Gotta Admit It

Ok.  I have to admit it.  I really like these guys!!!

Noah’s Ark

Shari- on computer trying to fix facebook friend stuff for my friend Irma.

Isaac- entering the room “Guess what I was playing in the shower mama?”

Shari- “What?”

Isaac- “Noah and the Ark.”

Shari- “How were you playing that in the shower?”

Isaac- “I put the wash cloth over the drain and was filling it up.” (this is a stand up shower, by the way, not a tub)

Shari- “WHAT?”

Isaac- “Yeah, I let it fill up and was pretending I was drowning and then let it out.”

Shari- (he’s done this before) “I TOLD you NEVER to do that again.” (as he’s giggling and running away from me as I’m trying to grab him to smack his little bottom.)

Isaac- “hahahaha”

Shari-  “I’m going to blog about this one as your punishment.”

Isaac- “No, no don’t blog about me!”

More Important

  Is my husband more important to me than my children, my friends, my relatives?  Wow!  This is a great question to ponder in my current season of life.  I’m a mother of four and home school.  The majority of my time is taken up by feeding, teaching and training children.  But even in other stages of life I can see how children, friends, relatives, hobbies, etc. could be placed before my husband.  The question here isn’t a time issue, for no doubt I spend more time with my children, but a heart issue.  I should ask Darrel regularly if he feels most important under God. 

Genesis 2:23-24 “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Mark 10:8 “And the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.”

I always care for my own needs.  I desire to obey & glorify God, be  joyful, content, fulfilled, etc.  Thus, if I am one flesh with my husband I will pray for his needs as well and serve him in whatever way I may help him best.  (And the sure way to know how I can be the best helper to him is to ask him!)

Behavior

  Well, that concludes the section about All Due Reverence in Heart.  Today begins with the honor which I owe to my husband is: All Due Reverence in Behavior. 

  She begins by defining Due, Reverence and Behavior.  I won’t type this out for the sake of time but highly recommend looking these words up to get a clear, fresh meaning.  Then I’m posed with the question, “Do my actions clearly demonstrate godly reverence for my husband?” 

  Pondering this question is sure to bring conviction and repentance as God immediately brings situations to my mind.

Proverbs 20:11 ” Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”

1 Peter 2:17 “Honor all men.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the king.” 

Lord Jesus, let me bring you glory by not only demonstrating godly reverence to other men but to the husband you have brought into my life.  Thank you for loving me enough to convict me of sin and bring me to repentance for it would not be if I were left to myself.

Matthew 7:20 “Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.”

My Words

  Do my words show reverence for my husband as God’s appointed head over me, even when he has failed, sinned, or deeply wronged me?

  Ephesians 4:31  “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”

  Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Proverbs 16:21 ” The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increases learning.”

Proverbs 16:23 ” The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.”

Disagreements

  “After respectfully appealing to my husband, do I quietly and peacefully accept his final decisions and actions, even when I disagree with him?”

  This questions causes a great Hmmm to come out from within me.  I believe I can quietly and peacefully accept his final decisions but what is my heart doing?  Is it screaming out angrily or joyfully submitting?  Is it building up bitterness because I disagree with him or humbly accepting the providence of God; at the same time being thankful God gave him over me as an under-shepherd and protector? 

  Ecc. 9:17   “The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.”

Phil 2:14  “Do all things without grumbling and complaining.”

Ecc 4:6  ” Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with toil and striving after the wind.”

1 Peter 3:5-6   “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”

Psalm 50:10  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.:

The Kindness of God

  Isa. 54:10 “My kindness shall not depart from thee”

 “Sometimes we like to think of the consolation that awaits us in heaven, when our warfare is accomplished, and our iniquity is pardoned; but here, in this precious word, we have comfort and help for the daily life and strife of earth.

  The Kindness of God!  It is unutterable, illimitable, unchangeable!  Every believer has experienced it; but the whole host of the redeemed, gathered from all lands, throughout all ages, could not tell the heights and depths and lengths and breadths of this ‘great’, ‘everlasting’, ‘loving’ kindness which dwells in the heart of God for his people.  “  Susannah Spurgeon

  Although I have no power to do what is right, to be obedient to my Lord, to live a holy life for Him, He reminds me that “his grace is sufficient for his strength is made perfect in weakness.” 

  Great is Thy faithfulness, oh, God my Father.  There is no shadow of turning with thee.  Thy changest not they compassions they fail not, as Thou hast been Thou forever will be!!! 

Willing to Wait

   Question for the morning: “Am I willing to wait for the right time and place to prayerfully discuss differences with my husband?”

   Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 7  “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” 7 “A time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” ESV

   Ecclesiastes 8:5 ” Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and just the way.” ESV

   Proverbs 29:20 ” Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?  There is more hope for a fool than for him.” ESV

  Proverbs 29:11  “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” ESV

I also appreciate this version “A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Prov. 29:11

Prayer: “Lord, help me be willing to wait for the right time and place to discuss differences with Darrel.  Draw me to prayer, to pray hard and seek your will in the discussion.  Help me be humble, to listen patiently and show him respect.  Let me be the perfect helper for him.  Let our lives and marriage bring glory to your name.”

Enters Trinity

The Setting:  Isaac and Hope in den area; me (mother) in kitchen viewing play time while fixing lunch.

Enters Trinity:  wearing something strange & speaking to her sibblings…

“ MOMMY, LOOK AT MY NEW SKIRT.   I GOT MY BUM INTO A SHIRT!”

Outbursts of laughter errupt.     We have a comedian and a poet!

Contentment

  Thinking on contentment is something I do a lot of late because I fight for it.  There is a war going on inside me and the battle is fierce.  Thankfully, the spirit that lives in me is greater so I am drawn to feed on God’s word and fight. 

  There are several thoughts I battle right now but the biggest is one with Hope.  I know she’s God’s first.  I remember stating this with my own mouth the day she was born as the emergency team was strapping her little body in a transport box to take her from me to Texas Children’s Hospital.  “This child is God’s and He will do with her what He wills.”  I could have only said that, again, by the spirit of God which lives in me.  No loving mother lets her child go easily.  But this is something God is continually calling me to and after 6 years it seems more difficult.  You’d think after living longer, having more children and growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ it would be easier…but it has not been so, or doesn’t feel so right now.

  I took Hope to a renal specialist on Tuesday as we discussed the health of her kidney’s.  They are still full of calcium but are functioning well.  Ridding her kidney’s of calcium is important and the underlying cause for them being full is her hypercalcemia, which is still undiagnosed;  I mean, we do not know why she has hypercalcemia.  Our endocrinologist, rheumatologist, cardiologist, and now renal doctor all agree that having some genetic testing is the road to take now.  So we did.  We will wait about a month to see if Hope has a genetic disorder that would have been present at birth but we would not have known it…not until the symptoms presented themselves so strongly over time to climax while up in Maryland.  The genetic disorder is known as Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH).  If this is what she has then there is no cure.  She will take MiaCalcin injections the rest of her life or if they stop working, some other form of medication available to keep her calcium levels down.

  I lie in bed singing the kids catechism song, ” What are the decrees of God?  The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will.  Where by for His own glory He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.” …and I cry. 

  I pray, “Dear God, ruler of heaven and earth who formed everything with your words.  Will you not heal this child?”

Then I think of sin entering the world by our disobedience and all the work, suffering and sickness which came by it.  I know our bodies will one day die; they are not eternal but only our souls.  Hope has accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord.  I’ve said this once and will probably say it at least a hundred more, “she has received her ultimate healing already.” 

  It is still hard.  So, I continue reading over a devotional by Susannah Spurgeon which encourages my soul and motivates me to rest in Jesus Christ and His sovereignty over everything.  This is only a small part of the devotional:

“I remember once reading words to this effect– that, the moment we come into any trial or difficulty, our first thought should be, not how soon can we escape from it, or how may we lessen the pain we shall suffer from it, but how we can best glorify God in it, and most quickly learn the lesson which he desires to teach us by it.  Had we grace and faith enough to do this, our trials and troubles would be but as so many steps by which we should climb to the mountain top of continual fellowship and peace with God.  The soul that has learned the blessed secret of seeing god’s hand in all that concerns it, cannot be a prey to fear; it looks beyond all second causes, straight into the heart and will of God, and rests content, because he rules.”

First Book

  Hope read her first book today.  We are most proud of her and let her pick out some icecream at the local Giant; M-n-M  icecream cones.  As we were leaving she said, “the only thing that would make this day better would be if daddy were with us.”  That was so sweet!

September 11

  So much going on today.  I would say most are internal.  I’ve got new physical issues going on with Danielle, physical issues going on with Hope, all 3 younger ones dealing with colds but Trinity in particular dealing with quite a cough in the late evening and early morning hours.  Then I think back to this day 7 years ago and my heart is burdened for those who lost family members in New York.  We pray for them. 

   I’m really seeing God working in Darrel.  It hurts me to see him ’suffering’ but I know it is God peeling away lots of ’self’ that needs to go.  He is so humbled in his prayers with us.  Tears fall much easier than they used to and that is an evidence of humility to me.  We still marvel that we are here and experiencing the grace that He’s pouring out.  Our first care group last night with the Ricucci’s was good, very good.  God is doing such a marvelous work in so many lives from humbling people, giving them a boldness to speak out when they would rather not, faith to renew marriage relationships that have been through difficult times, faith to become better leaders in their homes, to become true servants of Christ and not servants of ourselves.  The list goes on and on. 

  I get ready to tuck all the kids in and glance through the doorway at Isaac.  He has an angry look on his face and then I see tears.  I walk in, sit down and ask what is wrong.  He shares that he’s sad for all the people who are dying and don’t know Christ.  This opened a door for really good dicussion about the Holy Spirit giving us a passion for the lost, a boldness to proclaim the gospel to a world separated from God.  It was sweet.  (I have this in my personal post but) Isaac made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ on the 8th.  It was a day filled with conversation that he brought up each time and at night he could not go to sleep.  He shared with Darrel and me that he does things because he knows they are right to do, not because he really wants to do them.  He said, “when I do something nice for Danielle or you, my heart doesn’t really want to do it.”  He shared that he doesn’t want to pray, doesn’t want to go to church, doesn’t want to read his bible, but he does because he knows it’s right.  By the end of the day his heart was so grieved he wanted to repent.  He said ,” I pray that God will make me want to do it.  I know I’m a sinner.”  There was more…so much grace poured out on him, it was evident on his face and through his tears that the Holy Spirit was doing a great work in his heart. 

  Today we learned that Brazoria County has issued a mandatory evacuation for hurrican Ike to hit sometime tomorrow through Sat.  Our friends, the Sinclairs, who are renting our home in Rosharon, left today to head north to Spring, TX and stay with Joni’s cousin.  Many other friends are boarding up their house and leaving, others are staying to see how bad it gets, I guess.  We have been praying for all those down south, for their protection and salvation for those who do not yet know Christ.

  And last but not least, SpiderMan came to our house today!  We’ve had this thing with spider’s in the house and our sweet friend Jeannie said she wouldn’t set foot in it to visit or babysit unless the spiders were gone!  hahaha    So, she quickly arranged to have a new exterminator come out today.  I have faith that his job did the trick!  Take dominion over the earth, right?

  I read a friends’ blog tonight and was reminded of a quote we heard in our ladies meeting that wow’d a lot of us.  I forgot to write it down so here it goes.  I was sharing this with the family at dinner that Sat. night, Hope sitting on my lap and read, “If you see a spark of grace in someones life get down on your knees and blow it into a flame.”
- C.H. Spurgeon            Then Hope took a deep, deep breath and blew on me. 

   Oh yeah, and I have this great story about Trinity meeting a new ‘best friend’ at the park today while SpiderMan was setting off his bombs, but that story will have to wait.  It’s better to hear in person anyway.  It requires LOTS of animation!

Hurricane Ike

  I woke up every hour last night with prayers coming off my tongue for those in Texas who were experiencing the hurricane.  One time I woke up singing (in my head, not aloud) Psalm 150.  Praise the Lord, praise Him in His sanctuary, praise Him in His mighty expanse.  When I got to the word expanse I thought of the hurricane and it’s massiveness.  He reminded me of His massiveness and His sovereignty.

  Amy, Miran and I had our women’s accountability group this morning.  It was wonderful to share and very fruitful.  We have much to pray about and much to be thankful for! 

  Tomorrow, 9-14, is our 17th wedding anniversary.  Darrel has been planning something for the day and it’s a surprise.  Just getting to spend some alone time for an extended period is going to be wonderful.  Anything above that will be like having baklava and a Pumpkin spice latte.  I don’t like ‘icing on the cake’. 

  Since the Sinclair family (renting our home) evacuated the area on Wed. or Thursday there is no one in our house.  I’ve been concerned, wondering what our area looked like and so I called a neighbor and left a message on voice mail.  She called right back and talked with Darrel (I was bathing Luther, our dog).  It seems one of our neighbors decided to ride out the storm.  He indicated what he’s sees right now is that all fences are down everywhere.  There is siding off one side of our house but doesn’t appear that windows were busted out.  Amazing!  We’ll know more in a few days once people start going back home but the power companies are down and could be down for 1-2 weeks. 

  Darrel and I are praying for our cousins (Darrel’s specifically) and more than dear friends.  Billy and Jojo Schiel lost their home.  They are further up north west in Magnolia, TX which is even further north than where Darrel and I used to live in Tomball.  A 100ft tree blew down on their house, smashed it completely.  They’ve been working on it for months now as it’s been for sale.  They just ‘happened’ to go stay the night at his father’s house that night.  The tree fell right on top of their oldest sons room and livingroom.   They are rejoicing in God’s mercy and protection on their family!  They have 3 little boys and a little girl on the way.  Please pray peace and joy during this time of uncertainty. 

  I love all you Texans out there who can’t get on your internet or phones!  WE are praying for you and trusting God for your safety.  Please let us know you are ok as soon as you can.

  And all I have to say about the new picture header on our blog is, who needs toys when you have a basement and old mops and brooms?

Argh! God’s word is a mighty 2 edged sword

I am very busy.  So busy I am making myself write this blog.  Tonight we had dinner at Ben and Erin Wikner’s house.  What a blessing they are.  The children had a wonderful time playing and we were blessed to hear their testimony of how God has brought them to the pc and Sovereign Grace/ CLC.  Amazing stories of God at work.  Not to mention her homemade pizza was delicious.

  Today we babysat for the Armstrong’s across the street.  Little Tyler, 3 and Cori, 12 wks or so, came over for a few hours.  I loved holding her and caring for her.  Such a sweet age and she’s so light!!  No, it didn’t make me want another one but I’d sure like to watch her again.

  Schooling is going well.  It takes up the majority of my day teach 3 subjects of math and grammar and then joint classes of science, history, PE, health and 1 hr per week of music and art.  Yesterday we went to Seneca State Park and got samples of fungi and algea since that is what we’re currently studying in science.  It was FUN and we got exercise. 

  Darrel blessed my socks off with the anniversary of the century.  I told him he was off the hook for our 20th.  This whole thing goes back to 7 years ago.  On our 10th wedding anniversary we had accumulated airline miles on our cc and I had made all these plans to fly to Baltimore, MD, take him to a baseball game, stay at a nice hotel, go to the symphony, etc.  Well, 9-11 happened and airlines shut down.  So we ended up driving to Galveston and spending time at a B&B there.  Now that we just ‘happened’ to be in this area, he planned an outing for us.  It was more than I could have imagined; not just what we did, what we ate, etc., but God’s mercy and grace in healing some old wounds I’d held on to for about 5 years.  Prior to our trip I confessed this in our accountability group and went home to repent.  It’s not something I thought of every day or even monthly, but would pop up maybe 1-2x a year.  I so don’t deserve such a wonderful husband like Darrel but am blessed beyond measure by and through Him.  We went to a baseball game and every inning he gave me a card.  Interestingly enough, a few weeks ago God had been dealing with me and convicting me of not showing forth the fruits of the spirit.  God used Darrel as a means of grace to show me that I indeed had some.   9 innings, 9 fruits.  He wrote notes to me sharing how he saw each fruit evidenced in my life.  By the 9th inning I was bawling…joyful, but bawling.  Many more surprises awaited us together that I will keep.  But it was a blessed and great time!  My sweet friend Jeannie Harvey and her husband Craig, kept the kids the whole time!  Woo hoo…they don’t have kids, but 2 chocolate labs.  I think they deserve some kind of award for keeping 4 kids, don’t you? 

  Well, I am planning another field trip, thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Von Hoff.  We’re planning on going to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island this Friday if all goes as planned.  If I can get my camera to download onto MY computer I’ll post some pictures.  I’ve gotten some great ones lately but unable to download.  Tomorrow I take the kids to the church for pc gym kids day.  The pc mom’s get the gym for 1 hour and the kids of all ages can play ball, frisbee’s etc.  We didn’t go last week due to colds but the kids are pumped about tomorrow!  And at night we have our first meeting with CJ and Carolyn Mahaney.

  For my devotional time I’ve continued to read and be blessed by Susannah Spurgeon’s book and devotional.  I will read it again when I’m through.  Darrel finished up the Pentateuch last week and this weeks studies are Biblical hermeneutics,  methods of interpreting the Bible.  They have several labs to do plus their reading but he’s smiling!

New York or Bust

I should be added to the CLC ‘crazy ladies’ group.   From what I learned tonight at our Mahaney q&a session there is actually a group of ladies who meet under this title, of which they like and are very pleased to be associated.  It’s nearing 11PM, I have my alarm set for 4:45AM and I’m blogging.  There ya go!

Food is packed, freezer blocks and water bottles ready, tickets printed out, van gassed up and tire pressures checked, sweaters and camera on the stairs.  Kids are already dressed!  How much easier can that be?  I had Danielle bathe the girls and get them “dressed” for bed.  Ever done that?  I’ve done this on many occasions when taking trips during early hours.  It sure beats trying to wake a 4 year old who just wants to SLEEP and dressing them while they’re either a total limp noodle or crying their eyes out.  So, for all you young mom’s…dress them for the next day before you put them to bed. 

So, this saga to be continued once we’re home.  I have no idea when that will be but I’m sure we’ll be good and tired.  And oh, I didn’t make the pc play time at the gym today.  Ooops…I thought it started at 11AM.  Nope, 10-11AM.  Do you think my kids were happy?  Ah, just another way God intended them to be stretched and to grow today.  Danielle told me later she was saying to herself, “I’m 13 years old, I’m not going to cry, I’m not going to cry.”  Isn’t it amazing how we love gathering with friends to play and socialize.  I’m so thankful for these times and, Lord willing, I will get them to pc gym time next week!   But for now they’ll just have to settle for a trip to see Lady Liberty!  ha

Blessed Beyond Measure

  I have a large sized blog I intend to write about our trip to the Empire State and Big Apple!  But for now I have to write a note about my life.  The other night I was looking through some photo’s and got ’sucked in’.  I couldn’t stop looking, reminicing.    I have a GREAT life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Right now I am surrounded by the sweetest children in the world.  Isaac just got out of the shower and is sitting here by me in his fluffy navy blue towel, smelling deliciously clean.  Hope is sitting next to me flipping through a children’s bible asking me about women in bible days and if they had C-Sections (I had 4 c-sections) and Trinity is trying to brush Isaac’s hair with a little brush.  It’s all so wonderful.  Oh, and if you wonder where our precious Danielle is, she is being blessed with some time away with friends in Baltimore at a baseball game! 

 After looking at days of baking, science projects, art projects, baby photo’s, park pictures, kids trying to fish, Christmas photo’s and dozens and dozens of more photo’s I sat in bed thinking “I HAVE A GREAT LIFE” and I don’t deserve one bit of it.  God is so good to us in the midst of ourselves. 

  Now Hope is asking to have the bible read to hear and to have her legs massaged!  hahahaha  Now Trinity is Miss Massager.  Hope’s asking for ‘relaxation lotion’ for her to use.  Oh, my goodness. 

  This song comes to mind…Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen! 

  Not that today has been an easy day…it hasn’t.  I have let Issac, Hope and Trinity bake a loaf of banana nut bread which took about 30 minutes longer than if I’d have done it myself (the point was, of course, to let them do all the measuring!  I wasn’t as patient as this 10 years ago!!),  washed 8 loads of laundry changed sheets of 5 beds, vacuumed rugs, sucked out about 100 spider webs out of our basement for about 1/2 an hour, gave the girls a bath, packed away some summer clothes, rearranged beds to more accommodate play time in their rooms, made meals and disciplined my chilrdren between tasks, and worshipped God in my doings.  I am so thankful for God’s presence in our lives in the seemingly meanial tasks, although I’ve long since realized nothing is meanial.  Every moment can bring glory to God and will more so when we are doing it with joy.  I was able to encourage Danielle without realizing it…until, of course, she thanked me for the encouragement, which in turn encouraged me! 

  So, I hope you will stop and take a moment to reflect on your day even if it’s seemed a difficult or challenging one and realize that we are all blessed beyond measure!

Shrimp Allergy Discovered

  I just looked up a past post on Aug. 16th when I made Shrimp Scampi for the fam.  Isaac got sick that night.  I thought it was from the buttery sauce but after tonight have made a great discovery I’m sure Isaac will be VERY happy to have written in his books.  He is obviously allergic to shrimp and other seafoods.  This is somewhat sad because he does like to eat them.  But this evening I had shrimp, cooked scallops and fried clams.  His head is pounding like a sledge hammer is hitting him and he’s thrown up twice.  I know, I know…TMI.  Too much information!  BUT, you need to remember this is my blog and you are intering into Schiel territory here.  You never know what you might get!  All this aside…. I feel TERRIBLE!!  Poor little guy.  But I’m so thankful God made us to rid ourselves of harmful things.  As Dr. Robinson used to say “fever is your friend”, “vomit is your friend”.  hahahahaha  It really is!!! 

  I recall months ago when I was going to take the kids to a play at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in downtown Houston.  We just happened to eat fish that night and before we left the house Isaac was acting a bit strange but wouldn’t admit to anything being wrong.  He probably wasn’t sure at that point.  But by intermission I knew we were in trouble.  I headed to the car with all 4 kids and 1/2 way home….well, I’ll spare you the details but I sure was glad I had a LARGE glass of homemade frappuccino before the play that was empty in the car!!! 

  I am about 90% sure at this point that Isaac has some type of allergy to seafood or the toxins therein.  Darrel, the girls and I are fine and we had the same food he did. 

   Thank you Lord for exposing this allergy to me fairly quickly and thank you for helping him feel better and sleeping peacefully tonight.

  If any of you have information concerning this topic please feel free to share it with me!

What I Dislike Most

  I am at once dealing with a situation that makes me sick to my stomach when I think about having to do this ‘which is the least thing I’d like to do’, and at the same time, because of God and truly God alone, I realize this situation He’s put in front of me is just what He wants to grow in me.  In our ladies meeting I was taking notes.  I went right to those notes today because as I was writing them I couldn’t think of a situation that fit me.  But I wrote down, “EMBRACE YOUR DEPENDENCE– THINK OF THE THING YOU WOULD LEAST LIKE TO DO.  WE BECOME TOO AWARE OF ‘US’ AND NOT OF HIM.  TRUST GOD AND DO IT– STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN.  HE GIVES ALL–ALL I HAVE IS JESUS.  WHEN YOU FEEL DESPERATE, THAT IS A GOOD SIGN.  FALL ON HIM.”

