Prayer request for our son

I have a prayer request. Our son has a history or respiratory infections. For the past five months he's had a cough along with a bout of Croup and then Walking Pneumonia. On Sunday I started noticing shortness of breath. I had already decided that I needed to get him in for further testing and that just confirmed that. He was diagnosed with Chronic Asthma. We also had him tested for allergies. So we went home with an "Asthma Plan". Along with that we would have two new medications to our "home pharmacy".

I really felt like this was not a big deal. I was relieved that it wasn't something worse. One of our girls had asthma as a baby and she grew out of it. So I guess I figured this wasn't much different.

Two days later our son was getting worse. Now he was having difficulty catching his breath after any activity or even trying to sing in his school concert. He also had little to no energy. I called the Dr and asked if she thought we should do a chest x-ray to make sure he didn't still have pneumonia and she said unlikely but let's be safe. The x-ray was clear! :) The bad news was that he wheezing had gotten much worse. We also got the allergy results back and he does have a mild allergy to outdoor molds. With all the rain...this has not helped. The great news is that he's not allergic to anything else...not even cockroaches! lol! They seriously test for cockroach allergies...I found that pretty funny! I told the dr that I'm certain my eyes are allergic to "seeing" cockroaches! Yuck! Anyways...back to the asthma. It's gotten worse. Now we add an oral steroid to the arsenal and increase one of the inhaler uses. We'll also continue to take allergy meds to help with the mold.

I was so thankful that baseball was cancelled tonight because the dr said that there is no way he could play tonight. She said he would surely have a full blown asthma attack with his current state and all the rain. I think that's when reality set in.

I asked the doctor if he will outgrow this and she said "not likely". We will treat it and get it under control so it is more manageable. This is where my BIG Physician comes in. I know that HE can heal this! He is Jehovah Rapha...the God who heals. While I am taking this more seriously and trying to teach my son what it means to have asthma and when to know that it's time to get help, I am also praying. I would love your prayers as well!

Acts 4:30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

I want to live that THAT!

A friend of ours posted this song on Dave's FB wall a few months ago and said that it made her think of him. I had never heard the song before but I as I listened to it I thought they could've written it for him. I'm so proud of my husband who loves those who most people don't even give a second look much less a thought. In fact, they are invisible to most people. I'm proud of my husband who loves those who have burned almost every bridge they've ever crossed. He loves them anyways. He really loves them. When others have persecuted him (as the Word says will happen) he works even harder and loves them even more. He lives his life recklessly abandoned for Jesus. He's not afraid to pray for healing, to trust an ex-con, to proclaim the gospel, to love the "unlovable", or to share his love for Jesus. He literally walks the sidewalks and the river banks looking for people who need love. If you only knew my husband years ago, you would know that this is only because of God. 


God got a hold of one man's heart which has spread to many others. The way that the staff and volunteers of Breakthrough love others is amazing. They are just ordinary people who have said "yes" to God's call. They are local missionaries living their lives for God.


The song I'm talking about is posted below. Not only does the song fit but the video does too.





I want to live like that.

Make each day count.

I'm sitting here today...thinking about a family who woke up today without their beautiful 16 year old daughter, Rachel. She went home to be with the Lord yesterday morning. My heart just breaks for her family as they take one step at a time, learning to live the rest of this life without her. I didn't know Rachel well. I just met her a few times and she was a beautiful soul. Dave had really gotten to know Rachel and her family over the past 16 months. He and others would lay hands on her and pray over her many times...believing for the miracle of healing.

Back in February 2011, I posted a prayer request that my friend Kristi had sent me regarding Rachel. Back then Rachel was given 1 1/2 weeks to live. Hundreds of people were praying for a miracle. And do you know what? God came through. Instead of having 1 1/2 weeks to live, Rachel lived more than a year! She was given more time to touch more lives. The tumors in her body were disappearing and it was amazing!

Not long ago we found out the cancer was back and it was raging. We pressed in praying for yet another miracle. Again, Rachel's family would be told that her time here was short. I can't imagine that. My heart was aching for this family. This time Rachel's miracle would come in the form of an eternal healing. She is now in the presence of Jesus. She is now fully healed and restored to the beautiful girl that God made her to be. I do find comfort in that. Although I'm not going to lie...there is pain and even some anger there. I'm angry that cancer even exists. I'm angry that a sweet young teenager had to endure this illness and the suffering that came with it. I'm angry that we will have yet another funeral for a child. I'm angry that her parents had to watch her endure this and now have to bury their daughter. It wasn't intended to be this way.

I find comfort in Jesus. I find comfort in His promises. I find comfort that Rachel is pain free. I find comfort that we will all see her again one day. I'm touched that although I didn't know her well...I had a chance to know of her and to know of her courage and her strength.

My heart does ache for her family. I pray for them. I pray that the Lord...in many ways...will comfort them.

