http://youtu.be/jw7pEJS40K0 - My Father's Love
Jessica Boone is sleeping soundly in her own bed!!!
3-15-12 Thursday
Posted 10 hours ago
Home.....and right now she is sleeping soundly in her bed...There is absolutely no place like home. After much coordination with many doctors and finally with Home Health....we are set up with what we need to care for her at home. She will continue to receive IV antibx x 10days per a PICC line and have her biliary drain flushed twice a day. We have many followup appointments in the next 2 weeks but thankfully she was stable enough for us to come home.
Tomorrow is the 3rd year anniversary of her accident. We celebrate life....we celebrate love....and we celebrate home. Thank You God for the gift of home. Thank you for the gift of so many prayers that helped us to come home with Jessie. Thank You for healing....and thank You for Your presence in each moment. Thank you for the rest that is coming. Thank you....amen and amen...
It's not about me.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
"Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary use words."
This is not my original thought and although the quote is most often accredited to St. Francis of Assisi, I think it's safe to say the message came from Christ Himself. He taught his disciples - not just with words but with His actions.
http://youtu.be/2zunQ--S7RM - In Christ Alone - Phillips Craig and Dean
1 Timothy 2:1-6
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
God has really been laying it on my heart that I need to be praying for my lost friends and family members - people I love who don't know my Jesus. It is God's desire that all people be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Almost everyone knows of Jesus, but how many really know Him as their Redeemer, Savior and true Friend?
I've made a commitment before God to pray for those who don't know Christ. I am committed to pray for these people until they come to Jesus for salvation which is found in no other name. I will not give up. I will not lose hope. I may not have the right words to speak but when words are necessary, I know God will put those words in my mouth. This is my prayer. When God gives me an opportunity to speak the Truth to one who needs desperately to hear it, I pray that God will prompt me to reach out to that person. This is my prayer.
Sometimes our family members are the hardest people for us to reach. That's when it becomes vital that we pray for others - not just for those in our own families. Lord, use me as Your witness to my friends and acquaintances, to those who can't hear the Truth from their own family members. Let them see Jesus in me. This is my prayer.
Father, I ask that You put just the right people in just the right places to help my family members who don't trust in Jesus. May they be a powerful testimony to Your love and faithfulness. Lord, let me testify to those whom You place in front of me.
This is my prayer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George Mueller was a powerful prayer warrior in the 1800's. He know the power of prayer and He knew that God listened and answered whenever he cried out in the Name of Jesus.
Please join with me in making a commitment to pray for the lost. Don't be afraid to reach in the Name of Jesus to those who so need His grace and mercy. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to share the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes - Romans 1:16. If God puts it on your heart to share with words, obey Him. He will give you everything you need. Remember too, that it not your job to convince. It's your job to share the Truth; to plant the seed. God will make the seed grow in His perfect timing.
Don't grow weary. Don't give up. Keep praying. God hears and He is faithful. Keep trusting in His love and compassion for the lost. Just keep lifting up those names!
If you have a desire to learn more about the power of prayer, read the biography of George Mueller. I don't think you can read about this man of God without being encouraged to pray diligently for things that concern you, for people who are lost. His life inspires me to be on my knees faithfully calling out to God for all my needs and wants.
This excerpt comes from http://www.shadesofgrace.org/2010/04/29/5-thoughts-from-george-muller/ and says much more eloquently what I would like to share:
Mr. Mueller started 117 schools, educated 120,000 children and raised, in today’s terms, the equivalent of a billion pounds without ever expressing a need to a human being or ever being in debt. It was all accomplished through prayer.
Mr. Mueller also believed that more than thirty thousand souls came to know Christ in answer to prayer. These didn’t include only orphans but also many others for whom he prayed faithfully every day, in some cases for more than 50 years.
“In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals,” Mr. Muller said. “I prayed every day without a single intermission.”
Eighteen months passed before the first was saved.Five years lapsed, then the second was converted. Six years passed before the third was converted. The last two remained unconverted.
Pastor Charles R. Parsons, in an hour interview with George Mueller towards the close of his life, asked him if he spent much time on his knees. Mueller replied, “I have been praying every day for fifty-two years for two men, sons of a friend of my youth. They are not converted yet, but they will be! How can it be otherwise?”
When he was asked on what ground he so firmly believed this, his answer was, “There are five conditions which I always endeavor to fulfill; by observing these I have the assurance of answer to my prayer:
1. I have not the least doubt because I am assured that it is the Lord’s will to save them, for He wills that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4); and we have the assurance ‘that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us’ (I John 5:14).
2. I have never pleaded for their salvation in my own name, but in the blessed name of my precious Lord Jesus, and on His merits alone (John 1:14).
3. I always firmly believed in the willingness of God to hear my prayers (Mark 11:24).
4. I am not conscious of having yielded to any sin, for ‘if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me’ (Ps. 66:18) when I call.
5. I have persevered in believing prayer for more than fifty-two years for some, and will continue until the answer comes: ‘Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?’ (Luke 18:7).”
Mr. Mueller went to Heaven praying firmly in faith, thanking God in advance, for the salvation of those for whom he was praying. Within months of his passing, the last friend on his prayer list was converted. God answers prayer!
1 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 John 5:14 NIV
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
John 1:14 NIV
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Mark 11:24 NIV
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Luke 18:7 NIV
7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
I've started my list of those whom I'm committed to pray for salvation and restoration. Will you make a list and an a commitment, too?