  I know now that He gave those notes for today, for what I’m about to step into.  This new trial… or gift…depending how I look upon it, is so great!  He’s giving me yet another opportunity to trust Him fully.  Yes, Lord, use me.  Keep reminding me of my inadequacy and give me boldness in You to step out and encourage those in need, obey You and have faith for what YOU will accomplish through this vessel.

  Never let me forget that there is no such thing as a Godless moment.  (I am praying for His presence and His words when I speak to a friend in desperate need of looking at her life from another perspective other than self… over the phone.)

LONG blog about our New York Trip

  …..and there I was, lying in my warm bed after being woken up about 3 times during the night by little people….sleeping soundly….when my eyes just POPPED open and were clearly focused on the clock that said 5:27AM. 

  Now let’s rewind.  I got everything ready for our New York trip the night before, had the kids dressed for the day already and set my alarm for 4:45AM so I’d have plenty of time to drink a cup of coffee and finish loading up last minute stuff before leaving to pick up Jeannie at 5:30AM.

  You get the picture now?  Yep, my alarm did NOT go off.  For no aparrent reason except that God obviously wanted to start my day with a little more rest and definately wanted to remind me 1st thing that HE was in control, not me!  Ok, now that I had that straight I started to scramble.  Threw on jeans and a short sleeved t-shirt, ran in Danielle’s room to beg for help and threw the water bottles and cold foods into the cooler with freezer blocks.  My clock is actually 10 minutes fast so that gave me a teensy tinsey bit of leeway.  We did make it to Jeannie’s before 6AM and hit the road. 

  The drive up wasn’t bad except that there are at least $20 worth of tolls.  Thank God I brought cash.  I had NO idea we were going to encounter that. HA  Not good planning on my part, but then again it was a grace.  I might have changed my mind had I known ahead of time!  hahaha  So, we make it in record time.  Our ferry over wasn’t set to leave until 11:15AM and it wasn’t even 10AM.  We would have taken an earlier one but the on-line ticket sales said the 10AM one was SOLD OUT.  So, we meandered around, used the restroom, walked into an old train station there where there wer lots of 9/11 memorabilia, took pictures of Manhatten, watched some boats, then ate an early lunch.  As it was nearing 11AM we decided to go park in the ‘proper’ place and did so.  In my mind we were to get there by 11AM but actually our tickets said 11:15AM.  Since I had 11AM in my head I was hookin’ it!  I mean I was pretty much at a running pace while pushing Trinity in her stroller.  Later I found out Jeannie was thinking “Why is she in such a hurry?”  ha  So, we get to the ticket gate, I give all our tickets and then this really loud horn blows.  The sweet lady looks at me and says, “Oops, sorry, the ferry is leaving. You’ll have to wait until the 11:45 ferry comes to get a ride.”  A million flies could have entered my mouth at that moment.  I stood there looking like a total dummy and said, “what?”  I could NOT think of what to do.  I mean, it was obvious she couldn’t get us on, the ferry was leaving right then and we weren’t near it to just JUMP on, which I would have done if it were just me!  We said 1/2 laughing and 1/2 crying, “we’ve been here for over an hour waiting for this ferry and we miss it?  Our tickets say 11:15AM.”  She said, “Oh, after Sept. 1st they changed the time, it’s 11AM now.  You should have taken the 10AM ferry if you were here that early.” To which I replied, “the on-line tickets sales said it was sold OUT.”  To which SHE replied, “Oh, we are NEVER sold out on the New Jersey side.”  And smiled so sweetly. 

   HAAAAAA.  We were just beside ourselves.  What were we going to do for another 45 minutes.  So, we got out of the way and found a table and chairs.  I said, “well, how about I run back to the van and get some chocolate chip cookies?”  Everyone agreed that was a great idea.  So I got them and we ate them.  We did get on the next ferry and took it over to Ellis Island.  The kids and I have been studying about it, the Statue of Liberty and the state of New York for the past 3 weeks, so we were able to finally see in person what we’ve read and heard about all these days.  It was really amazing.   I have some great photo’s but have yet found the time to download a new driver for my camera.  Will do sometime.

  Next we took another ferry to Liberty Island.  The ride was pretty, seeing her from the water, very moving.  Once there we got in another security check line. This line was about a 20 minute wait I’m guessing.  They had you remove all items like at an airport and then you stood in this big ‘thing’ and they puffed air up and down you 2x.  It was weird.  I don’t know what it was for but Trinity was NOT happy about having to go through.  I thought it was hilarious.  Watching everyone in front of me was a riot!  Long hair was flying about, one lady was totally unprepared and she wiggled around like someone was tickling her.  So funny.  But Trinity, Hope and Isaac got to go through with us so it wasn’t as scary. 

  We walked through her pedestal which has a museum inside.  Most of it was a recap of what we studied but got to see things in person…the size of her foot, moldings of how they made her parts, information on the French and then men who put it all together.  So, once through there it was time to make a decision.  Do you ride the elevator to the observation level which is right under her feet, or take the 156 flights of stairs?  Well, Isaac wasn’t going to pass that up for a second…thus I had to go along…and Danielle wasn’t going to let her little brother out-do her.  There was NO way the Hope and Trinity could have made it so they went up the elevator with Ms. Jeannie.  By about step 30 my hips and bootie were burning!  OUCH.  Isaac was flying up the steps and I could hear him saying, “If I can ride 5 miles on my bike with daddy, I can do this…I can do this.”  It was so cute.  I did stop once to take their picture but it was in great effort to give myself a little break.  Whew….we made it and he was quite proud of his achievement.  We walked all round (very, very crowded), took in breath taking views of Manhatten and the Hudson River and other bridges. It was pretty if you can imagine that.  After nearly losing Hope I decided to go back down via the elevator.  

  Once down we walked to the very front of her base and sat for a while just taking some pictures and taking in the scenery.  We were tired too so a break was needed.  Perhaps it was a little too long though as we’ll later find out.  After letting the girls chase a few sea gulls and Isaac running to touch the base to “prove” he was actually there, we went back inside to get Trinity’s stroller and pick up a Christmas tree ornament as a keepsake for the kids.  OK, now we’re tired and ready to go.  So we head toward the ferry landing and see a big boat.  Oh, this must be it.  No, that is the one to New York.  Then as we’re kind of rounding a corner Danielle says, “There’s ours, and there it goes. We just missed it.”  I couldn’t believe it.  We missed it by 1 minute.  HA  We just sat down and laughed.  The kids were tired and starving.  So, what’s a mom to do when things don’t go right?  Get some FOOD.  I went inside and got an order of french fries to share of which we ate really fast, so I got up and ordered another one.  ha  It did tide us over until we got to the van where our picnic stuff was.  Once we got on the next ferry we enjoyed one last look of Lady Liberty from the water and the sun beginning to set on the very tall city of Manhatten. 

  Heading home we decided to stop and get gas in New Jersey.  Craig told Jeannie it was the cheapest place to get gas and they pump it for you.  Can you believe that?  It is LAW that someone working there pumps your gas.  Bizzare!  So, after a while we stop for gas and I notice that cars are only on one side of the pump…well, I’m not one to waste time here people, so I just pulled up and started turning right around to use the other side of the pump and WHOOOOA did I get a verbal thrashin’, New Jersey style!  “One way, one way, one way.”  Ooops.  I didn’t see the teeny little sign on the gas pump I passed that said one way only.  So, with my windows closed of course, I gently reminded these fellows to look at my license plate.  I was a TEXAN and didn’t know any better.  hahaha  I don’t think they would have cared anyway. 

  Well, we got our gas, used the restroom and headed home.  The evening was a great time for Jeannie and I to share and get to know one another more.  The kids listened to some Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods audio books and Trinity stole Danielle’s pillow and was sprawled out all over the seat. 

  It was a great trip and one that we’ll not soon forget.

Isa. 38:14

  In my devotional time this morning I read Isa. 38:14, Mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

  Susannah Spurgeon sheds light on much of this but one part in particular that stood out to me was this.  The two words ‘with looking’ are not in the original Hebrew.  The meaning is, literally, “Mine eye-lids droop, mine eyes are too weak to look upward.”  It is as if Hezekiah was saying “I am utter weakness, Lord; a weight of sin, and sorrow, and sickness oppresses me, I am brought so low that I cannot even lift up my eyes to you; but come, sit by my bed, close to me, Lord, so that I need not look up, but can shut my weary eyes in the joyful knowldge that you are looking down in tenderest pity on me, and saying, “Fear not, for I am with thee.”

  She also went on to say that God does nothing in halves.  He does everything wholly.  For HIS OWN Name’s sake, he will turn our affliction to his glory, he will turn our sorrow into joy.

  For those of you are feeling oppressed, trust in Christ Jesus our savior for every need.

Labeled

  It’s after dinner and after play.  Darrel goes to study Greek, Danielle goes to shower, the kids are playing with dominoes and I rush out for a quick walk with Luther.  We walk at a brisk pace for about 20 minutes…I must get back to the house.  Now inside I head to the restroom and what do I see when I look into the mirror.  My shirt is covered with stickers.  Not on my back, oh no, all over my front.  Did I even notice this when I was out?  Not in the least!  And what were the stickers?  Trinity had stuck 10 fruit stickers on me.  YES, they were fruits of the spirit!!!   Now, can’t you see God’s kindness?  Not only does He show me evidences of grace through my husband that indeed I am showing forth fruits of the spirit, then He uses my 4 year old to do it again but in a very humorous way!  I had an apple of love, a pineapple of goodness, grapes of joy, a peach of kindness…and on it went.  I stood in the mirror and had a great laugh!  One for His kindness to me and two, because I could not BELIEVE I went out of the house looking like this!  HA

  This morning my dear savior has brought me to pray this prayer.  A reminder from David’s prayer.  ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; try  me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’  May we all be willing to be searched by The One who sees and knows us fully, in order that we may be more like Christ.  Psalm 139:2 You know my downsitting and my uprising, you understand my thoughts afar off.

Studying Greek cultivates humility

  I just had the priviledge of being reminded how blessed I am to be at home teaching my children how to read the English language.  As difficult as it may be at times, I do know it. 

  Greek, now there is a language I do not know and am, at this stage in my life, very thankful that God is giving Darrel the opportunity to learn it. :)  I helped him by going through some flash cards a few moments ago.  Wow.  The beauty of the Greek lettering reminds me of my dear friend, Miran’s writing…from South Korea.  I told her that her note pages look like art!  They really do. 

  But I wanted to blog about the hard work Darrel is putting into His studies and am so thankful to God for giving him the desire to learn, the strength to study long hours, the desire to please Him, to know Him more fully, to study His word in order to share the gospel and proclaim His word more fully and with clarity.    I have no doubt that God will use the learning of this language to draw us all closer to Himself and to bring deeper meaning to His word in our hearts by his spirit.  I also have no doubt that for the new students at least, learning and studying Greek cultivates humility.  Isn’t that just like God?  To allow us to learn a language that will draw us deeper into the riches of his word, to know Him more fully, and at the same time show us our fallability and inability to do anything apart from Him?  Lord, I’m amazed by you, Lord, I’m amazed by you, Lord, I’m amazed by You…how you love me (us).

Dirty Laundry

  Well, I don’t know about others but we love dirty laundry in this house.  It brings such joy and fun times.  Crazy, I know.

  It begins with a scurry around the house by 5 warm bodies in search of all dirty laundry.  Most are in baskets but some socks and pj’s are left scattered about.  One child then gets the ‘kings chair’ and the rest of of begin strateigically throwing laundry bombs down on top of them from the 2nd floor.  Today Isaac was in the ‘kings chair’ and we covered him good!  The girls particularly love throwing them from the top floor and giggles sound throughout the entire house.

  Then the kids run down the stairs to the basement where it’s mom’s turn.  I can throw the clothes down without them getting stuck on the stairs…and the games begin.  I begin throwing wads of clothing that they either catch with their hands, head or feet.  Totally hilarious.  I will catch it on film one day.  I won’t mention some of the comical comments that are uttered when underwear hits someone in the face but we are all in histarics by the end of the pile. 

  I love doing laundry.  Years ago I wrote myself a note and hung it in my laundry room that reminded me to give thanks to God for dirty laundry.  This meant I have a houseful of blessingings; and I am ever thankful I have a washer and dryer IN my house and that I’m not loading up piles and piles along with 4 children to take to the laundry matt. 

  I hope you are encouraged doing your laundry today and are able to pray for all the big and possibly little bodies that fit into the clothes you are getting clean;  the clothing that covers their earthly suits which hold their souls that will never die!

Praise Him

  Time to take my exercising seriously and get it in control.  I have set apart a time to walk every day now until it gets cold *grin* and then I will do something indoors.  But today I took Luther with me and began a glorious and brisk walk.  The day is gorgeous, oh I don’t know, 70 something degrees.  I’m walking along and inwardly praising God for His creation, for my heatlh, family…you know, all the things we usually thank him for or perhaps forget to give thanks enough.  And then He so sweetly and graciously poured out His Spirit on me. What a glorious gift…I was not asking for such a strong presence but He gave it.  I am crying right now with overwhelming thanks to Him for being so kind to me, to us.  As I was walking I felt like He was saying yes, praise Me Shari, praise Me for all the things you are pondering in your heart.  But praise me for My gift of giving you My people to worship with.  Praise me for your freedom that you get to come together and encourage one another, praise me for my Word, praise me for the ability to read it, to comprehend it, to share it in order that you all might be sanctified.  Praise me for music, praise me for voices that you hear singing out to Me, praise me for hands lifted high, praise me that I give you all the desire to gather together in My name.  Praise Me for my mighty acts, praise me for rain, storms, hurricanes, that cause little ones to cry out to their parents in the night, that cause people to lose their homes, that cause people to think and wonder.  My ways are so much higher than yours, you cannot begin to comprehend my power.  Think of the vastness of the hurricane that hit Texas.  Think on and ponder how if I did not hold my Sovereign Hand of Power on the earth what terrors might occurr.  Praise me that I have mercy and grace upon my people and even those who hate Me.  Praise Me, I am worthy of Praise.  Give me priase from the depth of your heart and soul for it is I who give you the desire to do so.  Never cease praising Me.

  When we are in what looks like a scary, terrible or uncomfortable place, Praise Him all the more!

Psalm 89:5-9

⁵      Let ^rthe heavens praise your ^swonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of ^tthe holy ones!  ⁶      For ^uwho in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings⁴ is like the Lord,  ⁷      a God greatly ^vto be feared in the council of ^tthe holy ones, and awesome above all ^wwho are around him?  ⁸ O Lord God of hosts, ^x who is mighty as you are, O ^yLord, with your faithfulness all around you?      ⁹ You rule the raging of the sea;  when its waves rise, you ^zstill them.

^r Ps. 19:1; 50:6; 97:6; See Rev. 7:10-12

^s Ps. 88:12

^t ver. 7; Job 5:1; 15:15; [Job 1:6]

^u ver. 8; [Ps. 86:8]

⁴ Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might

^v See Ps. 47:2

^t [See ver. 5 above]

^w [Ps. 103:20, 21]

^x [1 Sam. 2:2]; See Ps. 35:10

^y See Ps. 68:4

^z Ps. 65:7; Job 38:11

The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001, S. Ps 89:5-9

Praise Him II

  I just saw that you can download a mp3 off Sovereign Grace Ministries music area for free, called Praise the Lord.  It’s a good song, so…go get it!

Nosey Trini

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face (and not where Trinity can reach you..sss)

Be glad your nose is on your face, not pasted on some other place, for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot. Imagine if your precious nose were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face! Jack Prelutsky

Hope you got a nice chuckle out of this one!

Children

  Trinity is quite the singer.  Sometimes she just stands in the livingroom and belts it out.  I mean she REALLY belts it out at the top of her lungs.  Right now she is singing a praise song extemporaneously and singing “My Lord is my heart, help me, help me, we need your help to thank you thank you from my heart.  Thank you thank you for my Lord.”  She just stopped and said “mama, clap”.  Now she sat down with a bible and flipped the pages and said “My husband is allergic to earth worms.”  WHAT kind of thinking is this?  I am totally laughing.  Kids are so funny!!!  And one of my favorite songs of hers is The Glories of Calvary, but this is her rendition…”Lord take me deeeeeeeper, into the gloooory for CALORIES.” 

  Yesterday after school Isaac and Hope were playing in the livingroom.  The girls had left some dolls and other toys scattered on the floor and they did not clean them up when they all began spinning round and round and round like little tornado’s.  You know what I mean, you’ve done it yourself!  Well, Isaac trips on a toy, stops himself and once stopped the room keeps spinning round and round.  He loses his balance and POW falls and hits his head on a table in the livingroom.  I am in the other room talking to Desiree Van Essen and I hear this squealing cry.  I walk into the kitchen and see Danielle down on the floor comforting him while he’s wailing “Mama, mama.” 

  My children tend to be a bit dramatic so I didn’t go right in, but after about 30sec to a minute of this I realize I should really get off the phone.  Once I walk into the room and Isaac lifts his head to look at me I inwardly freaked out.  I’m so greatful God gives mother’s the ability to conceal fear.  He had the biggest goose egg on his forehead I’ve ever seen!  WOW!  It was about 1 1/2″ long and stuck out at least 1/2″ or more.  I laid him down, put some ice on it and had Danielle google ‘goose egg’ for me as I couldn’t think of what to do.    Ice was the right thing for 20 min on, 20 min off a few times.  I said, “yeah, I know you just didn’t want to finish school today and you knew I’d let you lay down to watch a movie.” *grin* He’s such a sweet boy.  He watched Huck Finn and ate an entire bag of popcorn so I knew he was going to be fine.  Today the egg is much smaller, just blue in color. 

  We’re currently studying about the Liberty Bell and about to have a snack, so I’m closing.  Did you know the bell was originally cast in 1752 in London, England?

One Of Those Days

  My alarm went off at 6AM.  It was quite cool in the house and quite warm under my covers so I hit the snooze button 2x.  Thankfully the Lord enlightened me while laying there in a 1/2 sleep that it would be so much better for me to arise and spend quality time alone with Him…so I got up.  Once downstairs I fixed a cup of coffee and opened up my Libronix Digital Library System, thanks to my sweet husband, and began musing over Ephesians 1:6.  I was able to read some commentary and was so encouraged, smiling and praising ‘to the praise of His glorious grace’.  Soooo good!

  Danielle was up next, then Isaac, Trinity and then Hope.  I fixed some egg and cheese sandwiches and we began the day.  Since we have gym on Thurs. mornings at 10AM this day flows a bit differently and feeling the pressure of getting some things done before we left was not pleasing me.  ha  It started last night, and not making excuses for my sin, I am a bit hormonal. (If Dani read this she’d probably say, “a bit?”…no, she’s very gracious to her mother)  I was very testy last night and here it came again.  Every little pencil, book, toy clothing article, shoe, plate, paper…you name it, if it was laying around it was annoying me.  So, while giving orders to get math done I’m sure I yipped and snipped at Hope and Trinity.  What happened to the Shari who was just reading Ephesians 1:6? 

  Well, we went to gym.  The kids had a good time playing; Isaac running with a bunch of boys and tossing around footballs and other balls, Trinity talking to whomever she ‘chose’ today, Hope trying to hold the babies and Danielle practicing volleyball with other girls her age.  I talked with a few other mom’s while watching the kids do their thing. 

  Once we got home we got a couple huge packages in the mail.  One was some school stuff for Isaac and another was a package of mail from our house back in Texas.  I went through all that stuff, which took quite some time and realized that it would take me quite a bit longer to get some of it taken care of, filed, some papers filled out, insurance info…the like.  I just didn’t feel like teaching today.  I felt the grouchies coming on just thinking about havin to pull everything together and teach another 5 subjects.  So I prayed!  In His goodness He reminded me that these children are blessings and gifts and to enjoy them!

  So, I went into the livingroom and read 3 books with the kids.  It was a great time.  After that they watched a short film on Florence Nightingale while I took Luther for a walk.  I got home before the film was over and we all went outside to enjoy the fall weather here.  Isaac and Hope climbed trees, Trinity found a stick and a little puddle of water and told me she was fishing and Danielle played with her dog and talked with me.  Trinity and I ended up breaking up a bunch of dead twigs to make a pretend fire in order that she could cook her fish for our dinner.  Then we were pretending to roast marshmallows so I went inside and got some real ones, small as they were; we still had fun.  Isaac and Hope wandered back and we all sat there with sticks and baby marshmallows ‘fake roasting’ over our fire in the backyard.  It was a hilarious blast!  Roasting marshmallows made Isaac think of yams at Thanksgiving, so I came inside to check my pantry and Lo and Behold I had a can of yams.  Trinity and put lots of brown sugar (snuck a few chunks while we were cooking), dollops of butter, and pecans over them and put them in the oven.  Later we put the marshmallows on.  I had a crockpot full of chicken cooking throughout the day, so I thought to myself, “what goes good with chicken?”  Then I thought, “mashed potatoes.  The family loves mashed potatoes!”  So I started making them, NOT remembering that I had just put sweet POTATOES in the oven.  OK?  THAT’S what I mean about having one of those days.  HELLO!!  Potatoes and potatoes.  Whatever!  hahaha  When I discovered this I just laughed and thought, “well, this will be another one to remember.”  

  We ate our yummy chicken, mashed potatoes AND sweet potatoes around the table and read an art book from the library.  Had a few laughs from some of the art work and had to pass one by Isaac since the lady on the trapeze was scantly dressed!  Good grief.

  Darrel came home and was quite pale.  Said he was achy and didn’t feel well at all, so I gave him 2 Tylenol and he went to bed.  He’s been sleeping ever since.  It’s very difficult to keep 4 kids quiet for 3 1/2 hours!  When is the last time you tried?  I mean, we’ve already been here all day long and now NO DADDY to break up the day?    I don’t even think the girls knew he’d come home.  Anyway, Danielle had a real hankerin’ to cook something.  Lots of little things got in her way like, not enough butter, not enough eggs, mother doesn’t want to mess with any cooking things so “If you want to make something you have to do it on your own!”    I ended up letting them make taffy for a good ole fashion taffy pull.  Am I nuts?  Yeah.  Danielle already knows it’s the simple things in life that make great memories.  She and Hope began mixing the ingredients and dissolving the sugar while Trinity ‘read’ me books and pretended I was someone else while I was writing a letter on email to a friend.  Isaac was looking at a costume book we got from the library trying to figure out if he would look better as an archer or a knight.

  Yesterday the kids and I spent quite a bit of time cutting out the shape of 4 different leaves on different colored card stock to make a leaf garland.  It is hanging in our livingroom giving fall colors to the inside of our house.  Since we have no decorations here it’s nice to have something homemade, even if it’s made of paper.  Isaac sat down next to me tonight looking up at the garland.  He said, “I go places and see things and thing ‘i really like that or want that’, and then later we end up doing something better or making something just as neat with stuff we have around the house.”  I could tell he liked the garland we made, but more than that, that we all sat on the livingroom floor together for over an hour cutting, laughing, talking, listening to music.  It’s great doing things together.  What huge gifts God gives!!!

