Thursday, July 5, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
May 27, 2012
A lot of time has passed since I have been on here. There is nothing more that I would love to do than to get on here and tell everyone that God has healed Micah, but that time has not yet come. I had a good reminder today that we are not waiting on the miracle, we are in the middle of the miracle process. The word has gone forth the promises have been given and at the appointed time we will see the fulfillment. I think I have mentioned before that when Micah was born God gave me this verse:
"As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.". Micah 7:15
We have many weepy days around here,I wish I could say that it wasn't this way, but it is. At the end of April I was having a bad day and asked God for a word for Micah (I needed encouragement to keep believing in the promises) and He gave me:
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.". Jer.33:3
So though we do not yet see the end of this journey, we will keep believing that which God has said to us no matter what things look like.
Micah is doing well. We decided a few months ago to start the process of getting rid of the internal pump that delivers a potent muscle relaxer to the spine because we haven't seen any improvement in him since it was put in. It is a slow process but we are almost completely off of the drug and there have been no adverse side affects praise God. What has happened though is that in the last 1-2 months Micah has thrown up lot less, moves his head more, swallows more & his eye sight is back to normal (it had gotten pretty bad). Evidently those are the areas the muscle relaxer had been working on.
Micah did not enjoy this past school year, and usually will cry through therapy, but at an evaluation the only joints that we're tighter in comparison to last year this time were his elbows (not a lot). All other joints were either the same or better praise the Lord!
As for communication, that is still a struggle as he doesn't seem to want to use the communication device. He knows how to use it and they have worked to make it easier for him, but he just won't. Maybe now that his eye sight is better he will start. He will be at a new school next year so we're praying that he will do well there. His teachers all really like him and are working to get him into regular classes. Being able to communicate would be such a help, please pray with us about this. This is all I have for now.
Blessings,
Tina
Saturday, September 10, 2011
September 10, 2011
Hello friends,
Two years ago today at this very hour was the most horrifying day of my life. I didn't know if I would make it through the day, but God in His infinite mercy gave me Isaiah 26:3 to sustain me.
"I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me..."
That verse was a record in my head and heart for a week straight at least. A promise that I was not going to have a nervous breakdown and that God would see me through this if I concentrated on Him. It is no easy task to stay focused on God when your child's life is hanging in the balance. In His grace, God sustained us these two years and more than that has given us joy in the midst of the trials. Without joy in the Lord we would be a miserable lot. Psalm 16:11 says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy...". To me, that means that if we are spending time with our Lord we will be joyful. Joy has nothing to do with our circumstances in life. It does not mean that everything in our life is perfect and going just as we had planned. Joy is not dependent on our feelings, but on our relationship with Jesus. There are many times that we are not happy, but there is always joy. If you feel that there is no joy in your life then maybe you need to check on your relationship with Jesus.
As for Micah, he is doing well. We got moved into our new house (still in some boxes) and he has just started back to school. He still struggles to do the most basic of movements, but has been making more noise and eating more. Since moving to the new house he has eaten many things: fish, peach pie, banana, ice cream, country ham, fried potatoes, candy, etc...
He has not eaten a lot of it, but has had several bites of each and thoroughly enjoyed it. This morning I made him some garlic cheese grits, one of his favorite things. I told him that I believe one day he will marry a southern bell since he likes grits so much! He laughed, but I really do believe that. We still hold on to the promises of God for Micah. He is a most happy child when we are praying and singing to God. He will preach one day, of this I am sure, and tell people of all the wonderful things God has done for him.
Blessings,
Tina
Two years ago today at this very hour was the most horrifying day of my life. I didn't know if I would make it through the day, but God in His infinite mercy gave me Isaiah 26:3 to sustain me.
"I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me..."
That verse was a record in my head and heart for a week straight at least. A promise that I was not going to have a nervous breakdown and that God would see me through this if I concentrated on Him. It is no easy task to stay focused on God when your child's life is hanging in the balance. In His grace, God sustained us these two years and more than that has given us joy in the midst of the trials. Without joy in the Lord we would be a miserable lot. Psalm 16:11 says, "In Your presence is fullness of joy...". To me, that means that if we are spending time with our Lord we will be joyful. Joy has nothing to do with our circumstances in life. It does not mean that everything in our life is perfect and going just as we had planned. Joy is not dependent on our feelings, but on our relationship with Jesus. There are many times that we are not happy, but there is always joy. If you feel that there is no joy in your life then maybe you need to check on your relationship with Jesus.
As for Micah, he is doing well. We got moved into our new house (still in some boxes) and he has just started back to school. He still struggles to do the most basic of movements, but has been making more noise and eating more. Since moving to the new house he has eaten many things: fish, peach pie, banana, ice cream, country ham, fried potatoes, candy, etc...
He has not eaten a lot of it, but has had several bites of each and thoroughly enjoyed it. This morning I made him some garlic cheese grits, one of his favorite things. I told him that I believe one day he will marry a southern bell since he likes grits so much! He laughed, but I really do believe that. We still hold on to the promises of God for Micah. He is a most happy child when we are praying and singing to God. He will preach one day, of this I am sure, and tell people of all the wonderful things God has done for him.
Blessings,
Tina
Monday, February 7, 2011
February 7, 2011
Hello friends,
I pray that all of you are doing well and that our good Lord is keeping you in good health. We are all doing well and have been enjoying the snow lately. We are closing in on the computer device for Micah. Bids have been sent out by the school for pricing, but today we were called to the school to look at a new product, not sure which one we'll get yet. They are all quite amazing.
The school recently purchased a new device for Micah called a gait trainer. It's basically a huge baby walker that supports him under the arms and around the chest. His first time in it he pushed himself around a bit with his left leg and drug the right one, but after a while they said he pulled the right one up and tried to use it too. His second time in it he went down the school hall and into the gymnasium. Third time he didn't want to do much.
Micah has been showing more interest in food lately, we can't give him much, but he really enjoys what we do give him. He had a swallow study done at the local hospital and passed. This means that the speech therapists can start working with him on his swallow at school.
Micah goes to Franklin again on the 9th for a pump refill. This time the meds will be given in the same dose, but will be diluted. When Micah had his pre-pump surgery trials the meds were dilute. The docs are wondering if this may help. Being dilute, they will be forced to spread out faster and over a broader area. This will of course mean that I would have to make more frequent trips because part of the pump would be full of water and so would go faster. If this has no effect on Micah then both the Franklin doc and the St. Louis doc want us to take him to Indianapolis to visit with another doctor there. He has worked with patients like Micah that have had good trials and then had no effect after the pump placement. This would most likely mean another surgery to move the catheter again. Not something that either of us want to do.