The following is from A Treasury of Praise by Ruth Myers
I praise You for how Your Spirit fills us with power and courage to speak the truth of the gospel. Than You that He convicts people of sin, convinces them of truth through the crucified and risen Christ, and release them from the power of Satan unto God. How I rejoice that the evil ruler of this world has been judged!
I am so grateful for the victories that come as we testify to believers as well as to unbelievers, proclaiming the good news of our Savior's death and resurrection and kingly control. How I rejoice that our testimony and sharing of Your Word defeats Satan in the lives of people, both those he has blinded spiritually and believers he is seeking to ensnare.
Lord, make me sensitive to people's needs. Grant me timely words for those who are weary and special grace to share with them the reason for the wonderful hope I have in Christ Jesus. To Him be all glory, honor and praise for ever and ever.
Acts 26:18
John 16:8-11
Acts 1:8
2 Corinthians 4:4
Isaiah 50:4
1 Peter 3:15
http://youtu.be/yrcnZmgYC5s - Amazing Grace - My Chains are Gone Chris Tomlin
This is not my original thought and although the quote is most often accredited to St. Francis of Assisi, I think it's safe to say the message came from Christ Himself. He taught his disciples - not just with words but with His actions.
http://youtu.be/2zunQ--S7RM - In Christ Alone - Phillips Craig and Dean
1 Timothy 2:1-6
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
God has really been laying it on my heart that I need to be praying for my lost friends and family members - people I love who don't know my Jesus. It is God's desire that all people be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Almost everyone knows of Jesus, but how many really know Him as their Redeemer, Savior and true Friend?
I've made a commitment before God to pray for those who don't know Christ. I am committed to pray for these people until they come to Jesus for salvation which is found in no other name. I will not give up. I will not lose hope. I may not have the right words to speak but when words are necessary, I know God will put those words in my mouth. This is my prayer. When God gives me an opportunity to speak the Truth to one who needs desperately to hear it, I pray that God will prompt me to reach out to that person. This is my prayer.
Sometimes our family members are the hardest people for us to reach. That's when it becomes vital that we pray for others - not just for those in our own families. Lord, use me as Your witness to my friends and acquaintances, to those who can't hear the Truth from their own family members. Let them see Jesus in me. This is my prayer.
Father, I ask that You put just the right people in just the right places to help my family members who don't trust in Jesus. May they be a powerful testimony to Your love and faithfulness. Lord, let me testify to those whom You place in front of me.
This is my prayer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George Mueller was a powerful prayer warrior in the 1800's. He know the power of prayer and He knew that God listened and answered whenever he cried out in the Name of Jesus.
Please join with me in making a commitment to pray for the lost. Don't be afraid to reach in the Name of Jesus to those who so need His grace and mercy. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to share the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes - Romans 1:16. If God puts it on your heart to share with words, obey Him. He will give you everything you need. Remember too, that it not your job to convince. It's your job to share the Truth; to plant the seed. God will make the seed grow in His perfect timing.
Don't grow weary. Don't give up. Keep praying. God hears and He is faithful. Keep trusting in His love and compassion for the lost. Just keep lifting up those names!
If you have a desire to learn more about the power of prayer, read the biography of George Mueller. I don't think you can read about this man of God without being encouraged to pray diligently for things that concern you, for people who are lost. His life inspires me to be on my knees faithfully calling out to God for all my needs and wants.
This excerpt comes from http://www.shadesofgrace.org/2010/04/29/5-thoughts-from-george-muller/ and says much more eloquently what I would like to share:
Mr. Mueller started 117 schools, educated 120,000 children and raised, in today’s terms, the equivalent of a billion pounds without ever expressing a need to a human being or ever being in debt. It was all accomplished through prayer.
Mr. Mueller also believed that more than thirty thousand souls came to know Christ in answer to prayer. These didn’t include only orphans but also many others for whom he prayed faithfully every day, in some cases for more than 50 years.
“In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals,” Mr. Muller said. “I prayed every day without a single intermission.”
Eighteen months passed before the first was saved.Five years lapsed, then the second was converted. Six years passed before the third was converted. The last two remained unconverted.
Pastor Charles R. Parsons, in an hour interview with George Mueller towards the close of his life, asked him if he spent much time on his knees. Mueller replied, “I have been praying every day for fifty-two years for two men, sons of a friend of my youth. They are not converted yet, but they will be! How can it be otherwise?”
When he was asked on what ground he so firmly believed this, his answer was, “There are five conditions which I always endeavor to fulfill; by observing these I have the assurance of answer to my prayer:
1. I have not the least doubt because I am assured that it is the Lord’s will to save them, for He wills that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4); and we have the assurance ‘that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us’ (I John 5:14).
2. I have never pleaded for their salvation in my own name, but in the blessed name of my precious Lord Jesus, and on His merits alone (John 1:14).
3. I always firmly believed in the willingness of God to hear my prayers (Mark 11:24).
4. I am not conscious of having yielded to any sin, for ‘if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me’ (Ps. 66:18) when I call.
5. I have persevered in believing prayer for more than fifty-two years for some, and will continue until the answer comes: ‘Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?’ (Luke 18:7).”
Mr. Mueller went to Heaven praying firmly in faith, thanking God in advance, for the salvation of those for whom he was praying. Within months of his passing, the last friend on his prayer list was converted. God answers prayer!
1 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 John 5:14 NIV
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
John 1:14 NIV
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Mark 11:24 NIV
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Luke 18:7 NIV
7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
I've started my list of those whom I'm committed to pray for salvation and restoration. Will you make a list and an a commitment, too?
