This coming Wednesday I will be headed to San Antonio with David and Brandon. The School District that I work for has paid for me to go to two different conferences this summer. One was earlier this month in Las Vegas, I missed that one, and although the district completely understands, I did not want to make them eat all of those nonrefundable fees again.
My Uncle lives in San Antonio so I will be able to attend the conference and have him watch David and Brandon. Once the conference ends I will spend a few days with my family (so that they can wait hand and foot on me and my every need! LOL) before heading back up to Ft. Worth for Jason and Julie's wedding. I am very excited about the wedding and hope everyone can make it. Your presence will mean a lot.
My blog will be silent for the next two weeks as it has been relatively silent lately anyway. With all that said, I'll sign off for now.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Gracie Clark
Alayna Elms
Haiden Isom
Madison Shahan
Wesley Shahan
For ALL of you recently getting the Holy Ghost!
I have been very busy lately and have not told all of you how happy I am for you.
A Note for Everyone Else:
I was talking with my Pastor's wife, Sis. Elms, just the other day about children who receive the Holy Ghost at a young age. I think all too often we fail to be as serious about a child's spiritual development as we should. There are some people who are so skeptical about a child's spiritual 'body' and in particular that of a young child. What we sometimes fail to realize is that children who are brought up in a home where God and His spirit is always present can be years ahead of other children in there spiritual development.
As a public school teacher I can readily see the effects of parents who bring their children up in homes where learning, studying, and reading are all emphasized. You can hear a child read a story in sixth grade and know if they had parents who took the time to read expressively to them as a young child. You can also see who the students are who are only being educated from 8:00 - 3:30 each day. The difference can be astounding.
Why would we think that spiritual development is any different? Children who are raised in Godly homes where the presence of God is felt, and a life of serving God is experienced, not just talked about, should be years ahead of children who have not been given the same spiritual attention. Too many babies are spiritually starving and therefore lacking the necessary spiritual development to understand and grasp the things of God at a time in life where the pull of the world is less than it will ever be.
I believe wholeheartedly that having the Holy Ghost before the age of ten (if not younger these days) is paramount for any child who has been raised in the truth. Why- because soon after, the pull of the world and the pressures of an ungodly society will really began to be felt. Children can certainly get the Holy Ghost later; however, it will not be nearly as easily as when they are younger.
Ice Cream, cake, pizza, high-fives, hugs, kisses, 'I love You's; all of these are totally in order!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Unseen Hands
I know I have not blogged in a while, but things have been very surreal. (I guess that is a good word. I can't really think of any better word.) For those of you who do not know all the details... I will start at the beginning.
Tuesday, May 23, my mother admitted herself to the hospital because she had a fever for several days and was not being able to use the restroom which is a common side effect with individuals who suffer from ovarian cancer. She had not felt good form some time, but really did not think anything of it because the last chemo she had taken really took its toll. She ended up missing just about the whole last month of school.
Once she arrived at the Emergency Room and the doctors began to do testing, it was discovered that she had an infection. Her fever was very high. Her doctor and the other physicians at the hospital who saw her immediately gave her a very poor prognosis. With multiple scans we learned that the tumors in her abdomen had grown and entwined themselves in her intestines.
Normally people have a protective membrane around the intestines that would prevent such an aggressive attack to such a vital organ. My mother does not have one because all ovarian cancer patients who have undergone a stage III removal have this membrane removed as well. They do this because microscopic cancer cells stick to the membrane and can cause reoccurrence. Many times, especially at a stage III, reoccurrence happens anyway.
With her intestines unprotected and the negative effect of the last chemo drug, the tumors wrapped themselves around her intestines obstructing parts of her intestinal track. Because the intestines are responsible for absorbing everything the body takes in, chemo has not been an option because it will not be absorbed. Radiation was never an option due to the vital organs that reside where the tumors are located.
In the past two and half weeks of our hospital stay, my mother has had numerous scans, enemas, antibiotics, and several different drugs to try and combat what is happening in her body. While there have been some days where positive steps have been taken there are also days like today where we seem to be spiraling backward.
As of today, Friday, June 8: her temperature is back up to 104. No one really knows why. Her doctor has said more than once he never expected her to live this long and he certainly does not expect her to live very much longer- period. I know I have painted a dismal picture.
I say all of this to say that as I lay in the cot next to her bed last night in the hospital, I was struck by the evidence of God’s hand in all of this.
On the sixth floor of United Regional, the hospital where she is staying, her daytime nurse is named Ryan. He is the son of the pastor in Iowa Park, Texas- the neighboring community west of Wichita Falls. Her evening charge nurse is Andy, also a member of the church in Iowa Park. Another evening nurse of hers is Lisa, a lady who happens to live three doors down from my parents. My mother and she had never met although they have known of each other for some time. One of the hospital technicians, who have been monitoring her condition, is named Tonya. She has visited Life Tabernacle before and immediately placed us with the church.
Every person who has worked with my mom has had some connection to her, our church, or our family in some way or another.
On Thursday morning, Ryan the nurse from Iowa Park came into the room very excited. Apparently several of his coworkers from the sixth floor have been asking him questions about church. On Wednesday night, three of them attended the church in Iowa Park and all of them brought their families. He said the entire attitude of the floor has changed since we arrived.
Early this morning, I was talking to Tonya, my mother’s technician and the lady who has attended Life Tabernacle, about church and how excited Ryan was to have so many visitors from his job. When we finished she commented on how our family has been such a blessing to her while we have been at the hospital these past few weeks.
