. Stand on the Word of God and believe what it says. It’s ok to throw your hands up in the air every once while in distress but remember that God will never leave you nor forsake you. When you can get to a place where every time something crazy in your life happens, your first thought will be “what does God’s Word say about this”.

So remember, Joy is a choice. If Jesus is your savior you should have Joy! Your eternal destination is heaven! Wisdom is found by reading and studying the Bible. If you are going to fight against the things that come against you and try to bring you down then you need to be armed with the Word of God!
Coming to a place of Joy and filling yourself up with the knowledge and wisdom of the Bible will surely give you peace in your heart. And when situations arise that are not so peaceful, you will have the tools to face them!
Joy-2

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Hedge

I would always giggle a little when people would pray for a hedge of protection. Really? A hedge? I guess I picture a small line of shrubs in a wavy pattern along the school sidewalk or down the neighbors walk leading to their front door. I’m sure I have jumped through rows of them as a kid running about the neighborhood. But lately God has been showing me a lot about hedges and I decided to do a little research and see if a “hedge” is really biblical. Side note – I encourage you to research scripture so you understand the content and the meaning. If you hear something and it doesn’t make sense, then be diligent and research. I also know I have some really smart people in my life who know so much more than me about God’s Word that I can always ask; you know who you are.

The first thing I research is the Book of Job and read that Satan says to God in chapter 1 verse 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him (Job) and his household and everything he has?” Wow, if Satan is saying that God put a hedge around Job and because of that hedge Satan can’t touch Job then I should take this hedge seriously. Second there were a lot of wild animals in the books of the Old Testament and people needed to protect their families as well as their livestock. Wood fences were just not feasible do to lack of supply and stone walls would take way too long to build. But a vine, thick, thorny hedge would do the trick. They were too high for animals to jump over and too thick and thorny for them to run through. Perfect barrier from anything that would try and attack. A hedge…..go figure.

God has shown me through this process various hedges in my life. First people are a hedge. I know I have people that have my back and are there if I need anything. People that will be there when I start freaking out, when thoughts begin to run rampant in my head. People I can call and share something I’m confused about and they can help me make sense of it. The amount of people praying created a HUGE hedge around me to give me peace and not fear. To give me discernment and not confusion. It is so important no matter what you might be going through to have a “hedge” of people in your life. John 15:16 says “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus truly laid down His life by going to the cross, carrying our sin and dying the most painful death. On earth we can in a way lay down our life for a friend by showing love and compassion, praying for them, lending a hand, using your gifts, talents, love language to not only show love but to be love. Be that hedge around your friend when they are in need. Another little side note: If there are people you think should be there for you and they are not, well maybe God knows best. Forget about it, don’t let yourself get consumed with rage over people that probably shouldn’t be there in the first place. Also, appreciate people for the hedge only they can provide.

Scripture itself (and most importantly) is a hedge around our thoughts and our heart. Proverbs 4 tells us that we need to pay attention to God’s word. Verse 21-23 says “Do not let them out of your sight, for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.” The bible is full of wisdom and will guide us and protect us in every situation we face. When you need to protect your thoughts turn to God’s word because negative thoughts, being scared, worried, confused etc. are all gift of the enemy. Satan is hear to not only out right lie to you but to confuse you. To make you think differently than what you really should. During this long waiting period for my various doctor appointments there would be brief moments when my thoughts would say “see, you aren’t praying enough”, “you aren’t going to church enough”, you missed your devotional time yesterday to watch a recorded episode of Law and Order” (I told you I would be honest) or “this is probably metastasized and it is somewhere else in your body” or how about “your probably going to die, didn’t your dad die from cancer?”. Seriously? The devil is a liar! My hedge of protection around these thoughts is the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
That is why I have shared scriptures and asked for people to share with me. It is also why I can say I had so much peace. Why I knew I wasn’t going to die. I believe what the bible says and it says Jesus took a beating for my healing. Isaiah 53:5 says “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 says “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” So when the enemy chirps in your ear and says, “things aren’t looking good and you are really sick” I can say “NO! My God says by HIS stripes I am healed!”. That is what it means to take every thought captive. When you hear your mind tell you something that is negative or sound questionable ask yourself what does God’s word say. Now maybe you are like me and don’t know always where to find a scripture related to your thought….Google it. Get Bible Gateway or the You Version app and search. It makes God smile when we open up that bible. OK, getting off track but I hope that will help someone.
over-the-hedge
What “hedges” do you have in place and what type of “hedges” are you praying for in situations you are facing.

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Control

wet hairI’m not ashamed to admit that I can be a bit of a control freak. Not only a control freak but as my daughter affectionately refers to me as a fixer. I can’t think of an area of my life where at one time or another I was frustrated because what I was trying to do wasn’t fixing the situation. I was totally out of control. I remember one time in particular where something was going on with one of the children and I was working so hard to fix the situation. To take control. I was driving down the road and that sweet voice whispered “are you done trying to take care of this or would you like Me too?” Ouch. Have you even been so gently put in your place by God? I think about Rebekah and what a strong woman she was for her time but she was also a fixer. Rebekah sometimes thought God needed her help. She favored Jacob over Esau and helped Jacob deceive Isaac. Her trickery led to a split between the brothers that caused years of turmoil.