The following is from A Treasury of Praise by Ruth Myers
I praise You for how Your Spirit fills us with power and courage to speak the truth of the gospel. Than You that He convicts people of sin, convinces them of truth through the crucified and risen Christ, and release them from the power of Satan unto God. How I rejoice that the evil ruler of this world has been judged!
I am so grateful for the victories that come as we testify to believers as well as to unbelievers, proclaiming the good news of our Savior's death and resurrection and kingly control. How I rejoice that our testimony and sharing of Your Word defeats Satan in the lives of people, both those he has blinded spiritually and believers he is seeking to ensnare.
Lord, make me sensitive to people's needs. Grant me timely words for those who are weary and special grace to share with them the reason for the wonderful hope I have in Christ Jesus. To Him be all glory, honor and praise for ever and ever.
Acts 26:18
John 16:8-11
Acts 1:8
2 Corinthians 4:4
Isaiah 50:4
1 Peter 3:15
http://youtu.be/yrcnZmgYC5s - Amazing Grace - My Chains are Gone Chris Tomlin
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A thousand reasons to be thankful...
http://youtu.be/hXBxImes110 - Give Thanks
I'm blessed with a yard that backs up to a wooded area and creek. The blessings come in the form of various birds and squirrels and a little bunny from time to time. Sometimes I sit and watch the birds and sqirrels as they seach for food. Sometimes, the squirrels are playful and chase after each other.
It makes me smile when I see how unique each little animal and bird is. No two are exactly alike.
This bird in the photo is a Northern Flicker. One just like this one has taken up residence in our back woods and chooses our back yard for grocery shopping. She is a most beautiful bird. Look at all the details, the belly, the wings, the little black bib... There's a red collar at the base of her neck that can't be seen in the photo. It's incredible how much beauty there is in this one little bird. And don't get me started on the blue birds and the robins and the cardinals, even the little sparrows which are relatively plain in comparison.
I remember God telling us how much He cares. He knows when even one sparrow falls . Surely, He cares for His precious possessions - His children.
Matthew 10:28-30
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
If God put so much thought and beauty in every living creature, if He knows when even the tiniest sparrow falls to the ground, if He numbers the very hairs on our head, I feel confident that we can trust His love and His wisdom - His plan for us.
He is never going to leave nor forsake us. When everyone else lets us down, He will be the One who holds us up. We can learn from the Boone family about trust and His faithfulness. Come what may, God is love and He loves you and me more than we can imagine. Heaven will be so worth whatever
we have to endure on this earth. God wants us to live to glorify Him - no matter what life throws at us. The more difficult our circumstances, the more people will listen and learn from how we look to our Savior for strength. We can glorify Him by our unwavering trust in His plan and purpose for our lives. I can shout all day about trusting God through adversity, but if I've never faced any real struggle, who is going to listen? Certainly not the person going through some terrible suffering. They want to hear from the one who understands, the one who has faced the same struggle and continued to lean on Christ. Our struggles can make us powerful witnesses for God and His faithfulness and when He trusts us enough to allow those struggles in our lives, it's because He trusts us to be a living testimony to others who need Him.
Jessica Boone is a living testimony. Are you be a witness for Christ, too? Maybe you're facing difficult times. Let your light shine for His glory. Heaven will be so worth what ever we face here.
Please continue to pray for Jessica Boone and her family. Here's is Lisa's post from last night:
March 13, 2012 Tuesday
Posted 9 hours ago
Today....today....TODAY.....Thank you God for TODAY...Today is the day You hath made and we are rejoicing in it.......Today....White Blood Cells normal for the first time since admission three weeks ago... Today...no abdominal pain or nausea....Today we walked many times....Today she worked with PT on improving balance and coordination....Today...Blood work continues to improve....Today...we played Yahtzee.....today...she ate half hamburger with a few fries and some vanilla ice cream.. Today instead of a wheelchair we walked outside and sat upon a bench and got a little sunshine and it was simply beautiful and wide open. Today we have officially started talking about discharge planning with Home Health for continued IV therapy at home. Today we took a nap together for a whole 30 minutes before being interrupted! Today our primary care physician came to visit and told Jessie what a tough little girl she was and it was unimagineable everything her precious little body had endured over the last 3 weeks...She also told her going home at this point would be the best medicine! Jessie fully agreed...and that she would follow her closely while she was at home recovering.
Tonight we have an exceptionally exhausted girl but absolutely NO pain....We are so so thankful for the comfort she has. We are thankful she was able to do so much today and endure so well. She has lost weight and muscle mass but those can be rebuilt over time. We have a very very long road to traverse in regards to her liver and her bile duct issues...Yet we have learned over and over again to stay in this moment. To not look forward in fear to the changes in life, rather look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you today and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.(Be at Peace, St. Francis de Sales)
The daily prayer calender from our Church today....Fear not, stand firm....The Lord will fight for you, you only have to be still...(Exodus 14:13,14)
We continue to be still and wait upon Him to direct each step on this journey and our "exodus" home. And at that perfect moment His Great Right Hand will part the waters of this hospital admission and we will journey the path covered in His Love home.
