A Doctor Day

Well, it's been a doctor day!  My daughter, Abigail, who has Down syndrome, sees twelve doctors on a regular basis (pediatrician, dentist, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, nephrologist, ENT, hearing and speech, GI, nutritionist, developmental pediatrician, and endocrinologist), and a few more here and there as needed.  Fortunately, several of them are down to every six months or once a year, but we spend a fair amount of time at the doctor's office.  So today Abby had appointments with three of her specialists.  She got a good check-up, just a few tweaks needed here and there to try to keep things on an even keel.  Doesn't sound like much, but to know Abby is to understand that God is still very much involved with His people's lives and He definitely still performs miracles.

You see, Abby is about to turn nine years old . . . which is amazing considering that, early on, her doctors weren't sure that she would make it to two or three years.  Compared to other nine-year-olds, she is a medical mess; but compared to where she has been, she is a walking miracle!  Abigail has had three heart surgeries (the first at seven days old), two cardiac catheterizations, more than a dozen hospital stays, and more labs/tests/procedures than we can count.  At almost nine years old she is a little over 35 pounds and 39 inches tall.  Yes, that is very small for her age, but the great thing is that she's finally growing!  Her medical chart and her list of diagnoses are both longer than she is.  She still needs oxygen.  A lot of oxygen.  All day and night.  Every day and night.   Because of her cardiopulmonary issues, she has to wear a heart monitor to make sure she is getting enough oxygen in her little system.  She still needs her feeding tube, but she is taking most of her nourishment by mouth.  She isn't steady on her feet, but she is walking!  She hasn't found a way to talk to us - yet - but I know she will.  Thanks to God's abounding grace, she is strong and healthy and vibrant and alive.

So I hope you'll forgive me for being very excited about things that we usually take for granted: for instance, a reasonably healthy, growing, child who got a good report at the doctor's office.  That Abigail could be making so much progress is a miracle.  Her smile and joy and hugs inspire everyone who meets her, and as a result, God uses our sweet little daughter every day to touch people's lives.  In short, her life is a daily testimony to the grace and miracles of God!

The Storms of Life

Wow!  What an amazing thunderstorm last night.  Kaboom! all night long.  I'm exhausted today from waking up over and over to the loud cracks of thunder.  My first thought every time I woke up was for the safety of my husband and children.  "What was that?  Is everyone okay????"  Only one of our children woke up through the storm and came downstairs for a bit of reassurance.  He was shaking from the sudden fear of this loud, ominous noise.  A big hug, a quick prayer and a few calming words and all was right again.  Isn't that how our lives often go.  We find ourselves in the thunderstorms of life and want some reassurance.  We turn to God, sometimes in panic, desperately wanting answers and for Him to make it all better.  Over the years, I've actually begun to thank Him (sometimes!) for comforting my heart but not taking away the thunder.  How many times those storms bring us closer to Him and help us be more compassionate to others around us.  We often have to walk through the storms to really understand that God is active and vibrant in our lives - not sitting on the sidelines watching with disinterest.  I don't like the storms, sometimes they are frightening, but I'm so grateful for a God that comforts us and walks with us through the calm days and the storms.

Knighting Ceremony

We recently had the most wonderful birthday celebration for our oldest son, Josiah.  He was turning 18 - officially becoming a man!  For his 13th birthday, we had a ceremony where he was dubbed (with a plastic sword and simple costume) a squire, or knight-in-training.  Now it was time to dub him officially a knight, after the tradition of the Knights Templar.  This time it was a real tunic, a real sword, a real shield, and a real helmet.  Each piece of the outfit had a significance based on the armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:13-17:

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

It seems like only yesterday he was a sweet baby ready to explore his world.  Now he is a charming, bright, caring man, full of faith and ready to follow God's path for his life.  In 35 days (not that I'm counting or anything!) we drive him to Patrick Henry College to continue his lifelong pursuit of wisdom and knowledge.  Oh, how we will miss his wit, his laughter, and his kindness!  We have worked on giving him solid roots, now it is time to let him test his wings.  He is ready, and God is always faithful to guide and direct those who seek after Him with all of their hearts and all of their lives.  We love you so much, Josiah, and we are so proud of the fine young man you have become!

