A good day here...I asked the Lord just this morning for a calm reassurance that HE WAS still in control and that it was all going to be fine and He finally said, "okay"!!
Dad is well enough he got to move back to Spring Mill this evening at 6:00! He looked GREAT and was in great spirits and looking forward to working with Suku again on Monday! He still has pneumonia, but in the elderly, it goes away slowly, so he still has some rehab to do there too. He walked around the end of his bed again today with a walker and assistance and did just fine. His hips are still very weak, so pray they get stronger and that the pneumonia will resolve. Although this place is very good that he's at, I still struggle a bit with the staff from time to time esp. when it comes to new meds and IV meds in his PICC line. (I'm a little "podantic" like that!)
Mom is worse so I talked to the Dr. today and he is starting her on a round of high powered antibiotics too, so we are all a little relieved that we don't have to go into the weekend wondering if it's bacterial or viral. She has been in bed for the better part of 2 days now...had a little chicken noodle soup this afternoon and is drinking well. Hopefully a good nights rest tonight and antibiotics will help her gain her strength back in the morning.
Dennis passed his kidney stone today...and the big bosses went back to Minneapolis! (A REAL good day for him!) We ended up our day getting Dad settled back at his rehab joint then he and I went out for Mexican and shared a Fajita for two....YUMMO! I love going out for dinner with my honey! Such a sweet ending to a stressful week...for both of us.
Brian and Amy had a little frustration with a realtor today and God was so good to have a few other people near their phones this afternoon that we needed! One of our good friends in Lincoln (Pat Wri.ght) was home and gave me her sisters phone number in Omaha (who is a realtor) and she "happened" to be home too and working in her yard! She showered quick and headed into the office after she called Amy and got their info...then pulled up several houses for them to look at. She took them around and they found one they really liked (pre-owned) and they are meeting with her at 8:30 AM to look in the morning again...then possibly in the afternoon too. Kathy was SUCH a good help and totally saved them on this one and only trip back to find a home! THANK YOU LORD!! B & A really liked working with her...so I know this was all from God!!! How often would you have me at home, Pat at home AND Kathy at home on a Friday afternoon??? Only the Lord! The kids were anxious to get back to the folks and have a fried chicken dinner tonight! They also got caught in a really bad storm, but their car wasn't damaged, nor did it get picked up off the ground like Amy thought might happen! Isn't it sweet to see how God works all things for our good....and HIS glory?
Kinda makes me all excited to see our Eternal Home! And thankful I don't need a realtor for that move!
My AZ kiddo's are in Omaha looking for a new home and I'm still in Indiana trying to help my dear parents. I know the Lord had this planned all along. I had hoped to find a way to hug my youngin...but it looks like that's not going to happen for a little while. Dad was doing GREAT yesterday. Walked from one side of his bed, around to the chair and sat down. Ate a mighty fine lunch and 2 1/2 hrs. later, got up, walked around his bed with the walker again and went back to bed!
Today was a different story. He felt ill this morning. Now, having a hard time breathing again and coughing up JUNK. I talked to the pulmonologist, letting him know my concerns and familiarizing him with Dad's history and he is doing all he can. They gave him a unit of blood last night b/c his hgb. was low. That held through to normal this morning. I have no idea what to think. God is in control...not I! Please pray for strength for Dad. I know the Lord has it all under HIS perfect control...so we have nothing to fear. Easy said...hard to do.
Oh...I forgot to mention, Mom is sick now too. She has a low grade fever, sore throat and raspy sounding voice. I went over there this afternoon bringing food which she didn't want to eat and forced some fluids. She spent most of the day in bed. Tomorrow is another day....filled with Doctors and nurses.
"The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me." Psalm 138:8
Check out Brian and Amy's blog. Then, click on "our videos" on the left side of their page. Brian was faithful and DID indeed do a new house tour video so we can all see what sweet work they did on the house BEFORE they moved! Just like old times....we've moved 6 times in our married life and almost EVERY time, we got the house decorated and fixed just the way we wanted it and then got transferred! Why should Amy think her life would be any different? Ha!
Anyhow...can't wait to have them closer! GREAT JOB KIDDOS!