There are no words as we began to list what we are grateful for. There is a book called One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp. She invites us to slow down, learn to live the full life of eucharisteo( with grace, thankgiving, joy) regardless of circumstances. She is a farmers wife and writes about her struggles to live joyfully amid sin and sorrow and suffering. She invites us to embrace everyday blessings and embark upon the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. She sees the whole earth full of the glory of God. Her daily online journal is www.aholyexperience.com. Tonight I think I could list 1000 gifts He has given us just in the last 3 weeks of this Lenten journey of wilderness. Thank you God for it all but especially for Your constant presence in each step and breathe and width of this journey. We pause....We bow....We say thank you....Amen and amen..
http://youtu.be/hXBxImes110 - Give Thanks
 |
| Does God care? |
It makes me smile when I see how unique each little animal and bird is. No two are exactly alike.
This bird in the photo is a Northern Flicker. One just like this one has taken up residence in our back woods and chooses our back yard for grocery shopping. She is a most beautiful bird. Look at all the details, the belly, the wings, the little black bib... There's a red collar at the base of her neck that can't be seen in the photo. It's incredible how much beauty there is in this one little bird. And don't get me started on the blue birds and the robins and the cardinals, even the little sparrows which are relatively plain in comparison.
I remember God telling us how much He cares. He knows when even one sparrow falls . Surely, He cares for His precious possessions - His children.
Matthew 10:28-30
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
If God put so much thought and beauty in every living creature, if He knows when even the tiniest sparrow falls to the ground, if He numbers the very hairs on our head, I feel confident that we can trust His love and His wisdom - His plan for us.
He is never going to leave nor forsake us. When everyone else lets us down, He will be the One who holds us up. We can learn from the Boone family about trust and His faithfulness. Come what may, God is love and He loves you and me more than we can imagine. Heaven will be so worth whatever
we have to endure on this earth. God wants us to live to glorify Him - no matter what life throws at us. The more difficult our circumstances, the more people will listen and learn from how we look to our Savior for strength. We can glorify Him by our unwavering trust in His plan and purpose for our lives. I can shout all day about trusting God through adversity, but if I've never faced any real struggle, who is going to listen? Certainly not the person going through some terrible suffering. They want to hear from the one who understands, the one who has faced the same struggle and continued to lean on Christ. Our struggles can make us powerful witnesses for God and His faithfulness and when He trusts us enough to allow those struggles in our lives, it's because He trusts us to be a living testimony to others who need Him.
Jessica Boone is a living testimony. Are you be a witness for Christ, too? Maybe you're facing difficult times. Let your light shine for His glory. Heaven will be so worth what ever we face here.
Please continue to pray for Jessica Boone and her family. Here's is Lisa's post from last night:
March 13, 2012 Tuesday
Posted 9 hours ago
Today....today....TODAY.....Thank you God for TODAY...Today is the day You hath made and we are rejoicing in it.......Today....White Blood Cells normal for the first time since admission three weeks ago... Today...no abdominal pain or nausea....Today we walked many times....Today she worked with PT on improving balance and coordination....Today...Blood work continues to improve....Today...we played Yahtzee.....today...she ate half hamburger with a few fries and some vanilla ice cream.. Today instead of a wheelchair we walked outside and sat upon a bench and got a little sunshine and it was simply beautiful and wide open. Today we have officially started talking about discharge planning with Home Health for continued IV therapy at home. Today we took a nap together for a whole 30 minutes before being interrupted! Today our primary care physician came to visit and told Jessie what a tough little girl she was and it was unimagineable everything her precious little body had endured over the last 3 weeks...She also told her going home at this point would be the best medicine! Jessie fully agreed...and that she would follow her closely while she was at home recovering.
Tonight we have an exceptionally exhausted girl but absolutely NO pain....We are so so thankful for the comfort she has. We are thankful she was able to do so much today and endure so well. She has lost weight and muscle mass but those can be rebuilt over time. We have a very very long road to traverse in regards to her liver and her bile duct issues...Yet we have learned over and over again to stay in this moment. To not look forward in fear to the changes in life, rather look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you today and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.(Be at Peace, St. Francis de Sales)
The daily prayer calender from our Church today....Fear not, stand firm....The Lord will fight for you, you only have to be still...(Exodus 14:13,14)
We continue to be still and wait upon Him to direct each step on this journey and our "exodus" home. And at that perfect moment His Great Right Hand will part the waters of this hospital admission and we will journey the path covered in His Love home.
There are no words as we began to list what we are grateful for. There is a book called One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp. She invites us to slow down, learn to live the full life of eucharisteo( with grace, thankgiving, joy) regardless of circumstances. She is a farmers wife and writes about her struggles to live joyfully amid sin and sorrow and suffering. She invites us to embrace everyday blessings and embark upon the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. She sees the whole earth full of the glory of God. Her daily online journal is www.aholyexperience.com. Tonight I think I could list 1000 gifts He has given us just in the last 3 weeks of this Lenten journey of wilderness. Thank you God for it all but especially for Your constant presence in each step and breathe and width of this journey. We pause....We bow....We say thank you....Amen and amen..
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
http://youtu.be/J0QWAmxcRtw - Finally Home - Mercy Me
http://youtu.be/I3tipjZzVOo - the boy who came back from heaven
If we really knew how wonderful heaven is, I think we would look forward to the day when Jesus calls us Home instead of fearing death. Until God decides it's time, I want to live each moment of my life bringing Him glory. But when I've done what He has for me to do, I'm ready to go Home. I'm not in rush, mind you, but I'm ready to be at Home with Jesus.
http://youtu.be/TK322wVJLNg - I can only imagine - Mercy Me
1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
I just finished reading "The boy who came back from heaven" and couldn't help but think of Jessica Boone. Just like Alex, Jessie has been a living testimony to God's faithful through adversity.