Pray that God would give us wisdom and that we would hear what He wants us to do. He will have to speak very loud and clear if it's surgery! We are doing well, still have our ups and downs (don't think that will ever change), but I believe that we have more ups than downs. God knows our hearts and our desires for our son to be well again and so we each day keep laying Micah at His feet and wait for His perfect will to be worked out in our son. Thank you all so much for sticking with us and lifting us up in prayer. God has truly given us strength and joy beyond what is natural.
Blessings,
Tina
I pray that all of you are doing well and that our good Lord is keeping you in good health. We are all doing well and have been enjoying the snow lately. We are closing in on the computer device for Micah. Bids have been sent out by the school for pricing, but today we were called to the school to look at a new product, not sure which one we'll get yet. They are all quite amazing.
The school recently purchased a new device for Micah called a gait trainer. It's basically a huge baby walker that supports him under the arms and around the chest. His first time in it he pushed himself around a bit with his left leg and drug the right one, but after a while they said he pulled the right one up and tried to use it too. His second time in it he went down the school hall and into the gymnasium. Third time he didn't want to do much.
Micah has been showing more interest in food lately, we can't give him much, but he really enjoys what we do give him. He had a swallow study done at the local hospital and passed. This means that the speech therapists can start working with him on his swallow at school.
Micah goes to Franklin again on the 9th for a pump refill. This time the meds will be given in the same dose, but will be diluted. When Micah had his pre-pump surgery trials the meds were dilute. The docs are wondering if this may help. Being dilute, they will be forced to spread out faster and over a broader area. This will of course mean that I would have to make more frequent trips because part of the pump would be full of water and so would go faster. If this has no effect on Micah then both the Franklin doc and the St. Louis doc want us to take him to Indianapolis to visit with another doctor there. He has worked with patients like Micah that have had good trials and then had no effect after the pump placement. This would most likely mean another surgery to move the catheter again. Not something that either of us want to do.
Pray that God would give us wisdom and that we would hear what He wants us to do. He will have to speak very loud and clear if it's surgery! We are doing well, still have our ups and downs (don't think that will ever change), but I believe that we have more ups than downs. God knows our hearts and our desires for our son to be well again and so we each day keep laying Micah at His feet and wait for His perfect will to be worked out in our son. Thank you all so much for sticking with us and lifting us up in prayer. God has truly given us strength and joy beyond what is natural.
Blessings,
Tina
Sunday, December 26, 2010
December 26, 2010
Hello friends,
A very Merry Christmas to each of you and a blessed New Year! I'm so sorry to have kept you all in the dark for so long and I will do my best to let you know what all has happened since I last wrote. We are enjoying our Christmas break and the snow that has been falling all day today. Work on the house is progressing as Thomas has taken a long break for the holidays and has been taking the boys and a few friends and getting some things done there. We are still a ways off from moving in, but it will happen.
We have been to see the Neuro Dr. several times since I last wrote and are at approx. the dose we were trying to get to. We were able to get there faster than originally thought because Micah was handling it better. Unfortunately we have not seen much of a difference in him. We are trying giving the meds in a couple of different ways to see if the way it is delivered makes a difference. The first way has not made any difference, the second will not happen until the end of Jan. If we still see no difference, the Dr. wants us to go to IN to see a Dr. there. He would see what Micah's condition is like at the dose he is getting and then most likely would give him a lumbar puncture to see what the meds are capable of doing for him. Then if he agrees with the St. Louis & Franklin Drs. there would be the possibility of another surgery, done in IN, that would once again move the catheter. The IN Dr. has had several patients like Micah, who upon testing seemed like they would benefit from the pump and then when they get it there is no difference, he has been able to help them. I don't know when any of this will take place, but will do my best to let you know ahead of time.
As for the computer device I mentioned before, we do not have it yet, but all is going according to plan. There is a 30-60 day red tape process that has to be worked through in order to purchase it and the first hurdle has been overcome. Now we just wait. Micah is doing well in school still, but he gets frustrated with trying to communicate. It really takes a great deal of physical effort to do anything, constantly fighting against the tone issues.
We recently had a meeting in church where various people held up signs for things that they were believing God for in this new year. They asked our family to do a sign and I felt very impressed that we were to put unity of the body on ours. I wondered why not put Micah's healing on it, but then God quickly showed me that they are the same thing. Micah needs unity in his body just as God needs His people/body to be in unity. Micah's head knows what his body needs to do. His brain tells it what to do and the body hears, but there is so much tension holding him back that he simply cannot do what his head is telling him to do. The body of Christ is no different. God speaks to His people, some of them hear and listen, some just hear. Those who listen try to do what is right, but sometimes there is so much tension and strife from the rest of the body that they cannot do what God has asked of them to do. Why do we needlessly bicker with one another when we should be lifting our brothers up and encouraging them in the word. Imagine what our world would be like if the body of Christ worked in unity with our brothers. Imagine the good that could be done, the lives that would be changed... It would probably look something like a 12 year old boy - healthy, full of hope, full of joy, no obstacle too big for him.
God bless you all,
Tina
A very Merry Christmas to each of you and a blessed New Year! I'm so sorry to have kept you all in the dark for so long and I will do my best to let you know what all has happened since I last wrote. We are enjoying our Christmas break and the snow that has been falling all day today. Work on the house is progressing as Thomas has taken a long break for the holidays and has been taking the boys and a few friends and getting some things done there. We are still a ways off from moving in, but it will happen.
We have been to see the Neuro Dr. several times since I last wrote and are at approx. the dose we were trying to get to. We were able to get there faster than originally thought because Micah was handling it better. Unfortunately we have not seen much of a difference in him. We are trying giving the meds in a couple of different ways to see if the way it is delivered makes a difference. The first way has not made any difference, the second will not happen until the end of Jan. If we still see no difference, the Dr. wants us to go to IN to see a Dr. there. He would see what Micah's condition is like at the dose he is getting and then most likely would give him a lumbar puncture to see what the meds are capable of doing for him. Then if he agrees with the St. Louis & Franklin Drs. there would be the possibility of another surgery, done in IN, that would once again move the catheter. The IN Dr. has had several patients like Micah, who upon testing seemed like they would benefit from the pump and then when they get it there is no difference, he has been able to help them. I don't know when any of this will take place, but will do my best to let you know ahead of time.
As for the computer device I mentioned before, we do not have it yet, but all is going according to plan. There is a 30-60 day red tape process that has to be worked through in order to purchase it and the first hurdle has been overcome. Now we just wait. Micah is doing well in school still, but he gets frustrated with trying to communicate. It really takes a great deal of physical effort to do anything, constantly fighting against the tone issues.