Here's a delightful young girl telling the story of Jonah.  Her name is Mary Margaret and she is a truly gifted storyteller.  Enjoy!

Overwhelmed!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed?  I know I do - fairly frequently, in fact!  This post is for my own encouragement, and I hope it will encourage any intrepid readers.  I'm frustrated tonight because I feel so overwhelmed, yet there is really nothing wrong!  Our "to do" list is a mile long, and will probably never get done in our natural lifetimes, but there is not a single thing on the list that is really a "problem."  There's not one thing that is life-threatening, financially ruining, emotionally devastating, or otherwise detrimental to anyone's health and well-being.  There's just a whole lot of little and big things that need to be done NOW.

Life seems too short to be frustrated over such a petty thing.  Aren't there problems enough during our existence, that we shouldn't get upset over the small stuff?  If you feel overwhelmed today, let me offer you the same encouragement I'm giving myself tonight:  God knows what we have need of!!! (Yes, that sentence ends with a preposition and isn't exactly a direct quote of a Bible verse, but it is one of our favorite family mottoes.)  If He knows how many hairs are on our head, and if a sparrow cannot fall without His knowledge, doesn't He also know the challenges and joys of our lives?  Doesn't the Bible consistently say, and prove in myriad ways, that He cares deeply for every aspect of our lives?  Would a God who is willing to allow His own son to die on our behalf, not also care about our paperwork, phone calls, messy basement, pile of laundry, etc.?  I can always tell when the most important thing (prayer, Bible study and time with Christ) on my list has gotten shoved down way too far because I start fretting over the little things of life.  So let's all take a deep breath, open up the Word, bow our heads, and let the creator of the Universe realign those priorities and provide a comfort and peace that only He can do.  Thanks, I feel better already - hope you do, too!

Cedars of Lebanon

When we moved to North Carolina and had to choose a name for our homeschool, my husband and I chose to call it Cedars of Lebanon.  Why name our homeschool after a tree?  The Cedars of Lebanon have been prized for centuries for their excellent, strong wood.  Palaces and temples throughout the ancient world, including the Temple of Solomon, were made from these lovely trees.  Not only is the wood very tough and durable, but the cedars grow unusually straight, making them ideal for building.  They have a lovely aroma that is released in their forests and when cut down for use.  The Cedars of Lebanon also have amazingly deep roots, often growing several feet deep for every foot of the trunk.  This allows them to survive long droughts that kill lesser trees.  In addition, Cedars of Lebanon can release a remarkable acid from their roots that breaks up any obstacles that stand in the way of their growth; these lovely trees often break even heavy boulders.

Aren’t these the same things we want for our children as we homeschool them?  We want them to be strong in their learning, in their faith, in their character, and in their love for God and others.  We want them to grow straight, staying true to the path that Christ prepares for them.  We want their lives to be a sweet aroma to others and to God.  We want their roots to go deep as they surrender their wills and lives to the love and grace of Christ.  Roots that are firmly planted in Him will not soon be led astray by the whims of the world.  We want their knowledge of God’s Word and His world to make them effective warriors for Him, knocking apart all obstacles through faith in Christ and the workings of the Holy Spirit.  We hope to teach our children much academically, and that is very important.  But it is so much more important that our faith is contagious, that our love runs deep, and that we lead them to the Living Waters that alone can quench their thirst.  We want to raise our children to be adults who are useful to God and who love Him with their whole hearts and their whole lives.  With God’s help, we want to raise our children to be like the glorious Cedars of Lebanon!

Very funny video about homeschooling!  We've homeschooled from the beginning and wouldn't trade this rich experience for anything!  Enjoy.