Alex Malarkey was only 6 when a terrible auto accident left him in a coma for 2 months. Alex was essentially internally decapitated. His spine was complete severed from his skull. People don't generally survive that kind of traumatic injury. But God had a purpose for Alex.
When Jessica Boone hit the tree while snow skiing, her injuries were traumatic and no one expected her to live. At least no medical personnel. But her family prayed and believed in a God with whom nothing is impossible. And Jessica came back from that accident in amazing ways. She continues to improve every day.
If Alex Malarkey hadn't been in that accident, if his dad hadn't written a book about Alex's encounter with Jesus, he wouldn't have impacted the lives of so many people. He might not have had an opportunity to share how faithful Christ is without this platform of suffering and struggles. He loves life but longs for Home. Oh, I want my children to love Jesus so much that they, too, look forward to going Home when God calls them.
The same is true with Jessie Boone. Because she endured a terrible accident and long recovery, her mom has been able to share an incredible testimony of faith - her own faith and Jessica's faith. God took something so horrible and used it for good. I dare say no one can follow Lisa's Care Page posts
without having their faith renewed.
Jessica and Alex are exceptional young people. They bring the verse to life - "remember your creator in the days of your youth ". Jessie and Alex prove no one is too young to teach others about Jesus. I love the New Living Translation of this passage:
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caper berry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Alex and Jessica knew Jesus before their accidents. They both were believers who trusted in the One who is their Savior. What a precious gift their parents gave them! Both Alex and Jessie have leaned on Christ during incredibly difficult, painful times and their faith has not wavered. They're just children but they have a faith that is so much stronger than many of us.
Alex was an active, competitive little boy. He loved sports and adventures... Jessie was an athlete and very involved in school and church. She had lots of friends and was full of life. They lost so much, yet neither Alex nor Jessica dwell on what they can't do. They continue to praise God and point others to Him.
God forbid! but what if an accident left one of our children in the same condition as Alex or Jessie? Have we taught our children how to trust in God through all circumstances? Are they living their lives with Christ as the foundation of everything they think, say or do? Are our children dreaming of their real home in heaven, or have we taught them that things of this earth are most important?
I've learned so much from reading Alex's and Jessica's stories. I don't want to set the things I'm learning from them aside and go about my life without making changes that I need to make. I want to "pray without ceasing" like Alex says.
"Daddy, I'm always in prayer because part of my brain, through the Holy Spirit, is in constant communication with Heaven. My mouth is for talking to people." - Alex Malarkey
We have to equip our children before they experience suffering or hardship of any kind. We have to give them the gift of Faith so that they know where to turn when bad things happen because bad things will happen.
One particularly disturbing thing in the book was when Alex shared that while he was in the car after the accident, he was complete paralyzed and unable to even breathe, the Enemy came to him and told little 6 year old Alex that his dad was dead and it was his fault! Can you imagine someone so evil, so cruel who would tell a little boy who appeared to be dying, that the accident was all his fault and that his daddy was dead because of something he did? That is who we are fighting. That is who our Enemy is.
Thankfully, Alex knew Jesus and the ministering angels lifted his spirit out of that car. But this scene made me wonder how many times the Enemy whispers to my children words of defeat, inferiority, discouragement, hopeless... How many children have tried to kill themselves because the Enemy got them to believe his lies? We must prepare our children to face the Enemy with the mighty Power of Heaven. We have to teach them to call on the Name Jesus when they are attacked.
Even after the accident, when Alex was surviving against all expectations of the doctors, the Enemy would visit him and spew lies. It scared Alex very much. But then a faithful prayer warrior taught Alex how to shut the devil up by calling on the name of Jesus. God tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us.
James 4:7-8
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
How do we resist the devil? If we are Christians, if we have died with Christ and been raised to a new life in Him, we can call on our Savior whenever we feel threatened by the Enemy. Jesus has already defeated him and we belong to Christ alone. His voice is all we need to hear and believe.
Colossians 2
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross...
20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world.
Jesus defeated the Enemy - the spiritual powers and authorities of this earth. He did that for us so that we no longer are subject to their evil. We don't have to fall to our human nature. Jesus gave us power over our human nature by His death.
We have to learn to call on the Name of Jesus who has already fought the battle against the enemy. He is our Defender and Protector. He set us free from the spiritual powers of this world when we died with Him.
Do we teach our kids to trust Jesus when the Enemy lies to them? Do we pray that God will send His ministering angels to protect our children from the evil powers of this world? Or do we pray for physical things that don't matter from an eternal perspective?
Alex and Jessica don't have the lives that they anticipated. They've lost so much from a human perspective, but what God has done for them is so much more valuable than material blessing He might provide on this earth. We parents try to provide the best education we can for our kids. We put them in all kinds of athletic programs to teach them how to be "the best" in their chosen sports. We give them everything we can physically because we want them to have a great life, a successful future. But are we failing to train our children to put their hopes on things Eternal, things that will not pass away? We need to give our children Faith in the One who holds them in the palm of His loving hands. And the way we do that best is by example.
Alex and Jessica saw their parents putting Christ first in their lives. Do our children see us doing that? It's a lesson I need to learn and to obey. Jesus must be my first priority so that my children will make Him their first priority, too.