Honestly...I don't know why certain things happen. I don't understand why some get healed here on earth and others get their healing in heaven. I am thankful that Jesus came to save us and that there is eternal life. I find comfort in that.

This is what I do know. Life is short. It's merely a little dash. And although none of us know how long we have...what we do have is the choice of how we live out that dash. Love like there won't be another time or a next time. Make each day count.

Psalm 146:5-6 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.

My first born

When I think of my first born, I think of things like this:

- I knew nothing about being a mother

- I was afraid and excited all at the same time

- Nothing could prepare me for the moment she came into this world

- There is no feeling like looking into the eyes of the baby you created

- The feeling like your heart is going to explode and how you're not sure how you could love someone so much!

- Remembering all the firsts...how fun!

- I kept such detailed records of EVERYTHING! 

- The tears that flowed the first time she got on a bus for Kindergarten.

- The feeling of happiness (and relief :) when she graduated from high school.

- All the feelings of protection and for her safety.

- The joy of watching her grow up and become a beautiful woman.

- The excitement when she got engaged!

- There's just so much emotion associated with a first born...as they are well..."the first"...and I didn't get the manual when I left the hospital! ha, ha!

- Happy Birthday to my first born!

- I love you so!

Happy Birthday sweetie!

Clownin' Around

Yep...that's our youngest

...in the middle

...wearing the clown suit...

...and glasses bigger than her face

which are only being held up the the big red nose!

...and then there were the BIG red shoes!

Just another day (or evening) in the life of our family.

Or should I say in the choir concert at school!

I should've taken video of her before the concert.

As soon as she put the costume on she assumed the character...

...and a character she is!

Always keeping us laughing!



Answered prayers from a boy

If you read my post from the other day, you'll know that our world was shaken up a bit by sudden news that the owner of our home was putting it on the market next week. The news was sudden since we had just signed a new one year least last month. We spent the first two days trying to figure out what to do. That second night we couldn't "hide" it anymore as the kids knew something was going on and then us looking at houses online really was a give away. So, we told our kids that we would be moving. The youngest two took it the hardest. They were devastated, as we knew they would be.

That night as Dave lay in bed next to our son as he sobbed, my heart broke into a million pieces. We have always trusted God to direct our paths. This didn't feel that way. There was no peace. It was one of the first times I felt so lost. As I bent over to kiss my son and comfort him, we talked about how God has plans for us and that they are good.

Today Dave and I were 95% sure that we would be moving either by the end of this month and if not, by the end of next month. As we sat in our van, tears flowing, Dave prayed for God to show us what we were to do.  When I got back to work, I was stunned to find another offer for us to stay in our house for another year. It wasn't an offer much different from the one we received the night before but it felt right. This evening as we told our children that we were now 95% sure we are staying, there was joy! Then our son said "Thank you God for hearing my prayers. I asked Him to let us stay here and He answered my prayer!" If everything that happened this week happened just for that...it was worth it! My son got to experience the joy of asking God to hear his prayer and God answered. We talked about how God always hears our prayers. He doesn't always answer them in the ways that we want but he does answer them.

I'm so thankful! God is so good! I have peace in my heart again and my soul is at rest now.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Heading into a storm

Indeed we are...heading into a new storm. There's no turning back...no going around the storm...only going through it. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. We're trusting and believing in that verse. 


About 45 days ago, we signed a year lease at our current home. It gave us great peace to know that we had at least another year where we're at. Well, apparently things have changed and we were told today that the owner wants to put the house on the market on March 1. Yep...10 days! How that can happen...I don't know. 


Another chapter in our story. Another chapter in His story. We say "where You go we will follow". We mean it. Our testimony is one of our faith; our trust. But it is a TESTimony. There is no testimony without a test. What this test is...I don't know. I feel like I showed up in class on the first day and was given a pop quiz. No, this isn't our first day of "this school" but it was completely unexpected. I feel blindsided. I have every range of emotion, although I do not have anger. I'd like to say that I have complete peace, but that's not the case today. I'm tired. I have no energy to give this much thought much less get a house ready to be put on the market, look for another place to live, and pack. 


The truth is...I'm comfortable where I am. We've found a groove. Our kids like it here and we're comfortable. I guess the Lord has something else in mind for us. We knew that comfort was not really a part of this journey. What I mean is that comfort is not the purpose of our journey. 


Do you know what the funny thing is? I just want to sell all of our "stuff"! I'm sooo tired of packing and unpacking. I'm looking around this room right now and I'm thinking...what do I absolutely NEED to keep! Seriously! I wrote a post a few weeks ago about treasures. It was about what it means to hold on too tightly to earthly treasures. I'm learning more and more about that. Maybe that's the lesson in all of this. At the end of the day, I need to release my stuff. It just creates work and stress in our lives. As I write this, I'm even starting to feel free. Free of stuff! 


As we head into this storm, I know that there are better things on the other side of this. Better things for my family and brighter days ahead. Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.


Thank you Lord that you never leave me and that you are here.