  Alas, they needed my help on several occasions.  It ended up with all of us in there, butter coated on all our hands and pulling, pulling, pulling taffy.  1/2 the taffy was actually being kneeded, but who’s looking right?  Little bits of it are falling on the floor, Luther is running and getting it and we are laughing our heads off because he is eating taffy!  Can you get the visual here?  Dog/taffy…smack, smack,smack, lick, lick…that poor dog didn’t know what he got himself into.  And he not only did it once, twice, but about 4 times until I made Isaac get over the counter top. 

  Once we were done I made Isaac, Hope and Trinity march down to the basement with me to get a scrub down with stain stick.  They had so much butter and sugar on them it wasn’t funny. 

  Teeth brushed, pj’s on, tucked, hugged and kissed, it was time to sleep.  And here I am in the dark on the sofa to sleep.  Nope, I don’t share a bed with Mr. Schiel when he’s sick!  I have to stay well to take care of my family. 

Grace Upon Grace Flows Down

  Here I am writing.  I have 1 minute until my timer goes off on the oven for dinner.  I am going to take the kids out to spend $5 each from their Granny for a treat.  Who knows what they will buy.  I cannot remember the last time they did this, thus, it is very special for them to have $5 of their own. 

  God is so good to us.  The gospel is becoming more precious to me every single day.  (My timer is beeping)  Chicken parmagiana (spelling, whatever!!! ha) and garlic and butter bread sticks.  My kids will LOVE me for not preparing a vegetable.   

  My daughter Danielle is such a blessing.  She’s kind, precious, giving, loving, self-sacrificing.  She has her moments but overall God is shaping her in such a lovely way.  I must share these evidences of grace with her right away.

  The kids just came in from playing in the court yard.  Trinity has a 1/2 eaten apple in her hand.  From where she got this I do not know!  Hmmmm.  Hope is asking about dinner as she is ’starving’.  Isaac silently walked in and is washing his hands in the 1/2 bath.  What a treasure they all are.  God has given me such gifts.  I pray that I will lead them and be an example of Jesus Christ.

  Hope just informed me there was a couple in the courtyard who were hugging and kissing and she knows they weren’t married…she can ‘just tell’.  Isaac just walked in and said, “Yeah, that was really gross!”  haaaaaa

It’s time to EAT!

Fellowship Group

  Our family spent the day with the Briley’s and Kangs at the Kang’s home yesterday afternoon.  They are living with a family from Covenant Life Church whose basement is made into another ‘home’.  It’s got 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchenette, living area, eating area and another little area.  Which is about the same size as their living space in South Korea.  Living is very expensive there!   Off their living area here is a sliding glass door that exits into a beautiful woods.  About 5 minutes through the wood is a little stream where the children ran down to jump in.  ha  Not really.  I think they would have liked to though.  

  I learned that in South Korea the women does not take on the husband’s name.  Here, in the states, I know my friend as Miran Kang; her husband as SongWan Kang.  But in their land she is Miran Kil, and they actually call her Kil Miran.  They say the last name first.  So if I went there and said to someone, “Oh, you know my friend Miran Kang?”  They wouldn’t know of whom I was speaking.  So, I would be Von Hoff Shari.    (Now you guys know my maiden name.  Von Hoff and Schiel are both German, by the way) 

  Miran made many South Korean foods for us to try.  The Kangs sang a prayer in Korean and then SongWan prayed in Korean.  It is a very beautiful language.  She made a sticky rice that looked white and purple.  It had many different beans and spices in it, although I have to say it was the most bland thing we ate.  I liked the textures, however.  There was a beef dish with different colored bell peppers and some spices.  I noticed a salty taste, probably some soy sauce…it was good.  A pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot dish that was my favorite!!!  Kimchi (sp?), which is a cabbage that is flavored with saltiness and hot pepper.  I liked it…Darrel did not.  After learning exactly what the ingredients were I now know why he didn’t like it!  They soak the cabbage for 4-5 hours in cold salt water (pickling effect going on here).  Then they use this stuff…well, I’m going to really botch up the explanation now but I’ll try.  There is a jar of little shrimp, eyeballs and all; very, very salty.  The mix this all up, ground up, with other spices and put it with the cabbage.  Kimchi is very spicey, of which I like!!  But Darrel could taste the seafood, of which I didn’t even notice.  They eat so much Kimchi in South Korea that each family there has huge refrigerators JUST for Kimchi.  They have another refrigerator for other food.  Miran said Kimchi takes so long to make that they make lots of it at a time and so they have to have much room to store it.  That made me laugh.  The generation before Miran eat Kimchi with breakfast, lunch and dinner.  But her generation up to now eat other things for breakfast, like American’s, and eat Kimchi with lunch and dinner. 

  SongWan had us try a Korean drink he loves that is cinnamon w/ Persimmon.  I thought, “I am NOT going to like this.”  The only time I tried a Persimmon was at a farmers market with my grandma Ina and I did not like it, to say the least.  Well, to my delight I liked the drink.  It is very, very sweet.  We tried another one that was more a rice flavor I think, and I didn’t care for it as well.  It wasn’t the taste, but when I would go to take a drink I didn’t like the smell.  Strange huh?  But the taste was good and sweet.  I just couldn’t get past the smell.  hahaha   Later Miran cut up a lot of fruit (this is her dessert as she doesn’t like sweets) and pulled out a package of these little peanut shell looking things.  Darrel ended up naming them Korean pretzels, but they weren’t.  They were crunchy, had a sweet coating and I think they had some sesame seed on them.  So fun to try new things!  And now Miran says we need to start saving for airplane tickets so we can go visit someday. 

  Danielle tried all the Korean food but Isaac, Hope and Trinity stuck with the nuggets and macaroni and cheese I brought for ‘just in case’ kids.  They loved me.  ha  While Danielle was trying the Kimchi, Minyu, one of their boys, was watching her closely.  She smiled and said she like it.  He was so surprised  because even he doesn’t like Kimchi.   

  We had a wonderful afternoon of sharing our testimonies and how we met as couples.  Then we began a wonderful conversation about the gifts of the spirit.  The children played outside, played card games inside and ended up picking a boxful of apples from one of the apple trees.  And to end our day Mingu and Minyu gave us a private recital on their violin and cello.  They are very talented young men.  It was a wonderful and memorable afternoon!  ( I forgot my camera AGAIN!)

PS.  Interesting facts about Kimchi.  I was looking up info to try and find out the name of the salty fish used in it and found this info!  Perhaps we’ll start eating Kimchi each day! 

The probiotic bacteria in Kimchi will help kill off any bad bacteria and yeast that are colonizing your intestine.  Kimchi is full of enzymes that help digest a meal.  If you use garlic, red pepper, and ginger, those spices are also digestive aids and help with general health.  All those good vegetables you use in Kimchi are uncooked, so they retain more of their vitamins and minerals. In addition, the bacteria create vitamins during the fermentation process.

Pouring It On

  God has just been pouring it on in my life.  I am highly hormonal right now and very easily irritated.  Well, not so much today.  I am sure I am less irritable because the Great Pysician, as my dear friend Tiffany reminded me in an email concerning her dear Abby, heard many prayers lifted up to Him on my behalf from many sisters here in the PC. 

  Yesterday Darrel took the kids on an outing while I sat and drenched myself in God’s word.  I had much to plan while they were gone but couldn’t do anything until I calmed my soul and spirit with His word.  I am so thankful that His word is so accessible to us; we are blessed beyond measure.  And that He would allow me to understand it and give me wisdom and the ability to apply it…even more amazing and reason for thankfulness and praise!!!!!

  So, I got 4 very detailed schedules typed out.  It took me about 4 1/2 hours but well worth it.  When we moved into our house back in March I made schedules such as these and it helped us so much with the flow of the day.  We’ve been a MESS without them and today has been the most wonderful day of learning.  I’m not a slave to schedules but it certainly helps me.  The kids are so much more productive, Trinity and Hope feel cared for and with little ‘down’ time, they are less likely to argue and fight over things.  We had a wonderful devotional time this morning for 20 minutes to start the day and when our timer went off this afternoon after ‘health’ class we prayed and thanked God for his grace to us!!!  Then I sang the hallelujah chorus!  LOUD!!!

  Prior to all this, after my planning last night, I layed in bed listening to a sermon by CJ Mahaney called “Encourage”.  Miran told me she has listened to this and God has used it in her life to watch her words more carefully.  Since our women’s fellowship time a couple weeks ago I’ve been meaning to listen to it but haven’t taken or found the time.  Well, last night I got everyone to bed early and took the time.  I wept and wept with conviction and at the same time was so encouraged.  I stopped many times to discuss some of it with Darrel.  Poor thing; he’s so gracious to listen to me as I’m weeping, seeking for answers.  He patiently listens and encourages me.  What a patient man he is! 

  Well, my time is up to blog.  I have much to plan for schooling tomorrow and things to look up for the Philadelphia trip we are planning.  I highly, highly encourage anyone who reads this blog to ‘take’ the time to listen to the CJ Mahaney sermon called “Encouarge”.  Go to the Covenant Life Church website and click on ‘resources’.  Then type in Encourage under the ’search’ area to the top right side of the screen.  It will pull up there.  The sermon was from 2004, Ephesians 4.

  Another wonderful day full of God’s blessing.  I am so thankful for the scripture hung around the house.  I’m sure to hang some more.

  2nd day of new school schedule; went great.  Everyone seems to be very pleased with it, including Luther.  He gets an additional 15 minute walk with me before lunch!  ha

  Tomorrow is first day of new Thursday schedule.  We’ll see how that works.  Going to try and start on a new art project for our Christmas decorations since we brought not one single Christmas item from Texas.  I lean toward being sad but then realize God designed it this way.  So, we are going to make things we can keep to remember our MD Christmas at the PC and make great memories together! (oops, not true, we brought my White Christmas movie. thx cy!)

  And things are just starting to resemble this around here.  I’m excited for the cooler weather coming in this weekend. 

 

I could indeed write the entire chapter this morning but will only write this part from Susannah Spurgeons ch. 18 titled, Testing Times, the Proof of Love.

  “I remember once reading words to this effect— that, the moment we come into any trial or difficulty, our first thought should be, not how soon can we escape from it, or how may we lessen the pain we shall suffer from it, but how we can best glorify God in it, and most quickly learn the lesson which he desires to teach us by it.  …The soul that has learned the blessed secret of seeing god’s hand in all that concerns it, cannot be a prey to fear; it looks beyond all second causes, straight into the heart and will of God, and rests content, because He rules.

  My soul, think how great must be his love to you, that he should stoop to search for your heart’s obedience and devotion!  Think of the infinite God, your Redeemer, longing, desiring, yearning to be assured of your supreme affection!”

Conversations

  The setting is post lunch.  I’ve set the girls down for a movie on my computer with ear phones for each of them so as to not disturb the rest of us during study time.  Isaac is clearing his plate from the counter.

Isaac:  Mommy, thank you for teaching me.  

Mommy:  Well, thank you for being willing to learn from me.  (Isaac smiles.  We give big bear hugs and walk to his table.)   

Isaac: When I get married I want my wife to be willing to homeschool our children. 

Mommy:  This is something very important to look for and to discuss when you find someone you think you may want to marry.  Start praying for her now. 

Isaac: Did you and Daddy talk about that before you were married? 

Mommy:  No, we didn’t.  It is only by the grace of God He brought us to a conviction that we were to homeschool you guys.  Sometimes one parent wants to homeschool and the other doesn’t.  But God was so good to us to give us both the desire and we were in agreement.   It started with Daddy, I followed his lead and then God brought me along. 

  This conversation was packed full.  God is doing so much more in my children than I realize.  He gives me little glimpses every now and then.  I was able to share the grace of God to my son, show him how a wife should follow her husbands leadership and at the same time I was so blessed to know that Isaac wants to homeschool his children.  It is evident he enjoys learning at home with his sisters and me and that gives me such hope!

Tomorrow we go to Washington, D.C. with the Pastor’s College.  I’ve heard the tour guide is just fantastic.  We’re to dress in layers as it will be very chilly in the AM.

Danielle and I just got home from a ladies meeting with the speaker Carolyn Mahaney.  She gave such a blessed message concerning Beauty.  It was great to discuss with Danielle what spoke to her specifically and vice versa.  You won’t understand the vastness of these if you didn’t hear the message, so this is mainly for my memory but Danielle said it was God ’sharing’ our days.  Not just that He knew our days before we were born, knows tomorrow, but shares them with us.  Mine was servants hands and how God views my beauty.  If you’ve seen my hands you know they aren’t beautiful to the worlds standards or even to most ‘Christian’ beauty standards.  They look very different.  But, God willing, they will be servants hands in all effort to glorify Him and not me or my vanity.  I want to be beautiful as He sees beauty.

  My camera battery is recharging so I can’t download my pictures from DC yet.  AND we had the Hanson’s over tonight for pumpkin carving fun and dinner…so I’ve no time for blogging.  ha 

  Actually, I just spend about 45 minutes organizing my bookmarks and looking at all the blogs I have in there AND adding a couple more Jeannie sent out.   

  I’d love to keep up with some things at home (hint, hint Houstonians) so if you guys would email me your blogs I’d like to read them.

  I’ll update later.

The Schiel’s at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC with the pastor’s college families.  (pic taken by Jonathan Leslie)

HA.  Jeannie corrected me.  Thank you.  Whew…get the history right.  No, I wasn’t listening well but I’m unable to write on my blog whyyyyy I wasn’t listening well.  THIS IS AT THE FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL. 

Pumpkin Fun

We drove out to Butler’s Orchard to pick our own pumpkins.  It was fun but I wouldn’t recommend it for those of you who want a nice big pumpkin.  They are much cheaper at the store…of which I didn’t know, because I don’t buy a lot of pumpkins.  In TX if you buy a pumpkin in October and set it out it will probably rot within the week from the heat.   But the kids and I enjoyed the fun anyway.

We had Tiffany, Abby and Katie over for some pumpkin carving fun.Hurry with the pics mom, we want to start cutting!Hope scooping out the seeds and Isaac cleaning his out...Trinity didn't like the 'goop'

 

Pretty neat lit up!

Cold

  Ok.  I’m from Texas.  Southeast Texas to be exact.  I generally keep flowers outdoors year round.  It’s warm there.  Currently at 5:51AM it is 62 degrees F.  Here in Gaithersburg it is 38 degrees F. 

  This morning I found it quite difficult to get out of my warm bed to spend time with my Lord.  Any encouraging words other than setting my thermostat up?    (this should get interesting)

  My heart is heavy and burdened for the Hamrick’s.  She has been battling cancer for a very long time and is now undergoing surgery for a sinus infection.  She is asking for white blood cells from our church members and anyone they know in Houston as they are not even from this area and know very few people.  You can read more about their story on her blog at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/melissahamrick.  If God prompts you to pray for them please do so. 

  I cannot begin to imagine their weariness.  I was so weary in only 2 weeks with my childrens’ illnesses.  They have been battling this for months.  Oh I am praying that they/she would be able to sing out these words from dear Susannah Spurgeon’s devotional:

  ” ‘I will wait for the God of my salvation.’ Though bruised and wearied by the roughness of the way, I have at last reached a safe shelter and resting-place where I may wait till my Lord reveals himself to me as my Deliverer.

  How blest am I to know that One so mighty both in love and power watches over and directs my steps– One who is not only ‘God’, but ‘the god of my salvation’!  He has a more tender and personal interest in me than in the angels of heaven, for I am, that marvel of marvels, a sinner saved by grace, a soul redeemed unto God by his most precious blood!”

Sisters

  I have many sisters whom I love dearly.  Sisters in Christ.  But I have only 1 blood sister who is also a sister in Christ.  Her name is Shelly Ann Jones.  She is my lifelong friend and continues to inspire me by her devotion to her family and God.  She’s also hilarious.

  She said I should gain some weight in order to stay warmer here and unbeknownst to her, I have!  ha  Due to the change in the way my clothes are fitting I would guess I’ve gained about 5 bls since we’ve been here.

  So the ‘COLD’ dilema has been solved.  After setting my coffee pot last night, putting my warm slippers right by my bed (from my niece Elizabeth) and gaining a few pounds, I’m sure to survive the cold here and get myself up in the morning.

  Now I’m going to go bake a pumpkin pie and eat the whole thing myself!  ha  Just kidding. 

Me and My Sis in 2006

Kindness

Sisters out to eat: Shari cold again.

‘Be ye kind, one to another’.  This picture is for my beautiful sister.  The other silly one didn’t do her justice.  She’s as sweet, kind, loving, tender-hearted, fun and crazy as she is beautiful.  God is so kind to us to give us family and friends, isn’t He?

Schiel Crazies

Well, what would you do with your toddler while you are teaching 3rd and 7th grade math? 

We’re actually going to use these little pieces to make paper mache Christmas ornaments.  Now…don’t you know I had a PLAN here? 

PC in DC

I don’t mean to blog so much today but I just looked at a friends blog and realized that I have not put this great photo online for those of you who would like to see Darrel every so often.    Here is the PC class of 2008 less at least 1 student as they were at a wedding.  Darrel is on the back row. (click on the photo to get a closer look)

On the far right is SongWan Kang from South Korea and 4th from right is Walt Briley from North Carolina.  They are in Darrel’s fellowship group which meet every Wednesday afternoon to hold one another accountable and to encourage each other in the Lord.  Our pastor is on the far left in red, Mr. Gary Ricucci.  We meet with he and his sweet wife, Betsy, once a month in their home for care group.  They are all a means of grace to us while here at the pastor’s college.

Fellowship

  I don’t dare go to bed tonight without writing this down.  God is too kind to me.  Amy Briley and Miran Kang are in my ladies fellowship group by the sovereign hand of God.  I have been so encouraged tonight by their words of wisdom, their compassion, their prayers.  My heart is overflowing with thanks and faith in Jesus Christ.  Specifically prayer and encouragment to serve my husband and to encourage him.  I have had a very difficult time in doing that this week.  We have not made it a habit in our marriage to point out graces.  Let me rephrase that.  I have not made it a habit to point out graces in Darrel’s life.  I have been critical and judgmental.  I have not been compassionate.  Oh, I can be compassionate toward my children, toward friends, toward people I do not even know but when it comes to being compassionate to the man who is to be my dearest friend I have failed.  Ah, but the grace of God and His forgiveness give me a hope that none can take away.  I am filled with hope that because of what Christ has accomplished on my behalf, I will be able to do those things which seem so hard to me.  I have much faith for His work in me and am so thankful for Godly women like Amy and Miran to share needs and concerns and to know they will be lifting them up to the Father.  Now to go and see if I can help Darrel study for his Greek quiz tomorrow!

Quiz and Chee

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This is the pc students 2nd week of Old Testament.  It’s hard.  It’s a lot.  It’s basically Joshua through about song of Solomon.  Be praying for these guys that they will be able to learn all the material needed!

Their professor during all this fun Old Testament time is Bruce Chick.  He loves taking them out for bowling matches, taking them to eat 20 ounce Chee Burgers…all to drop their worst test score if students rise to the challenge.  Can you eat a giant 20 ounce cheese burger?  I’m sure I cannot, and neither could 3 other men, but the students rallied together to get the burgers eaten, and that’s what counted! My kids look at it and say ‘eeeeeewwwww’. 

Perhaps not the exact burger, but close to it.

Today is test day in Greek as well, so if you are looking to add another prayer request to your list, please lift up Darrel and this class of men who are learning to the glory of God.

Freecycle

  We’ve all heard of recycling.  Well, I just heard of a website called “FREECYCLE”.  They are all over the US and it’s basically a site where you can post something you want to give away instead of throwing away and filling more landfill space.  The sites are by cities so you or the person getting something don’t have to drive far.  And you can also post requests of things you need.  My neighbor told me their girls needed some things for a girl scouting trip and had a reply for what they needed the same afternoon.  Sounds interesting.  You do need a yahoo account to become a member but I figure this will help in keeping any other emails off my main email address.  So, if any of you have something you want to donate to someone in need or you’re in need of something and willing to take a used item, you might check out FREECYCLE online.

This Day

  Oh that this day You will be glorified through me.  I’ve no doubt you will receive praise and glory for You tell me that if I do not praise you the rocks would cry out.  I’ve prayed oh Lord that you would humble me and this you so tenderly do by wonderful words you’ve brought me to read.  I am reminded of my need for you every moment and today you so sweetly brought an old hymn to mind. ‘I need thee every hour, most precious Lord, no tender voice like Thine can peace afford.  I need thee oh I need thee, every hour I need thee, oh bless me now my Savior I come to thee.’  Let this day make you more precious in my eyes.  Let this day my actions bring you glory and praise.  Let this day our hearts sing of your glory and the total mercy you showed at the cross.

Focus for the Day

John 15:4-5

Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the brances.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Do we truly realize apart from Him we can do nothing?  Or are you like me at times who loses focus and thinks “I can do this?” 

I am so thankful for Christs’ kindness to remind me day by day that I am completely and utterly unable to do anything good without Him.  This truth gives me such a love for Christ and what He’s accomplished on the cross.  The gospel is indeed more precious today than yesterday.  Is it for you?

Night at the Harvey’s

 

   This photo was taken by Siobhan Slack (first name sounds like Shuvon/ short vowel sounds).   From left is Mr. Craig Harvey, Mr. Matthew (Matt) Slack and Mr. Darrel Schiel (my sweetie). 

  Mr. Harvey works for Verizon and travels a lot.  When Jeannie (his sweetie) realized he would be home on a Tuesday evening, which is when the Schiel’s and Slack’s typically take date nights, she was pumped and ready to invite us over for dinner.  How sweet is that?  Well, they did invite and we all accepted.  What an exceptional meal, not to mention the kindness and service they gave us.  They got up for each course to serve us and/or give refills.  They were so kind and have such servants hearts.  They are both on the Administrative Team for the Pastor’s College so they plan all the extra events for the PC. 

Now here’s a picture of the ladies (a little blurry..ha).  From left, me, Siobhan, and Jeannie.  We had such a great time of fantastic food and sharing our greatest joys thus far at the pc and greatest challenges.  This is a common question we ask during times of fellowship. 

After dinner we had the pleasure of taking the stairs to the basement to meet Ms. Warrene, Jeannie’s mother.  She blessed my socks off!  To see an elderly woman filled with such joy and greatfulness is such a testimony of Christ.  She was beaming with joy and is soooo witty.  

Thank you Craig and Jeannie for a fantastic evening of fellowship.  You two are such a blessing to our family. 

What has been your greatest joy this year?  What is your greatest challenge?  Whatever the challenge may be, bring it to the Lord in prayer, seek wise counsel and find scripture to meditate concerning these matters.

Thu, October 30

Time

Condition

Feels Like

Chance Precip

Dew Point

Humid.

Wind

Sunrise 7:35 am

Read about National Parks

Morning Commute

Outdoors Message Board

8am

Sunny 34°F

28°F

0%

26°F

72%

From WNW 7 mph

9am

Sunny 37°F

31°F

0%

26°F

64%

From NW 8 mph

10am

Sunny 40°F

34°F

0%

27°F

60%

From NW 9 mph

Quote for a Lifetime

God’s word is life.  Nothing else truly feeds and sustains.  But there are men who have taken God’s word and made profound statements.  This is one that I now have on my freezer door that has encouraged my soul the last 4 days and I’m certain will continue doing so for years and years to come.