So there I was, laying the cot next to my mother, wondering why God just doesn’t do the miraculous right now! What happened next has happened before. It was almost as if I looked back and could see finger prints of God in everything that has been happening. It’s as if I am following Him, only rounding the corner just in time to see the proof that He was there, but not actually seeing Him. If that makes any sense at all?
I know that God can heal my mother. I know that He will. I believe that He will heal her and she will be a ‘living’ testament of His glory. I refuse to back the statement up with conditions. He will because He said He would.
She was prayed for by evangelist Tim Williams several months before she had cancer and he told her that this sickness would not overcome her. At the time she didn’t even know she had cancer and kind of thought he was a little overly zealous. Wouldn’t you? lol
God also gave her a scripture that says, “This sickness is not unto death…” I know God will heal.
Perhaps I am writing all of this more for me than any of you; nevertheless, you know where we are. We are back to square one- back to the dark prognosis of death and hopelessness; however, they do not know what we know!
A few days ago a scripture in Matthew chapter 11 came to my mind again when I felt like I could take no more. (Thank you to whoever made that moment possible through your prayers.) “Come unto me all ye, who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give rest… take my yoke upon you, come and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
Keep praying and keep believing, God will do what He has said He will do. So… I leave you with this…
God is good. All is well. The anchor holds.
Tuesday, May 23, my mother admitted herself to the hospital because she had a fever for several days and was not being able to use the restroom which is a common side effect with individuals who suffer from ovarian cancer. She had not felt good form some time, but really did not think anything of it because the last chemo she had taken really took its toll. She ended up missing just about the whole last month of school.
Once she arrived at the Emergency Room and the doctors began to do testing, it was discovered that she had an infection. Her fever was very high. Her doctor and the other physicians at the hospital who saw her immediately gave her a very poor prognosis. With multiple scans we learned that the tumors in her abdomen had grown and entwined themselves in her intestines.
Normally people have a protective membrane around the intestines that would prevent such an aggressive attack to such a vital organ. My mother does not have one because all ovarian cancer patients who have undergone a stage III removal have this membrane removed as well. They do this because microscopic cancer cells stick to the membrane and can cause reoccurrence. Many times, especially at a stage III, reoccurrence happens anyway.
With her intestines unprotected and the negative effect of the last chemo drug, the tumors wrapped themselves around her intestines obstructing parts of her intestinal track. Because the intestines are responsible for absorbing everything the body takes in, chemo has not been an option because it will not be absorbed. Radiation was never an option due to the vital organs that reside where the tumors are located.
In the past two and half weeks of our hospital stay, my mother has had numerous scans, enemas, antibiotics, and several different drugs to try and combat what is happening in her body. While there have been some days where positive steps have been taken there are also days like today where we seem to be spiraling backward.
As of today, Friday, June 8: her temperature is back up to 104. No one really knows why. Her doctor has said more than once he never expected her to live this long and he certainly does not expect her to live very much longer- period. I know I have painted a dismal picture.
I say all of this to say that as I lay in the cot next to her bed last night in the hospital, I was struck by the evidence of God’s hand in all of this.
On the sixth floor of United Regional, the hospital where she is staying, her daytime nurse is named Ryan. He is the son of the pastor in Iowa Park, Texas- the neighboring community west of Wichita Falls. Her evening charge nurse is Andy, also a member of the church in Iowa Park. Another evening nurse of hers is Lisa, a lady who happens to live three doors down from my parents. My mother and she had never met although they have known of each other for some time. One of the hospital technicians, who have been monitoring her condition, is named Tonya. She has visited Life Tabernacle before and immediately placed us with the church.
Every person who has worked with my mom has had some connection to her, our church, or our family in some way or another.
On Thursday morning, Ryan the nurse from Iowa Park came into the room very excited. Apparently several of his coworkers from the sixth floor have been asking him questions about church. On Wednesday night, three of them attended the church in Iowa Park and all of them brought their families. He said the entire attitude of the floor has changed since we arrived.
Early this morning, I was talking to Tonya, my mother’s technician and the lady who has attended Life Tabernacle, about church and how excited Ryan was to have so many visitors from his job. When we finished she commented on how our family has been such a blessing to her while we have been at the hospital these past few weeks.
So there I was, laying the cot next to my mother, wondering why God just doesn’t do the miraculous right now! What happened next has happened before. It was almost as if I looked back and could see finger prints of God in everything that has been happening. It’s as if I am following Him, only rounding the corner just in time to see the proof that He was there, but not actually seeing Him. If that makes any sense at all?
I know that God can heal my mother. I know that He will. I believe that He will heal her and she will be a ‘living’ testament of His glory. I refuse to back the statement up with conditions. He will because He said He would.
She was prayed for by evangelist Tim Williams several months before she had cancer and he told her that this sickness would not overcome her. At the time she didn’t even know she had cancer and kind of thought he was a little overly zealous. Wouldn’t you? lol
God also gave her a scripture that says, “This sickness is not unto death…” I know God will heal.
Perhaps I am writing all of this more for me than any of you; nevertheless, you know where we are. We are back to square one- back to the dark prognosis of death and hopelessness; however, they do not know what we know!
A few days ago a scripture in Matthew chapter 11 came to my mind again when I felt like I could take no more. (Thank you to whoever made that moment possible through your prayers.) “Come unto me all ye, who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give rest… take my yoke upon you, come and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
Keep praying and keep believing, God will do what He has said He will do. So… I leave you with this…
God is good. All is well. The anchor holds.
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