Update from Lisa Boone:
March 12, 2012 Monday
The effective fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. James 5:16 Here we are 24 hrs later with a complete different clinical picture. The Infectious Disease doctor, Dr. Ramgopal made rounds last night on Jessica at 900PM, Sunday night. Gift..gift...gift... After reviewing her case he diagnosed and changed her IV antibiotic for this new resistant organism. Within 6 hours of administration, she began to rest, no longer complained of nausea or severe abdominal pain. The CT scan was negative for any abscesses. Her labs looked a little better this am and her biliary drain being clamped didn't seem to bother her or her lab work today.
This AM she arose and was smiling. She ate breakfast, took a shower, walked the halls, all before noon. They pulled her central line (potential source of infection) and replaced with a PICC line. She had PT which included a full flight of stairs, ate a small lunch, went outside in a wheelchair and got some Vitamin D, then enjoyed a small vanilla milkshake complements of her sis-in-law and even ate a few Reese's pieces.
I knew sometime in the middle of the night the storm was beginning to calm once again. Peace, be still as she began to quieten with her complaints of pain and misery. My heart was quiet and thankful. I also knew the prayers were being lifted for Jessie in so many different ways and places. One precious saint was even driving the streets at midnight just to stay awake so she could pray for her. This took me to the garden when Jesus asked His disciples to stay awake and pray...and they kept falling asleep. They needed a car so they could drive around to stay awake!
Today in Streams in the Desert it talked about the deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. One particular phrase grabbed my heart... "Yet at first it seemed that a strange and almost cruel thing was happening to Israel. It was as if the first deliverance had come only to hand them over to a more certain death." Then it talked about how those stormy winds parted the waters and actually were what ultimately delivered them to the peaceful Land of Promise.. There is gift in the storms...
Then a glimpse of an email from a sister...a deep worshipful moment of "Glorifying Your Name, Father ..."As you await the parting of suffering, so that you can make your exodus from that "hospital hell"...yet she (Jessie) still sings, "Glorify your name, Father..May you be immersed in the eternally worshipping community, as God prepares to the part the sea of suffering with Jesus' Cross and free all to sing His glory again and again and again outside those hospital walls..
To these beautiful words written by yet another saint..."Each evangelist has his own way of telling the Resurrection Story. Each of us has our own resurrection stories to tell and before every resurrection is a Good Friday. If we had a single logical narrative of the events of Jesus' Passion, with all the facts fitting neatly together, all questions answered, why would we need faith? Doubt, darkness, and bewilderment accompany our own experiences of suffering before light and new life break through...(Sister Lenora Black OSB)...
Being busy with her today was such a joy as it wasn't as much trying to comfort and relieve her symptoms instead it was more of a moving forward in recovery with the hopes of going home soon .
To a beautiful YELLOW poster of several children in a class taught by one of Jessie's old gymnastic buddies writing their prayers of love and healing with their pictures that have filled her heart with joy...
To a special visit from a dear Sunday School teacher when Jess was a little one, sharing the prayers of her 4 yr old class...
This evening in Jesus Calling.... "Keep your antennae out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence".
I have seen Your presence everywhere Father....in the hearts of Your loving people, in the words of Your Holy Scripture, in the openness of the heavens from the 7th floor, to the worshipping music of Glorify Your Name...to the kindness of people, in the prayers, to the warm sunlight on her pale face as she smiled watching 2 boys play catch outside today.....Thank You for the storms that continue to push back the walls of water leaving a path on the deep sea floor covered with His protective love...Thank you that You are leading all of us on this path to that peaceful Promise Land....Thank You for calming this storm and gifting her with some rest. We still have a great distance to travel...but know and are thankful never will we travel this path alone. amen and amen...
---------------------------------------------------------
Please continue to pray for Jessie and Alex and all our children, as Alex says, without ceasing.
http://youtu.be/I3tipjZzVOo - the boy who came back from heaven
If we really knew how wonderful heaven is, I think we would look forward to the day when Jesus calls us Home instead of fearing death. Until God decides it's time, I want to live each moment of my life bringing Him glory. But when I've done what He has for me to do, I'm ready to go Home. I'm not in rush, mind you, but I'm ready to be at Home with Jesus.
http://youtu.be/TK322wVJLNg - I can only imagine - Mercy Me
1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
I just finished reading "The boy who came back from heaven" and couldn't help but think of Jessica Boone. Just like Alex, Jessie has been a living testimony to God's faithful through adversity.
Alex Malarkey was only 6 when a terrible auto accident left him in a coma for 2 months. Alex was essentially internally decapitated. His spine was complete severed from his skull. People don't generally survive that kind of traumatic injury. But God had a purpose for Alex.
When Jessica Boone hit the tree while snow skiing, her injuries were traumatic and no one expected her to live. At least no medical personnel. But her family prayed and believed in a God with whom nothing is impossible. And Jessica came back from that accident in amazing ways. She continues to improve every day.
If Alex Malarkey hadn't been in that accident, if his dad hadn't written a book about Alex's encounter with Jesus, he wouldn't have impacted the lives of so many people. He might not have had an opportunity to share how faithful Christ is without this platform of suffering and struggles. He loves life but longs for Home. Oh, I want my children to love Jesus so much that they, too, look forward to going Home when God calls them.
The same is true with Jessie Boone. Because she endured a terrible accident and long recovery, her mom has been able to share an incredible testimony of faith - her own faith and Jessica's faith. God took something so horrible and used it for good. I dare say no one can follow Lisa's Care Page posts
without having their faith renewed.