“He who grows in grace remembers that he is but dust, and he therefore does not expect his fellow Christians to be anything more.  He overlooks ten thousand of their faults, because he knows his God overlooks twenty thousand in his own case. He does not expect perfection in the creature, and therefore, he is not disappointed when he does not find it.”

~  Charles H. Spurgeon

Harvest Party Fun 10-31

  The kids had a lot of fun at the Harvest Party at CLC last Friday night.  We don’t usually participate in this sort of ordeal, but since we were here we set aside our Reformation Party and went with the flow.   Hope already had the pink dress given by Heather Adamik years ago, made by Grandma Grace…added accessories of our own.  I painted red stripes on a pajama t-shirt for Isaac, bought some red ribbon at Michael’s craft store and had all the rest.  Danielle wore her beautiful Civil War dress given to her by her Grammy for her 13th birthday; we made the fan out of card stock and gold spray paint.  And Trinity wore the Eore suit that matched Jeannie and me.  Lots of games, lots of laughs, lots of fun….lots and lots of heat (those costumes were HOT).  I told Jeannie she needed to let me borrow them for the winter months. 

Isaac ready to fire pre-Harvest Party

 

My kids posing pre-party with Abby Hanson.  She and her little sister were Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat in the Hat book by Dr. Seuss…with blue hair and all (blue hair not shown)  ha  Isaac the pirate, Danielle the Civil War belle, Hope the little princess, Trinity the adorable Eore.

Trini, Jeannie, Shari, Hope and Isaac

Danielle with her new and dear friend Mariah from Corning, NY

I’ll post more later.  Everytime I try to put more they are sideways and I’m tired!   

   I have 2 other blog posts that are unfinished.  So much going on all the time.  Tonight in our Care Group Betsy said something or quoted someone about a dimmer light…where when the light is dim (looking in at your sin) things look pretty good but when the light is turned up you see all the mess.  Darrel and I chuckled on our 2 minute drive home that the Schiel’s have no dimmer light.  The light is shining as brightly as the sun and there’s sin everywhere.  I guess the way I communicate makes it sound like God is doing so much in our lives…and in such a great way that some of our new friends wonder what this is, what this looks like, or why this is happening?  All I can say is that God is a faithful God and He has just chosen this time in our lives to really shed this light upon us.  There aren’t BIG things…but isn’t that what life is?  Yes, it is the million little things we live out every single day.  And we are seeing the sin for what it is in many ways.  But is it all good.  (please understand that…not that the sin is good but His faithfulness to let us see it and repent)

  We chuckle because we are tired today.  It has been such a grace filled week with God’s love and mercy all over us.  Today the men in the PC met for a time of prayer before class.  There were words of encouragement for a few of them and specific prayer prayed for Darrel by a couple of the men, Songwan from South Korea as one of them.  He prayed in Korean.  It is amazing how the Holy spirit can move over a group of men in a very powerful way when none of the men know what is being said.  Darrel was affected greatly from this time of prayer; God is doing such a work in his heart.  Actually, I think he has a new blog that is called Humility U.  U is for University.  But I don’t think he has time to write in it!  ha

   God has so powerfully affected me with a renewed passion and understanding of the gospel that I am daily in tears with a greatful, repentant heart.  I am so desirous to know Him fully and live out the gospel with my family and those around me.  He is giving grace in the lives of my children…even Hope and Trinity who have not yet made a profession of faith.  Today Hope got up from her school work just to hug and kiss Trinity.  Then she purposefully shared her Polly dolls with her during a play time when she typically says “don’t play with those, they’re mine”.  We have 6 scriptures on the wall to memorize concerning serving , loving and being kind to one another during our morning devotions.  The hymn for the month is Amazing Grace which I cannot sing without tears of joy flowing down my face.  What a testimony to my kids.  Sometimes I think “I am the biggest cry baby in the world”.  I even prayed tonight before our care group, seriously, that God would allow me not to cry tonight…but, also said that I would be willing to do so if it was His will to grow me or to help someone else.  BUT, the tears are a part of who He has made me and I will shed a million more if it pleases Him to have my heart in this place. 

  Julie Purswell was sharing on the spiritual disciplines last Sat. at our women’s meeting.  This meeting is from 9-12pm so this wonderful encouragement was only one grain of salt in an entire shaker.  But she shared with us how she had a basket next to a specific chair that she uses during her devotional/quiet time with the Lord every morning.  I took this to heart and filled my basket with several of the items she recommended, not all…but I put my Bible, Psalter, another song book, pen, note cards, journal, and several other books pointing to the gospel and encouraging my soul.  God has been so faithful to meet me every morning.

  This is a glimpse of what’s going on here.  By the way, David…Darrel was taking pictures of us and holding candy bags at the Harvest Party.   He’s such a great dad!  I wish I had more time to write but God has given me 5 lives to serve and care for and I am trying to be more faithful in serving them and not myself!  (I love writing too.)  I am praying for everyones hearts to be stirred as mine has been by meditating and remembering what Christ accomplished on our behalf.  There is nothing more precious than the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Updating

Last Thursday we “had” to take Luther to the vet.  Danielle gives him a very thorough washing every single Saturday and by Sunday evening he S-T-I-N-K-S !  Is this normal?  I think not.  Darrel and I have both had dogs growing up and I never remember this being such an issue.  We’ve tried all kinds of soaps, conditioners, and special dander/deoderizer sprays and washes from PetCo and PetSmart…to no avail.  So, it’s either to the vet or to the pound. (Not really)  We thought he needed his anal gland squeezed (I know, TMI) but even though they did it, that wasn’t causing the stink.  Come to find out he hs very allergic…allergic to most likely everything.  The vet here was the best!  I wish we could take him home to TX next summer but, of course, that’s laughable.  He’s just the best vet I’ve been to.  Even though I had to muzzle Luther the vet totally dominated him.  It was hilarious.  Luther would have bit his head off if he hadn’t been muzzled.  The man had him by the throat, (not hurting him) and stared him in the eyes and talked to him for about 3 minutes until Luther gave in.  He said what Luther needed was to be put on a farm with about 4-5 other dogs and be put in his place!  I laughed.  Anyway, his skin turnover is about every 3 days where it should be  about every 20-25 days like most dogs.  This is due to his allergies.  So the stink we’ve been smelling is his skin.  Really no surprise to me but we now have to use a prescription soap and conditioner on him for the rest of his life.  He’s on sterioids for a few months to help with the scratching but we feel we’re on the road to recovery and a life without a stinky dog.  Danielle is especially excited for once we get his skin under control she’ll only need to bathe him once a month.  The vet called to check on Luther’s progress today…now that’s what I call service!  I’ve never had a vet call to follow up.   Wow.

  Ok, on to other news.  That night I started feeling bad, sore throat, a little achy, burning in my chest.  The next morning we were scheduled to go to the zoo in D.C.  Well I woke up feeling fine, so started packing up the picnic.  After about 2 hours I was feelin’ mighty poor, but how could I tell my sweet little babes I wanted to stay home and sleep?  ha  So, we went to the zoo.  They kids had a good time looking at all the animals.  Our favorites being the HUGE hippopotomus, I mean, that guy was massive (or girl…I didn’t look), the panda, & the red panda’s (which are acutally part of the racoon family).  We were able to go with Tiffany Hanson and her sweet little girls.  We got to ride in her van which saved us the parking fee at the zoo, quite a hefty one!  The Slack family and Amanda Welton and her two little ones came along as well.  We had quite a day and enjoyed a picnic lunch together. 

Sweet natured Red Panda

Panda bear at the D.C. zoo.

Big honkin

 

Saturday we started with school and then Hope was able to attend a tea party for little girls her age and a few older at the Briley’s.  They had a story, crafts, tea, painting of nails and lots of play time.  Eden gifted her guests with some clothing that she could no longer wear and Hope was the proud beneficiary of a pair of tennis shoes and sweat shirt.  Trinity even received a pair of panty hose and a pink shirt.  What a great thing to encourage your children to do.    It was a great success.

  At the same time this little tea party was going on Isaac was invited to play at Alexander Nugyen’s home.  They made Lego guns, homemade kites and had all kinds of fun…too much for me to write in detail.   That evening Darrel and I were invited to a dinner at our adopted care groups leaders home in Adamstown just north of us.  Scott grilled salmon and steaks and Charrie made homemade cheese cake.  It was a delightful time of getting to know and visit with many of their friends.  We are so blessed.

  My sister sent a huge box full of Thanksgiving crafts and reading.  There were pages and pages of interesting facts about Thanksgiving which I’m sure took her hours to print off.  She sent wax paper to make wax leaves, leaf patterns and wooden pieces that you use to make turkey napkin holders…wrapping beuatiful thread around it for the body.  You’ll have to see the final product to understand. 

  Sunday we went to hear a fellow PC student, Ben Wickner, preach at a nearby church.  I think its name was Solid Rock church, but don’t quote me.  He did a very good job preaching out of Luke.   It can be quite easy to get spoiled with the music aspect of worship at CLC as they do it so very well.  It was good to go to a church where the music/singing was more like home and I hope to visit some other Sovereign Grace churches in the area while we are here.  I like to see each church’s uniqueness.

  Yesterday was a day full of planning, banking, library, pet store, grocery store and the kids favorite…flu shots.  No, the kids were not happy in any way that I had chosen to get flu shots here but we headed off to get them nontheless.  I did have chocolate as a prize if they wouldn’t cry .  I got to the signing desk and told them I had 4 children to received flu shots.  The lady said “shots or a nose mist?”  I could hear cheers going up around me as we greatfully chose the nose mist instead of needles.  The kids took their flu nose mist with greatful hearts and got watery eyes from it but that’s about it.  Today they all seem to be feeling well. 

  So, that brings us up to date.  We’ve had a blessed day of learning today and we are finally finishing up the John Adams HBO series today.  It’s quite a bit over the girls’ heads but they are hanging in there with plenty of popcorn. 

  Darrel is plugging along with his studies and digging in hard with Greek memorization.  We pray for him often and are thankful for the blessing of learning more of His word in order to love Him more!

Hard days grace filled

  It’s been a hard day.  I look back on it and think, Lord, did anything good happen today in our home?  Did we bring glory to your name? 

  Isaac and I had one of those heart to heart talks today during grammar.  It was really good.  We built out first fire in the fireplace this morning, had hot apple cider and read the first chapter of Lassie Come Home.  God led me to His word time and time again while teaching the children.  Darrel helped me find a new writing cirriculum for Danielle.  Oh, there were more but those are easy ones for me to remember at this moment.

  The hard things were the girls whining, Hope complaining of being tired or some part of her body hurting. (long story but I need wisdom and discernment)  And this evening was especially hard when I’m tucking Trinity into bed and she starts crying that she wants to go home… to Tomball.  We weren’t in our new home in Rosharon long enough for that to feel like home to her.  It’s one thing to feel pangs of home sickness yourself and give them to God but when your little baby girl starts crying about missing home it’s tough.  I wanted to cry with her but instead I held her and prayed. 

  I have 1 long sleeved pj top my sister gave me about 8 yrs ago and one pink t-shirt I wear to bed with bottoms …I’m lacking in warm pj’s…until today!  I put out an email yesterday to see if any of the pc wives had an abundance of warm pj’s that they were just needing to rid their drawers of and…do we doubt?  I have a brand new pair coming and an additional pair of warm pj pants.  They aren’t fitting them currently for different reasons.  Once again, God is kind and provides for our every need. 

  Currently, I’m praying that Danielle and Isaac will continue growing closer to their Lord and are drawn to read His word. I pray that Hope and Trinity’s hearts will be changed by the Holy Spirit and that God would grant them sweet peace while living here in MD.  I pray for continued growth and a greater love for the gospel in my and Darrel’s heart and that I will continue being convicted of my self-righteousness and pride as has been revealed to me of late.  I sincerely thank God for His grace.

  Hallelujah, All I Have is Christ! 

   John 1:7-9 ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Autumn beauty

The sun is almost 93,000,000 from earth.   It’s light shines down upon us and give us warmth and life. 

As Moses was behind a large rock and God passed him by, only his backside he saw and was glowing for days and days and had to cover his face from the people. 

God is all powerful.  The only thing brighter than our sun is almighty God.  I’m in awe when I study of His creation with my children.  And I’m in awe when I see the sun shining on my husbands face.  I know that God is imparting wisdom and strength to him.  God is fulfilling His purposes in our lives; in Darrel’s life.  It’s truly awesome to know that nothing will thwart God’s holy will.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10   But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.,  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Gettysburg

Isaac and William eating lunch on Little Round Top at Gettysburg

 We had the priviledge of going to Gettysburg with the Wikner family and Josh Blount a few weeks ago (PC families).  AFter a tour of the museum and the new Cyclorama we headed out for a picnic.  The fall foliage was at its peak and we marvelled at God’s beauty.  The kids were climbing all over the hug boulders.

Another photo at Little Round Top

I couldn’t get this one attached to the one with Isaac and William! 

Darrel, Trinity, Abby, Grace, Hope, Ellie, Danielle

Reminiscing

Fireball (Hope 22 mo) & Peepers (Trinity 5 mo) playing

I can hardly believe my babies are so big.  This picture was taken 4 years ago.  Amazing.  God has been so good to our family and especially gracious to the hearts of these little girls.  So excited to see what God has for each and every one of their futures.  For now we will strive to be faithful to the call of Godly parenting.  I love my babies!!!

Winter joys

Who said footie pajamas are only for toddlers?

 

Wed, November 19

Time

Condition

Feels Like

Chance Precip

Dew Point

Humid.

Wind

Morning Commute

Outdoors Message Board

9am

Sunny 29°F

20°F

0%

14°F

46%

From NW 10 mph

10am

Sunny 33°F

24°F

0%

14°F

46%

From NW 13 mph

11am

Sunny 35°F

27°F

0%

14°F

42%

From NW 12 mph

12pm

Sunny 37°F

29°F

0%

14°F

39%

From NW 11 mph

 

Brrrr! I really do wear the hat but not the mittens.

 

It just so happens that Darrel saw a sale at Super Target for footie pajamas.  Now, fortunately for me I can wear certain items in the girls department.  We are very thankful for homes with heaters and fireplaces, mitten, coats, scarves, hats and lots of hot drinks.  This morning the kids discovered Butterfinger hot cocoa.  Mmmmm…

Danielle took Luther for a walk this morning and made a declaration once re-entering the house, “I know for a FACT that it is at least 32 degrees F or below!”  Then she went outside and took this picture of a hole in a tree full of water. (the picture was supposed to be captioned “Danielle’s proof that it’s freezing out)

Danielle

And this was our first fire last week.  There is something magical about sitting around with family having hot cocoa and reading a good book.  These are some great things about winter.

Enjoying our first Maryland fire.

Auntie Shelly’s Turkey’s

Thank you Auntie Shelly for the huge box of Thanksgiving goodies!  We have the turkey napkin holders made and are reading through all the historical info you sent.  We color while mom reads. 

Working on our turkey napkin holders from Auntie Shelly

 

  While working on these lovely turks we are talking about giving thanks.  During times the kids or mommie want to complain we are gently reminding one another to do this.  Hope’s legs hurt a lot due to growing pains so we remind her to be thankful God gives her legs to walk and run.   And last night when Trinity spilled her red, red drink on our bed and pillows, Hope gently said, “Well, Mommy.  Thank God that one of us kids didn’t just die!”  Ya gotta love that thinking!

Girl Talk

  Last night while catching up on a few blogs I decided to click on Girl Talk (http://girltalk.blogs.com/), which is Carolyn Mahaney’s blog with her 3 daughters.  I do not check this blog everyday nor even every week but last night was prompted to go.  When I read the blogs Mrs. Mahaney wrote for the week I was awed, thankful and convicted.  The very things she was discussing about mothering have been some of the trials I’ve been dealing with the past two weeks..probably longer.  It was God’s mercy to lead me here and I am so thankful for those who have walked before us, learned how to apply God’s word to every day situations.  Even talking last night in my ladies fellowship group about my self-sufficiency and fears…this just confirmed.  I HIGHLY recommend reading her blogs for the week.  We have such hope in the gospel.  We just need each other to remind us to keep looking to the cross!  The gospel does give us hope as mothers (trusting in Christ to save our little ones) but it gives us hope for every single situation.  When I am anxious, fearful, discouraged, what am I believing about God?  Jesus Christ IS mighty to save. (Isa. 63:1)

Let it Snow

  Danielle walks out the back door to take her pooch for a potty break this morning.  She runs back in exclaiming wide eyed, “I’m not sure.  I mean…I think it’s starting to snow!!!”  The next few minutes were a blurr.  Coats, hats, gloves, socks, shoes, running, screaming children…”it’s snowing, it’s snowing…woooohoooo!!!!”  We all run outside; the kids are trying to catch snow on their tongues.  I decide that the fast pace action needs a video camera and not still shots so I run inside to get it.  They had a great time for a few minutes and then the flurries faded.  Sometime later we were watching a video on the US and Hope yells out “IT”S SNOWING”.  We all jump up and here we go again.  The flurries were much thicker this time but Trinity and Hope didn’t want to do the whole socks, shoes, coats, etc.  again so they watched Danielle and Isaac run around like crazy children.  It was fun!  Nothing stuck, of course, and only flurried for another 10-15 minutes.  I can’t imagine what’s going to happen when we actually get some stuck to the ground for snow balls and snow angels.  Even I’M excited.  There’s something to warm an ole mama’s bones in that 30  degree weather when her kids are grinning from ear to ear and bubbling over with joy.  As Winnie the Pooh sings, “Snow, snow, on my eyes my ear my toes. I suppose it even froze my nose.  Snowflake, dripping like a honey cake.  Snow drop, gonna fall ker-plop!”  (no, I couldn’t remember all the words to that so my sweet little Danielle filled in the rest.)  And that reminds me:  Isaac was running around and was getting hit in the eyeballs with flurries.  It was hilarious!  I’ll have pictures to post when we get thick snow.  Now, back to baking.  I promised each of the children individual time to bake.  Trinity and I made short bread cookies, Isaac and I made oatmeal/chocolate chip and oatmeal/craisen cookies. (His took a LONG time because I let him do everything!  Whew.  Tries a mama’s patience, but I told him I was glad he’ll know how to bake cookies with his kids when he lets his wife take a day off for relaxation!  Oh yeah!  Training starts here.)  Now, Hope and I are going to make Blondies and I’m not sure what Danielle picked out yet.  I feel my pants getting tighter as I write.

Little man baker.

Friends

Before we left Houston we had the opportunity to unite hearts with some new dear friends, the Yohe family (Yo-ee).   They are spending Thanksgiving with family in Delaware and will be arriving at our house tonight to spend a day with us.  They’ll come to church in the morning, hear Jerry Bridges preach, and then we’ll head home for food and fellowship.  They will be leaving on Monday, late morning.  Mark and Carolyn have 3 great boys, Daniel, Micah and Andrew.  Of course, you know Isaac will be having a ball with 3 boys in the house.  We are so excited to see another family from home.

  What a blessing friends are!  We had the best time with our dear Yohe friends.  Isaac and Hope played like crazy with the boys and we got some good visiting time in with Mark and Carolyn.  Oh the joy to bless and encourage one another in the Lord.  Mark built a lovely fire in the den and we had a yummy taco salad while visiting.  We had lots of Carmel Apple Spice and hot tea with short bread and oatmeal cookies.  I got another pair of fleece snowman pj’s from Carolyn which were very warm in bed last night!   Sweet notes of love were sent from our church family and even Guerrero Tortillas.  Carolyn gave us a pack of 10 pr hand warmers to put in our gloves and pockets.  Danielle will use them on those freezing mornings when she has to walk Luther and I’ll just use them all the time! ha  I got some nice blueberry green tea packs to put in water bottles.  We miss them already but are so thankful they were able to come at all!!!

Our dear friends, the Texas Yohe

  Tomorrow I am taking Hope to Dr. Niu’s office to check a lump on her right shin bone.  He is a member at Covenant Life Church.  Tonight she is running a 100.9 fever and I wouldn’t know if this is related to the lump or not.  There’s a lot related to this that I won’t expound on but we are trusting in God’s loving hands for our little girl.  God is good!

Hope

  We have no answers about Hopes leg other than it’s a tibial mass.  First step is to have it X-Rayed.  He cultured her raw throat and will send the culture in but thinks it is strep-throat.  She currently has a temp of 102.1 but is resting well on the couch.  It also appears she is suffering from excema so we’ll apply some antibiotic to her elbows and once healed will begin using vaseline regularly.  God is good and we are in complete faith and trust Him to touch her little body.  Dr. Niu is a blessing and also shared names of good cardiologists in the area.

In the Hospital

  Well, after Hope complaining of her heart hurting, her heart beating funny and then all this stuff with her leg, fever and then 2 more complaints of chest pains today while lying on the couch, I thought I should make sure her heart was ok.  We came to the Shady Grove ER at about 3:30pm this afternoon.

  We are sitting in the ER waiting for a room at 11:20pm.  After an EKG, which came out normal, chest X-rays, lung X-rays, Leg X-rays and inserting an IV to draw blood for testing they haven’t determined much, which isn’t discouraging or surprising.  At first they thought she had a bone infection but are leaning away from that.  We will see the bone Dr. tomorrow morning for him to actually examine her.

  I will now close as Hope is extremely tired and the wrist band is driving her nutso.   We are still in good spirits, just ready for bed.

More updating

  It’s 1:15AM and we are finally in a room.  Hope couldn’t sleep in the ER but is now resting well.  After her last examination the attending physician does not think she has strep but we’ve yet to get a throat culture.  We will be seeing a doctor or two (?) sometime in the morning, hopefully later.   

  Thankful for God’s loving hand upon us.  He has given me many opportunities to pray with Hope and to lift several children’s needs to the Father as they were suffering.

New Update

  After taking a throat culture and nose cultures we now know that Hope has RSV.  You can look that up by ‘define rsv’ on google to get more info.  That could possibly be an answer to her chest pains; not sure.

  She will have an MRI at 3:30 PM today on her leg.  They are looking for Osteo something but I don’t remember.  I’ll update that later.  If she is positive for this we’ll stay longer to get an antibiotic through her IV.  She has not eaten since noon yesterday and is VERY hungry this morning.  She cannot eat, however, due to a possibility of needing sedation (not planned at this point) for MRI.  She has an IV drip right now to keep glucose coming and hydration but she is very upset as her tummy is talking quite loudly. 

Be Thou My Vision

  Thanks to Dr. Niu and others, we are sleeping in our own beds and will have Thanksgiving at home.  After a traumatic time pre-MRI I am totally wiped out.  I went to our room and sang Be Thou My Vision, as I needed to get the last vision out of my mind.

  Her rsv is not an issue.  She is resolving the virus on her own which is what older children usually do, and don’t even know they have it.  It’s symptoms are much like a cold.  Dr. Niu recommended her staying away from children 2 yrs and under for the next 2 weeks.  We are thankful she did not have any breathing or lung issues with this.

