Look and Listen

Biography

Ms. Willers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology, with a minor in Chemistry, from California State University at Long Beach. Currently, she works as a Senior Criminalist at a County Sheriff's Dept. Her forensic science experience includes the disciplines of narcotics, illicit drug manufacturing, latent print development and quality assurance. Results of various research topics have been presented at professional meetings and published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, the Journal of the Clandestine Laboratory Investigating Chemists, and other law enforcement publications. Ms. Willers, along with her twin and co-author Lori Phillips, are patients who have been diagnosed with, and treated for catamenial pneumothorax (CPT), a rare form of endometriosis which causes the lung to collapse during menses. In 2003, they developed Catamenial-Pneumothorax.com, an on-line resource for information about CPT. Since then, the web site has enjoyed top search engine ranking with Google, Yahoo and MSN. Weekly, the authors correspond with CPT patients (and some doctors) from all over the world. In her spare time, which is scarce, she enjoys shopping for antique china, and has a large collection which includes RS Prussia, Limoges, Dresden, Shelley, Royal Albert, Paragon and Nippon. When business takes her out of town, she enjoys finding botanical gardens to visit and historic mansions to tour. The Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC and the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, CA are two of her favorite places. Disneyland is also a favorite, where she and her sister and niece are Annual Passholders. Yearly, Ms. Willers attends the Women of Faith Conference, and daily she visits Starbucks!

Inspiration

Following our thoracic surgeries, we discussed the possibility of writing a book about our experiences with catamenial pneumothorax (CPT). We had learned a great deal about the condition which afflicted us and had relied upon God while struggling through each lung collapse. Although an interesting idea, we weren’t sure if we had enough to say or if we had even yet discovered what God had in mind for us to learn. We put the idea on the back burner, knowing that he would provide direction at the appropriate time if that was his plan. In retrospect, that first book idea was simplistic and naïve. While we had experienced some suffering relative to what our life had been prior to CPT, it was brief compared to what awaited us. At the time, CPT was the most painful and uncertain event we had ever endured, and we couldn’t imagine anything worse. Unfortunately, life did get worse--much worse. If the Lord had told us then what he had planned to allow in our near future, we surely would have crumbled to pieces. The Bible says his mercies are new every morning, and we believe that includes sparing us from all of the details of his plan until we need to know them. Over the next few years we would continue with our own medical issues and then accompany our mom through the most difficult challenge of her life. Those years were not easy for our family. They were fraught with uncertainty, fear, hopelessness, and anger as well as some significant physical and emotional pain. There were times when the memories of life the way it used to be seemed far away. Sometimes we were overcome with moments of envy when we saw happy people whose carefree lives were filled with fun. Life was hard, and in the midst of our suffering, we experienced despair. Some people may assert that Christians are not supposed to have feelings of despair or hopelessness. That kind of sentiment is not Biblical nor is it practical. While we do have the assurance of salvation in Christ and look forward to heaven, we still live here in the meantime, and life on this planet is hard. At times we found it difficult to keep a hopeful perspective. That didn’t mean that we had what some like to call a crisis of faith. What it did mean was that we had to make a conscious effort to remember God’s truths and to stand firm on his promises. The fact that we belong to Christ doesn’t exclude us from experiencing difficult circumstances and heartbreaking emotions. The Bible is full of faithful believers who had bad things happen to them, and, during their times of trial, they experienced the same feelings that we do today. Suffering is a part of life. In fact, Jesus told us to expect times of trial. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christ tells us that bad things will happen. However, he also encourages us to remember that in him, our suffering need not overwhelm us. He promises us a measure of peace in the circumstance. In our situation, God knew we had fragile emotions and were easily distracted by our pain, so he coordinated events to help us. He brought along people to support us. He spoke to us through his Word to encourage us. In short, his promise to provide for all our needs was demonstrated in practical and tangible ways. When we recognized each provision God set before us, it gave us hope and the assurance that he was in complete control of our situation. As painful as the circumstances were, they were going precisely according to his plan. That gave us a measure of confidence despite the pain and the fear. We wrote the book in order to help others recognize God's provision in their own lives, especially during times of suffering. It is our prayer that they will find hope in those painful circumstances by recognizing that they are in fact held by God. For more information, visit our web site at www.HeldbyGod.com