We recently had a meeting in church where various people held up signs for things that they were believing God for in this new year. They asked our family to do a sign and I felt very impressed that we were to put unity of the body on ours. I wondered why not put Micah's healing on it, but then God quickly showed me that they are the same thing. Micah needs unity in his body just as God needs His people/body to be in unity. Micah's head knows what his body needs to do. His brain tells it what to do and the body hears, but there is so much tension holding him back that he simply cannot do what his head is telling him to do. The body of Christ is no different. God speaks to His people, some of them hear and listen, some just hear. Those who listen try to do what is right, but sometimes there is so much tension and strife from the rest of the body that they cannot do what God has asked of them to do. Why do we needlessly bicker with one another when we should be lifting our brothers up and encouraging them in the word. Imagine what our world would be like if the body of Christ worked in unity with our brothers. Imagine the good that could be done, the lives that would be changed... It would probably look something like a 12 year old boy - healthy, full of hope, full of joy, no obstacle too big for him.
God bless you all,
Tina
Thursday, October 7, 2010
October 7, 2010
Hello friends,
I pray that all of you are doing well and are enjoying some cooler weather as we are here in TN. The kids are on Fall break this week and have been enjoying themselves. We took a few days as a family and left town for a little R&R beside a lake. It was a very refreshing time. We just enjoyed each others company and God's creation.
Micah is enjoying his break from school also, he doesn't have to get up at 6 a.m.! We recently had a meeting at his school discussing how he is doing and what goals we/they have for him. His teacher has moved up several of his goals because they are learning that Micah understands very well what they are saying to him. He is still going to the reading/language arts class regularly and last week started going to a math class also. He does so well with his eyes (when he wants to) that the school is planning to purchase a computer system for him that uses his eye gaze (it tracks his retina movement) just like we use a mouse. With this system he would be able to do his school work and could also use it to communicate with others. The system would be his as long as he were in school and he would be able to keep it with him at all times. It is quite amazing!
We took Micah to see his Neuro Dr. yesterday for a refill on his pump. This is going okay, but we are not seeing as much change in Micah as we had hoped we would. The Dr. said that we need to get to a certain dose before we make any decisions as far as whether or not this is a help to Micah. It will take us until Feb. to get to that dose as we cannot go up too quickly. At that point we will decide what needs to be done.
As far as Micah's spirits go, he is doing well, much better than when I last wrote. There are still times when I see a little disappointment in his eyes, I guess that is to be expected. He does enjoy watching his siblings play and having fun, he will watch and laugh at them. I'm glad that he finds joy in this, but it also grieves my spirit to see him so healthy and so confined at the same time. He knows what he is missing out on and I find myself asking, "How long, O Lord...", but
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
Ps. 27:13-14
Blessings from the Father to each of you,
Tina
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Sept. 8, 2010
Hello friends,
Wow, I missed a whole month!! Sorry. It's been a busy time for us around here getting everyone ready for school. Micah is in the public school system where he gets all of his therapies on a regular basis, works on computers using either a switch or a toggle and has started going to a reading class. He has had two vocabulary tests and scored a 100 on both of them (he wanted me to tell you that)! Many of you are probably wondering how that works so... Micah has an aid that goes with him to class. He uses his left hand to point at things or push buttons and he also uses eye gaze. So he can either touch the answer or they can hold them up and he will stare at the answer. Micah also wanted me to tell each of you, "thank you so much for praying for me" and he had a huge smile on his face at the time.
During this past few weeks there have been times that we believe Micah was struggling with depression. It will be a year on the 10th since his accident and he knows that. He is doing much better, but prayers would be appreciated for this. I had a dream and someone was telling me that we have to get Micah to a point that he is consistently believing that God has something special for him. He has to believe in the promises of God.
As for the rest of us, we are doing well. We decided to put the 3 younger ones in a private school run by our church and they are doing well. I still have the 3 older ones at home with me, it's been really quiet during the day.
We are thankful to God for saving Micah and pray every day for his healing. We pray always that God would bless those who have been a blessing to us.
Blessings,
Tina
Wow, I missed a whole month!! Sorry. It's been a busy time for us around here getting everyone ready for school. Micah is in the public school system where he gets all of his therapies on a regular basis, works on computers using either a switch or a toggle and has started going to a reading class. He has had two vocabulary tests and scored a 100 on both of them (he wanted me to tell you that)! Many of you are probably wondering how that works so... Micah has an aid that goes with him to class. He uses his left hand to point at things or push buttons and he also uses eye gaze. So he can either touch the answer or they can hold them up and he will stare at the answer. Micah also wanted me to tell each of you, "thank you so much for praying for me" and he had a huge smile on his face at the time.
During this past few weeks there have been times that we believe Micah was struggling with depression. It will be a year on the 10th since his accident and he knows that. He is doing much better, but prayers would be appreciated for this. I had a dream and someone was telling me that we have to get Micah to a point that he is consistently believing that God has something special for him. He has to believe in the promises of God.
As for the rest of us, we are doing well. We decided to put the 3 younger ones in a private school run by our church and they are doing well. I still have the 3 older ones at home with me, it's been really quiet during the day.
We are thankful to God for saving Micah and pray every day for his healing. We pray always that God would bless those who have been a blessing to us.
Blessings,
Tina
Thursday, July 29, 2010
July 28, 2010
Hello friends,
Here I am again apologizing taking so long in between blogs, oh well. Micah is doing well, though he has been having some difficulty going to sleep this last week or so. We resorted, on a few days, to giving him some of his leftover sleep meds. We can only handle so many days of staying up til 2 or 3 in the morning!! I took him to see hi TN Dr. on the 19th to get his stitches out and get his meds bumped up a bit more. We are seeing some progress, but mostly on the left side. He has a lot more control over his leg and arm and is quicker to respond with them. The right side is still not moving much, but on the whole he is more relaxed on a regular basis. The Dr. programmed his pump to increase its dose tomorrow so maybe we will see some change on the right side too. My birthday was a few days ago and on that day Micah turned his head from left to right several times and also pulled his head up several times! That was a great birthday present, but I haven't seen him do it since then. We just keep praying.