Jessica and Alex are exceptional young people. They bring the verse to life - "remember your creator in the days of your youth ". Jessie and Alex prove no one is too young to teach others about Jesus. I love the New Living Translation of this passage:
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caper berry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
Alex and Jessica knew Jesus before their accidents. They both were believers who trusted in the One who is their Savior. What a precious gift their parents gave them! Both Alex and Jessie have leaned on Christ during incredibly difficult, painful times and their faith has not wavered. They're just children but they have a faith that is so much stronger than many of us.
Alex was an active, competitive little boy. He loved sports and adventures... Jessie was an athlete and very involved in school and church. She had lots of friends and was full of life. They lost so much, yet neither Alex nor Jessica dwell on what they can't do. They continue to praise God and point others to Him.
God forbid! but what if an accident left one of our children in the same condition as Alex or Jessie? Have we taught our children how to trust in God through all circumstances? Are they living their lives with Christ as the foundation of everything they think, say or do? Are our children dreaming of their real home in heaven, or have we taught them that things of this earth are most important?
I've learned so much from reading Alex's and Jessica's stories. I don't want to set the things I'm learning from them aside and go about my life without making changes that I need to make. I want to "pray without ceasing" like Alex says.
"Daddy, I'm always in prayer because part of my brain, through the Holy Spirit, is in constant communication with Heaven. My mouth is for talking to people." - Alex Malarkey
We have to equip our children before they experience suffering or hardship of any kind. We have to give them the gift of Faith so that they know where to turn when bad things happen because bad things will happen.
One particularly disturbing thing in the book was when Alex shared that while he was in the car after the accident, he was complete paralyzed and unable to even breathe, the Enemy came to him and told little 6 year old Alex that his dad was dead and it was his fault! Can you imagine someone so evil, so cruel who would tell a little boy who appeared to be dying, that the accident was all his fault and that his daddy was dead because of something he did? That is who we are fighting. That is who our Enemy is.
Thankfully, Alex knew Jesus and the ministering angels lifted his spirit out of that car. But this scene made me wonder how many times the Enemy whispers to my children words of defeat, inferiority, discouragement, hopeless... How many children have tried to kill themselves because the Enemy got them to believe his lies? We must prepare our children to face the Enemy with the mighty Power of Heaven. We have to teach them to call on the Name Jesus when they are attacked.
Even after the accident, when Alex was surviving against all expectations of the doctors, the Enemy would visit him and spew lies. It scared Alex very much. But then a faithful prayer warrior taught Alex how to shut the devil up by calling on the name of Jesus. God tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us.
James 4:7-8
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
How do we resist the devil? If we are Christians, if we have died with Christ and been raised to a new life in Him, we can call on our Savior whenever we feel threatened by the Enemy. Jesus has already defeated him and we belong to Christ alone. His voice is all we need to hear and believe.
Colossians 2
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross...
20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world.
Jesus defeated the Enemy - the spiritual powers and authorities of this earth. He did that for us so that we no longer are subject to their evil. We don't have to fall to our human nature. Jesus gave us power over our human nature by His death.
We have to learn to call on the Name of Jesus who has already fought the battle against the enemy. He is our Defender and Protector. He set us free from the spiritual powers of this world when we died with Him.
Do we teach our kids to trust Jesus when the Enemy lies to them? Do we pray that God will send His ministering angels to protect our children from the evil powers of this world? Or do we pray for physical things that don't matter from an eternal perspective?
Alex and Jessica don't have the lives that they anticipated. They've lost so much from a human perspective, but what God has done for them is so much more valuable than material blessing He might provide on this earth. We parents try to provide the best education we can for our kids. We put them in all kinds of athletic programs to teach them how to be "the best" in their chosen sports. We give them everything we can physically because we want them to have a great life, a successful future. But are we failing to train our children to put their hopes on things Eternal, things that will not pass away? We need to give our children Faith in the One who holds them in the palm of His loving hands. And the way we do that best is by example.
Alex and Jessica saw their parents putting Christ first in their lives. Do our children see us doing that? It's a lesson I need to learn and to obey. Jesus must be my first priority so that my children will make Him their first priority, too.
Update from Lisa Boone:
March 12, 2012 Monday
The effective fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. James 5:16 Here we are 24 hrs later with a complete different clinical picture. The Infectious Disease doctor, Dr. Ramgopal made rounds last night on Jessica at 900PM, Sunday night. Gift..gift...gift... After reviewing her case he diagnosed and changed her IV antibiotic for this new resistant organism. Within 6 hours of administration, she began to rest, no longer complained of nausea or severe abdominal pain. The CT scan was negative for any abscesses. Her labs looked a little better this am and her biliary drain being clamped didn't seem to bother her or her lab work today.
This AM she arose and was smiling. She ate breakfast, took a shower, walked the halls, all before noon. They pulled her central line (potential source of infection) and replaced with a PICC line. She had PT which included a full flight of stairs, ate a small lunch, went outside in a wheelchair and got some Vitamin D, then enjoyed a small vanilla milkshake complements of her sis-in-law and even ate a few Reese's pieces.
I knew sometime in the middle of the night the storm was beginning to calm once again. Peace, be still as she began to quieten with her complaints of pain and misery. My heart was quiet and thankful. I also knew the prayers were being lifted for Jessie in so many different ways and places. One precious saint was even driving the streets at midnight just to stay awake so she could pray for her. This took me to the garden when Jesus asked His disciples to stay awake and pray...and they kept falling asleep. They needed a car so they could drive around to stay awake!