To update Dad....he is much better today. His lungs began to break up the junk and he was able to get quite a bit up this morning, but they got tight again this afternoon. He ate a great lunch...and wasn't having trouble breathing at all. Had a nice bath and bed change...so that was good. We did some leg exercises...at the request of Suku!! (we had to stop over at Spring Mill and gather Dad's things b/c we had to pay $200 a day to hold his room while he was in the hospital but we chose not to do that after talking to Dad about it) We are praying that his room (or another private room on the 1st floor ) will be open when he is discharged from the hospital. I'm thinking it'll be Thurs. or Friday if he continues to improve. They are giving him all the big gun IV's again...and he had a PICC line put in this morning. That went well. He also had a swallowing test done which he passed fine. He also had a CT of his head yesterday and we are pleased to share with you that he indeed, does have a brain! Seriously...they did that b/c of his tremor and wanted to make sure he didn't have a clot in his brain! He is fine and the test was negative. Sooo...all it all, it was a very good day!
For the Mahan's that follow my blog...Amy and Brian (it just struck me how close this couples names are to Amy and Byron!!! that's your great-grandparents Amy!) are moving to Omaha! They'll only be about 8 hrs. away from us and the airfare is only $128.00 RT! (as opposed to 3 days of driving or $400 RT to Phoenix!) Who wants to live in 118 degree heat anyhow?? DRY OR NOT...thats HOT! We are praying that their house sells quickly and for full price. Big requests in a housing market that we have today, but with God, ALL things are possible! We see this over and over!
At 2:20 AM we got a phone call from Spring Mill, where Dad is and they had called an ambulance to take him to the hospital for shortness of breath and his O2 was down to 84%. Off I go..hit the floor running. He was admitted for pneumonia in the left lung and they have started him on the high powered antibiotics that will cover mrsa once again. His other labs were normal and when I got there (just followed the ambulance in) his O2 was 98%, so that looked good. I'm leaning on the "Everlasting Arms" this morning. Came home for a 2 hr. nap and now going over to get Mom and head back up to the hospital.
I believe I'm learning that my life is not my own.
Hmmm....why'd that take so long?
Made with fresh Panera Sourdough bread and cheddar cheese with one slice of Kraft DELUXE American cheese too! And did I mention...REAL BUTTER? Oh CKH...how many points do ya think I ingested?? : XHey girls...you know I've mentioned Dee, the gal from our church that told me that her Dad was at Spring Mill? Well, she found out yesterday after having a lumpectomy 2 weeks ago that she has a reoccurance of breast cancer. She had chemo and radiation 2 yrs. ago and this lump was found on a routine mammogram so they caught it early! PTL! Because of her history of breast cancer (other side) 2 yrs. ago, they recommended that she go through another round of chemo and radiation b/c her type is the aggressive type. She is a wonderful Christian lady, her hubby is a deacon at Bethel and she is such a testimony of God's peace...yet she admitted today that she is scared and sooo not looking forward to another round of this poison. Please pray for her...that the chemo and radiation would irradicate this cancer from her body and most of all that she would use this trial to be a witness to others that don't know the Lord. She has given me permission to share this information with all of you prayer warriors...infact she mentioned that she wants all who prayed for my daddy to be praying for her b/c evidently we have an open line! LOL! She knows that it's ALL God...and God is glorified when we pray...no matter what the answer!
Dad's good today...got some medication issues worked out again, so that's good.
Dennis and I had dinner on our porch again tonight. It was so sweet to just be the two of us eating a nice dinner. (That might be the first time I've admitted that since Amy got married!)The rain had just started to fall while we visited with one another. Then he moved to the chaise lounge and I to the loveseat as we nodded off with the soft, gentle rain tapping against the roof. THAT was a precious time!!! Tis so nice to have these wonderful moments together! Gave me a good time to just thank Dennis for all he does for me...for going to work everyday to provide so I can stay home and care for him and my parents and to make dinner (which I LOVE doing!). If you get a chance, check out ROH with Nancy Leigh De.Moss today....it'll give you great encouragement gals! I take so much for granted....and it was just nice to have a chance to tell my honey how grateful I am for him!
Ahhhh....this was a day to remember...and nothing really happened!