I have felt lately that I need to share more about how Thomas & I are doing, but haven't wanted to. It's not that I don't want to be open, but more that I don't want it to seem like a pity party on line. Trust me, we have plenty of those and they're usually not very pretty! At the moment, we are doing well, but it usually doesn't take much to reduce us to tears. We seem to take turns on the "doing badly" times, God is good. A week or two ago I was having a really hard time. I was crying every day and bedtime was difficult too. I know that all we can do is depend on God and I do depend on Him greatly, but I had gotten to a place where I didn't want to spend time in His word. The reason for this was because every time I did God would give me something that brought me hope, then progress for Micah is so slow that it was disappointing. I'm thankful for every little thing he does and try to cheer him on, but when your hope is built up over and over and the answers you're looking for are not seen it is painful. That is one sermon I have never heard about hope, the painful part of it. What else can I do though? I can't not believe, I know all too well how much God loves me and how much He loves Micah and wants the best for him. It is a struggle to hold on to hope, to keep believing in what God has said again and again when you don't see the answer. The easy thing to do is to just settle for what the world has to offer and let go of that hope, to let go of that pain.
A rose bud is a beautiful thing, but when the flower opens and lets the fragrance out it is so much more beautiful. You do not get the full fragrance of the flower unless it opens. If a rose had the choice of whether or not to open, it may choose to stay shut. It could choose to stay a bud, but has to open to reach the fullness of its beauty. In doing so it has to bear the sun, wind, rain and pests that go along with it.
This is how I see our walk with Christ. We have to open ourselves up, even though it may bring us pain, so that we can be that fragrance of Christ that draws others to Him. We've come too far with Him to not trust Him with everything. Though at times we feel that we cannot go on we must trust that He knows our frames, our weaknesses, everything about us and He knows what we can bear. It is much more than we think possible if we keep our hearts and minds stayed on Him. I hope that this is an encouragement to those of you who are also struggling.
Here I am again apologizing taking so long in between blogs, oh well. Micah is doing well, though he has been having some difficulty going to sleep this last week or so. We resorted, on a few days, to giving him some of his leftover sleep meds. We can only handle so many days of staying up til 2 or 3 in the morning!! I took him to see hi TN Dr. on the 19th to get his stitches out and get his meds bumped up a bit more. We are seeing some progress, but mostly on the left side. He has a lot more control over his leg and arm and is quicker to respond with them. The right side is still not moving much, but on the whole he is more relaxed on a regular basis. The Dr. programmed his pump to increase its dose tomorrow so maybe we will see some change on the right side too. My birthday was a few days ago and on that day Micah turned his head from left to right several times and also pulled his head up several times! That was a great birthday present, but I haven't seen him do it since then. We just keep praying.
I have felt lately that I need to share more about how Thomas & I are doing, but haven't wanted to. It's not that I don't want to be open, but more that I don't want it to seem like a pity party on line. Trust me, we have plenty of those and they're usually not very pretty! At the moment, we are doing well, but it usually doesn't take much to reduce us to tears. We seem to take turns on the "doing badly" times, God is good. A week or two ago I was having a really hard time. I was crying every day and bedtime was difficult too. I know that all we can do is depend on God and I do depend on Him greatly, but I had gotten to a place where I didn't want to spend time in His word. The reason for this was because every time I did God would give me something that brought me hope, then progress for Micah is so slow that it was disappointing. I'm thankful for every little thing he does and try to cheer him on, but when your hope is built up over and over and the answers you're looking for are not seen it is painful. That is one sermon I have never heard about hope, the painful part of it. What else can I do though? I can't not believe, I know all too well how much God loves me and how much He loves Micah and wants the best for him. It is a struggle to hold on to hope, to keep believing in what God has said again and again when you don't see the answer. The easy thing to do is to just settle for what the world has to offer and let go of that hope, to let go of that pain.
A rose bud is a beautiful thing, but when the flower opens and lets the fragrance out it is so much more beautiful. You do not get the full fragrance of the flower unless it opens. If a rose had the choice of whether or not to open, it may choose to stay shut. It could choose to stay a bud, but has to open to reach the fullness of its beauty. In doing so it has to bear the sun, wind, rain and pests that go along with it.
This is how I see our walk with Christ. We have to open ourselves up, even though it may bring us pain, so that we can be that fragrance of Christ that draws others to Him. We've come too far with Him to not trust Him with everything. Though at times we feel that we cannot go on we must trust that He knows our frames, our weaknesses, everything about us and He knows what we can bear. It is much more than we think possible if we keep our hearts and minds stayed on Him. I hope that this is an encouragement to those of you who are also struggling.
Much love to you all and blessings from the Father,
Tina
Monday, July 12, 2010
July 12, 2010
Hello friends,
So sorry for being away so long. I did not have computer connections for most of the time that I was in MO & IL. We ended up staying on longer as the Dr. wanted us to be near by in case there was a problem. We stayed with my parents in IL until Micah reached 10 days post surgery, then went for a check up with the Dr. and came home the following day. Everything went well, the old catheter was removed and a new one placed in a different spot. We do not know the full results yet as we are still tweaking the dose. His Dr. cut his dose back by half so that there would be no chance of overdosing him. He has bumped him up twice and we will go to the Franklin Dr. next week to get out stitches and most likely get the meds bumped up a little more. We have noticed that Micah is moving himself more, but he is not any easier for us to move. As far as medicine goes, this is the end of the road for Micah as there is really nothing else medically that can be done for him. So, as from the beginning, he is in God's hands to do with as He pleases.
We got a chance to stop by Ranken Jordan while in St. Louis and see a few of our friends there for a few minutes and also took Micah to do a bit of shopping with us. He enjoys getting to do more than go to the doctor or church!
Yesterday Thomas picked Micah up to take him to his room and before leaving the room he spun Micah in circles and Micah laughed and laughed! We do love to hear him laugh. Another night we were getting him ready for bed and decided to stretch him out a bit. He never likes this and tends to tense up a lot which only makes it harder. On his own, he can almost put his left leg flat on the floor (I've only seen him do this since the surgery), but the right one he doesn't use much. While we were stretching him his sister told him jokes and funny stories, every time he laughed his leg would go out more. We ended up getting the right leg stretched farther than it has been in a long time. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine".
Staying in IL was a bit challenging because Thomas was not there and my parents house, though bigger, did not have all the conveniences that we have here to help with Micah. We took him downstairs to sleep one night, but when we carried him up the stairs the next morning we decided that once was enough and he would sleep upstairs the rest of the trip!!
By next Saturday I will once again have all of my children under one roof again!! I'm really excited about that!
Oh, I almost forgot, Micah will have therapists coming to the house a couple of times a week starting tomorrow. He most likely will not enjoy it, but it is good for him. Also, he ate several bites of pancake yesterday. That is more the type of therapy he likes! Thanks for your prayers.