  The lump on her leg still remains a mystery.  There are 4 different scenario’s I could expound upon but at this time I will leave it at this.  We might go on an out-patient basis for a bone scan.  I will be in touch with Dr. Niu next week. 

  I will watch her for heart palpitations or complaints of irregular heart beats but the monitoring over the last 24 hours coincides with what they have at Texas Children’s Cardiology.

  Thank you everyone for praying and we will continue trusting God for wisdom on the bone scan. 

Thanksgiving Day

  So thankful to be together today and give thanks to God for many, many things. 

  Even though some of the verses to this song aren’t as theologically sound as many of the hymns or psalms we have grown to love, I distinctly remember singing it with my family as a quartet.  I can still hear the 4 part harmoney.  The chorus went …

  “In everything, give Him thanks, give Him thanks.  In everything, give Him thanks…… In the good times, praise His name, in the bad times, do the same, in everything, give the King of Kings all the thanks.”

  Thank you dear friends for praying with and for us.  We love and miss you all.  God brings each of you to mind at different times.  We smile at fond memories and pray for you as well.  May we continue on this journey toward our eternal home with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Perspective in Trials

  I got a call from Dr. Niu today checking on Hope.  He referred me to a pediatric orthopedic doctor.  Mentioning again that her tibia has a thickened cortex drove me to ‘google’ it.  This led to tears and fear.  My gentle and patient husband encouraged me not to do that again and the Holy Spirit once again reminded me that God does not give grace for my imaginings.

  I am now reading in the book, A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love by Milton Vincent and read the chapter mentioned as this blogs title.  I am going to write it out for my benefit and for anyone else this might minister to and encourage. 

     PERSPECTIVE IN TRIALS

  More than anything else I could ever do, the gospel enables me to embrace my tribulations and thereby position myself to gain full benefit from them.  For the gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me.  When I view my circumstances in this light, I realize that the gospel is not just one piece of good news that fits into my life somewhere among all the bad.  I realize instead that the gospel makes genuinely good news out of every other aspect of my life, including my severest trials.  (69)  The good news about my trials is that God is forcing them to bow to His gospel purposes and do good unto me by improving my character and making me more conformed to the image of Christ. (70)

  Preaching the gospel to myself each day provides a lens through which I can view my trials in this way and see the true cause for rejoicing that exists in them.  I can then embrace trials as friends and allow them to do God’s good work in me.

(69) Romans 5.  “(1)…having been justified by faith, we have peace with god through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2)…and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; (4) and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; (5) and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

(70) Romans 8.  “(28) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) for those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…”  James 1.  “(2) Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  (4) And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”   2 Corinthians 12.  “(7)…there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a mesenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself!  (8) Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.  (9) And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  (10) Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

  I am praying these words.

Crockpot Ideas

  I am in need of some healthy but tasty crockpot meal ideas.  If you have a favorite would you please pass it my way?

Encouraging Words

  If you haven’t left a crockpot recipe from my last entry, please don’t hesitate to share your favorite! 

  I got an email from a dear friend back home today speaking about trust in the power of the gospel.  We both read from Carolyn Mahaney’s blog and were greatly encouraged.  She shared that pointing to the truth encouraged her confidence in the Lord and enabled her to rest.  This was an encouragement to me as well while waiting to see what this lump is on Hope’s leg. 

  She continued sharing medical information to me as she was a pediatric nurse in the last years of her medical career.  Some information she found related that cancerous lumps are not usually associated with pain (which Hope complains of).  She went on to read in some medical journals and shared with me that the thickening of the tibia is often associated with injury.  She said “Most of the articles I saw from pediatric orthopedic journals say thickening is often the ostoid osteoma or the result of trauma to the tibia from kids who are very active and often ”jumping and very active.” Therefore repeated shin traumas which in turn cause the thickening.[I wonders if this description fits your little butterfly.]“

  So, although we do not know the results and won’t know until after the first of the year most likely, this new perspective was definately a gift from the Father of Lights, the Lord of Love!  I am also being even more intentional in preaching the gospel to myself daily, embracing the gospel, hoping in the gospel, and trusting in Him completely. 

  I read this last night which was enlightening.  Sometimes we doubt.  We doubt God has our best interests at heart.  Without verbalizing it most of the time, we ask if He is withholding something from us that we’d be better off having.  The author referred to Genesis 3. ‘The serpent said,…God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate…’  This, obviously, is disobedience.  Just another reason to preach the gospel to ourselves on a daily basis.  “When controlling my thoughts…the gospel cures me of my suspicion of God, thereby disposing me to walk more trustingly on the path of obedience to His commands.” Milton Vincent

Back to School

  We were fever free for the first time yesterday so we’ll start back to our studies this morning.  I have an appointment scheduled at 9AM on Jan. 8th, 2009 for Hope to see the orthopedic Dr. Tuck in Rockville, MD.  Since we’ve already had an MRI and X-ray’s performed while in the hospital I’m hoping this visit won’t be too invasive or at all.  This was the first available appointment but I asked about cancellations and they said I could call periodically as they do have cancellations occasionally. 

  Praising God for all He’s accomplished and all He’s doing.  Standing on Romans 5 being thankful for the peace He brings us through His death on the cross and salvation for us a sinful people.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth be pleasing to you, the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to you.  Oh, Lord my strength and my redeemer.

Phillipians 4:8  Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good… think on these things.

Things to do

I found this off a website and thought some of you mom’s with little ones might have fun with these!  We’re going to give them a go.

Make Vintage Marshmallow Snowmen

By DIY Maven

For a vintage little Christmas, you might want to make a few of these adorable Marshmallow Snowmen. A perfect project with the kids on a blustery weekend!

What you need to make one Marshmallow Man:

• 2 large marshmallows
• 4 mini marshmallows
• 3 wooden toothpicks
• wrapping paper
• glue (Elmer’s or tacky craft glue)
• scissors
• Sharpies or suitable markers; OR you could use food coloring pens so the little dudes are edible.

For the entire tutorial, go to gingerbreadsnowflakes.com. Via.

Here are a few different ones.  Use your imagination. 

AND if you like the story/poem, ‘The Night Before Christmas” be SURE to get this one from the library.  The art work is the BEST…Tasha Tudor is one of our favorite illustrators.

Pictures from the last few weeks

Being home on Thanksgiving Day left a lot of time to fill.  I made some icing and had the kids make edible crafts with it and peanut butter as the ‘glue’.  Then used different cereals, candies, nuts, sprinkles, etc. for their designs.  It was fun to see how each one made a unique picture or pattern.  Some of them just wanted to eat.

These beautiful daisies and carnations were brought to our home last Sunday by our sweet friend, Teresa Nguyen.  She felt like we were probably going through a bit of cabin fever and thought we could use something to cheer the place.  How kind of her.  The flowers are still smiling at us a week later. 

Dani has the best picture of this on her blog, but this is a photo of her and her poochie, Sir Martin Luther Schiel.  The Slack family sent us a packet of doggie biscuit mix with cute dog bone cookie cutter.  It’s a good thing she read it better than I did because we almost ate them!  hahaha  She had lots of fun mixing the batter and cutting them out with her sisters.  Luther loves them and does the cutest little ‘doggie dance’ for his treats.

Not the best picture taken by me, but it shows a bit how he dances.  He spins around on his hind feet in a circle while she says ‘dance, dance’.  It’s cute! 

I didn’t take any pictures of the kids in snow this time.  But after Isaac got a huge snowball made I told him to eat it.  He began biting into it and then began spitting it out saying ‘ooh, gross, it tastes like dirt.”  ha  I was cracking up!

More Photo’s

After her bath our dear Trinity gave us a superb concert at the piano mostly singing her heart out.  She is quite entertaining and shows us the depths of her heart by sharing songs about how much she loves God and how much He loves us.

With such an applause she had to take a bow. 

Nothing like an old fashioned, homemade Christmas.  Since we left every Christmas item we own in the great state of Texas we knew we’d have some work to do to make it feel Christmassy around here.  The Christmas tree on the mantle left was made by the kids.  They all have little stuffed animals and Webkinz so they thought they’d make ‘them’ a tree of their own.  Very creative, they made it out of a paper towel roll, pipe cleaners and other items to decorate.  The napkin covering the bottom is the snow.  We bought red and green felt pieces at Wal-Mart several weeks ago to design stockings.  While everyone was laying around with fevers I sewed our designs, even including a doggie stocking for Luther on the far right with a paw print.  And why, do you ask, are there tin cans lining the mantle?  Another idea to save money by using our corn, green bean and kidney bean cans.

View of our cans at night.  This was the phrase the children wanted as we all agree that there is nothing more JOYFUL to us or the world than when Christ came. 

More homemade craft pictures to come but the kids are now waiting for some singing and storytime.    They are currently playing with little hats Danielle crocheted that they put on their thumbs and make ‘thumb puppets’.  Another hilarious moment. 

Hope asked me to write this in my blog.  She is sitting in my lap, is very sleepy and loves her mommy.

Psalm 63.    Fernando Ortega, one of my favorite singer/songwriter/pianists, sings this Psalm in the most beautiful and soothing way.  I have listened it this song about 25 times in the last 2 days.  My soul has been thirsting for God but my flesh has been very weak.  There are so many facets and aspects of what God is doing in Hope right now I don’t dare try to explain all I see or this blog entry would be way too long.  God knows.  But the last week has been very tiring.  When she wakes up in the morning she says she is sleepy, her poor skin is so dry, her lips are cracking, she’s fighting excema, she has dark circles under her eyes (we are using a new bath oil and cream by Eucerin which seems to be helping).  It just breaks my heart…she just looks worn out.  Seeing her lay on the couch  most of the time with little appetite is hard.  But God….but God…but God knows.  I will rest in His Sovereign hands, continuing to walk in trust.   And then Hope hears Danielle, Isaac and Trinity playing in the basement tonight.  She gets off the couch with me (we were sewing together) and makes her way down.  Danielle took her by the hand and entered her right into what they were doing.  What a blessing that caring older sister is to her siblings and parents.  At that point Trinity came up to play with me but Hope stayed down.  It was so wonderful to hear her playing and getting some stimulation.  She came back up to put on slippers and said, “I’m not feeling as sleepy now.”  They all went to bed smiling and encouraged which highly encouraged a weary mama.

Hope almost finished her stitching tonight of a Christmas ornament.  She loves to sit and ’sew’ with me.  Isaac and Danielle are also working on their own which I’ll post another time.  Trinity tries to sew but then messes up and decides we need some entertainment.  You can imagine the rest.

Gotta show the kids handiwork at making a snowflake garland this year.  After our autumn leaf garland was up for well over a month it looked so bare when we took it down… thus the snow. 

  Along with these household ‘crafts’ the kids made a model of Mercury today as a science project.  Quite, uh, interesting.  ha  Not much you can do with flour, water, salt and a little oil.  But they had a good time.  We began a new garland for the other side of the livingroom today.  We’ll finish it up in a few days if Luther won’t eat it.  Will post pics later.  My camera isn’t downloading right tonight!

  I’ve been so encouraged by God’s word and wonderful hymns sung by many.  Great is Thy Faithfulness has been one of my favorites for years and I’ve sung it with gusto this week!  Looking forward to a couples night with CJ and Carolyn Mahaney this Thursday evening at the school.  I’m continually amazed by God’s love and mercy. 

  Darrel is really enjoying the PC.  There is a lot of reading, writing, study, meditating, praying, self-evaluation, reading, writing, study…  and GREEK.  He’s not making an A+ but he is passing (A’s & B’s), passing school that is…not necessarily Greek.   (I have a LOT of fun working with him on Greek vocab. with his flash cards.  I get to laughing so hard…we come up with some pretty good mnemonic devices…A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.)

  God is showing Himself, stretching Darrel and blessing him.  One of the greatest challenges for Darrel, I think, is that he’s been out of a classroom setting for nearly 20 years.  But, it’s amazing to see the Holy Spirit work in his life and see the struggles and growth first hand.  It is such a priviledge for our entire family to be here and we are ever thankful God brought us and is walking with us every step of the way; for His glory.  We both realize that we cannot do it… I cannot serve my family, encourage my husband, be his helper, teach the children, example Jesus to them…apart from Christ I am unable.  Darrel cannot fulfill all required of him; student, husband, father, leader,  example Jesus to us, to all those he is with during the course of a day…apart from Christ he is unable.  Each day I am more aware of my need for Him and thankful for His word which feeds my hungry soul and spirit to lead and guide.

FEELIN’ CLOSE TO HOME TODAY.

Rosharon, TX

  44°F

Current:Clear
Wind: N at 8 mph
Humidity: 31%

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Gaithersburg, MD 20877

41°F

Current:Cloudy
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 91%

Learning to stitch

Here’s the one Danielle is working on.  She gotten further the last few days but this is the last photo I’ve taken.

Isaac is working on one too but he’s been busy playing.  ha  His is a sprig of holly berry.

God’s Kindnesses

  When are you most enlightened by a word from the Lord?  Is it during prayer time, bible reading, reading another book, meditation, singing praise, listening to a friends’ encouraging word?  I have been blessed by God’s kindness in all these ways but He also ministers to me in the bathroom.  I guess that’s because I’m usually alone and quiet.  HA  Many nights or mornings of ‘enlightenment’ have come during a nice warm shower but tonights came most unexpectedly.  I was brushing my teeth. 

  Brushing my teeth, thinking over Psalm 23 as my dear friend Betsy reminded me today.  And at the same time thinking, ‘you know, my mother just sent me Psalm 23 a few weeks ago.’  What a confirmation from the Lord to meditate, feast and dwell upon this scripture.  And then it came.  One of those little packages given that you think, ‘oh, this will be sweet.’  And when opened it is so overwhelmingly more colossal than you’d ever expected you’re moved to tears with wonder and thanks.  And it’s not that it is so colossal to anyone else, but this gift was chosen specifically for you, the perfect thing at JUST the right moment…and you are speechless.

  Well, tonight I received such a gift from my Father.   Musing over Psalm 23 ‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh my to lie down in green pastures…’  wait a minute…. go back.  The Lord is my shepherd.   The Lord is MY shepherd.   I stopped there and visualized a vast area filled with green rolling hills.  On it was a flock of sheep.  There I was, one of those sheep, and many other sheep around me…Darrel, family members, church family and friends.  But what ministered to my soul the most, due to the current physical situations we’ve been dealing with in Hope Lauren, was seeing these 4 little lambs around me.  They were much smaller than I, all grazing about me.  I was remembering  carrying them in my womb, birthing them, feeding them, little lambs suckling; me licking their wounds when they got cut by thorns or licking their faces when there was dirt.  We looked so small.  Then I looked up and saw our Shepherd.  Standing out a few feet from the herd he was tall, strong, sure, a very mighty man standing guard over us with His staff.  While looking at Him I saw my frailty, my inability to protect myself much less these little lambs around me.  I had no teeth with which to bite, no claws with which to tear, no way to defend myself, the wee ones or any other lamb in the herd.  But just one look at Him, I saw total protection, provision, love and care.  I visualized a massive and vicious wolf stealthily stalking us, thinking he would attack and conquer his prey.  The first time I thought of this I stood shaking and tremoring with fear.  But MY Shepherd took flight and knocked him completely out of my sight with mighty blow, not a drop of sweat leaving His brow.  Again I visualized an even more hideous creature coming to attach and I stood in awe and watched, fearless as MY Shepherd flawlessly defended His lambs.

  All of this was wrapped up in a gift to me tonight within about a 3 minute period.  Being totally overwhelmed by His care I wept in thanksgiving.  Thanking Him that He is Almighty, our Protector, our King, our Shepherd, our Victor.  And thanking Him for once again letting me see that He is the Creator and I the created…small and weak, defenseless and needy; so entirely thankful to be His child.  He did not show me this to tell me we will not have pain, cuts, bruises, times when we’re a bit thirsty, waiting for water or new grass to graze upon, but that He is totally faithful to care for us when we hurt, bleed, will lead us to the stream quickly and feed us when we are hungry.   How sweet for Him to remind me ever tenderly again that I am His, Hope is His, Darrel is His, Danielle is His, Isaac is His, Trinity is His.  And He will take care of us all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5oEvyadLac  A beautiful rendition of the Lord is my Shepherd.

3 Phase Bone Scan

  Hope needs a 3 phase bone scan to help determine if there is infection in her bone/s.  Sharlean Wilson is the women working on getting our insurance squared away; I’m praying for high favor in order to get this processed quickly.  Due to my failure to follow up on paper work filed when we moved here we only have insurance on the kids through CHIP which is usable only in Texas unless they go to the emergency room.  We’re working on getting this remedied.  The following is the procedure we hope to have very soon.  I took her to see Dr. Niu yesterday.  Hope has lost 2 lbs since she was last in before Thanksgiving and is very tired all the time.  Many more symptoms, but no need to write.  We are trusting in God’s sovereign hand and we’re giving her a lot of lovin’. 

    A bone scan is a nuclear scanning test to find abnormalities in bone. It is primarily used to diagnose or help diagnose a number of conditions relating to bones, including: cancer of the bone or cancers that have spread (metastasized) to the bone, locating sources of bone pain (e.g. lower back pain) and abnormal bone, diagnosing fractures that may not be seen as easily in traditional X-ray images, and detecting damage to bones due to infection or illness.

Bone scans are one of a number of methods of bone imaging, all of which are used to visually detect bone abnormalities. Such imaging studies include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT) and in the case of ‘bone scans’ nuclear medicine. In the latter case the patient is injected with a small amount of radioactive material such as 600 MBq of technetium-99m-MDP and then scanned with a gamma camera, a device sensitive to the radiation emitted by the injected material. In order to view small lesions (less than 1 cm) especially in the spine, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging technique may be required. In the United States, most insurance companies require separate authorization for SPECT imaging.

About half of the radioactive material is localized by the bones. The more active the bone turnover, the more radioactive material will be seen. Some tumors, fractures and infections show up as areas of increased uptake. Others can cause decreased uptake of radioactive material. Not all tumors are easily seen on the bone scan. Some lesions, especially lytic (destructive) ones, require positron emission tomography (PET) for visualization.

About half of the radioactive material leaves the body through the kidneys and bladder in urine. Anyone having a study should empty their bladder immediately before images are taken.

In evaluating for tumors, the patient is injected with the radioisotope and returns in 2-3 hours for imaging. Image acquisition takes from 30 to 70 minutes, depending if SPECT images are required. If the physician wants to evaluate for osteomyelitis (bone infection) or fractures, then a Three Phase Bone Scan is performed where 20-30 minutes of images (1st and 2nd Phases) are taken during the initial injection. The patient then returns in 2-3 hours for additional images (3rd Phase). Sometimes late images are taken at 24 hours after injection.

Approved

  We are hoping to receive a letter of approval in the mail early this week for MD medical care.  After an emotional roller coaster ride on Friday (too lengthy to write out here) it looks like we will have the bone scan on Jan. 5th.  We are going to have to go to Shady Grove Hospital to do it, which is why the wait is a bit longer than if we could have just gone to Shady Grove Radiology.  Since Hope is 5 she’ll need to be sedated to lay perfectly still for 20 minutes or more to do the second phase of the scanning and they don’t sedate at the radiology outside the hospital.  Hopefully this will be only a day thing and we won’t have to spend the night.

  I am rejoicing GREATLY that we were approved for medical assistance and that Darrel will not be back in school.  He goes back the 6th.  HA.  Isn’t God’s timing amazing?   I am praying that Hope will have peace prior to and during the procedure as she continues telling me she’s not going.  The MRI experience was a very bad one.  We will probably have some blood work done prior to this but until we get paper work in the mail I cannot take her to the lab to have blood drawn.  We’ll do that asap.  Also still praying God would sustain her weight or help her gain but she doesn’t want to eat.  It’s strange…today she said she was hungry.  So, very excited was I….I will make her anything at this point.  But I ask her what she wants, let her look through the pantry and refrigerator and nothing sounds good.  Then when something does sound good and I make it she takes one bite and then leaves it.   Dr. Niu recommended Pediasure so I bought a 6 pack of chocolate and, you guessed it, she doesn’t like it.  I’ve tried dressing it up or diluting it with milk and Hershey syrup but she says it’s gross.  So then I’ll freeze it a while and make it like a slushy.  At this point I just insist on a sip or two.  So throughout the day she is getting a bit of nourishment and she’ll drink water and juice. 

  The Axelson family is here from Houston spending the week with us and they brought along a good friend of Danielle’s, Sarah Smythe.  Right now the older girls are supposed to be sleeping but are giggling their heads off.  But this has been a great distraction for Hope and she was quite active today in the basement with everyone so that was very encouraging. 

  I have my ups and downs.  The downs usually come when I’m tired and on the phone with health care facilities but through it all “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.  I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus Name.  On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand.  When darkness veils His lovely face I rest on His unchanging GRACE, in EVERY high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil!!“  I keep a 3×5 index card in my pocket with scripture to read when I’m feeling like I’m heading down a road of fear or anxiousness.  There are scriptures lining the walls of my house and on my kitchen cabinets that lift my eyes to Jesus. 

  We are blessed in a myriad of ways; first and foremost that He would love us enought to send His son to die in our place…what more could we ask for?

Christmas company

The Axelson's inside the old Smithsonian CastleFriends from our church back home in Pearland madethe very long 1400+ drive to visit us during Christmas time. They so kindly brought along a friend of Danielle's, Sarah Smythe, and her parents were unselfish enough to let her. Other than some runny noses and coughs we enjoyed quite a bit of time together. Danielle played Christmas carrolls on the piano and Heather brought her flute. The both played lovely songs and tried duets a couple times. We all drove into DC and went to the Air and Space Museum. We walked to the Smithsonian castle part but there wasn't much inside but a lovely Christmas tree. Then on Christmas Day they, including Sarah, went in to see many of the memorials and monuments. The kids made a gingerbread Christmas tree and colored large letters to spell Merry Christmas to put up on the diningroom wall. I must say we watched quite a few movies but it helped pass the time when they weren't feeling too well. Danielle and Sarah had many a giggly night and I had to wear ear plugs. ha Darrel took Eric to the Sovereign Grace library one night to talk and read and then out to have a Chi Burger one afternoon, but no 20 ouncer this time. It was so nice to spend time with friends and to get to know one another better. Danielle, Hope, Sarah, Isaac, Darrel and Trinity going inside a shuttle

 

Sarah and Danielle posing outside the Smithsonian

A note about Hope: this visit was a great gift for her as well.  Having company provided her with much distraction.  Sat. night she played in the basement for a long time.  Sunday after church she just sat on the couch all day but each day after that she seemed to gain more energy and appetite.  She’s not eating like she was but she’s certainly eating more than the previous 3 weeks.  I’m highly encouraged and even wondering if some of her added loss of appetite and energy loss was due to the anesthetic during the MRI.  I should be getting her blood work done next week, a physical and have the nuclear bone scan set for 1-5.  Thanking the Lord for all His promises and the fulfillment of all at the cross.

First Infared Schiel Photo

Infared Shari Just having a bit of fun at the Space Museum! I could have spent a lot more time there if the kids wanted to read more. I stuffed a turkey for the first time this year. It was ok but I prefer stuffing un-stuffed. Stuffed turkey Christmas day

(I had a photo of the lovely bird here but it’s not showing up so I’ll leave that as the providence of God that you not see it. ha)

And how can I leave this one out.  The girls were having a lot of fun in this section of the museum.  I had them hop up on the bed to get a feel of what the sleeping quarters were like.