I didn't get to witness it, but as soon as we came in this afternoon, Dad announced that in PT this morning, he walked the length of the parallel bars, turned around and walked back. He did say that he had to use his arms a lot, but he was up and so proud of his accomplishment! So am I!!
For Father's Day, he stood, free hand for about 15 seconds. I clapped and asked him to sit down before he fell and broke his hip! He's such a hard worker!
This afternoon, he asked me to help him back to bed...meaning he is beginning to trust others to help him! He did good!
He's eating pretty well now and is actually doing just great! I am so thankful you all have been with us through this trial! I have been reading back all the posts I've written on "Dad's Journey" and see how much I've struggled with PEACE. Isn't that the area the enemy wants to attack in us who belong to the Lord? All the scripture you sent to me has given me such peace as you have reminded me over and over to TRUST. I know that our Lord will have a huge bucket of prayers that we lay at His feet someday....all because of this trial he has allowed us to go through. I can't say I'm free of "worry" and can probably say I'll struggle with this sin as long as I have breath, but it has indeed caused me to learn once again, to keep my eye on the goal fixed before me! I sure wish this could just become second nature to me!
I'm sure I'll have plenty more opportunities to learn it!
YEAH DAD!!! Dennis, Mom and I went to have Fathers Day Brunch with Dad at Spring Mill after we all got out of church. It was a lovely meal but the best part was sitting at the table with Dad up and feeling good! Just so thankful for him being with us this Fathers Day! As one of his gifts, I copied each of the blog posts over the past 66 days...and put them all in a notebook, complete with your comments, so he can see his progress! He was very touched by all your thoughts and prayers and wants me to convey his gratitude! So..thank you all!
Ally and Adam came over last night and Ally made homemade pizza for her Daddy! We topped off the meal with homemade ice cream and Texas Sheet cake. Full tummies tonight but better than that...we have full hearts! We miss our AZ kids...and pray Amy gets over her food poisining real soon!
Top Grahics: Swanky Paper/Elements, Raspberry Road
Cheesy Southwestern Skillet
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of very lean ground beef
1 onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used water)
2 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain them) (I had a 28 oz. can and used them all)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (b/c I had such a large can of tomatoes, I eliminated this too)
1 (4 oz) can chopped mild green chiles
1 T garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Cook macaroni according to package directions and then drain. ( I even skipped this step...just simmered it all about 10 min. together, turned off the heat, put on the lid and let it all set with the cheese on top for about 30 minutes. It was perfect!)
In a saute pan on medium-high heat, heat olive oil and then cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in onion and bell pepper. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any bits of beef in the bottom of the pan. Stir in chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook until the onions are softened. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, garlic powder and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are well blended. Add the macaroni and stir to combine. Sprinkle cheese all over top and let it melt before serving.
4- 6 servings.
I got this recipe from a blog I check regularly. www.makingahouseahome.blogspot.com
Mrs U. has some fun things on her blog and often puts some great recipes. Anyhow...I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good! Reminded me of the old fashioned "goulash" that we had as children....remember when casseroles were just the "cat's pajamas"? Served it with Mexican veggies and garlic buns...then topped it off with a slice of Lemon Meringue Pie. Hubby was happy.
I had time to cook today b/c Dennis called me at 12:30 to tell me he was on his way home with a kidney stone attack! By the time he got home, it had settled into another little nook or cranny b/c he felt fine. Poor thing...now he has to wait for it to jiggle down a little more to get into his bladder. (from that point, it's pretty smooth sailing) He's delivered about 15 of these babies over his lifetime so he's a pro! Pray that it is a small one so it won't haunt him for weeks on end like the last one did. MISERABLE!! He ended up in the hospital with the last one b/c it was so big and we are all very tired of that place right now!
Welcome To Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
* * *
Patty, Carolyn's sister in law was so sweet to send this little article to me last night and I think it is soooo close to the trip we are on right now! Bottom line...we ALL must look around us, no matter where the Lord has us, and enjoy what we are blessed with and those that bless us! Each of you are such a blessing to me...and I thank you for making my life be full of "Tulips, windmills and Rembrandts"! And thank you for the reminder Patty!