Blessings,
Tina
So sorry for being away so long. I did not have computer connections for most of the time that I was in MO & IL. We ended up staying on longer as the Dr. wanted us to be near by in case there was a problem. We stayed with my parents in IL until Micah reached 10 days post surgery, then went for a check up with the Dr. and came home the following day. Everything went well, the old catheter was removed and a new one placed in a different spot. We do not know the full results yet as we are still tweaking the dose. His Dr. cut his dose back by half so that there would be no chance of overdosing him. He has bumped him up twice and we will go to the Franklin Dr. next week to get out stitches and most likely get the meds bumped up a little more. We have noticed that Micah is moving himself more, but he is not any easier for us to move. As far as medicine goes, this is the end of the road for Micah as there is really nothing else medically that can be done for him. So, as from the beginning, he is in God's hands to do with as He pleases.
We got a chance to stop by Ranken Jordan while in St. Louis and see a few of our friends there for a few minutes and also took Micah to do a bit of shopping with us. He enjoys getting to do more than go to the doctor or church!
Yesterday Thomas picked Micah up to take him to his room and before leaving the room he spun Micah in circles and Micah laughed and laughed! We do love to hear him laugh. Another night we were getting him ready for bed and decided to stretch him out a bit. He never likes this and tends to tense up a lot which only makes it harder. On his own, he can almost put his left leg flat on the floor (I've only seen him do this since the surgery), but the right one he doesn't use much. While we were stretching him his sister told him jokes and funny stories, every time he laughed his leg would go out more. We ended up getting the right leg stretched farther than it has been in a long time. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine".
Staying in IL was a bit challenging because Thomas was not there and my parents house, though bigger, did not have all the conveniences that we have here to help with Micah. We took him downstairs to sleep one night, but when we carried him up the stairs the next morning we decided that once was enough and he would sleep upstairs the rest of the trip!!
By next Saturday I will once again have all of my children under one roof again!! I'm really excited about that!
Oh, I almost forgot, Micah will have therapists coming to the house a couple of times a week starting tomorrow. He most likely will not enjoy it, but it is good for him. Also, he ate several bites of pancake yesterday. That is more the type of therapy he likes! Thanks for your prayers.
Blessings,
Tina
Monday, June 28, 2010
June 28, 2010
Hello friends,
Just wanted to let everyone know that Micah has been officially discharged and we will be headed to IL for a few days before going home to TN. We'll see how this works for Micah when all of the dose adjustments have been made. Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings,
Tina
Just wanted to let everyone know that Micah has been officially discharged and we will be headed to IL for a few days before going home to TN. We'll see how this works for Micah when all of the dose adjustments have been made. Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings,
Tina
Saturday, June 26, 2010
June 26, 2010
Hello friends,
Just a quick note to say that the surgery went well, we are in the PACU with Micah and he is just starting to wake up. I will need to stay here with him until at least Monday 28th so that the doc can watch him and adjust his med dose according to what we see happening with his tone. At the moment he is cut back to half the dose he was getting. By this evening, or at the latest tomorrow morning, we should know which direction (up or down) we need to go with the dose. Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings,
Tina
Just a quick note to say that the surgery went well, we are in the PACU with Micah and he is just starting to wake up. I will need to stay here with him until at least Monday 28th so that the doc can watch him and adjust his med dose according to what we see happening with his tone. At the moment he is cut back to half the dose he was getting. By this evening, or at the latest tomorrow morning, we should know which direction (up or down) we need to go with the dose. Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings,
Tina
Friday, June 25, 2010
St. Louis trip
Dear friends,
We got to Tina's parents house on Wednesday night. It is a little over an hour east of St. Louis. Josiah, Elizabeth, Matthew and Daniel are with Tina's parents. Abigail is gallivanting around somewhere in Kerala, India with my parents and Samuel is somewhere on a beach in St. Simons Island with some friends!
Tina and I were in St. Louis yesterday for a contrast study CT scan and bolus through the pump (extra dose of Baclofen). The CT showed that the pump was functioning properly but the bolus had no effect. So today we are back in St. Louis to do another trial with direct injection of the Baclofen. This will be administered through a lumbar puncture (kind of like a reverse spinal tap). He will stay in the hospital for observation over a period of 6 hours. We are not sure if we have to stay overnight. If we have positive results from today we have a couple of options. Change in dosage and/or repositioning of the catheter inside the spinal column (involves surgery). As you can see it is a try and see what happens method! So that's what is going on today. Surgery could possibly be tomorrow or Monday. I will probably return after the weekend to Jackson to get back to work (we drove separately just in case this happened). Please continue to hold us up in your prayers.
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where shall my help come from?
We got to Tina's parents house on Wednesday night. It is a little over an hour east of St. Louis. Josiah, Elizabeth, Matthew and Daniel are with Tina's parents. Abigail is gallivanting around somewhere in Kerala, India with my parents and Samuel is somewhere on a beach in St. Simons Island with some friends!
Tina and I were in St. Louis yesterday for a contrast study CT scan and bolus through the pump (extra dose of Baclofen). The CT showed that the pump was functioning properly but the bolus had no effect. So today we are back in St. Louis to do another trial with direct injection of the Baclofen. This will be administered through a lumbar puncture (kind of like a reverse spinal tap). He will stay in the hospital for observation over a period of 6 hours. We are not sure if we have to stay overnight. If we have positive results from today we have a couple of options. Change in dosage and/or repositioning of the catheter inside the spinal column (involves surgery). As you can see it is a try and see what happens method! So that's what is going on today. Surgery could possibly be tomorrow or Monday. I will probably return after the weekend to Jackson to get back to work (we drove separately just in case this happened). Please continue to hold us up in your prayers.
"I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where shall my help come from?
My help comes from Jehovah, who made Heaven and earth"
Shalom
Thomas
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
June 22, 2010
Hello friends,
Just a quick update to let you know our schedule for the weekend. Micah is scheduled for a CT (dye injection) and also the comparison test that I mentioned before on Thursday afternoon. The surgery will be the following day in the late morning. Thank you for your prayers for him, I will post results via the blog and FB also.
One other thing that I forgot to mention in the last blog was that I had gone to pick Micah up from school one day and all the teachers told me that I needed to pursue a different class for Micah as he was too smart to be put in their class : ) It's always nice when someone else sees what you knew was there. So, we have started the process of moving him up. That's all for now.
Blessings,
Tina
Just a quick update to let you know our schedule for the weekend. Micah is scheduled for a CT (dye injection) and also the comparison test that I mentioned before on Thursday afternoon. The surgery will be the following day in the late morning. Thank you for your prayers for him, I will post results via the blog and FB also.
