Progress Progress

Well, I thought it was well past time for an update. Thanks so much for the prayers. Mother is continuing to do really well. I am thinking perhaps another two weeks, at the most she will have to be in rehab. Of course, there are still other issues we have to address. I honestly have a list and we will work our way down. (lol)

Last week, she had an eye appointment for cataract assessment. She still can’t ride in a car, so I had to just meet her over there and the rehab center had her transported in an ambulance. Before the cataracts can be addressed she has an infection of some sort that has to be treated. So the doctor prescribed medication for that and we go back in three weeks and will see if it is cleared up. If so, we will then work on the cataract issue.

I have seen major progress in Mother’s rehab this week especially and I must say she really gives it her all. I stayed several days for her therapy sessions and the improvement is substantial. She will have to have a hospital bed temporarily once she comes home, so I am going to go ahead and have that ready. Plus she will have home therapy three days a week. It will be nice to have it in place for our next step anyway, which will be having both of her knees replaced. I told her before long she was going to be the bionic woman with all her new parts.

The one issue that we are still battling the most is the anemia. Her levels are still very low, which means she has to continue to use the oxygen. We are really praying that she will be able to get off of this. With her being on a walker, having to deal with oxygen will be a little tricky. The nurse called me this morning and they are going to start giving her some weekly injections, along with some additional vitamins, in hopes of getting her hemoglobin levels to a point where they will stay leveled out. As I have said before, she has dealt with anemia most all her life (as have I) but what I didn’t realize is that people who deal with chronic joint inflammation are at a much higher risk for this problem. So the fact that she is prone to anemia already has really just added to this. Now that we know the facts, I am hopeful and prayerful that perhaps we can remedy it.

It is just a slow process but the main thing is that she is making great improvement. It has been a long time since she has enjoyed quality of life and that is my biggest goal. At 72 she is too young not to be able to enjoy life.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Knowing that you have bathed us in prayer has been a wonderful feeling and so appreciated.

Much love,

Lyndy

God is Good All the Time

Hello my sweet bloggy friends. What a ride I have been on in the last three weeks or so. Some of you know that Mother has been ill and in the hospital. For those of you that have prayed and emailed me, I love you more than you know and so appreciate you. Thank you so much.

Most of you know that the last year or so has been hard, really hard for me. I have faced some pretty challenging things and have totally had to rely on God. Not a bad place to be and where I should be all the time but still, who wants to have one blow right after another. This was one of the biggest reasons that my blogging fell by the wayside. I admit after so many blows, I was just not in a great place for a long time.

So I will admit when this happened with Mother my first thought was not so good and not at all positive. However, I can truly say that God has carried me through these past weeks and I have seen and felt His fingerprints all over this situation, as well as others I was dealing with. Let me just tell you God is so good and He NEVER lets us down. I was also fortunate enough to grab my bible up when getting things to go to the hospital and boy was I happy to have it with me. A blessing indeed.

For those of you that don’t know, about three weeks ago, I dropped my laptop and busted my screen. The next morning, after my brilliant move with the laptop, I had to have Mother rushed to hospital. I honestly thought she was dying on me and it was horrible, as you can imagine. I could not get her to respond to me at all. After running tests, it was found that she was severely anemic and required four units of blood. Then because of the medication she was on her blood pressure dropped to frighteningly low rates and that caused a problem with her oxygen. She was extremely weak and very swollen because her body was retaining water, which also made it hard for her to move around or walk.

The day they wanted to discharge her, they realized that would be impossible as it took two physical therapist just to help her to set up on the side of the bed. It was obvious pretty soon that I could not bring her home because I would not be able to get her up and down, as she was unable to sit up, much less walk. It was determined that she needed to go to rehab for therapy until she could gain her strength back.

I will admit this was a blow to both of us, as it was something we never expected. To make matters worse, the only place in our area that does therapy for in patient is at the nursing home. Fortunately, the rehab unit there is rated one of the best and I must admit they have been great. Though as you can imagine, having to be there with so many people that are suffering from dementia and many other things, is very difficult. You don’t get a private room and the roommate Mother has is just pitiful.
We got her checked in and settled and I have really been impressed with her care. They call me frequently with updates and each time they change her medicine or routine. I have been kept very well informed.