Hope and Trinity in sleeping quarters at Space Museum

  The other 3 children have colds but God has been so merciful to Hope.  She seems to be feeling fine, no cold symptoms and overall she just seems to be feeling better.  We heard her singing in the bathroom today!    She’s eating more  and was chasing our dog Luther while he played with his new squeaky toy, thanks to Matthew, Sarah and Katherine. (thanks guys)  I am seeing a great improvement in Hope and am thanking God for increased appetite and energy.  Still planning on having this bone scan on Monday the 5th and blood work but very encouraged at her overall improvement.  No doubt God is at work.

Rescheduling

  We’re going to have to reschedule Hope’s bone scan for another day due to congestion.  She and I both received the colds we thought we were going to miss out on and they won’t put her under anesthesia until it has passed.  I’ll post a new date once I find out for those of you who have been praying. 

  Darrel has prepared a video presentation for us to watch tonight for New Years Eve and is out buying some food for dinner.  Even after a 2 hour nap I doubt we’ll be able to stay up to bring in the New Year, but it will be fun trying.

  Happy New Year!

Prov 16:9 A man’s heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps.

The Lord has a plan for us and He directs us according to His plan, not our plan. When we are being lead by the Lord, we will plan according to His will and not our own.

New Year

  Darrel made the sweetest video for us to watch tonight.  It capped a lot of things that we went through this year, friends we made and haven’t seen for years. 

  We’ve lived in 3 different houses in 2008, thus 3 moves.  It’s been very ‘full’ indeed and we are so thankful God has held us in His hands every single step of the way.

  If you are reading this then you are probably a friend or family and we love and cherish you more than words can say!  God has provided us with so many blessings and you are one of the many dozens of them.  Happy New Year.  We look forward to all God has in store for 2009.   

  WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darrel and Hope

  Darrel has been trying to keep up with Greek studies and his reading while off for Christmas break but it’s been hard as he’s not felt well.  I try to encourage him without sounding like we want to get rid of him (ha).  He takes it very well.  Right now he’s reading many books to get ready for a 13-15 pg. paper he has to write on John Calvin concerning his doctrine of scripture, due sometime in Feb.  He will also be preaching in January at the school and then presenting that sermon to a congregation in Virginia on Feb. 1st.  This plus all of his new assignments, Greek and reading will begin another full week.  Yesterday I was beginning to get a little depressed about being sick during this time off I began thanking God that we were sick now instead of during class.  What a great blessing !! 

  Dr. Niu called to check on Hope this evening.  He was very encouraged to hear about Hope’s improved appetite and activity level.  We will wait until this cold has passed before rescheduling any blood work, physicals and bone scan.  I’m certain she doesn’t mind as she is hoping to be very well for her 6th birthday next Saturday.  I hope to have a very special ‘Snowflake’ party for her with a snowflake cake and homemade snowflake marshmallows with hot chocolate. 

  Aren’t they adorable?    Please pray mine will turn out as fine.  If you’d like to try these out for yourself here’s a recipe:

Snowflake Marshmallows

Ingredients

Makes about 100 (I’ll probably cut this recipe in 1/2)

• 2 envelopes (each 1 scant tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Spray parchment; set aside. Pour 1/3 cup cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle with gelatin; let mixture soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Place sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cover; bring to a boil. Remove lid; cook, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup reaches 238 degrees (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
3. With mixer on low speed, whisk gelatin mixture, and slowly pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering). Gradually raise speed to high; beat until mixture is thick, white, and has almost tripled in volume, about 12 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat 30 seconds to combine.
4. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; smooth with an offset spatula. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. Coat a 1- or 2-inch snowflake-shaped cookie cutter with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking. Cut out as many individual marshmallows as possible; coat cutter with more spray as needed. Use marshmallows immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

New Photo Tradition

Thanks for the new Christmas photo tradition Harvey friends!   In our new house we have a stair case somewhat similar to this one and think we’ll be able to get a shot of this each Christmas. 

Blanket Huggin' Christmas Bears @ Linden Hall House

Squealin’ Like a Monkey Poll

   Ok.  How many of you have had stopped up ears from sickness or on an airplane and done the following to open your ears?

1. Pinch your nostrils shut
2. Take a mouthful of air
3. Using your cheek and throat muscles, force the air into the back of your nose as if you were trying to blow your thumb and fingers of your nostrils

   Probably many of you.  NOW, how many of you have done this and 1 or more of your ears squealed like a screeching monkey?  NOT just in your head, mind you, but so loud that the person next to you heard it? 

    Darrel and I are driving down the road and my head is so stopped up that I have to do this.  I call it ‘ploating’ my ears.  I don’t know where in the world I got that word from but that’s what I call it nonetheless.  Never in my 37 years of life have a had this happen before nor have I heard of it or heard anyone’s ears do this… it was loud and hurt my ear.  So, me being me, I quite loudly shared my discomfort with my hubby.  I said, “Oh man, my ear just squealed like a monkey!”  And he replied, “I know, I heard it.”  I said, “WHAT?  You heard it?”  So, I did it again, and again it squealed and again he heard it.  This led into a conversation where he figures this happens all the time and that I lead a very sheltered life.  SO, please take my poll.  Have your ears ever squealed so loud someone heard it, or you heard someone else do this or you’ve heard a story of anyone who has had this happen?      Lots of laughs!!!!

Back to Life

 1-5-08   Well, Darrel is off to study most of the day at the student library.  I have a feeling a LOT of the guys are going to be there.  Should be interesting to see just how much studying they get done.   

  The kids and I have been in the house all week and are itching to get out.  It’s going to be 47 degrees and we are going to bundle up and take in the Adventure Park in Germantown for a while.  It’s a great park with castles, ships, catapults and more.  Then it will be back home to ready ourselves for a week of school and party planning.  I don’t know how I’m going to get schooling done well with this party on my mind.  I am pretty good at multi-tasking but when I’m getting ready for a party I tend to get into it pretty seriously, esp. this one.  Hope has been through so much I’d really like to bless her! 

Hoping it won't be this busy today! ha

1-6-08

  Today has been hard.  

  I’m so thankful for God’s word esp. the book of Phillipians.  I’m thankful that God uses Danielle to remind me God is in control.  I’m thankful Darrel is being blessed, learning and growing in a God centered, gospel centered, pride killing, grace filled and humility cultivating Pastor’s College.  I’m thankful Trinity and Isaac play together well.  I’m thankful they smile and are giggly.  I’m thankful God provides all our needs and loves us when we are unloveable.  I’m thankful for life in Christ and the promise that one day we will see Him as He is.  I’m thankful for insurance coverage and for kind people.  I’m thankful for God’s common grace in this fallen world.  And although I have probably spent an hour on hold today, I am very thankful for computers and phones.  Imagine having to drive everywhere instead of calling!  Communication devices are great.

Cold and Hot…Relative? HA

  So, I’m in the bathroom reading a Smithsonian magazine our neighbor gave us.  I’m reading an article about the dry season in Niger’s bush country and these men looking for some of the only giraffes in the world that roam entirely in unprotected habitat.  The guy writing it says ” THOUGH IT’S WELL OVER 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT BY 10 A.M., THE GUIDES FIND IT CHILLY AND ARE WEARING PARKAS, AND ONE OF THEM HAS PULLED A BLUE WOOLEN TOQUE OVER HIS EARS.”  

  I don’t feel so bad now.    So, to Amanda Jordan, Tiffany Hanson, Teresa Nguyen and Crystal Law…my Southern Belle friends, this article is for you!  

  (and then I read the hilarious comment by Megan that she wasn’t going to wear a coat at 47 degrees!  She’s from Massa, Masse, (yes, I’m googling how to spell it!)  Massachusetts. )

1-8-08

  The dermatologist thinks Hope has excema and wrote several prescriptions for some creams.  The red behind her little knees sure didn’t look like excema to me and there is no itching invovled, so I have my doubts.  Then again, I am not a doctor am I?    Her bone scan has been rescheduled for this coming Monday, Jan. 12th in the AM.  It will be an all day event as they put in her IV, then give her the nuclear injection, do a scan, then wait 3 hours, sedate her and then do the other scan.  We hope to be home around 3sih that afternoon.  I am praying peace for her soul as she’s fearful about being sedated again. 

  Tomorrow we’ll celebrate her 6th birthday a day early with a few friends coming over for a party.  I made the cake today and worked on some decorations.  The cake did not turn out like I’d hoped but I don’t think she’ll be displeased.   Hopefully I’ll get some good photo’s of the event to share.

  Tonight I had my ladies fellowship group and what a blessed time it was!  Such grace and encouragement from Godly women.  There are several books I’d like to start reading, one of which is Jerry Bridges book The Disciplines of Grace.  Miran also gleaned a lot of good information from Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh De Moss. 

  Also being very encouraged by the book of Phillipians this week.  I started to type in some scripture here but it is all so good that you should just read the entire book yourself.  I believe I’m going to try and memorize this book.

Hope’s Party

  Hope’s 6th birthday party was a TOTAL success.  Everyone was able to come, we decorated a lot, had lots of fun games, yummy cake and hot cocoa (thanks to Teresa fixing it), and made snowflake head bands and snowflake book marks.  I think I’ve lost my voice!  ha 

  God was so good to bless this time for her and I am so thankful!  Tomorrow she’ll open some cards and gifts with us as a family and she’ll get Chic Fil A for lunch. 

  I will probably post the pictures tomorrow. 

Hope’s Party

Friends at Hope's 6th Birthday Party

 

I will post more pictures of all the fun we had but it’s late.  This is for my sister who loves parties and is very eager to see all the action!   Ok, she also makes way fabulous cakes and will want to see this one.  DON’T compare mine to yours Shelly!!!    I didn’t use fondant to save $17 (crazy!) but just buttercream.  We got cardboard punchouts and glittered the snowflakes and hot glued on the wire to poke into the cake.  It was interesting and fun.

Lemon, chocolate, lemon...yes, we turned everyones teeth blue!

More Party Pictures

Hope and her friends playing a stacking game.  

Can we have the glue gun yet?

Here’s the partiers making snowflake headbands.  So Cute!

Oh, yeah! Here comes my cake!

Hope wanted a lemon cake but chocolate for her guests.  She didn’t know I was going with a snowflake theme until I started decorating.  She did wonder why the icing was blue!  But one of her favorite colors is blue so it really worked!

Snowflake princess what?

Toilet paper and a little imagination is all girls need to compete in a snowflake princess dress contest.  The toilet paper was a TOTAL hit and I highly recommend it for your next party.    I mean really, how many times are they told, ‘don’t use so much toilet paper’?   Now we say use as much as you need.  ha Unfortunately Danielle’s team didn’t win.  Way to go Mariah, Hanna and Eden! 

Snowflake princess Hanna with Hannah the helper!

And how can I leave out the boys in the basement.  It was a bit too girlie for them upstairs until cake time and they spotted the TP. 

Christian holding the mummy, Alexander laughing and Trinity trying to find her brother!

Next we made snowflake bookmarks, still wishing for another glue gun!  ha  Some girls didn’t get them done but took them home to finish.

Making snowflake book markers. I love my Hopie.

The girls were having such a great time.  They began spinning all around the livingroom.  It was so sweet.  Interestingly Hope and Trinity both fell during their spinning.  Perhaps we don’t play this way enough? 

Spinning too fast...spinning too fast!

And what would this party be like without a snowflake relay race.  Through the livingroom, office, hallway, kitchen and back.  It was not easy and we ended up having some serious cheaters in the end!  HA

One foot on this snowflake, put the next down, other foot on this snowflake, over and over and over...

I prayed that God would really bless Hope’s party this year.  Being away from home, all the physical things she’s been going through recently, I just hoped it would bless her.  God answered my prayer…everyone has a great time!

Thank you Lord for the great blessing!

In Everything Give Thanks

  This scripture keeps a’comin’ up around here.  In Everything Give Thanks…  we just watched Extreme Home Makeover tonight with a little boy named Jake.  This 8 year old who looks liek he’s 18 months has a rare bone disease  where one little fall can break his bones, even kill him, along with other physical problems.  What a blessing for his family to get a make over and to get a bathroom, room, etc. where he can function on his own and have some independence and free up the family as well.

  After a bath, excema cream and good tooth brushin’ I tucked Hope into bed.  She wanted me to tell Danielle everything she was going to have to do at the hospital tomorrow.  As I began telling Danielle, Hope began crying.  She said, “if I didn’t have this troublesome bone thing I wouldn’t have to have a bone scan.” (know she’s upset about an IV and oxygen mask)   Fresh on my mind, I brought her back to the tv show we just finished watching and the joy that little Jake exudes even though he is in pain all the time.  I asked, ‘aren’t you glad you have bones?  That little boy has to scoot around on his little bottom, he can’t even walk? We should thank God we have bones, and healthy ones at that.’    Her eyes softened and she said, “Yes, I am thankful.”  We talked for a while and she went to bed peacefully.  Isn’t God good?  We are blessed beyond measure.  Tomorrow: 7am arrive at hospital and get IV; 9am injection and 1st scan; 3 hrs later sedation and final scan.

Update on in-patient hospital tests

  Everything went wonderfully at the hospital yesterday for Hope’s bone scan.  They did take an extra set of x-rays which weren’t needed (more radiation) but perhaps they can compare them to the ones taken in November.  ??  We will be waiting to hear from our pediatrician, Dr. Niu, for results.

Hope’s Bone Scan Results

  The bone scan came back with abnormal results however it is not an infection.  They do believe it could be cancer.  We have the soonest available appointment scheduled with one of the best oncologists in the US, in DC on January 26th.  Thank you for continued prayer.  She will likely have to have a biopsy on the lumps. 

  I am in faith for what God has for her and our family.  Prayer request would be that we would continually be in His word and be reminded of His love for us and Hope.  And we are praying for wisdom whether or not to share this with the chilren.

Newer oncology update

  A nurse Dr. Niu spoke with in Dr. Malawar’s office (oncologist in DC) thinks Hope needs to be seen sooner than 1-26-09.  We are going to see his partner, Dr. Robert Henshaw this Thursday 1-15-09 at 10:15AM in DC.  We will be there several hours.  Most likely a biopsy will be scheduled at a hospital within several days and she will be sedated for that.

The One Who Knows

  I just wanted to share my heart today.  I just got back from Shady Grove Adventist Hospital picking up copies of the MRI, X-rays and Bone Scan to take with us on Thursday to the oncologist.  Driving gives one a lot of alone time, as a mother with children, to think and pray.

  Before I left the kids and I read a bible story together and Trinity asked to sing Holy, Holy, Holy.  Then we turned on some music to do some exercises together.  We were doing leg lifts, sit ups and praising God together.  I had my hands lifted in praise and singing the whole time.  I am very encouraged and and trusting God fully for each moment through this doctors visit.  We do not have a definate diagnosis that this is malignant cancer, thus I am not going to be anxious or fearful.  During one of the praise songs the words reminded us that He is in heaven on His throne…Let everything that has breathe Praise the Lord, let everything that’s in me Praise HIM.  From His hand comes everything…He knew we would be here at the PC when this occurred.  He knew Hope would go through these trials even before she was named Hope. 

  We did take Hope to the front to have elders of the church pray for her before Christmas and after that day her appetite and energy level did rise from what it had been the previous 2 weeks.  We are thankful for God’s sustaining grace and peace that is with our family right now.  I am not dispairing nor fearful for her or our future for I know without a doubt that we are being held in our Father’s hands.  We continue rejoicing that God blessed her birthday.  So many small things…her excema has totally cleared up with the cream the dermatologist prescribed for her last week, her hospital visit was totally great yesterday.  Our souls are encouraged and joyful in the midst of the unknown for we are trusting in The One who knows.

Regular Praise Session

  We have been inundated with emails, encouraging blog comments and phone calls since we got the news that Hope’s lump/s could be cancerous.  What a fabulous testimony to the body of Christ and God’s love for us!  It is no wonder at all that I have been full of peace instead of fear after the news of taking this next step.

  Well,  half way through that last sentence my dear daughter Danielle came down to say good-night.  This turned into a 30 minute conversation about trusting Christ, joy in Him through trials…you name it.  It was a regular praise session.  So, now that she is actually going to bed, so am I. 

  We will leave for DC at 8:45AM and hope to arrive home before 3PM.  I will post news from Dr. Robert Henshaw as soon as I’m able.  (As you are praying please pray specifically for Darrel in his schooling.  He will miss class tomorrow to be with us.  I pray that God will enable him to serve his family with compassion and love while at the same time trying to juggle assignments, papers and sermon preparation.  I know He will give him guidance, focus and wisdom in each area! and please pray that our coughing will subside quickly!  We keep teasing each other at night when the coughing is worse that ‘we’re all gonna die’! )   

  Oh, this was a particularly hard day physically for Hope.  It’s hard not to speculate at this point whether she is having a hard time after the anethesia again or something else but she was extremely tired.  She did eat  1/2 a waffle this morning and 5 strawberries tonight but was not hungry and head was hurting.  She wants me near all the time to “love on me mommy” and I am doing so as much as possible.  It is evident she was not well today.  Thanks for continued prayer.

  OH, 1 more thing…it is NOT snowing in Gaithersburg.  Also, this is so quick to cut and paste so I will share it.  My dear friend Melissa Wallace emailed me today and I looked this up under her recommendation.  I know it will bless others as it did me. 

“Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” ( Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Jan. 14th)

Matthew 14:30

SINKING times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him a suppliant, and his cry, though late, was not too late. In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hies to its hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter; and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy-seat for safety. Heaven’s great harbor of refuge is All-prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with all sail.

Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing, they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.

Our extremities are the Lord’s opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us the ear of Jesus hears, and with Him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but His swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly ingulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may rest assured that He will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing Jesus can do all things; let us enlist His powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Singing this morning:   A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD, A BULWARK NEVER FAILING.  OUR HELPER HE AMID THE FLOOD OF MORTAL ILLS PREVAILING.  FOR STILL OUR ANCIENT FOE DOTH SEEK TO WORK US WOE.  HIS CRAFT AND POWER ARE GREAT.  AND ARMED WITH CRUEL HATE.  ON EARTH IS NOT HIS EQUAL.

DID WE IN OUR OWN STRENGTH CONFIDE OUR STRIVING WOULD BE LOSING.  WERE NOT THE RIGHT MAN ON OUR SIDE, THE MAN OF GOD’S OWN CHOOSING.  DOST ASK WHO THAT MAY BE?  CHRIST JESUS, IT IS HE.  LORD SABAOTH HIS NAME, FROM AGE TO AGE THE SAME.  AND HE MUST WIN THE BATTLE.

AND THOUGH THIS WORLD WITH DEVILS FILLED, WOULD THREATEN TO UNDO US.  WE WILL NOT FEAR FOR GOD HATH WILLED HIS TRUTH TO TRIUMPH THROUGH US.  THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS GRIM, WE TREMBLE NOT FOR HIM.  HIS RAGE WE CAN ENDURE FOR LO, HIS DOOM IS SURE.  ONE LITTLE WORD SHALL FELL HIM.

THAT WORD ABOVE ALL EARTHLY POWERS, NO THANKS TO THEM ABIDETH.  THE SPIRIT AND THE GIFTS ARE OURS THROUGH HIM WHO WITH US SIDETH.  LET GOODS AND KINDRED GO, THIS MORTAL LIFE ALSO.  THE BODY THEY MAY KILL, GOD’S TRUTH ABIDETH STILL.  HIS KINGDOM IS FOREVER!

AMEN.

Praise Report

  Dr. Henshaw does NOT feel this is cancerous and is NOT even having us go for a biospy!  Praise be to GOD!!!!

  We are now on our way to the lab to have blood drawn for 16 different tests, all the way from checking many different vitamin and mineral levels to Lyme and West Nile virus, thyroid…etc.  We won’t have any of these results for 4-5 days. 

  We were in faith and trusting God and are giving GREAT thanks for this news.  Now we continue waiting, trusting and having faith for the future.

Peace

  Several months ago I printed out scriptures on the computer and hung them all over my kitchen and house.  I  am terrible at memorizing these days and knew if I saw them often I would keep my mind on God’s word and possibly memorize them at the same time.  These are 2 which hung and still hang in the kitchen.  Isn’t God good to prepare our hearts?  I mean really.  Do you know how often I’m in the kitchen? 

John 14:27   “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Isaiah 26:3-4  “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, becaue he trusts in you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

1/2 Results on Hope

  I was going to wait to blog about this until I got the other results from Dr. Henshaw but their results might take a few days longer.  Dr. Niu let me know that the blood work ups he did on Hope were all negative.  No Lyme Disease, no Epstein Barr Virus (mono), cell counts are good, no anemia and the other thing I cannot remember.  I can post it when I get a copy of the results for her file.  So, more good news.    Although, at this point Dr. Niu said, “I don’t know what’s wrong but I will keep praying.”  What a blessing it is to have Christian physicians!  She hasn’t lost any weight this week so that is another praise report!

TRINI-POO

  I LEARNED WHAT NOT TO DRESS MY LITTLE TRINI IN WHILE PLAYING IN THE SNOW.  HER BROTHER, HOWEVER, FOUND IT VERY HUMOROUS AND HAD GREAT FUN PELTING HER WITH SNOW!!

"Uh, Mom. It's a little chilly out here!"

 

"Isaac hit me with a snowball!"

Then without me knowing, Trini decides to try and make a snow angel without enough snow.  Oh well.  Ya gotta love this! 

Up and down, up and down.

Yeah, it's cold but I'm a snow bunny!

Look out Mom!

Snow, Snow, Snow

Well, we finally got a good snow.  Still hoping for another one with maybe another inch in Feb. but this was definately the best so far! 

Hope's getting snow in her face! ha

I figure from here on out I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.  We were only out for a few minutes as we all began to freeze quickly.  Hope forgot to wear mittens, Isaac was wearing tennis socks (at his ankles), Trinity wore thin socks with rain boots and you’ll see what my 13 year old was wearing!  We are definately from TEXAS!!

Snow boots, Capri pants.... What's the problem Mom?

I'm followin' ya daddy!

Hmmmm.... what's going on here? Do the monkey dance!

ha ha ha. Paybacks for snow down my pants...Isaac just wiped out!

Chillin' in the Snow!

Preaching

  Darrel preaches at school today.  He’s been faithful to read for many weeks in preparation for this sermon, thought and prayer.  I’m not sure if each person preparing a sermon always wishes they had more time but I think Darrel wishes he had more time.  He was up at 3AM trying to finish his introduction and for Darrel, gettig up at 3AM is not usual.  Well, I don’t think 3AM is usual for many; it certainly isn’t for me.

  I quoted him 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and although I know this scripture is referring to our lives and salvation I thought it was applicable to his situation today.  He has had many opportunities to preach in the past but to preach in front of 19 other ’seminary students’, if you will, and pastor’s, I know there is probably more of a fight inside him to put off wanting to impress and to deal with fear of man, although he would say he just wants to be clear and make sense.   I am praying for him and am in full faith that God will annoint his lips to proclaim His word so that God will be glorified and His message clear. 