One other thing that I forgot to mention in the last blog was that I had gone to pick Micah up from school one day and all the teachers told me that I needed to pursue a different class for Micah as he was too smart to be put in their class : ) It's always nice when someone else sees what you knew was there. So, we have started the process of moving him up. That's all for now.
Blessings,
Tina
Monday, June 14, 2010
June 14, 2010
Hello friends,
It seems it has been a while since I was last on here, sorry. Life is busy these days. I don't have time for too much this morning, but I wanted to update you on a couple of things.
First, the summer school for Micah is going well and he seems to enjoy it, but the bus rides are a little much. The mornings are okay, but coming home it has been really hot. He rides for almost an hour each way and the bus has no AC and with the high temps and humidity it's been difficult for him.
Second, we are headed to St. Louis on the 23rd of this month. We will take Micah for an outpatient test on the 24th and then on the 25th he is scheduled for his surgery. He will have to stay in for 2-3 days depending on how he does. If he is not in too much pain we will come home, but if he is then we may stay at my parents an extra day or so. Please pray that all would go well with him and that he would heal quickly. I must admit that I'm a bit worried about the surgery because after his last one he quit doing everything he had been previously doing. It was a long time before he tried to use his hands again.
Many blessings to each of you and thank you in advance for your prayers.
Tina
It seems it has been a while since I was last on here, sorry. Life is busy these days. I don't have time for too much this morning, but I wanted to update you on a couple of things.
First, the summer school for Micah is going well and he seems to enjoy it, but the bus rides are a little much. The mornings are okay, but coming home it has been really hot. He rides for almost an hour each way and the bus has no AC and with the high temps and humidity it's been difficult for him.
Second, we are headed to St. Louis on the 23rd of this month. We will take Micah for an outpatient test on the 24th and then on the 25th he is scheduled for his surgery. He will have to stay in for 2-3 days depending on how he does. If he is not in too much pain we will come home, but if he is then we may stay at my parents an extra day or so. Please pray that all would go well with him and that he would heal quickly. I must admit that I'm a bit worried about the surgery because after his last one he quit doing everything he had been previously doing. It was a long time before he tried to use his hands again.
Many blessings to each of you and thank you in advance for your prayers.
Tina
Monday, May 24, 2010
May 24, 2010
Hello friends,
Good afternoon, I pray everyone is doing well today. I just talked to the Dr. in Franklin and he, thankfully, canceled tomorrow's appt. as we have not noticed any difference in Micah since last week. Five hours of driving for a 20 minute appt. is a lot. They are going to start the processing for Micah's trip to St. Louis and I will let you know what is going on as soon as I hear back from them. This month we are going to put Micah into a summer program through the public school system. He will go Mon. - Fri. for 4 hrs. and will get all the various therapies he needs each day. If this goes well then we are looking at putting him into to this program (a program for the medically fragile) during the regular school year. They will pick him up and bring him home, he will get his therapies, there will be nurse on hand if necessary. We met with the people (at least a dozen) last week and were very impressed with them and the program. Before leaving Thomas prayed for all of them (not one of them protested), principal included. One of them told us later that that was the first time they had ever had a parent to pray for them. Micah will start the summer program on Wed. morning and probably the most difficult part of this will be getting him ready to go by 7 something in the morning and once again trusting him into the hands of someone else : (
While in church on Sunday, I felt impressed to share something with you back from the St. Louis days. I have lately been asked by a few people how I am able to handle this happening to Micah. In their eyes, I seem to have just taken everything in stride. Well, this is not so. I have days where the emotions are nearly uncontrollable, the least little thing can set me off to crying. For example, at the end of getting Abigail ready to leave I had a meltdown and mainly because I was realizing the feeling that I am already missing one child. That's what it feels like to me most of the time, the Micah we knew is not here and we miss him terribly. Most of the time, if I stay busy, I am fine. Anyway, what I experienced during that time was an overwhelming sense of security. Honestly, there were times that I felt like I could have driven through rush hour traffic in St. Louis blindfolded and I would have arrived at my destination unharmed. I believe that God knew that I was stretched as far as I could go at that time and I needed that sense of security to just be able to function. Even now there are times when I start to worry about something (finances, time, you name it) and it usually does not go beyond the starting point because God has proven Himself more than able to take care of us far beyond anything that we could ever do on our own.
Good afternoon, I pray everyone is doing well today. I just talked to the Dr. in Franklin and he, thankfully, canceled tomorrow's appt. as we have not noticed any difference in Micah since last week. Five hours of driving for a 20 minute appt. is a lot. They are going to start the processing for Micah's trip to St. Louis and I will let you know what is going on as soon as I hear back from them. This month we are going to put Micah into a summer program through the public school system. He will go Mon. - Fri. for 4 hrs. and will get all the various therapies he needs each day. If this goes well then we are looking at putting him into to this program (a program for the medically fragile) during the regular school year. They will pick him up and bring him home, he will get his therapies, there will be nurse on hand if necessary. We met with the people (at least a dozen) last week and were very impressed with them and the program. Before leaving Thomas prayed for all of them (not one of them protested), principal included. One of them told us later that that was the first time they had ever had a parent to pray for them. Micah will start the summer program on Wed. morning and probably the most difficult part of this will be getting him ready to go by 7 something in the morning and once again trusting him into the hands of someone else : (
While in church on Sunday, I felt impressed to share something with you back from the St. Louis days. I have lately been asked by a few people how I am able to handle this happening to Micah. In their eyes, I seem to have just taken everything in stride. Well, this is not so. I have days where the emotions are nearly uncontrollable, the least little thing can set me off to crying. For example, at the end of getting Abigail ready to leave I had a meltdown and mainly because I was realizing the feeling that I am already missing one child. That's what it feels like to me most of the time, the Micah we knew is not here and we miss him terribly. Most of the time, if I stay busy, I am fine. Anyway, what I experienced during that time was an overwhelming sense of security. Honestly, there were times that I felt like I could have driven through rush hour traffic in St. Louis blindfolded and I would have arrived at my destination unharmed. I believe that God knew that I was stretched as far as I could go at that time and I needed that sense of security to just be able to function. Even now there are times when I start to worry about something (finances, time, you name it) and it usually does not go beyond the starting point because God has proven Himself more than able to take care of us far beyond anything that we could ever do on our own.
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life,what you will
eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put
on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?"
Matthew 6:25-26
For those of you that do not have the answer to that question, it is yes. You are, no matter what you think, of great value to your Father.
