I am sitting in the waiting room while Michael is having surgery to have skin cancer removed. CNN is on the television and they are doing a "2010 Year in Review" that has been somewhat interesting. They've done the top 10 interesting stories, people, and now they are on the top 10 innovations. Two of these innovations were extremely interesting to me. #6, which really came in at #1 in my book, was that scientists have built and installed new lungs that work well in lab rats! What amazing technology! They are planning on using it for COPD and Cystic Fibrosis patients.
The other innovation that I found quite interesting came in at #3 on the list: bionic legs. These were long pieces of metal that fit around a persons leg and somehow hooked up to their body so that it sensed the nerve and would walk where the body wanted to walk. Right now they are using these for paraplegics. Still, amazing!
When I think of how far we've come over the last century, even the last decade, it has me in awe what God is allowing man to do. And I wonder, will we honor Him with these blessed technologies, or will we create our own "Tower of Babel"?
"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps." Jeremiah 10:23
- Posted from my iPhone
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Illness
"LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us." Isaiah 26:12
- Posted from my iPhone
Monday, December 20, 2010
Intuition
William LOVES to visit my grandfather. Actually, all of my children do. And my grandfather loves for them to visit. At 86 years old, he thoroughly enjoys them. He gets down in the floor and wrestles with them, sits and listens to their stories, tells them stories of his younger days and my grandmother and me as a child, speaks to them in "Donald Duck." In short, the rest of the world does not exist when we are all together. What a wonderful gift.
Though he never shows favoritism, there is a special bond between Pappaw and William. Maybe it is because William was born in his house. Maybe it is because of William's special needs and all the extra time Pappaw has spent praying for him. I don't know, but it's definately there. William loves to romp with Pappaw. He asks about going to visit him every single day. Here is a normal day at Pappaw's house:
Get ready...
Get set...
GO!
Share some laughter together...
And then a kiss!
That's pretty much the routine! Last Monday, however, was quite a different story. When we arrived at Pappaw's, he was in his chair, resting. He had been in the ER the night before with extreme hypertension. William seemed to sense right away that something was different. Without me ever saying a word to him, he remained very quiet the entire time we were there, quite out of character for him. While a couple of the older girls took the two littlest boys out to the playroom, William chose to remain close to his Pappaw, quietly, hardly moving at all.
It really touched my heart to see this little 3 year old boy, sticking so closely to his great-grandfather and seeming to know that he needed quiet. Thank you, Lord, for these special moments.
"The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head." Proverbs 20:29
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Peace in the Storms
It has been a strange, melancholy sort of week. William is well, praise be to God. I am home from church today with other sick children, though.
Our week started off with my grandfather at the emergency room due to extremely high blood pressure. I had intended to post last Monday about that, but circumstances did not allow it. I will post some cute pictures in the next post.
We also had two friends in the hospital that same day delivering babies, less than 10 miles apart. The first baby was "born at rest" and we attended the funeral of little Athenasius on Thursday. The second baby practically delivered herself, but ended up in the NICU for awhile. However, sweet Tabitha was able to come home with her parents yesterday, all glory to God!
Another dear friend lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. They were able to remove the ventilator earlier this week and the doctors changed her chance of survival from 25% to 75%, I believe. Her 10 children are at home anxiously awaiting their mother's recovery.
I find myself seeking forgiveness for the thousands of tiny, special moments that God so graciously gives to me, yet I take for granted. All those moments that I find myself too busy to enjoy. It's had me reflecting on an old poem that my dear friend, Sonya, and I found at a craft show over 15 years ago called Wet Oatmeal Kisses. If you've never read it, it's certainly a "must read."
Wet Oatmeal Kisses
One of these days you'll explode and shout to all the kids, "Why don't you just grow up and act your age!" And they will...
Or, "You guys get outside and find something to do -- without hurting each other...And don't slam the door!" And they won't.