I didn’t leave the hospital for 10 days and I will admit it sure was nice to sleep in my own bed. For the first few days after she entered rehab, I would get there about 8 or 9 in the morning and stay all day. I know that made her more comfortable while she got used to being there and I got to have lunch with her each day too.

In rehab you don’t have phones in your room but you can keep your cell phone, so I took her cell phone up to her and now she can call me whenever she wants and I can call and check on her. This has freed me up, so that I have been able to have some much needed time at home.

I can see improvement everyday and she is so much more alert. I know that the anemia must have been slowly coming on for some time and we just didn’t realize how weak she was getting. She deals with so much pain on a daily basis due to her RA and osteo arthritis that it is hard to know a lot of times. I have realized that when you are with someone all the time, it is easy to overlook things, especially if they come on slowly.

Our prayers have truly been answered and she is doing extremely well. I am a blessed girl indeed.

Much Love,

Lyndy

Kelly and Harper Update

Latest update from Kelly’s dad is below. Please continue to pray. I am just so amazed by the outpouring of love from bloggers. This is just one of the reasons that I love all of my fellow bloggers so much.

Much love,
Lyndy

Judy, Kelly, and I were finally able to make the move from Fayetteville to Tulsa by around 5:30 this evening. At the hospital we discovered that many "blog" friends who live in the Tulsa area had made visits to Scott and his family. What an incredible blessing! One of Kelly's very special friends - Caroline - and her mom Robin made the trip from near Ft. Worth to Tulsa just to encourage and support Kelly, Scott, and Harper. Talk about going the second mile to demonstrate the love of God! We all had a wonderful visit with them. Now for an update on Harper.

Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Tonight we are as always striving to live by faith and not by sight. Sight says that little Harper is still very critical. According to the nursing staff her heart is slightly enlarged on one side and not putting out quite the blood flow that it should. Sight says that she is still having great difficulty breathing and suffering the effects of pneumonia. Sight says she is in for a long stay in the NICU. Sight also says that she is a gorgeous little baby girl. I say little, all 9 lbs 12 ozs of her make her look like a giant compared to most of the many little ones who populate the NICU. As I gazed into her helpless little face this evening I could not help but notice the others. Could it be that some of them had not had even one prayer spoken for them? I immediately thought of the literally thousands of prayers that have been expressed on Harper's behalf. I bowed my head and said, "Please God, may all of these precious children benefit from the prayers that have gone up for Harper."

Now faith is substance and faith is evidence. With the eyes of faith I see God at work bringing healing to my granddaughter. With the eyes of faith I see myself holding her "substance" in my arms and whispering in her ear, "Harper, Jesus loves you - and so does grandad." I have a peace that our loving God will answer the prayers of his "saints" - all of you who have truly shown you care.

UPDATE Urgent Prayer Request

UPDATE from Kelly's dad

We have been riding a roller coaster of emotions all evening. The first report from the pediatrician did not leave us with much hope for her survival. However God has been listening and answering prayer - one step at a time. Plans have now changed. Children's had all their helicopter units out, so Harper is now getting ready to be transported to St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Ok. (Nearing 12:30AM) That hospital has all the necessary equipment to provide Harper with the procedure she needs to save her little life. She essentially needs to be put on a heart-lung bypass machine for several days.Her heart is strong which is a big plus. We were able to visit her in ICU and I have to tell you that she is the most beautiful little baby I have ever laid my eyes on. We are very hopeful tonight after visiting again with the pediatrician and the attendants in ICU. Judy and I will be taking Kelly to Tulsa tomorrow when she is dismissed - probably not until the afternoon.God is always good. He is on the throne and we know He loves this little child. What more could you ask for?Again, I cannot begin to tell each of you who read this how much we appreciate the heartfelt concern and most of all your prayers.

Please pray for Kelly and her newborn daughter, Harper. Harper was born tonight and is having trouble breathing and they are not sure what is going on. Kelly lost a lot of blood and her blood pressure is very low.This sweet family needs our prayers!

UPDATE from Kelly: We need you to lift us up in prayer like you never have before. Harper is in VERY critical condition and they are going to fly her to AR Children's hospital. It is very, very serious and the NICU doctor did not give us a favorable report. Scott and his parents will be driving there tonight. My parents and I will be driving there in the morning as soon as I can get out of the hospital. We know that God is soveriegn. WE KNOW that God is the same right now to us as He was to us this morning when we were so excited and praising Him as we drove to the hospital. We know that He loves us and no matter what happens - we will continue to praise Him.