Many blessings,
Tina
Monday, May 17, 2010
May 17, 2010
Hello friends,
I sorry I've been away so long. It's been a very busy few weeks. We didn't have any damage from the flooding that was going on here, though we did have a lake that reached from the neighbors driveways to within 15 ft. of our front door. Our prayers are with those who have lost everything during this time.
My eldest is just about to get on a plane headed to India to spend the next couple of months with her family there. She will be visiting both India & Nepal. She will be greatly missed here, but I'm so glad that she is getting this opportunity.
Around here, we are trying to finish up with school, fix up the new house & get this one ready to sell. It has been busy & I don't see that ending any time soon.
Micah has been doing well and is still enjoying being around the house with us. I took him to the dentist the other day for a cleaning, he did pretty good. The good news is that most of the teeth he has lost (other than the 2 front ones) have been baby teeth! I was so happy to hear that.
As for his pump, I think I said in the last blog that they weren't able to see any leakage. His Dr. in TN called the Dr. in MO (that did the pump surgery) to talk about Micah and they are both in agreement that it is not working. The surgeon asked if we would first try changing his dose before doing the last test which will end (no matter the outcome) with a surgery. Tomorrow, 2 pm we go to Franklin to let the Dr. reset the pump. Instead of getting a continuous amount all day he will get a large dose every few hours. If there is no noticeable difference with this then most likely we will be headed to St. Louis for the other test.
Lastly, I wanted to share something that I read today:
When something big happens - a blessing or a tragedy - we recognize it immediately and respond with praise or pleadings to God. But, in the little things - the routine, the mundane, the details - it's easy for us to overlook that He is working.
"You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 32:19
As in a forest, the big stuff which is visible and colorful (the partly decayed organic matter of leaves and sicks that covers the forest floor) is an important part of the forest, but if you dig a little deeper to what is beneath you will find all sorts of important little things happening. It is here among all these little things that God is building the future forest.
It is in the little things of our lives that God builds us as His people. The everyday routines of life, the mundane tasks those jobs that seem to go on in an unending cycle of boredom, these are the things that grow us and test our character. Our whole lives are an offering to God, an act of worship to our Creator. God built our physical bodies out of small things, so we too are to take the small things of our lives and build, with His help, something beautiful that will bring glory to God. Don't think that you have to be a pastor or a missionary to do the "important work", everything we do is important in the building up of the kingdom because everything we do affects someone else. Maybe, we get the chance to do these little things over and over everyday because God knows that those are the things we need the most practice in doing to the best of our abilities.
May God bless you today with the opportunity to do a little thing well.
Blessings,
Tina
I sorry I've been away so long. It's been a very busy few weeks. We didn't have any damage from the flooding that was going on here, though we did have a lake that reached from the neighbors driveways to within 15 ft. of our front door. Our prayers are with those who have lost everything during this time.
My eldest is just about to get on a plane headed to India to spend the next couple of months with her family there. She will be visiting both India & Nepal. She will be greatly missed here, but I'm so glad that she is getting this opportunity.
Around here, we are trying to finish up with school, fix up the new house & get this one ready to sell. It has been busy & I don't see that ending any time soon.
Micah has been doing well and is still enjoying being around the house with us. I took him to the dentist the other day for a cleaning, he did pretty good. The good news is that most of the teeth he has lost (other than the 2 front ones) have been baby teeth! I was so happy to hear that.
As for his pump, I think I said in the last blog that they weren't able to see any leakage. His Dr. in TN called the Dr. in MO (that did the pump surgery) to talk about Micah and they are both in agreement that it is not working. The surgeon asked if we would first try changing his dose before doing the last test which will end (no matter the outcome) with a surgery. Tomorrow, 2 pm we go to Franklin to let the Dr. reset the pump. Instead of getting a continuous amount all day he will get a large dose every few hours. If there is no noticeable difference with this then most likely we will be headed to St. Louis for the other test.
Lastly, I wanted to share something that I read today:
When something big happens - a blessing or a tragedy - we recognize it immediately and respond with praise or pleadings to God. But, in the little things - the routine, the mundane, the details - it's easy for us to overlook that He is working.
"You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 32:19
As in a forest, the big stuff which is visible and colorful (the partly decayed organic matter of leaves and sicks that covers the forest floor) is an important part of the forest, but if you dig a little deeper to what is beneath you will find all sorts of important little things happening. It is here among all these little things that God is building the future forest.
It is in the little things of our lives that God builds us as His people. The everyday routines of life, the mundane tasks those jobs that seem to go on in an unending cycle of boredom, these are the things that grow us and test our character. Our whole lives are an offering to God, an act of worship to our Creator. God built our physical bodies out of small things, so we too are to take the small things of our lives and build, with His help, something beautiful that will bring glory to God. Don't think that you have to be a pastor or a missionary to do the "important work", everything we do is important in the building up of the kingdom because everything we do affects someone else. Maybe, we get the chance to do these little things over and over everyday because God knows that those are the things we need the most practice in doing to the best of our abilities.
May God bless you today with the opportunity to do a little thing well.
Blessings,
Tina
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
April 28, 2010
Hello friends,
Today went well. Unlike our last trip to Vandy, when I walked in the door there were people waiting on me and they had already checked us in! They were really embarrassed by the last trip there. Micah went through the test and CT with no problems or complaints, but thus far they have not noticed any leaking. They were going to study the pictures more and let us know if they find anything. Our Dr. told us that this test may not show anything, but he wanted to do it first as it was the least invasive of the tests. Our next step will be a comparison test. Micah will spend the day at the hospital for this one. They will first give him a large dose of his med via the pump and then watch him for a few hours to see if they notice a difference in him. Later in the day he would get an injection of the same med right into the spine and the again they would watch him. If we see a difference only in the injection, then we will know that the pump is not working properly. He got an injection like this when they did the trial before the pump was placed in him. Had the trial not gone well Micah would not have gotten the pump. We don't have a date for this test yet, but I should find out something in the next few days. Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings,
Tina
Today went well. Unlike our last trip to Vandy, when I walked in the door there were people waiting on me and they had already checked us in! They were really embarrassed by the last trip there. Micah went through the test and CT with no problems or complaints, but thus far they have not noticed any leaking. They were going to study the pictures more and let us know if they find anything. Our Dr. told us that this test may not show anything, but he wanted to do it first as it was the least invasive of the tests. Our next step will be a comparison test. Micah will spend the day at the hospital for this one. They will first give him a large dose of his med via the pump and then watch him for a few hours to see if they notice a difference in him. Later in the day he would get an injection of the same med right into the spine and the again they would watch him. If we see a difference only in the injection, then we will know that the pump is not working properly. He got an injection like this when they did the trial before the pump was placed in him. Had the trial not gone well Micah would not have gotten the pump. We don't have a date for this test yet, but I should find out something in the next few days. Thanks for your prayers!
