Quick Update

Thanks to all of you who are praying & checking in on Christine. I just wanted to let you know that she has been at home this week. She is still dealing with a lot of severe pain & nausea, and they are waiting to get in with a pancreatic specialist. The plan is for him to do further testing on a outpatient basis. The hospital seemed to think she was stable enough to go home to wait for this doctor to be available. Keep her in your prayers, and that these tests will bring answers! God bless!

Mission Piedras Negras

We started our days early, about 6:30 am, so we had a few hours before it got really, really hot. Whitney's right in the middle with a red bandana on.

Whit & a few friends ready to put those muscles to work.
Whitney's boyfriend Elliott & his twin brother, Nick, came on the trip. I'm pretty sure they had no idea what they were getting into! They worked really, really hard.
We missed our directory photo, maybe this lovely family shot should be turned in. Not.

Tying rebar on the roof.
Passing up the mixed buckets of concrete. Yes, this became a roof bucket by bucket of concrete.
Working hard, never to be outdone by the youngsters.
Elliott & Nick on the scaffolding passing up buckets for at least two hours. I tried to make them take a break, but they wouldn't. Hard working boys! This is the finished roof about a bazillion buckets of concrete later. I climbed up on the hill where the children's home is being constructed to take this picture. A group from Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma was up there working on it.

A couple of weeks ago, Ray, Whitney, & I were blessed to go along with the juniors & seniors in our church's youth group on a mission trip to Piedras Negras, Mexico. It is a town just across the border from Eagle Pass. We has a great week working with the church there to put a concrete roof on their church building. Eventually they will add two more floors to the building, and it will connect to a home for disabled children at the top of the hill. It is an amazing thing to watch it all come together, to see how hard teenagers are willing to work, and the great camaraderie among the group despite the long, hot days! There is a sweet, sweet Spirit among us to accomplish such a feat. Here are a few of the pictures from our week. God bless the work done this summer by many, many young people from all of our churches setting out to do mission work all over the world. They are living examples of giving a cup of cold water in Jesus' name!

Faith, Joy, & Perseverence!

Have you ever laid eyes on a more precious miracle? Baby Sam turned one yesterday. This time last year the only thing he was eating was through an NG tube, but yesterday he attacked this cupcake like he had been waiting his whole life for it! He did not hesitate one bit! The bittersweetness of the day was that he was in a booster seat at the foot of his Mommy's hospital bed! He had to make her feel a little better though because he put on a wonderful show! Christine was admitted to a new hospital in Dallas on Tuesday. It is a large teaching hospital, and we have great hope that the One who knows us inside and out will reveal more pieces to the puzzle with new doctors researching her case. Until the answers come, our families long for that miracle as well! We'll have an all out celebration then! Keep her in your prayers!

Back again!

I hate to say it, but Tine went to the ER Thursday night & this time they decided to keep her. She feels awful & we would all appreciate your prayers, once again! I am hopeful that their doctor will give them a referral & they'll get insurance approval to go to someplace where they are more equipped to figure this whole medical mystery out. We are weary of seeing her suffer! They desperately need a break! They are a loving , talented couple & I long to see God's plans for them go forward without the hinderances of sickness, hospitals, bills, & setbacks. I believe that is God's will, too. They are His children & they have clung to Him & His strength throughout this ordeal. Whenever Christine is able, & even when she really doesn't feel up to it, she is up there on the praise team giving it all she has. Even though it completely exhausts her, she refuses to let Satan defeat her when she has the opportunity to praise God. It makes me well up to even think about it. Matt has amazed me continually by his ability to balance his time at her side, with the kids, keeping the house & yard up, and at his work. He is exhausted! I know the Lord has been the one carrying him, but also long to see him be past the trial & on to the testimony!!! Thanks for being our tireless prayer warriors for the last year & a half! We are blessed to be a part of God's family! How do others make it through the valleys? I'm so thankful for faith, family, & friends!
"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 & a future." Jeremiah 29:11

God Bless America!

Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie....

Hope you are all having a nice day off, enjoying family & friends!

I'm a little overdue in letting you know Christine is home from the hospital. She came home last Wednesday. She is still feeling a little rough, but we are hoping the medicine changes will make her feel better soon. We are also looking into some other options as far as medical answers, so keep her & Matt in your prayers.