  I have the priviledge of going to the school today to support Darrel while  listening in on his sermon and to their (other students and Jeff Purswell) words of encouragement afterward on how he can improve this message in order that it be even more clear when he preaches it on Feb. 1st in West Virginia.

Sovereign Grace Pastor’s College

 I had the priviledge of sitting in on Darrel preaching to the other men in the pc along with some of the leaders.  All I have to say is Wow!  Not to Darrel’s preaching, although I thought he did a fine job, but to the care, kindness, generosity, and encouragement given after it was over.  Many of the men shared words of encouragement on how his exegesis was good, or how he stood confident in God’s word, or how his illustrations were applicable and effective… of this nature.  Then after about 2 pages of encouragement they came in with more encouraging words on how to improve the sermon, what points to dig into deeper, how to make points more clear, etc….about 2 pages of that (we were both taking notes).  This exercise was so helpful and fruitful.  It was amazing to sit in a room with those men and hear them encourage both positively and ‘negatively’ if you will, in order that the gospel be made more clear and the people hearing the message are able to grasp it by the speaker.  I sat there amazed and remain amazed  just thinking of it.  I was going to share more specifically but my notes are out in the van but it is currently 19 degrees out there and I’m not-a goin’!!   Each of the men filled out forms and gave them to Darrel which will serve him in this and other sermon preparations.  We both came away humbled and blessed and I know Darrel will be prayerfully adjusting his notes to better serve the West Virginia church on February 1st.  This truly was an amazing, grace-filled experience! 

  Darrel and I also shared a very special date night tonight in which we shared what God has been working in us this past week.  His time in class with Steve Shank from Arizona was so fruitful and ministered to his soul greatly!  I have been reading Jerry Bridges book ‘Transformed by Grace’ and am amazed at God revealing so many truths to me; confirming His word in my heart and bringing alive and making clear God’s grace.  The fruit of this in my life is showing forth much joy!  I do not deserve His kindness but He pours it out to overflowing.

Blood Test Results

  I finally made a call to the oncologist on Friday to see if they’d received results on the other pending blood tests.  They had not, for whatever reason, and called the lab to check in. 

  Hope has a higher level of calcium in her blood than normal for her age and something came up with her liver.  I expect to talk to Dr. Niu this week.  He will likely refer us for more blood work and/or to a pediatric endocrinologist.  It is possible one or more of her parathyroid glands is not functioning properly but this is purely speculation on my part from looking it up.  Many of her symptoms certainly follow along this line ( headaches, feeling bad, fatigue, cranky, leg aches) but we’ll see what they think.  I believe another blood test could confirm this to be true or false.  Thankful for all involved and know God is caring for her life.  She is doing alright, eating is fair and energy level varies.  Some days pretty good other days very tired.    She was sick after church today but was feeling much better this afternoon.

1-26-09

  Darrel has been hard at the Greek studies this weekend and today.  Right now he’s falling asleep next to me holding his Basics to Biblical Greek book and computer on lap.  I think I’ll splash him with some water!  No…me?  do that to my honey?   

  Hope had a hard day today.  Legs hurting really bad and I took her temp at 8PM which read at 100.4  Not high but not comfortable.  I left a message with Dr. Niu’s office this morning but didn’t hear back.  I will press in harder tomorrow to make a connection with him.   I am praying for mercy anew in the morning!

1-27-09

  Another painful day for Hope.  Legs hurting terribly and now complaints of knees and arms.  She is eating chicken tenders.    Temp of 100.0 today so she didn’t get to play with a friend but did get play time with big sister.  That’s always a treat. 

  Danielle got a pair of knitting needles as a gift for child sitting for us so often.  She’s thrilled!  With help from a friend and looking in a book she is learning.  She said it’s more fun than crocheting.  We’ll see how it goes.

  We have an appointment at 1:30PM tomorrow with Dr. Ning close to Shady Grove.  Pediatric Endocrinologist.  Praying for wisdom.  Most likely more blood tests to come. 

  It snowed again today and it’s looking pretty thick out there.  Well, maybe a couple inches but that’s thick to a Houstonian.   Isaac went to a friends to play (from Florida) and am sure they played in the snow some.  Oh, the girls made a couple snow balls and covered them with caramel syrup.  They said they were good.  Since we didn’t have any real maple syrup to freeze like one of our books discusses, we thought we’d go this route. Snow…sugar…you can’t miss. 

  Dispite all the phone calls this morning to our insurance company and doctors, Isaac and Danielle still managed to finish math and grammar assignments.  We read in our science book and watched a health video.  The kids did some scootering in the basement.  I consider this a GREAT accomplishment.  God is so good to us and I’m thankful that His mercies are indeed new every morning.

Houston Vs. Gaithersburg

  Instead of hearing your neighbor mow their lawn at 6:30AM you hear a ‘BANG, BANG, BANG….SCRAAAAPE, SCRAPE, SCRAAAAAPE’.   And this can continue on for quite a loooong time depending on how icy thier front porch is and how long their sidewalk  leading to their car.   Interesting!

Hope Update

  First may I say that my dear friend, David Kline, is totally hilarious!!!  We love and miss he and his lovely wife, Betty so much, as well as many other dear friends from Texas.  I love his comments to my blog and the one today just hit my funny bones. 

   I like roller coasters…just ask Sonya VanWright.  But I’m not too fond of emotional ones; they tend to exhaust me instead of making me scream ‘Woo Hoo!”  and if I hadn’t felt like we were riding one  before today I am beginning to feel like it now. 

  I’ll try making this short.  We took Hope to the pediatric endocrinologist today and after spending about 1/2 an hour examining Hope, discussing past history, blood test results, MRI, etc., she is leaning toward the feeling that there is some type of malignancy in Hope that has not been found.  We went directly to the lab to have more blood drawn for  more tests which include checking for all forms of Heptatitis along with re-checking some things we’ve already had tested, esp. the things that point to her thinking malignancy.  We are also doing a 24 hour urinalysis over the next 2 days.  I am going to have to bring Hope back to have more blood drawn in the morning because I got a call after we got home that they didn’t draw enough for a particular test.  The lady said to tell Hope she’s very sorry but to a 6 year old I’m afraid that won’t go over well.  I am continually trying to encourage Hope in the Lord, speaking of what He has done for her, praying for and with her, asking her questions about what she believes about God.  It is surely a time of and for growth but at this very moment my heart is discouraged.  I tend to get this way when I am tired, of which I am.  Last night Hope was running a 103.4 temp and slept very poorly.  I slept next to her in Danielle’s bed in order to make it easier to give her drinks through the night and more med’s when necssary.  Her legs hurt so badly today she didn’t want to walk. We discovered another lump on her left leg today during the exam.  A surprise to everyone in the room.

  Ok, I said short and it isn’t.  More information when it comes in…we will be scheduling an appointment asap with an oncologist, not a bone (orthopedic) one this time.  She will also have an abdominal ultrasound next Monday due to stomach pain the last few months (she’s often saying her pants are too tight and pulling them away from her lower abdomen).  Even through tired mind, eyes, body and heart I know God is in control and we are fully trusting in His goodness and love.

My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord

  I wrote the bottom of this post last night before bed and thought I published it but it didn’t show up for whatever reason.  Providence of God.

  This morning has been interesting.  Got up, cereal for kids but Hope wanted eggs.  She only eats the yolks.  I know, worst part of the egg.  Danielle cracks ice off the windshield, I ready Hope’s arm for another blood draw with some numbing medicine and we hit the door.  I take Danielle and Isaac to gym day at the church.  Trinity wanted to stay with me so I brought her along to the lab with Hope.  On the way Hope got very nauseated and began vomitting.  About 3 times before we went in, while we were there, on the way home and at home.  With nothing much on her stomach it was just painful and she felt so bad.  She finally fell asleep in the couch.  Siobhan brought Isaac and Dani home and visited with me for a while.  She and her kids brought back some strawberries (Hope likes), strawberry popcicles, guacamole kit (Darrel’s gonna be happy!) and a beautiful boquet of flowers for me.  Bright orange and yellow….so cheerful and happy!  They are gorgeous!  Isn’t God so good?   After waking up from her nap she is feeling pretty good, very thirsty.  I’m supposed to be doing a 24 hour urinalysis today. Also almost ate a whole strawberry popcicle.  Dr. Niu said there is a stomach virus going around but since the other children haven’t had anything I think this is related to her high blood calcium.     

 

 It’s only been about an hour since I wrote the update on Hope.  I know many friends and family are already praying for her again and for us. 

  Earlier I went out to get some groceries.  As I was driving my mind was filled with many thoughts:   thoughts of the day, thoughts of what might be, etc.  Then I thought of how many people were going to be at Wal-Mart and took a sharp left turn to go to another grocery store right next to me.  I began praying aloud, sharing my heart with God.  In those moments He brought to mind what Mary said when she was told she would be with child.  My heart is comforted by hearing His word and reminding myself to Magnify The Lord.

  Paraphrased….  My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior! 

    Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

    Because He that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.

    He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:

As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

So much… So much kindness

  Oh my!  Where should I start?  I’m sure I’m going to be all over the place in this entry…just can’t help it.  Too much going on at one time.

  First, I must write about what I’m starting to cry about at this very moment.  God was so overwhelmingly kind to Darrel and me this morning. 

 Well, first Hope woke up hurting, fever…I gave her Tylenol and put her in a cool bath.  NOT happy with Mama.  Once out I got her settled downstairs and was feeling a bit better.  All kids woke, we got ready to go to the church.  I gave Hope some Ibuprofen to help more and we left.  Danielle said she ate 2 pieces of toast and a bowl of cereal while we were gone.  Woo hoo!  The kids had a fine time at home just playing, etc. 

  There is a prophecy team that came from Covenant Fellowship Church in Philadelphia.  Darrel would do so much better at this point explaining all that the leader shared.  It was very clear, focused explaining of what prophecy is, revelatory and yet not infallable.  Used to encourage and exhort believers..so much more and scriptures shared.  Then they prayed for the class as a whole, prayed for the men, then the women.  Several shared that they had a word or impression from the Lord about a particular set of men and shared that. 

  Then they moved forward saying that one particular women ( cannot remember her name)felt like she had a word for someone in our group who had a sick child, possibly a sick child that they didn’t know what was wrong.  They asked if there was anyone there in this category and Darrel and I raised our hands. (a few moments before we raised our hands she pointed at us and told the leader she thought it was us)  (I’m crying thinking back…the Spirit of God was so in that room)  We went up front for them to pray for us and as they were praying she prayed for me.  She said she could see a tree, a fruit tree, blooming and producing fruit all over the place, love, joy, peace…(ok, if you knew or know what I had dealt with at the beginning of the year and throughout the year, this was just major confirmation), also said she felt like I was a writer, like there was this network of writing…so many people praying for us (blog).  She felt like Romans 5 was for us and began reading. 

5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we [1] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith [2] into this grace in which we stand, and we [3] rejoice [4] in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 

She shared that we will never be without hope.  (Later we shared with her that our sick daughters name is Hope)

  Then a man named Dan began praying for Darrel.  He said that he saw bibles, all these bibles, Darrel giving out, maybe even selling bibles.  That there was a heritage of pastoring in our families, even a man, a white haired man with a white beard…that God was going to use Darrel in a mighty way in and through his preaching.  There was a pulling away and now we were being grafted in to a new family where God would use him mightily. 

  There was more but time doesn’t permit me to write longer.  The meeting was recorded and many friends wrote down things for us during that prayer time.  We felt so blessed and cared for personally by our Father.  Many other pc families were ministered to at the same time and we are amazed by God’s kindness to us.  In the midst of this unknowing with Hope’s illness, to shower us with love and care in a particular way was not expected. 

  We are praying and seeking that God would be glorified during this time and that we would be able to point our children to Christ in specific ways.  Darrel stayed home from class this afternoon in order that I might bring some more things into the lab.  Unfortunately we are going to have to start the 24 hour urinalysis over again.  I didn’t tell Danielle NOT to collect it while we were gone today and she being the super-fantastic helper that she is, collected another sample and added it to the one that was finished.  She didn’t know and was just trying to help!  And she did help, emensely!  Hope won’t be happy to pee in the cup over and over again but it’s all in God’s perfect providence.  He must have more to work in all of us.  

  I am working on compiling a very long list of pains/symptoms that began back on October and am praying over them that God will reveal the problem.  I am crying out for mercy for Hope and healing for her body, but praying as Jesus prayed…Lord, if this cup can pass from me (Hope), please take it, but Lord, above all Your will be done.  We glory in our redeemer, we praise Him for His abundant grace we so do not deserve.  So much kindness.

  Oh, I forgot.  Hope will have an abdominal ultrasound on Monday and we will travel to Baltimore Wednesday afternoon to see another pediatric orthopedic oncologist, Kristy Weber,  for a second opinion.

Kept By God

   If Hope is still running a fever in the morning we will likely be checking in to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital again.  After some conversation with Dr. Niu this evening this is the current plan.  I am keeping Hope as comfortable as possible and have no doubt we’ll both rest better at home this evening than there.  Current symptoms are nausea, severe leg pain, extended fever, sore throat, abdominal pain and blood in stool today (have had in the past).  She is drinking well and eating when her fever is kept down.  I am in a constant state of prayer and faith in God.

  As I sat on the couch this afternoon with Hope sleeping on my right and Trinity sleeping on my left I was praying through The Valley of Vision, esp. this prayer.

KEPT BY GOD

Jehovah God,  Thou Creator, Upholder, Proprietor of all things,  I cannot escape from thy presence or control, nor do I desire to do so.    My privilege is to be under the agency of omnipotence, righteousness, wisdom, patience, mercy, grace.    Thou are love with more than parental affection;   I admire thy heart, adore thy wisdom, stand in awe of thy power, abase myself before thy purity.   

It is the discovery of thy goodness alone that can banish my fear,  alure me into thy presence, help me to bewail and confess my sins.     When I review my past guilt and am conscious of my present unworthiness   I tremble to come to thee,  I whose foundation is in the dust,  I who have condemned thy goodness,  defied thy power,  trampled upon thy love,  rendered myself worthy of eternal death.    

But my recovery cannot spring from any cause in me,  I can destroy but cannot save myself.    Yet thou hast laid help on One that is mighty, for there is mercy with thee, and exceeding riches in thy kindness through Jesus.   

 May I always feel my need of him.  Let thy restored joy be my strength;   

May it keep me from lusting after the world, bear up heart and mind in loss of comforts, enliven me in the valley of death, work in me the image of the heavenly,  and give me to enjoy the first fruits of spirituality,  such as angels and departed saints know.

Thankful for Shady Grove’s :)

  We are in the waiting room at Shady Grove ER.   This morning Hope’s fever went from 98.8 to 101.3 in a litle over an hour.  She began getting nauseated and very fussy so I decided to give her Tylenol instead of letting it potentially escalate.  Her legs are not hurting her nearly as bad today as in the entire last week.  I’m amazed and praising God for this bit of relief.  Her throat is hurting severely and is complaining of lower abdominal pain especially after she empties her bladder.  I believe the first thing they will do is a throat culture and urine analysis. 

  I am sitting next to my sweet daughter and handsome husband with much thanks to God.  Danielle is tenderly caring for Isaac and Trinity at home.  Their spirits are good and are all trusting in God.  Before we left I gave Trinity some grape juice as a treat and after she drank some she said, “I don’t need anymore.  I need to save it for Hopie.  I’m spoiled.”  It was so sweet to hear her little voice and heart in wanting to share and care for her sister.  Evidences of Gods grace in her life! 

  So thankful for our friends and family who are praying and encourage us by phone, mail and blog comments.  You’re care is very evident.  Also, all our friends at the Pastor’s College who have opened up their homes and said they will do whatever we need; offering meals, child care, etc. and most of all prayer.  Isn’t God good to continue showing us our need for Him?

We’re home

  It is 9:40pm and we are home, PTL!  It wasn’t a pleasant evening but Hope is very glad to rest in her own bed and after her last dose of Motrin is very talkative with her older sister!  She was even so eager to find her she walked up the stairs by herself (then Trinity shut the door in her face).  We were so pleased…not about Trinity but that she would take initiative and WALK, much less up the stairs.  I believe Trinity is feeling somewhat neglected which brought about an anger outburst while we were gone and the door shutting.  After much time with mommy, bath, hugging, laughing, repentance and apologies, all is well at the Schiel home.  When I was tucking her in she said, “Mommy, I’m so sorry I shut the door on Hope.  That was not nice and it didn’t please God.” (grace upon grace)

  We were able to have an abdominal ultrasound tonight instead of in the morning and did get this result.  The ultrasound showed ‘MEDULLARY NEPHROCALCINOSIS‘ which may be the primary problem or a secondary effect of an elevated calcium from a primary parathyroid problem. (Oh, sorry…this has to do with calcium deposits in her kidney’s…or something of this sort)   Ok.  I am too tired to study this tonight and tried to read the 7 page report in about the #4 size font but didn’t understand much of it.  The ER doctor and nurses printed it out because they are not familiar with this (not renal specialists).  We will be calling Dr. Niu in the morning for a referral to a Nephrologist . (for the Greek students… from Greek: nephros, “kidney”; and λόγος, logos, “speech” lit. “to talk about kidney”).   We do not know why her throat hurts so badly; all cultures came back negative.  It very well could be that her legs and abdomen are hurting from this…and the fever.  

  Several ways to pray specifically.  Pray for the children that God will give them extra grace right now while Hope is so needy.  She literally wants me to sit right by her side at all times, esp. during a fever spike;  That I’ll use wisdom in my time management; For Darrel as he studies and shares our burdens here at home; For me that I will trust in the timing of all this….not about being in MD but that I won’t feel a sense of guilt for thinking I should have checked into her leg aches much sooner. 

  Praise God for His love and care.   (And I hear Darrel getting very excited downstairs over the Super Bowl)  Our appointment to Baltimore still stands as of right now.

Battle

  It’s been a long day of battle.  Spiritual battle between my flesh and God’s truth.  I’m tired with the amount of reading and study I’m trying to do on the kidney’s, researching and trying to make sure I document symptoms correctly.  There is such a close connection between cancer and parathyroid problems, I believe this can be easily mis-diagnosed or hard to diagnose.  There are so many ’small’ symptoms I don’t want overlooked.  Please pray I will press in with these each time we see a new doctor.   I’ve kept Hope’s temp. down with med’s but her legs hurt much worse today.  Had a sweet time with the Lord during an errand.  Friends helped us with 4 loads of laundry and dropped off a pizza and some beautiful flowers.  Resting in God’s mercy and peace.

Confirmation

  Well, we got confirmation that Hope’s physical problems are not due to bone cancer.  This orthopedic oncologist also went as far to say that she does not think her symptoms are from any type of cancer.  She said we needed to see an endocrinologist, of which we’ve already seen but will now be getting a second opinion.  The one we’ve seen thinks she has a malignancy that hasn’t been found. 

  We are very thankful to know that Hope does not have bone cancer and we are rejoicing!  At the same time we do not know what is causing her pain.  The doctors we saw today were very kind and let me go down my list of symptoms I’ve compiled over the last 4 months.  So, first we will see this new endocrinologist (appointment to be determined).  I also have an appointment scheduled with a kidney specialist.  Other than her persistent fever and leg/joint pains she is experiencing much pain in her lower abdomin (bladder area) and throat.  I just noted today that her throat seems to hurt less when I do not let her lie down.  This could possibly be due to a sinus drainage problem or some type of acid reflux.  Tonight I am going to give her some sinus med’s and put a humidifier in ther room.  Her throat hurts so badly at night she wakes up crying even when on Tylenol and Motrin.  Other doctors I think we may see in the future would be a Gastoenterologist and Rheumatologist. 

  Once again, very thankful to God for His kindness in confirmation of no bone cancer.  Still praying for mercy and care for her when she’s hurting.  We will continue to trust God for His timing and guidance.  Right now remember His word that says ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ 

  I am so thankful for all those in our family and all our friends who have been praying.  From a mother’s heart, please continue praying!

Plan: Going to Johns Hopkins

  On the phone with Dr. Niu today.  I was able to share other concerns with him and he prescribed some Zantac liquid for Hope since her throat pain is so severe that this morning she was saying “I wish I weren’t born” while crying.  I could hear little burps so I do believe there is definately some type of reflux going on, why I do not know.  I’ve only given her 1 dose so haven’t seen effects yet…perhaps slightly.  Her fever elevated this evening to 101.2 and that’s enough for me to give her Tylenol.  At this point she cries anytime she moves any part of her body and was saying upon waking from a nap that ‘my arm is broken’. 

  The 24 hour urinalysis’s came in and all looks good.  The 2 things they were looking for to confirm malignancies were negative.  Another praise!

  But since she is in so much pain, her lower abdomen hurts very badly, she wakes up during the night crying in either bone aching type pain, bladder or throat, that the doctor’s feel she should be hospitalized.  We need to get her on IV fluids and begin diuretics to bring the blood calcium levels down while they are looking for the reason they are elevated in the first place.  Shady Grove here in Rockville does not have a pediatric Nephrologist or some of the other specialists he thinks we might see, so we have to choose between Childrens’ in DC, a hospital in Fairfax, VA, or Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.  My  heart is at peace with going to Baltimore so I believe that is where we will be heading sometime tomorrow. 

  I have my opinions on what is going on but Dr. Niu disagrees with me, however he did say he would make the referrals to see a rheumatologist.  First she will be seen by an endocrinologist and nephrologist and we’ll go from there. 

  Please pray for Hope.  She is NOT going to be happy about this news.  At this point she hates (for lack of a better word) needles and especially IV’s.  I am praying for peace and quick pain relief if at all possible.  Pray for the children as they will likely be separated from me/us for a while.  This is esp. hard on Trinity right now.  Not that it isn’t hard on Danielle and Isaac, but Trinity is asking me things like “do you still love ME?”  I try to give her 1 on 1 attention but it has been difficult. 

  Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame but WHOLLY lean on Jesus name!  I am in faith for God to do a mighty work and am seeing the fruits of this trial abounding in many around us.  I am strong and rejoicing in God our Savior.  God is pouring out His grace and peace!

Revelation

  God revealed some sin in my life this morning and has brought me to repentance.  I assume things often due to past experiences instead of trusting in Him.  It is my prayer He will coninue helping me through this and I’ve no doubt He will give me grace each time I fail. 

  In my blog last night I stated that Hope would “not be happy” about going to the hospital when we told her today.  ‘Oh ye of little faith’ (emphasis mine).  This morning Hope’s throat hurts so severely I gave her Zantac liquid right away.  She wanted to sit up which in the past she didn’t heed me to do this and was doing it on her own this morning.  She didn’t want any Tylenol or Motrin; says it doesn’t help her.  I sat with her and told her that we were going to take her to the hospital today to get some help and she quickly said, “OK”.  No whining, no resistance.  Then she was sliding down flat from her pillows and I asked if I could lift her up higher.  Usually she cries and says no but she said “yes, if it will help me feel better.” 

  I realize she is feeling worse and is willing to do anything at this point to have relief.  I am not rejoicing in this but am greatly rejoicing that God has positioned her heart to receive what will come later today.  I have greater faith for her IV and any injections she may need to receive.  To God be all glory!