Everything is fine. There are, however, a few kinks to be worked out, as with any move! His new Dr. thought he was being double paged yesterday afternoon, so he didn't call in until about 10:30 last night to approve Dad's meds. Not a normal thing for this doctor since he is the director of the medical staff at Spring Mill. They DID get his medications all ordered but it is taking a little bit of patience to get things orderly and to get a routine down pat. This isn't surprising, but difficult for Dad with the regimentation of a hospital for the past 2 months. (I admit, it's a little hard for Miss Nursey daughter too!)
Pray for the staff to be kind and respectful as they care for Dad. They have been good sofar, but the fear of the unknown...well, you know. They tend to raise their voice b/c most people are hard of hearing...Dad isn't, so this doesn't settle well with him. (or maybe it's ME!) As with some rehab places, they don't know if patients are incontinent or not, so they routinely put a diaper on him last night. I got that straightened out...so pray that won't happen again. How very humiliating for my father! The dietician came around to meet Dad today and got some of his favs and is making a plan for him to eat more as he tolerates...so hopefully that will go well.
Mom and I brought him a Jr. Frosty today and he ate 3/4 of it! PROGRESS!!! He is still very apprehensive, not knowing what to expect, but Mom and I brought in a hamburger and ate with Dad and 2 other lovely gentlemen for lunch at their dining table and I totally enjoyed myself! (I'm weird like that, huh?) One dear man was the father of Dee, the gal that goes to our church, so he was quick to tell me about her and how nice this place was! When I asked the other man how the meals were there, he was so cute...he answered, "Bout the same as home, some days they are good, some days, not so good!" Ya gotta love an honest man!
All in all, I'm feeling confident. P.T. worked with him this morning and again this afternoon. I cannot tell you what joy it brought to my heart to walk into the building at 12:45 this afternoon and see Dad sitting up at a dining table eating his lunch with 2 other men!! He looked SO GOOD!!!
Praying for better tomorrows and encouraging things to happen! May we all be growing closer to our Savior during this time. As I looked around the room today I thought, there isn't one person that would choose to be here, but this is where they are! How key that we make the most of wherever the Lord has us...and not to grumble and complain, but to grow in HIS GRACE as he leads us homeward bound!
God is good...ALL the time!
I was snooping through some links today and found this darling video...It gave me a HUGE belly laugh...so I thought I'd share it with you too! Little Jolie sure thought that was funny, but I couldn't help but see myself in that little boy. Put your fingers where they don't belong and you could get hurt! :)
Giggle yourself crazy!
Kelly gave me a heads up that this little baby's name is actually Charlie, not Jolie! So much for my understanding of that beautiful British (or Irish?) accent! After listening to it another 4 times and laughing my head off...I think you might be right May-tey! This still just cracks me UP!!
To those who haven't heard...Dad moved today! He's out of the hospital and in his new surroundings for the next (however many) weeks he needs to regain his strenth. He wasn't so sure about all that, since he's grown to know and love his doctors and nurses at St. Margarets Hospital, but we are so thankful that he has a new temporary home! This means he is well enough to leave the hospital! We keep having to tell ourselves that since he's not up to par and he is still on a moving box FULL of medications, he IS better! This is a testimony to God's grace and mercy...and to the fact that our days are numbered and he has not reached that number yet! While talking with his doctors this morning, there were at least 3 times that he had every reason to pass on, BUT...God has another plan!
So...pray if you will that he will acclimate to his new place quickly and learn to trust the nurses and physical therapist there. I've not done this before, so I truly have no idea how he must be feeling, but if I can, just for a instant, place myself in his shoes...(or bed!) I would be fearful too. The residents there stir thoughts of "I can't believe I'm at the age where I would be in a nursing home", "I don't mind coming to visit, but don't like living here", "I want to be home doing those things I am used to", " I want to be home with my wife"! You can imagine...but this is where the Lord has him for now and we are trying to be positive and look at improvements daily in order to get him one step closer to coming home!
It broke my heart tonight to leave him...knowing he is scared. Pray if you will that he will get a good nights sleep...that his new doctor will CALL IN and give permission to continue the normal meds that they have been giving him in the hospital. (his regular doc is not on staff there, so he has to have a new Doctor...which presents a whole new set of issues), but we will work through them fine.