Please pray for this sweet family. As with any child this one has been so wanted and looked forward too.

Much love,

Lyndy

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 2

I am so loving participating in the memory verses. This is the verse God put on my heart for my second verse.

Philippians 4 6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

My first verse of the year is below and I got so much out of it. God knows the future and wants us to trust him for the journey ahead. When we feel abandoned captives, he promises his presence. When we tire of waiting for distant dreams, he promises strength. No matter how bleak our circumstances, God promises “hope and a future”.


Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Much love,

Lyndy

A Study of James Chapter 2

Sweet Amanda over at Mama Sings is leading a bible study on the book of James. I have really gotten so much out of it and hope you will join us.

James 2 (Contemporary English Version)

Warning against Having Favorites

1 My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3 You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. 4 That is the same as saying that some people are better than others and you would be acting like a crooked judge.

5 My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. He has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6 You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? 7 Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?

I don’t think that there is a one of us that could not be considered guilty of looking down at someone at some point in our lives. How many of us have walked into a room and saw someone dressed to the nines and someone who would be dressed by today’s standard’s as poor and we chose to sit by the fancy dressed person. It is sad to say but that happens all the time and even our churches look down on people who are not dressed appropriately sitting in their pews.

8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned. 10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. 11 The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God's Law.

12 Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13 Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful!

I know I have been guilty of this. We all had cliques in high school but I find they are even in our churches. I truly try to befriend everyone but I now I don’t always succeed.
Amanda also made a good point of being kind especially to people we encounter in check-outs or in stores. I need to try and do better at this because sometimes I am just in a hurry and want to get in and out quickly.

Faith and Works
14 My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn't just say, "I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts. If our lives remain unchanged, we don't truly believe the truths we claim to believe.

From a worldly perspective, why is it some important to have deeds along with faith? It demonstrates to others what it means to be a Christian. H.L. Wilmington says, "a silent believer may indeed be a saint before God, but he remains a sinner before man until he walks the walk and talks the talk of Christian service."

18 Suppose someone disagrees and says, "It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds. "I would answer, "Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them."

While it is true that our deeds cannot earn salvation, true faith always results in a changed life and good deeds. Bottom line: faith brings us salvation; active obedience demonstrates that our faith is genuine.

19 You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear. 20 Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless?

You know you can see some people and you just know and they show the love of God in every aspect of their lives. I always wanted to have that and I finally had to accept that we all have different gifts and I need to concentrate on that and let others be able to see God in my life by using my own gifts and not trying be someone God has not called me to be.

21Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. 22 Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved that his faith was real by what he did. 23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, "Abraham had faith in God, and God was pleased with him." That's how Abraham became God's friend. 24 You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe.

25 For example, Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent them home by another way. 26 Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!

I admit that I struggle with faith and I guess I always will. Isn’t it funny how we can have more faith in God moving in someone else’s life that we can our own? I don’t know about you but I long to have more faith and to be more like Abraham and Rahab.

Much love,

Lyndy

God Stop Friday

This has been a week where I have seen God moving in my life, in a real way. I am so thankful that my Father God has calmed my anxious heart. I have done so much better at praying and leaving things at God’s feet. I don’t know about you but I have spent so much wasted time worrying and being fearful. Actually, I guess that would be an understatement because when I do things I go big or go home and believe me when I allow fear to take root in my heart it quickly turns to panic. Then that panic quickly multiplies and takes over my mind in all areas. This has been a huge stronghold for me and I am so thankful that through lots of prayer I have started off the New Year by keeping that fear at bay.

Just like an addict though, I know that I will always have to pray and trust God in this area of my life.

It has been a hectic week and a week where I have had some choices to make and God gave me so much peace in these areas and I give Him all the glory.
I have said before that I was blessed to be born and raised in a Christian home but it has taken me 40 years to finally really and truly know that trusting God means. This is a wonderful journey I am on with my Father God and for the first time in a long time I am excited to see what He has in store for me.

Have a blessed weekend my friends.

Much love,

Lyndy