Right now there are so many facets to this nonsense going on in my body that I don’t even know where to begin to fix it. From my husband’s travel schedule, to thinking about telling my mom what is going on, getting the house in order, thinking about the holidays, thinking about Mallie….it is a lot to control and so many little details to take control over.

The good news is, I don’t have to think about how to take care of anything! Growing in my faith has taught me to know that God is still on the throne, He isn’t surprised by all that is going on and He has a plan. The key is to listen. Take time to be still. Get in tune with the Holy Spirit and hear what He has to say!

Deuteronomy 32:1-2 Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.

Psalm 37:7a Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him

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Pray for my doctors

Tomorrow my Pulmonary Doctor, the Surgeon and the Oncologist will all review my case. I love the idea of a team of amazingly, talented, smart doctors coming together to set up a treatment plan for this nonsense. (If you are new to reading my posts, I call it nonsense. It doesn’t deserved to be called anything because it isn’t supposed to be in my body! This body is home to the Holy Spirit and I’m pretty certain these foreign bodies need to leave. Anyway, please join with me in praying for the staff.

Father, my healing comes from you and I thank you that right now You are healing my body. I pray God that you would give abundantly to the physicians wisdom and understanding about my diagnosis and treatment. I pray that all treatment and medications will benefit me and not have any adverse reactions. In Jesus name, Amen.

James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

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Calm in the Storm

calm in the storm“Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” – Mark 4:36-40

During this storm in my life I have moments of feeling afraid, anxious, sad, angry etc. But most of the time I have such a calmness. It’s like before the thoughts can even attack me, before the thrust of the storm can sweep in and overtake me, God says “Quiet! Be still!” Have faith. After every phone call, every test, every report – I have faith. Our salvation is based on faith so why shouldn’t my healing! This storm is not who I am.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

 

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Prayer = Peace

I haven’t slept well the past few nights so tonight I really need to get a good nights rest. I’ve had so much to think about and waiting for a call from the doctor’s office that it is interfering with my sleep. It looks like tomorrow is going to be an important day and I want to be well rested.So immediately a scripture we all know and love comes to mind:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
It doesn’t say get on FB and b**** and moan about your problems. It doesn’t say continue to complain as you have everyday. NO it says TELL GOD WHAT YOU NEED!!! Once you do that His peace will guard your heart and mind. The amplified says “that [c]tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God”
It doesn’t say “poof” your problem will be gone but it does say we will have peace about the situation.
So, Father I have been filled with some anxiousness, some worry and wonder. I get frustrating while I am waiting and it has effected my sleep. Father I ask for your help tonight as I lay my head on the pillow that I will fall asleep quickly and wake up (no earlier than 7am) feeling rested and refreshed! Thank you in advance and for always being right there when these moments of being overwhelmed come over me. I pray for others on FB that are struggling with the same thing. Tonight Father show them that you hear their cries! In Jesus name, Amen.

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What the ……

I woke up this morning with the Word of God on my mind, in my heart and being spoken from my lips. Somewhere mid day I felt feelings bubbling up inside that I knew were coming but I wasn’t ready to give in to them. I wasn’t ready to express them. All of a sudden as I am standing doing dishes I felt like the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said “Go ahead. Let it out. I’m right here.” So I did. I had a little screaming, crying, “what the ____ is going on” moment. My feelings didn’t need to be suppressed. I didn’t need to suck it up and not say how scared I am. I needed to deal with it. Once I did I no longer had any anxiousness and a peace came over me.

With so much prayer and encouragement around me I didn’t feel like I wanted anyone to see how scared I am. I wanted to be the best positive example of how to trust God. But here’s the truth; I can have those feelings and still trust God. I needed to tell God (even though He knows) how I was feeling. I wanted to run to my Father and say HELP I’m freaked out a little. Isn’t that what He wants?

Matthew 11:28 says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Jeremiah 31:25 says “I will refresh the weary and the faint.”

Isaiah 40:29 says “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power to the weak.”

Thank you Father for letting me just be real. For allowing me to be open and honest about what I am feeling day by day and sometimes hour by hour. Thank you for teaching me to lean on you and not my own understanding.

#myjourney

#unmasked

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Procedure #1

So yesterday I had the bronchioscope and it took longer than expected. I love when I know doctors are thorough!! This team at Cleveland Clinic are amazing, talented, gifted (and at times hysterically funny) surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, etc. I am so thankful for all of them.