And I'd ask you to pray for me...trying to balance my time between my husband and home, my parents and I miss my kids so much! I just want to have a play day with Ally and to get a plane ticket to go see Amy and Brian...but at this point, what I want isn't always what the Lord has planned. So, I am asking God for patience (I know.. I'm CRAZY!!) and for mercy as I press on to minister to my dear parents. I love them and I want to be here for them...and not dwell on my desires. Easier said than done, huh? (or is it just me??)
Thank you all for caring and for praying...for these prayers sustain us when we don't even know how to pray. To God be the glory!
Today, Mom and I found a GREAT place for Dad to spend his time in rehab! A gal from our church had mentioned this place last week and then I followed up with a conversation with her on Sunday. Her father is there too and she has been very happy with his progress...so I called this morning and they "happened" to have a private room right across the hall from physical therapy! ohh..shiver me timbers! Mom and I went out to visit and knew right off the bat this was going to be a good fit. We have prayed that the Lord would give us a clear answer and today was the day! After spending 2 days looking at potential places, this one was provided and we are so thankful! Lord willing, he'll be on his way either tomorrow or Wednesday. He is doing remarkable, so say his doctors! I would have to agree!
Aren't flowers one of the most beautiful of God's creation? I have been lamenting the fact that I haven't gotten any flowers planted yet this summer and my DEAR hubby stopped on the way home from church yesterday and said we were shopping for some pretties! I picked out a few things for my front porch pots and had leftovers for the backporch too! (they are lined up on the back sidewalk waiting for a jumpstart with rain and plenty of sun...then I'll bring them inside the porch.)
Just wanted you all to know my guy is taking care of me! When I have my eyes fixed on getting up to the hospital to visit Dad...Dennis has his eyes fixed on the goal of Dad being home, sitting on our back porch enjoying a barbque and smelling the flowers! I LOVE that man!
Today was a big day. Mom and I went to look at a couple nursing homes which provide short term beds looking to find the perfect one that had a good physical therapy team. The first one we went to, we decided that her and I could live there! It was beautiful, great Physical Therapist with reasonable goals, love the building and the staff was friendly. All the people were in the dining room that we could see, having great time. All in the end, we find out there is a waiting list. I will talk to the administrator on Monday to see how long it is. He needs placement by the middle of next week.
Second place...ehhh...4 thumbs down. Not a gonna go there! End of story.
I need to follow up on 3 others...then we'll have to decide what to do. Sue (Dad's new favorite nurse!) took him for a ride around the halls today, pointing out the road below, which Dad recognized! Then, back down the halls as she introduced him to all the nurses and everyone she came in contact with. Then...thru the little galley that she has her desk in (smack in the middle of the nurses station!) so he could see where she does all her hard work. It was great to hear that she asked him to share with him about Colorado..one of his favorite things to talk about. She said he talked her ear off for about an hour and made her want to go visit! I LOVE this woman! By the time Mom and I got up there around 3:00...he had been up in the chair for approx. 2 1/2 hrs...without complaining! Had a measley lunch (that appetite is still not back) and was napping. We snuck in but he opened his eyes and was so happy to see us (I think!). He sat up and chatted, smiled a lot and even laughed a couple of times. Dennis stopped in on his way home from work to say hi...his dinner tray came and he ate 1 meatball and about 1/3 cup of rotini noodles. Amy..he was trying to hook it like you hook a fishworm...chasing it all over his plate! We had a laugh about that. He has basically been discharged to go home, but he has to go for rehab. somewhere. Pray for proper placement. We do NOT want him in a typical nursing home that is so depressing you have no desire to leave your room. He was on his feet, standing alone for about 3 seconds today...not what he call's success...but we can see a bigger improvement than that! His attitude was so much better, so thank you for praying! He said the food tasted good, he was just full after a few bites. Wish I could say the same for awhile! Looking forward to more progress tomorrow!
Today we received the answer to our prayers from this past week! I don't know about you, but I am just so thankful when God answers me and the waiting is over. First of all...Dad is doing GREAT medically. He is struggling with really bad depression, who wouldn't after spending 55 days in a hospital...not peeking his head out one time. After all, the day he went in, it was very cold out and like winter, now we have the A/C on and it's only getting down to 75 at night!