Blessings,
Tina
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 27, 2010
Hello friends,
Well, Micah has continued to do well off of his meds and tomorrow morning we once again head to Nashville to see about the pump. Hopefully this time there will be someone there to do the test! I'm not sure how to pray about this except that God's will be done. I'd love to have him off of the meds, but I'd also like for it to not be working, get it fixed and see him be able to move more. His appt. is at 10:30 am and will take about 1 1/2 hours. I'm keeping this short and will try to get back on here tomorrow evening to let you know what we find out, if anything.
Blessings and thank you for your prayers,
Tina
Well, Micah has continued to do well off of his meds and tomorrow morning we once again head to Nashville to see about the pump. Hopefully this time there will be someone there to do the test! I'm not sure how to pray about this except that God's will be done. I'd love to have him off of the meds, but I'd also like for it to not be working, get it fixed and see him be able to move more. His appt. is at 10:30 am and will take about 1 1/2 hours. I'm keeping this short and will try to get back on here tomorrow evening to let you know what we find out, if anything.
Blessings and thank you for your prayers,
Tina
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 19, 2010
Hello friends,
Well the birthday went well and Micah got a new friend whose picture I hope to get on here soon. He was a happy camper all day! My parents came for the weekend and were very happily surprised with Micah. They had not seen him since we left St. Louis and he has changed a lot since then. This afternoon I was called to his room by Abigail who found him with his leg hanging over the side of the bed and the rails were up (left leg over the right rail)! I have not seen him do that since before his pump surgery in Nov. I think. At that time he was doing that so often that they put him in a bed that was like a tent so he couldn't fall out.
He is still doing well off of the meds, no vomiting etc... He was on 8 different meds when we came home in Feb. and now we are down to 2, praise God! The last one he has only been off of for 2-3 days and so far there is no problem. On the 28th we will have the test done to see if his pump is working properly.
We are all doing well by the grace of God. We are keeping busy with work, school, Micah & the new house. Renovation is going well and we have been blessed to have a lot of friends (new & old) to show up and give us a hand. We've been taking Micah with us also and I think he enjoys getting out and seeing all the people and there is always something going on for him to occupy himself with.
I've been thinking a lot lately about hope. My Bible defines it as: the expectation of future good. Future good, that means something isn't good now. We all know the popular verses about hope, but there is one much less quoted,
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."
Proverbs 13:12
What I like about this verse is that it says "when" the desire comes, not "if". My desire is obvious, sometimes though, I catch myself thinking that it would be easier to just accept things the way they are. Why would I think that? Well, because hope is painful. To continually put my hope & trust in God, believing Him for Micah's healing opens me up to all kinds of pain. It's okay for me/us to hurt and to cry out to God, the balance is to not live in that pain. If I live in that pain then I am not trusting God and there is no room for joy in my heart. God does not work on the same schedule as I do, if He did Micah would have been healed a long time ago and all the prayers of different people around the world, answered. So, what do I do? Should I quit hoping so that I can avoid the pain that comes with it? I think not, and you should not quit hoping for whatever your desires may be either. Don't be afraid to cry out to God, but take time also to praise Him & thank Him. Praise Him and the joy will come.
Blessings,
Tina
Well the birthday went well and Micah got a new friend whose picture I hope to get on here soon. He was a happy camper all day! My parents came for the weekend and were very happily surprised with Micah. They had not seen him since we left St. Louis and he has changed a lot since then. This afternoon I was called to his room by Abigail who found him with his leg hanging over the side of the bed and the rails were up (left leg over the right rail)! I have not seen him do that since before his pump surgery in Nov. I think. At that time he was doing that so often that they put him in a bed that was like a tent so he couldn't fall out.
He is still doing well off of the meds, no vomiting etc... He was on 8 different meds when we came home in Feb. and now we are down to 2, praise God! The last one he has only been off of for 2-3 days and so far there is no problem. On the 28th we will have the test done to see if his pump is working properly.
We are all doing well by the grace of God. We are keeping busy with work, school, Micah & the new house. Renovation is going well and we have been blessed to have a lot of friends (new & old) to show up and give us a hand. We've been taking Micah with us also and I think he enjoys getting out and seeing all the people and there is always something going on for him to occupy himself with.
I've been thinking a lot lately about hope. My Bible defines it as: the expectation of future good. Future good, that means something isn't good now. We all know the popular verses about hope, but there is one much less quoted,
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."
Proverbs 13:12
What I like about this verse is that it says "when" the desire comes, not "if". My desire is obvious, sometimes though, I catch myself thinking that it would be easier to just accept things the way they are. Why would I think that? Well, because hope is painful. To continually put my hope & trust in God, believing Him for Micah's healing opens me up to all kinds of pain. It's okay for me/us to hurt and to cry out to God, the balance is to not live in that pain. If I live in that pain then I am not trusting God and there is no room for joy in my heart. God does not work on the same schedule as I do, if He did Micah would have been healed a long time ago and all the prayers of different people around the world, answered. So, what do I do? Should I quit hoping so that I can avoid the pain that comes with it? I think not, and you should not quit hoping for whatever your desires may be either. Don't be afraid to cry out to God, but take time also to praise Him & thank Him. Praise Him and the joy will come.
Blessings,
Tina
Thursday, April 15, 2010
April 15, 2010
Hello friends,
Well, I am happy to say that Micah is off of his muscle relaxant with not problems. We started this process last Tuesday, since that time he has gotten more relaxed and has not thrown up in a week now. Oh, and Micah's birthday is tomorrow, he will be twelve. He is very excited, maybe we will get a new picture on here of him on his birthday. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
We went to church this evening and had a wonderful time of worship. One song in particular really touched me, I've put the words below (emphasis mine). I pray this will minister to you as much as it did me.
Blessings,
Tina
Desert Song (Hillsong)
Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
Verse 2:
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
Chorus:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
Verse 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow
Well, I am happy to say that Micah is off of his muscle relaxant with not problems. We started this process last Tuesday, since that time he has gotten more relaxed and has not thrown up in a week now. Oh, and Micah's birthday is tomorrow, he will be twelve. He is very excited, maybe we will get a new picture on here of him on his birthday. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
We went to church this evening and had a wonderful time of worship. One song in particular really touched me, I've put the words below (emphasis mine). I pray this will minister to you as much as it did me.
Blessings,
Tina
Desert Song (Hillsong)
Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
Verse 2:
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
Chorus:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
Verse 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow
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