On the larger mass, the doctor stated that this did not drain like a cyst as he had hoped.  He scraped some cells off and those were examined.  The cells seem to be abnormal and unlike the tissue surrounding the mass.  There was nothing definitive found with this mass.  He then moved onto the small mass.  This also did not drain like a cyst and was found to be consistent with a carcinoid which is a cancerous tumor that has a slow growth. It’s a NO chemo or radiation type and only 1-6% are this type so that is great news!!  If there was one lung cancer that you would want, this is the one.  There are various levels of carcinoids and this is a “typical” variety.  This tends to be a better type. Because this is apparently a carcinoid, it is likely that the large mass is as well.  Both areas will be confirmed in the histology report due mid to late next week.

The doctor stated that even though there was a pathologist and a histologist present during the biopsy, the results are preliminary and will be confirmed within the week. Ron and I decided we’ll hear the report when he is home on Friday.

Also, as a complete surprise, while descending down the trachea, an irritation was found.  This did not look like either mass and is inconsistent with cancer, but cells were scraped  and will be looked at as well.  This, of course has caused a severe sore throat and desire to cough which, at times, brings up small amounts of blood due to the scraping and poking of the areas.  The doctor stated that this area almost looked like an irritation from a chronic cough where the trachea collapses on itself and rubs against the other side. This may be from when I had the real bad cough late last year and earlier this year.

I’ll schedule the surgery sometime early October. Probably a 4-5 day hospital stay and a 3 month recovery. My goal of course is to feel good enough to cook Thanksgiving dinner!! 😉 Please pray for not only myself but my family, the doctors and staff at CCF. I know many of you that have walked down similar roads and even much worse. Know that your faith, courage and strength are helping me every step of the way!!

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 91: 1-3 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

Please share with me any healing scriptures in the comments!

#unmasked

#myjourney

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Follow up with your doctor – The Beginning

I wanted to share some valuable information with all of my FB family. Recently I haven’t been feeling well. Thought I had a cold that settled into my chest. I went to the urgent care and they did the usual; blood pressure, weight, temperature etc. I explained my symptoms and was sent home with 4 prescriptions along with paperwork explaining what I was being treated for and it included the words “follow up with your doctor”.

None of the medicine I was prescribed seemed to help and I actually didn’t take 2 of them since I wasn’t really coughing. I needed to get a physical (turned 50 in July) and since I wasn’t really feeling better I thought I would heed to those words and follow up with my family doctor. This was a new doctor so we had lots of conversation about my health and history. After explaining what I had been feeling he ordered a chest x-ray, stress test, blood work and a pulmonary function test. All seemed to be great with the exception of the chest x-ray. It showed a mass on my lung. WOW! Not what I was expecting or what I wanted to hear. They went ahead and scheduled a CT to get a better look at what this mass was exactly. When the report came back I was speechless and in shock. Of course it is normal to have a million things running through your head! WHAT? I had 2 “lesions” on my right lung; one about 3″ in dia. and one about 2″. SERIOUSLY?!

So of course I did a lot of praying, contacted prayer warriors that would stand with me and I headed to the Cleveland Clinic and met with a Pulmonary Specialist to see the course of action. I just love technology don’t you? My husband was in Austin the first part of this week so Katie went with me and we just Face Timed Ron in so he could be there to ask questions and listen to what the doctor had to say. (He flew home yesterday yea!)

Tomorrow I will undergo a bronchioscope so they can get a better look and take a sample of these little buggers and find out what they are and what they are doing there! Soooo many possibilities but we are believing for great reports!

I tell you all this as a reminder when you go to an urgent care, emergency room etc and they say “Follow up with your family doctor”, DO IT!!! If I would have just blown it off and ignored the symptoms who knows. I also tell you this to say God is aware of all of this and I put my faith in HIM!

I am so thankful for extremely smart doctors and the mind blowing technology that allows them to treat patients in ways that have never been possible in the past! I’m thankful for my sister in law who has been on staff at the clinic for a long time and has been a great source of information as I go though this process!

Thank you to my friends and family that I see on a regular basis (or stay in contact with) who have been aware of this process and have been praying, sending me scriptures, texting, calling etc. We moved back to the area in March and perhaps God knew I was going to need to be surrounded by family and friends as well as be near one of the finest medical facilities in the country! I also know the following to be true:

Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon formed against me shall prosper”

Isaiah 41:10 says “do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you , I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Psalm 27:13-14 says “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not worry about anything but pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

And there are so many other scriptures that I can hold onto as I walk thru this time in my life. Whether I have moments of being scared, anxious, sad, I know I can turn to God and find peace. I also know that I can trust what His Word says and pray for healing! Would you pray these scriptures with me?

As everyone knows I love FB and share many things from pictures of my precious pup to my kids and grand kids. Talk about food, travels and everything going on in my life. I am not going to hide this, it’s part of my life and I hope that it will encourage you in your faith. If you aren’t really sure whether or not you have a personal relationship with Jesus, reach out to Him today and feel free to message me or email me at annebacorn@gmail.com

#myjourney

#unmasked

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