Today, our final hope for a rehab admission have been denied. There are no hospitals in our area that believe he can tolerate the 3 hrs. a day of physical therapy that is required to be accepted into their program. Coupled with the fact that he has recently had a mrsa infection, there are none that will take him in. SO.....this is an answer to prayer. I am thankful and the Lord has made my heart accept this with full assurance that a short term nursing home facility is just where he needs to be so tomorrow I will begin the process of calling, searching and finding the exact one the Lord has for us. If you will, please pray that HE will lead me to the right one quickly. There is a marvelous nurse at the hospital that is working with me in getting Dad on the best track possible for his full recovery. Sue has a way with Dad and we are so thankful for her loving spirit and genuine concern for his best interest. I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for those who go above and beyond to CARE for patients and not just come to work and go home. This lady stayed overtime tonight b/c her day was so full in order to read a little to Dad and to help him realize that he is doing well and even though he's been in isolation for over a month, to make him feel like he's a human and that he can make some choices!
So...tomorrow I begin another phase...THANKFUL I'm making plans for rehabilitation, even in a nursing home for short term rather than funeral arrangements. Thankful that he is medically well enough to go home! Thankful that God has been with me every step of the way and has given Mom and I strength to endure this trial and grow closer to HIM. Thankful that Dad is continuing to learn (me too!) how sovereign our Lord is...that HE DOES ANSWER our prayers! Sometimes, they aren't the way we would hope, but one thing we do know...GOD IS RIGHT! So...this is no accident or "bad luck" that rehab didn't work out, it is simply the answer that we need for some reason. I'm good with it...now pray that wherever he is headed...we will continue to honor the Lord and accept things graciously and gracefully!
God is good...all the time!
I just got this from a friend tonight and of course, being medical and all, it totally captured my interest. If you don't have time to watch it now, you ought to come back and check it out b/c it's amazing! I don't remember studying the appearance of laminin when I was in nursing school, but I do remember the word and what it is. And while I'm not in favor of spiritualizing everything, this one just reminded me how amazing our God is! Our God is just SO much bigger than we can think of imagine! No, I'm not looking for a picture of Jesus in my cereal or in the shapes of the clouds, but HE certainly does have his handprints all over us! Pastor Louie points us to the fact that our God holds us together, but I must remind all who read this that to be His child, we must first understand our depravity. That we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That we must confess our sins before Him and believe that He sent His only Son to die for our sins and he was raised from the dead, that whosoever believes in HIM, will not perish but will have everlasting life. With this in mind, if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, watch the above video with full confidence that our God holds each of you in the palm of his hand!
Sandy's blooms reminded me that I have a few of my own right now! (Thanks my friends for reminding me to get my head out of the sand long enough to smell the flowers!!) I have a couple more, but these are the prettiest by far this year. My regular iris' are about done so didn't think you'd be interested in the wilty ones, but these are stunning right now! I love Perennials and have filled my garden with those. Hopefully, I'll get out and find some annuals for my pots very soon. Dennis brought me a couple beautiful Geraniums to pot yesterday...I think he wants me to be sure to enjoy the flowers this year too! As I took a few snaps of these today, I was reminded of how the flowers of the fields depend on the Lord for nourishment, sunshine and pruning...a beautiful balance of those things which are required to grow. So must I!
We're supposed to get some nice rain later today, which we do need about now...my scrawny tomatoes and peppers need a drink!
The Potter's HandAbout 2600 years ago, God taught the prophet Jeremiah what it meant to be a sovereign God. He taught that His plan WOULD be fulfilled - one way or the other. Either His children would submit to His gentle guidance, or He would bring discipline to teach them the need for obedience. Although God has the ability to directly give us understanding, His usual method is to teach us through His Word and then allow us to see the application and gain wisdom through our experiences.
In order to give a clear understanding of His sovereignty, God told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house and wait for His message. Jeremiah 18:3-6"So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the Word of the Lord came to me: 'Can I not do with you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.'"Jeremiah understood that God was the Potter and had total control over the shape of the clay. How foolish it would be for the clay to complain or rebel; "Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" (Isaiah 29:16). The Potter will continue to mold the clay. If the clay begins to harden in its unfinished state, the Potter loves the clay enough to crush it down, sprinkle it with water and begin anew.