We are blessed to have Kyle home this holiday weekend. He was in a wedding last night, and it was really sweet to watch two of his best friends marry each other. Congratulations to Stephanie & Jeff. It was a beautiful wedding in the Japanese Gardens in Fort Worth. We are also blessed to have a little birthday celebration with him, as he will turn 24 on the 28th! Wow! How can that be? It seems like not that many Memorial Days ago he was born, and we were at Harris Hospital looking for the doctor on call! Time does fly by!

Whitney will have finals this week & then school will be out for summer, and she'll officially be a senior! Talk about time flying! She already has a summer job, and has gotten two paychecks already! Go Whit. Tomorrow we will go open up her very own checking account. My baby girl...

Hope you all had a great day, enjoyed your time off, appreciated the freedoms we have in the good old USA, and taken time to thank those who fought and are fighting for them. We love you!

God bless the USA!

Lemonade Anyone?

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I hope this won't be too tart! I'll try not to forget to add some sweetener!

Today makes one week for this hospital stay for Christine. 8 days if you count the day at the ER. About 10 days, I think, of having trouble keeping anything down & hurting more than anything seems to help. I'm afraid that we still have more questions than answers, and more tests to do. About a year and a half of being in and out of the hospital. Close to 9 months of being in the hospital if you add it all together. I feel so bad for her. Please pray for her. All we want is normal. Just normal. Normal is something to be grateful for, but something we often don't acknowledge until we lose it. Does anyone know anything about the hospital in Florida that specializes in adhesions? I mean more than we can read on the internet. Like know someone who has been there or anything? Good reports, bad reports? It might be something to look into if it is a reputable place.

Pray for Matt, too. It is hard to balance time at the hospital, do a good job at work, be a daddy to some boys who are missing Mommy & Daddy. He has a heavy weight on his shoulders right now.

Pray for the boys. They are seeming a little like I feel after a week's vacation. We've had some fun, but they just miss home. Mommy, Daddy, their own beds & toys. We go over there some during the day, and last night Matt took them home & they enjoyed some Daddy time & slept at home. We make some short hospital visits. After Mommy's bed has had a few adjustments, we've checked out the vending machines, nursery, elevators, etc. that's about time to go.

One thing I always enjoy when the boys are with me are the funny things they say. Well, Jack says, all Sam says is hi dah & holds his hand up. Its very cute. The other night we were reading bedtime stories & Jack was running back and forth to the bedroom to get more books, which are almost out of his reach. He decided to get the bible story book, which was a little heavy as well as a little high. I heard him yell, help, help, help me Giggi. I need help with the true word of God. Paw Paw & I had a good laugh.

Sam is crawling on all fours now. He is amazingly fast. Yes, that little tiny baby can move. He is determined to get to Pokey, who is no longer a puppy but a grouchy old dog, at least as far as hospitality is concerned. Pokey & I are determined Sam will not get to her. How much time can a dog spend in the utility room? Alot.

Sam has learned to operate the walker during this stay, at least on the wood floors. Once again, he is fast. The other night Whitney & Elliot were pushing him back and forth, and jumping around him. I was like, be careful, and Sam was cackling. He thought it was hilarious.

Only a couple more weeks of school. Hooray. This semester has been a booger!!!
After paying tuition since 1990 something, we seem to feel this school stinks. Wow, can we get a refund? Add a good senior year to your prayer list!

Hope I'm not too big of a whiner! I promise to pray for you, too!

"Is anyone among you afflicted? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise." James 5:13 - from the true Word of God.

It's Me, It's Me, It's Me, Oh Lord!

Yes, here we are again standing in the need of prayer! Christine had to go in the hospital again last Wednesday. She is having a really rough time, so please pray for her & that all the tests she is being put through will reveal the answers that lead to wellness!!! I think I have spent a lot of my life taking my health totally for granted! The last 5 or 6 years have shown me what a gift it is to enjoy good health! She has suffered so much & missed out on so much, too. Her grandfather is in the same hospital recovering from major heart surgery last week! And her dad is also struggling with his health & having serious heart problems, too. Needless to say, her whole family needs your prayers! I hate watching everyone struggle so much, and feel so helpless in wanting it to all be OK! But we know God is in control, He knows us inside & out, and is our Great Physician. I pray He will highlight the problem with a neon highlighter to the doctors as they do tests this week on Christine.

I believe God's Word is the best medicine. "They are life to all who find them, and health to all their flesh." Prov. 4:22. One of my favorite healing scriptures is found in Psalm 103:2-5. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness, and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles." Wouldn't that be a great testimony!? What are some of your favorite healing scriptures?