You'll straighten their bedrooms until it's all neat and tidy, toys displayed on the shelf, hangers in the closet, animals caged. You'll yell, "Now, I want it to STAY this way!" And it will...
You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't had all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing and you'll say, "Now this is a meal for company." And you will eat it alone...
You'll yell, "I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming, Do you hear me?" And no one will answer.
No more plastic tablecloths stained. No more dandelion bouquets. No more iron-on patches. No more wet, knotted shoelaces, muddy boots or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine.... a lipstick with a point, no babysitters for New Years Eve, washing clothes only once a week, no PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree, no car pools, blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money.
No more presents made of library paste and toothpicks, no wet oatmeal kisses, no more tooth fairy, no more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean.
Only a voice asking, "Why don't you grow up?" And the silence echoing: "I did."
- author unknown
For those of you who know me well, you know how much I loathe change. So I'll admit that when I heard a new rendition of my old favorite hymn, "It Is Well" at the funeral, my first reaction was...I'll be honest...disgust. But as I listened to the words, I began to appreciate them. Only the chorus changed and I think you, too, might like it...
"It is well, it is well
Through the storm I am held
It is well, it is well
God has won, Christ prevailed."
So, I can go so far as to say, don't replace the old hymn, but a new song is sometimes good, too.
Just some of my random thinking this week...
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-2
- Posted from my iPhone
Our week started off with my grandfather at the emergency room due to extremely high blood pressure. I had intended to post last Monday about that, but circumstances did not allow it. I will post some cute pictures in the next post.
We also had two friends in the hospital that same day delivering babies, less than 10 miles apart. The first baby was "born at rest" and we attended the funeral of little Athenasius on Thursday. The second baby practically delivered herself, but ended up in the NICU for awhile. However, sweet Tabitha was able to come home with her parents yesterday, all glory to God!
Another dear friend lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. They were able to remove the ventilator earlier this week and the doctors changed her chance of survival from 25% to 75%, I believe. Her 10 children are at home anxiously awaiting their mother's recovery.
I find myself seeking forgiveness for the thousands of tiny, special moments that God so graciously gives to me, yet I take for granted. All those moments that I find myself too busy to enjoy. It's had me reflecting on an old poem that my dear friend, Sonya, and I found at a craft show over 15 years ago called Wet Oatmeal Kisses. If you've never read it, it's certainly a "must read."
Wet Oatmeal Kisses
One of these days you'll explode and shout to all the kids, "Why don't you just grow up and act your age!" And they will...
Or, "You guys get outside and find something to do -- without hurting each other...And don't slam the door!" And they won't.
You'll straighten their bedrooms until it's all neat and tidy, toys displayed on the shelf, hangers in the closet, animals caged. You'll yell, "Now, I want it to STAY this way!" And it will...
You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't had all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing and you'll say, "Now this is a meal for company." And you will eat it alone...
You'll yell, "I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming, Do you hear me?" And no one will answer.
No more plastic tablecloths stained. No more dandelion bouquets. No more iron-on patches. No more wet, knotted shoelaces, muddy boots or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine.... a lipstick with a point, no babysitters for New Years Eve, washing clothes only once a week, no PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree, no car pools, blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money.
No more presents made of library paste and toothpicks, no wet oatmeal kisses, no more tooth fairy, no more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean.
Only a voice asking, "Why don't you grow up?" And the silence echoing: "I did."
- author unknown
For those of you who know me well, you know how much I loathe change. So I'll admit that when I heard a new rendition of my old favorite hymn, "It Is Well" at the funeral, my first reaction was...I'll be honest...disgust. But as I listened to the words, I began to appreciate them. Only the chorus changed and I think you, too, might like it...
"It is well, it is well
Through the storm I am held
It is well, it is well
God has won, Christ prevailed."
So, I can go so far as to say, don't replace the old hymn, but a new song is sometimes good, too.
Just some of my random thinking this week...
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-2
- Posted from my iPhone