The only way for us to become all that God desires is to yield and remain moldable. We have no ability to shape ourselves! The Potter is creating something eternally beautiful - we are being "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Oh, if we could only trust that His shaping is so much better than anything we could ever create. How prideful to think we can do better!
There may be times when we have rough edges which must be removed. There may also be times when we need to be crushed down so the shaping process can start over. But we must trust the Potter and believe the results will be worth any pain or discomfort; "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).Our Heavenly Father is in complete (and loving) control. Let's daily be filled with His Spirit and commit our lives to His shaping process - a process which undoubtedly will last a lifetime! Let's remain moldable clay and yield to the shaping of the Potter's Hand.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
It was such a good day! I arrived at the hospital at 9:15 and Mom was standing out front with their old neighbors from Colorado Springs! They drove in last night and stayed overnight with her and will be here a few days to encourage Dad and Mom!! It is so sweet when old friends come together once again. Helps us all "remember the days past" with fondness and thanksgiving!
Dad got up and shuffled to the chair (2 foot away) with the walker and sat down...PLUNK! Not the softest landing, but he landed on the chair, so that was a good thing! He is giving it his all and it paid off when the Social Services nurse called me and let me know that ALL of his Drs. signed off on him going to a rehab hospital instead of a nursing home. FIRST HURDLE down! He still has to be up to 3 hrs. of PT a day to be accepted into the program and since he has mrsa, they can be a little picky on who they accept and who they don't accept. We are praying for God's will to be done so we don't need to fret. They will be in to evaluate him either tomorrow or Wed.
They didn't get his PICC line out today. It seems he has a small blood clot in BOTH of his arms...so they are trying to get ahold of the infection Dr. to see if he really NEEDS to have that line in or not. The reason he would is b/c he might still require a high dose of antibiotics that they can't give him orally yet. So...they are now waiting on him to come through and see what he thinks. Our vote would be to have that thing OUT...b/c it only stands to get infected and more blood clots....so I'm praying that he will be well enough to get it out of there completely!
Having Mom, Pat and Dick over for dinner on the porch tonight. It's a beautiful night out...perfect for eatin' and talkin' in the breeze! Off to the kitchen!
Pastor Steve finally started teaching through the book of Luke! He read the first paragraph and I was so excited as he compared it to Acts 1....proving authorship...about then he jumped over chapter one of Luke (b/c we read it every Christmas!) and went to Ch. 2! Oh well, lets go with it! He did a great job of teaching that paragraph and giving an oveview of the book...and we're ready to dive in next week, Lord willing!
Then, off to the hospital to help Dad with his lunch. Ran into a couple of his Docs when we were there and they say he's about ready to "get out of there" this week. I can't get anyone to commit to rehab. vs. nursing home, so I'm hopeful that PT will work his fanny off in the next couple of days. He could go either way at this point, but I'm praying he'll have the attitude he needs (along with the strength) to get up and walk! He's been up in the chair the past couple days but needs almost total support getting there. (He's so afraid he's going to fall and he gets very scared about that) He did shuffle there yesterday AM with the help of his own GP! I'm going to push so hard to get him into rehab this week. My thoughts: they can always kick him out, but if he has to go to a nursing home, his hopes will die right there. Please pray with me in that light if you will. He ate well for me at at lunch. 1/2 of his meatloaf and 1/3 of his potatoes and gravy. 1 carrot coin...yes, they were hard. No sherbet and no bread. 1/4 of his milk. He's on his way there and is tasting food now. Said the meatloaf was actually good and he asked me for an extra bite of potatoes. He said he ate 1 3/4 pancakes this morning and a whole OJ. Sooo...tomorrow he gets the PICC line removed and another put in his left arm. I'm still concerned about the blood clot breaking loose and causing a Pulmonary Embolism...infact, I dreamed about it last night. Dennis reminded me that I need to dwell on things of the Lord before I go to sleep and not looking up Pulmonary Embolism on the internet. He's right. I LOVE that man!
Okay...I'm ironing now. He's mowing. We grabbed a 2 hr. nap which was badly needed. We stopped at Chili's and had lunch after the hospital so we had full tummies when we got home and needed a short siesta. Back to work!