Today in Streams in the Desert it talked about the deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. One particular phrase grabbed my heart... "Yet at first it seemed that a strange and almost cruel thing was happening to Israel. It was as if the first deliverance had come only to hand them over to a more certain death." Then it talked about how those stormy winds parted the waters and actually were what ultimately delivered them to the peaceful Land of Promise.. There is gift in the storms...
Then a glimpse of an email from a sister...a deep worshipful moment of "Glorifying Your Name, Father ..."As you await the parting of suffering, so that you can make your exodus from that "hospital hell"...yet she (Jessie) still sings, "Glorify your name, Father..May you be immersed in the eternally worshipping community, as God prepares to the part the sea of suffering with Jesus' Cross and free all to sing His glory again and again and again outside those hospital walls..
To these beautiful words written by yet another saint..."Each evangelist has his own way of telling the Resurrection Story. Each of us has our own resurrection stories to tell and before every resurrection is a Good Friday. If we had a single logical narrative of the events of Jesus' Passion, with all the facts fitting neatly together, all questions answered, why would we need faith? Doubt, darkness, and bewilderment accompany our own experiences of suffering before light and new life break through...(Sister Lenora Black OSB)...
Being busy with her today was such a joy as it wasn't as much trying to comfort and relieve her symptoms instead it was more of a moving forward in recovery with the hopes of going home soon .
To a beautiful YELLOW poster of several children in a class taught by one of Jessie's old gymnastic buddies writing their prayers of love and healing with their pictures that have filled her heart with joy...
To a special visit from a dear Sunday School teacher when Jess was a little one, sharing the prayers of her 4 yr old class...
This evening in Jesus Calling.... "Keep your antennae out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence".
I have seen Your presence everywhere Father....in the hearts of Your loving people, in the words of Your Holy Scripture, in the openness of the heavens from the 7th floor, to the worshipping music of Glorify Your Name...to the kindness of people, in the prayers, to the warm sunlight on her pale face as she smiled watching 2 boys play catch outside today.....Thank You for the storms that continue to push back the walls of water leaving a path on the deep sea floor covered with His protective love...Thank you that You are leading all of us on this path to that peaceful Promise Land....Thank You for calming this storm and gifting her with some rest. We still have a great distance to travel...but know and are thankful never will we travel this path alone. amen and amen...
---------------------------------------------------------
Please continue to pray for Jessie and Alex and all our children, as Alex says, without ceasing.
Monday, March 12, 2012
When you read scriptures, other people listen to you read scriptures.
God chose you to be His minister and when you minister, it makes Him
happy. And He chose you to be my mom." Jessie Boone
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord God is with you. He is MIGHTY TO SAVE! He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His Love, He will rejoice over you with singing...
http://youtu.be/sR8rlTIU8_Y - Mighty to Save - Hillsong
Once again, Jessica Boone is facing another challenge. Please, please pray for this sweet young
lady. I feel compelled to share the updates for Jessica through this blog. I pray that each of you who read this will feel God's call to pray for Jessica Boone. She is his precious child and He is
putting her on my heart. I'm pretty sure He is putting her on your heart as well. Please pray...
March 11, 2012 Sunday
Posted 10 hours ago
The last 24 hrs Jess has become sicker with positive blood
cultures again. She has been started on another IV antibx again and
an Infectious Disease Dr. has been called. She is unable to eat and
has waves of nausea and abdominal pain. She will be going down for
a CT scan in just a little while to make sure nothing is going on
in her abdomen. She is so sick and is unable nor wants to eat
anything.
So tonight we continue to lift up all this to the One who knows ALL
things....Who holds ALL...
It is so very hard to watch Jess get sick all over again especially since she had really began to turn around...We continue to set our face like flint to God waiting upon Him to deliver her from all of this hospital hell. I have been angry today as it seems the longer we stay here the more she has to face and endure. But once again...surrender...trust...then comes peace....A beautiful verse came today via chocolate chip cookies and a dear friend of Jessie's......Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord God is with you. He is MIGHTY TO SAVE! He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His Love, He will rejoice over you with singing...
And that is exactly what He has done. He has quieted us with His love....and we know He is with us...and WE KNOW HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!
She is drinking 1000 ccs of contrast as I type in between her abdominal pain and her waves of nausea. Yet she forges forward. She is so obedient and kind no matter what she is enduring.
Around 3 am Jessie wasn't sleeping. She clearly said, "Mom"... "What baby?" " I have some thoughts I need to share with you." "OK, what are they? We had been dealing with pain and nausea all night so I just assumed she was going tell me more about this and she clearly said these words.. "Mom, when you worship others worship with you...When you read scriptures, other people listen to you read scriptures. God chose you to be His minister and when you minister, it makes Him happy. And He chose you to be my mom."
I gently thanked her for sharing her thoughts and picked up my journal and wrote exactly what she had shared with her mom. I'm not sure what it means but I have it tucked away in my journal to keep forever. In the midst of all the suffering...there is God...speaking, loving, holding, and revealing Himself through a child....
Mom, when you minister it makes God happy...and He chose you to be my mom....Wow....and I believe that was straight from God's heart through Jessie.
Thank you God that you chose me to be her mom.....Thank you God that You are so close and present...Thank you God that nothing is too big for You. Thank you God that You are not finished....Thank you God for the grace and strength to make it through this day. Thank you God for this day..Your day....to worship and celebrate You...Thank you God for prayer, for hope, for all who breathe Your name...Father...Abba...Healer...Savior...Redeemer...Provider...All is well.....amen and amen....
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