Seeing the Good in Each Situation

  My initial feeling was not joy.

  Once in the ER a Nephrologist who works here came to see us.  She had spoken to Dr. Niu this morning and told him that the entire children’s section of Johns Hopkins is full and there were no beds available.  If we were to be admitted somewhere we would be transferred to another hospital.  He did not tell us this when he called at 11AM this morning.  Perhaps he misunderstood or hoped they’d fit us in regardless.

But the time here was just another confirmation that this is where I’d like Hope to be seen.  Each doctor we saw listened carefully and was doing everything they could to arrange appointments as soon as possible.  So that this trip wasn’t for ‘naught’ they did draw blood again for Nephrology labs and Rheumatological labs as well.  In listening to our symptoms they are all leaning in the direction of some rheumatological disorder.  The Zantac I asked for yesterday from Dr. Niu seems to be working at times but it might be early to tell.   We will do another 24 hour uninalysis that will be checking for other thing related to the kidneys and calcium levels instead of cancer related items.

  So thankful we are only an hour away and that God indeed directs our paths.

Going to the Hospital

  We just want to see how much fun our friends and family are having riding this roller coaster with us!    BIG HA from Shari. 

  This morning at 7am I snuck in Hope’s room and gave her Zantac with some water, snuck back out and finished getting ready for my monthly ladies meeting at Mrs. Ricucci’s home.  Hope hadn’t woken and seemed to sleep well last night so I left.  The meeting was such a blessing to my soul and I rejoice greatly that God allowed me to go.

  My sweet husband spend the entire morning with a very ill little girl and another very cute little blonde.  Hope was sick this morning and vomitting (hadn’t eaten anything).  When I returned home she was resting on the couch with Darrel.  He told me to check the answering machine so I did immediately and there was a call from the ER Dr. from Johns Jopkins.  She left me her cell which I called immediately.  She asked how Hope was today and I shared how sick she’d been and then she shared with me some of the lab results.  Hope’s serum calcium is off the charts and she said to bring her in immedately.  She was very kind, apologetic that we were there last night and no room but that she personally was going to get her admitted.  My bags are already packed; we’ll drop Trinity off at friends and be on our way.  (Isaac and Danielle spent the night with friends last night)

  I am thankful to be going and in much faith for some answers soon.  Thanking God for His care for Hope.  High serum calcium levels are all inter-related…it’s very complicated…kidney’s, parathyroid glands, bones, intestines.  Trusting we are in Good hands.

Talking Cancer Again

  Just when we think we rule out cancer the word comes back up again.  We are having a CT scan performed sometime tonight or tomorrow from her neck to her pevic area.  There is high radiation with this so please pray for an extra measure of mercy as this needs to be done.   She going to have to drink a large bottle of juice that has ‘contrast’ in it and it sounds like we’re about to do this; a doctor just came in.

  My soul.  Where is my soul with this news?  I am trusting God.  I am in a very calm, stunned sort of state.  In no way dispairing.

Prayer Request

  Hope’s sleeping so I don’t want the clicking of my keyboard to wake her.  This will be short.  Please pray for rest & comfort.  Very difficult through early morning.  More labs today with needles; can’t use IV blood for these.

Sunday

  I am in good humor right now and I was about to title the blog, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ from an old U2 song.  But that may not even be right.  ha  I’m a little dilerious after just a couple hours sleep the last 2 days.  Hope is sleeping well right now.  Someone will be coming in after 7PM to draw more blood for our evening labs so that is sure to change!  But change….ah, isn’t that what God is after in our lives?  Changing to be more like Him. 

  Our night was really, really rough in the ER.  She got really sick and it scared me pretty badly.  I’m not easily scared but after her being sick for so long I think we both get worn down.  She was saying “this is the end of my life” and I began yelling HELP!  Darrel was out getting our bags in the van while this was ocurring.  He does seem to miss most of the excitement…I mean really!  He is either out or just walking in after we’re finished.  Now, notice I didn’t say all the excitement just most.  I guess he doesn’t need as much as me.  

  Oh, she’s waking up.  Well, this morning was rough again but a fairly good afternoon.  She is over the top tired of needles.  I think a few of you can sympathize.  Last night they gave her Calcitonin which has decreased her blood calcium levels to bearable.  They are continuing to flush her body with IV fluids.  She gets nauseated fairly easily but they are giving her Zofran which helps.  There are several teams in on this puzzle right now.  We have a team of Endocrinologists, Nephrologists and tomorrow a team of Oncologists and Infectious Disease will begin, as well as Rheumatology.  Nothing like giving these doctors something interesting and exciting to study and figure out. 

Bathroom time!!  Trusting in our Lord and thankful for all our friends and family prayers and support.  Thanks for email pictures that will help Hope smile.

Monday news

Well, wow.  Hope has had a pretty good day today.  Throat hasn’t been hurting her this morning but lower abdominal pain some.  The calcium that went down yesterday is going back up already.  So, they are really on the search for WHY her calcium is going up.  It’s clear to them that her Parathyroid IS working since that hormone is low.  It has ’shut off’ so as to tell the bones to STOP releasing calcium.  They are trying to figure out if the calcium is coming from inside or outside her body.  At this point it seems to be internal.  There are many ‘crews’ onboard working her case.  If they don’t come up with something from her new labs soon it is likely they will put her to sleep and get biopsies from her bone marrow and lymph glands.  Please be praying in preparation for this possiblity.  Other than a headache my soul is good and at peace.  Since she is having a good day she wants to do crafts in the kids room, so we’re off.

End of the day Monday News

  Well, it appears that everyone is still quite stumped.  The Infectious Disease team is going to do some work ups on some fungal diseases that could possibly be producing her symptoms.  They’ve already given her the stuff to check for TB (very unlikely), and will check for (spellings won’t be right) Histoplasmosis, Coccidiomycosis and Blastomycosis.  They are also going to check something else for Williams Syndrome (not likely).  They are uping her fluids through the night double what they’ve been today since her calcium is going back up and if this doesn’t help she’ll have another dose of Calcitonin in the morning.  There is more but I’ll wait to share it until I get an update in a day or two.  I don’t think they’re leaning toward toing a bone marrow biopsy from the oncology section but a possible lymph gland biopsy.  We’ll see.  Please pray for Hope as she is tired of being here and wants to see her sibblings.  It helps that we can go down to the play room but she’s getting cabin fever. 

Sing and Rejoice!

This part of God’s word was sent to me last night from a dear friend in Houston.  I hope it encourages your soul as well!!  I know many of my family and friends are going through daily trials as well and does it not just cause your heart to sing and rejoice when you read HIS words to us? 

 Isaiah  chapter 40:
 
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
   and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
   and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint.

 
2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

My prayer for Hope has long been one of soul salvation.  I trust that God is going to bring her through this illness but at the same time I remember that “the ultimate healing is to be home free.”  One day we will all be ‘home free’ and worship at the feet of Jesus.  What a day THAT WILL BE!!!

Tuesday

  We’ve been playing a game here at Johns Hopkins.  Actually 2 games.  We’ve won at the first one and that was to have a popularity contest.  Hope is one of the most popular children here.  With so many questions and no answers we have many medical teams on her case.  It’s humorous to think about and mind boggling at the same time.  The second game is to see how many different medical teams we can see per day.  Today we’ve seen a team of Endocrinologists, Oncologists and Infectious Disease.  Each team has something to share, mostly that they are waiting on labs.  But the oncology team is in the process of communicating more closely with Dr. Kristy Weber from our visit with her a week ago.  The plan at this point is for Hope to have a Bone Marrow biopsy tomorrow morning around 11:30AM.  This will require sedation.  Seeing the procedure on-line and it makes me cringe but they assure me that this is typically done on an out-patient basis and only requires Tylenol for pain as needed afterward.  They are consulting with Dr. Weber to see if she will come down at the same time and do a biopsy of her right tibia which would be some type of asperation, not a surgical procedure.  To get these done at the same time would be good to say the least.

  The IV in her hand today went ‘bad’; her hand was swelling a little and she was continually complaining of pain.  They removed it and put a new one in the top of her right forearm.  This is actually a good place as this area doesn’t bend.  Now her hands are free; as her left hand has been useless to her since she’s been here.  Then she had to receive another Calcitonin shot to lower her calcium levels again.  Right now she’s sleeping as that wore her out, although she received the new IV better than anything she’s done so far.  I was amazed at God’s grace…she began breathing very deeply on her own!!! (mama and nurse shocked and very proud of her…at this point she is usually saying that the person causing her pain is evil) 

  There is a nurse who we’ve had 2x time by the name of Sarah.  She is a jewel.  Her mother is actually at MD Anderson right now going through a second treatment for some cancer she’s fighting.  Everyone here has been kind, caring and respectful. 

  This has probably been my hardest day.  Not that Hope hasn’t been feeling better, she has!  I’m not getting much sleep due to beepers going off every 5 minutes and Hope being on heavy fluids, thus bathroom breaks every 30 min to an hour.  So, lack of sleep leaves me more venerable to emotions. I would wear the earplugs my sweetie brought but I have to hear Hope call me when she needs to be unhooked from all her wires to use the restroom.   I haven’t had a cup of coffee in 3 days as the coffee machine is broken on this floor.  So, with only about 2 hrs sleep last night  I told Hope I was venturing out to the 1st floor to buy a cup from Einstein Brothers Bagels.  I waited in line, asked for a large cup of coffee and then got my total of $2 and something cents.  I only had a $1 and some change so I handed her my CC.  She looked at me and said, “our register is broken, it’s cash only this morning.”  I handed her my cup and began walking back to the elevator.  It didn’t occur to me that I could have purchased a SMALL cup of coffee…I was so tired I almost cried!  BUT I didn’t cry.   

  Darrel brought the kids up to see me while he stayed with Hope.  She was getting her hair washed at the ’salon’.  It’s not really a salon, they just call it that for fun.  It was so good to see the kids.  Then to our GREAT surprise, Darrel came down to the cafeteria with Hope!  She came down very upset because she just learned she was going to have to have a new IV put in later, but she finally calmed down and enjoyed some time with her sibblings.  She passed out Valentine cards she made for them a little gifts to share that she’s received each time she gets a blood draw or some needle poked in her.  I’m afraid after this hospital experience she’s going to think she deserves a present if anything painful happens to her.  Ah, the joys of re-training.  When it was time for them to leave and I saw Dani, Isaac and Trini in the hall as I walked away, that’s when I had the hardest time holding back the tears.  Even now.  Wow, it’s harder than I think to be apart from them!  Makes one SO incredibly greatful for family time, health and togetherness.  We have been so blessed.  Just a renewed sense of ‘don’t waste a single minute’ rings in my mind.

  Then I read an email from a friend here at the PC as she and her family are going through different trial and heart probing times.  The following she shared certainly resounded and encouraged my heart. 

    speaking of Ps.23, Phillip Keller writes in his book “A Shepherd Looks At Ps.23″ pg. 46:
“Many of the places we may be lead into will appear to us as dark, deep, dangerous, and somewhat disagreeable. But it simply must be remembered that He is there with us in it. He is very much at work in the situation. It is His energy, effort, and strength expended on my behalf that even in this deep, dark place is bound to produce a benefit for me.”
 
and pg. 126:
“The sheep with such a shepherd knows of a surety that his is a privileged position. No matter what comes, at least and always he can be perfectly sure that goodness and mercy will be in the picture. He reassures himself that he is ever under sound, sympathetic, ownership. What more need he care about? Goodness and mercy will be the treatment he receives from his Master’s expert, loving hands.”

 

Loving Her Then... Still Loving Her Now

6PM, very sick again.  I think it’s a side affect of the Calcitonin.

8PM and she’s been very sick this whole time, very nauseated.  Praying for some relief and rest tonight.  She hasn’t eaten since breakfast this morning and won’t be able to eat after mid-night due to her sedation scheduled for 11:30AM tomorrow.  I’m praying she’ll feel hungry in a couple hours and I can go buy her something downstairs.

ANA Testing for Lupus

  From the WWW…

No single test can determine whether a person has lupus, but several laboratory tests may help the doctor to make a diagnosis. The most useful tests identify certain autoantibodies often present in the blood of people with lupus. For example, the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is commonly used to look for autoantibodies that react against components of the nucleus, or “command center,” of the body’s cells. Most people with lupus test positive for ANA; however, there are a number of other causes of a positive ANA besides lupus, including infections, other autoimmune diseases, and occasionally as a finding in healthy people. The ANA test simply provides another clue for the doctor to consider in making a diagnosis.

  Hope’s labs did come back positive for the ANA but it is very low and the doctor said that (as you read above) even some healthy people can have readings like hers (lower +).  So, this really doesn’t help anything!  ha     It’s not funny but either chuckle, cry and sit more perplexed.  I choose to chuckle momentarily.  I’m praying the bone marrow biopsies will give more definative answers.

Wednesday 02-11-09 Events

  The last 5 days or nights perhaps, have caught up with me.  A quick recap of the day.  God blessed us with a cancellation in the OR and Hope got to get her bone marrow taken an hour early!  I got to go into the room with her and talk with her the whole time while she fell asleep.  It was GREAT!  She woke with hip pain as we figured she would, in recovery but did well and ended up eating 3 popcicles and drank an entire can of Sprite.  When we got back to the room she got Tylenol and ate some food.  Other than being sore when the Tylenol wears off she’s done well today.  We were told we’d hear from Oncology this afternoon but did not.  The new attending Pediatric doctor came and saw me about 6pm and said they have nothing new to share with me as we are waiting on other labs to come in.  They have ruled out Sarcoidosis and a few other things with names too technical for my current mental status.  Darrel picked up Grammy from the airport and came for a visit.  Her plane was delayed so they didn’t get here until 7PM and visit hours are only until 8PM so they stayed for an hour.  Hope loved it!  At the same time she really wants to go home.

  Please continue praying.  The pediatrician on floor was very candid with me and said that they pretty much don’t have a clue as to why her calcium levels keep going up.  Her abdomen/bladder started hurting a little tonight which is usually an indication that it is on the rise again.  They don’t want to keep using Calcitocin over and over, that’s not going to work long term and it makes her VERY sick, although it did bring it down substantially.  I’m sure we’ll have more labs drawn in the morning to see what it’s doing.  Please pray for a good lab technician.  The one this morning was horrible and was moving that needle around in her arm like she was poking wood around in a fireplace.  Hope was crying out to the lord literally, “Oh Lord, Lord please, please help me!”  THAT makes mama cry.  But I was also thankful that she was seeing her need for Him and that He alone could really help her.  She knows that I cannot, nor can any other person but He alone will be her Savior. 

I expect to hear from oncology tomorrow along with the Endocrinologist team.   I don’t think we’ll hear from the Infectious Disease Team until all those fungal labs come in which won’t be this week.    Now, praising the Lord for sleep.  OH, some of them are still wanting to biopsy her tibia but Dr. Weber thinks there was a stress fracture at some point and that it doesn’t need to be biopsied, nor did Dr. Henshaw in Washington.  We’ll cross those bridges when we arrive at them.

Praise

  I asked for prayer for a good lab technician and the lady we had this morning was accurate and fast!  Praise the Lord!

Now a new request.   There are some diseases that can cause character changes but my assumption is that Hope is sick of being sick and sick of being stuck with needles.  Due to this her level of anger has been increasing especially with me when doctors and nurses leave the room.  Please pray that God would move over her in ways that only He knows.  I do not know her inner most being but He does.  Also, please pray for much compassion and understanding on my part.  For the first time yesterday I had to deal with anger toward this attitude which before was bathed in compassion and care.  I’m trusting for a renewal today!

More Work Ups

  Please be praying for Hope, more.  We’ve decided to have a second IV placed in hopes that they can do at least several blood draws from that site instead of sticking her over and over and over.  They have to test her blood calcium levels at least once a day and sometimes other tests need to be performed.  I’m praying that they hit the vein they need right away and it lasts for at least several draws. And that God would give her much, much grace to endure this.  She thinks anyone who wants to look at her is going to take more blood. 

  Oncology came and told me that there is no sign of malignancy in the bone marrow.  They are talking about one last MRI of the brain.  Also going to have a biopsy of her tibia tomorrow for the Infectious Disease team as they are not convinced there is no infection there.  This will be less invasive than the bone marrow biopsy.  They might want to do a CT scan at some point but for now we will continue waiting on blood results for vitamin D levels and something called a Fish test that the Endocrinologists ordered.  This would confirm or dismiss something called Williams syndrome.  

  I pray Isaiah 40:31 during this hard time for her!  God also answered prayer today in that I was full of love and compassion toward her and although Hope had a few moments she was much kinder to me vs. yesterday.   The more kisses I give the better!

Latest on Hope

  Well, yesterday was not condusive for an update.  The Ricucci’s were so kind to pay us a visit and bring a long a huge cooler full of water bottles, snacks, strawberries, banana’s.  What a blessing!  We weren’t able to visit a whole lot as Hope had her tibia x-rayed again and had an ophthamology appointment while they were here.  But they blessed us with their smiles, hugs, encouraging words and gave them an opportunity to see the ending of the movie Father of the Bride.  ha  (Hope was watching) 

  So the X-ray showed that her bone looks just the same as it did in November which is good…they were looking for changes.  She didn’t have any calcium deposits on the sclera (whites of her eyes) which could give them more to diagnose Sarcoidosis. 

  We are waiting on the Vitamin D and Fish Test for Williams Syndrome for endocrine team which should be in next Tuesday I think.  The pediatric attending this weekend is also a geneticists.  He’s thinking of running some genetic tests.  Some have already been done to see if “all the books are lined up in the library correctly” and it seems they are, but this more in depth test would check the “chapters in the books”.  Like a thousand or so genetic line ups (my wording). 

  It appears Hope is doing pretty well with getting Calcitonin shots on an every 3 day basis.  We didn’t get it to her in time to keep nausea from getting her last night but that’s our goal from now on.  Giving Calcitocin shots is NOT a long term solution but a possible short term in order that we go home.  I can give her the shots every 3 days and we’d go to a lab down the road every other day for blood testing to see how high it’s going.  Still a lot of needles but if she will keep taking her fluids REALLY well we might get to go home next week sometime.  Everything pending. 

  Darrel came up here yesterday and I got home about 8PM to see Dani, Isaac, Trini and my mom.  We were all glad to see one another but little Trini was very tired and getting a bath was just too much for her!  ha  Isaac, Trinity and I were dancing around the livingroom this morning to the Psalm CD and having fun while praising the Lord for being our Shepherd and for all the many, many blessings He gives us!  We are so hope-filled because of what He’s accomplished for us on the cross.  When we keep our eyes on Him and eternity all of these hardships/trials seem so small.  I pray with Hope that she will not be bitter or hardened from all she’s going through but that God will use it to give her more compassion for others who are hurting and need encouragement as well as seeing her need for Him.  She’s been shown the love of Jesus through all her friends, our friends and our family.  I know she’ll never forget it! 

  So, today has just been a day of play and crafts.  The Briley’s came and spend a couple hours (I think) visiting with us while they were here on their anniversary weekend.  What a blessing!  Hope’s ready for lights out so I’ll close!  I’m so encouraged by Psalm 23.  He is there to comfort us again and again, reminding us that He is indeed near!!  Thank you, Steven Altrogge for being used of God to write such an encouraging song on the Psalm CD from Psalm 23.  It ministed to my heart and soul last night and today while driving in the car.  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!

A New Week

  Yesterday after my mom and family went to church Darrel brought mom up here to stay with Hope.  Darrel and I drove home and got ready for a Sweetheart Party given by the leaders and Admin team.  I can’t give details but it was a night to remember!  What a romantic treat, esp. with what we’ve been going through and been doing the last few weeks.   Thank you mom for being so kind and selfless.  I doubt Hope would have let anyone else stay with her over-night and it meant a LOT to Darrel and me! 

  The last few minutes I’ve been practicing sticking a rolled up baby diaper with a needle, pretending it’s Hope’s arm.  I am going to start administering her subcutaneous (fatty tissue) Calcitonin shots every day.  Darrel will also need to practice this procedure.  Can you see us practicing on each other with saline injections?  Oh yeah…really good time to have a GREAT marriage relationship and no anger or bitterness issues!!  Praise the Lord for a Sweetheart Party.  *LOL*  The Calcitonin shots DO make Hope nauseated, even with the smaller dose per day instead of every three days but tonight we are going to give an oral Zofran 30 min. to an hour before I give the shot.  We hope this helps and she won’t be nauseated at all. 

  Anyway…we are currently talking with a pulmonary doctor concerning the miniscule nodules they saw on her lungs early on with the CT scan.   Waiting to hear if they think any of that is substantial.  And someone from Rheumatology was going to come by but I don’t know where that stands right now.

  Still waiting on the lab’s to come in.  So, that’s it.  Please be praying that I’m able to gently talk to Hope about her attitude (anger, disrespectful attitudes, rebellion “I am NOT”) and remind her we’ve not let her do this at home and it needs to change.  Trusting God for the right thing to say and how to say it, much grace needed.  And prayer that she won’t indeed act out what she’s feeling when she sees me coming to administer her shot this evening.  She has told all of us several times that Darrel nor I are going to give her shot and she will hit us if we try.  I know this is fear speaking because later she tells us how much she loves us.  So, much wisdom needed and more grace from God!

What a Day

  As much as I need the sleep I cannot pass up writing down the evening events.  I must admit I didn’t feel I had the right things to say to Hope when I ‘felt’ like I needed to say them but as I took a shower tonight all these delightful things came to my mind about how the evening went.  I pray I won’t forget them and at some time in the future I can share them with her and remind her of the grace and love of God.  This is one characteristic I so admire in Darrel.  His mind works more quickly at seeing an immediate biblical application and is able to share it so kindly.  So thankful for him and his leadership in our home!

  This afternoon while I was practicing giving a diaper a shot, Hope was making a doll with a child life specialist in her room.  She was able to draw a face on it, dress it and give her an IV.  She was very excited and full of energy when they were done; perhaps this helped relieve some of her tensions, I don’t know.  Once I got back in the room there was water all over the floor.  I said, “what’s all this?”  Hope replied, “Oh, when I was putting in the IV it burst and water was squirting everywhere.  I got the teacher all wet too.”  She was grinning. 

  Not long after this it was time for Ms. Sara to come in and put emla cream (numbing) on an area where Hope wanted her shot.  Very upset she was saying , “no.  no more shots.  no, I don’t want to put it anywhere.”  Well, she finally decided on the back of her arm.  While Sara was here we were talking to her about me administering the shot and she got very upset, crying, kicking her legs saying, “no, no, you aren’t going to give it to me, no.”  I kept trying to talk to her and she just cried harder and got more upset.  Welp…that was it.  I got very upset and began to cry.  I looked at Sara and said, “I just don’t know what else to say to her!” 

  Sara left the room and I let Hope calm down, all the while praying asking God to help Hope in this very difficult situation.  Another team of doctors came and one of them, Dr. Lauren, called me out of the room.  She was so sweet and wanted me to use her arm to practice.  We pulled out all the needles and saline and I gave her a shot.  It’s really not difficult, just different and I felt so bad to stick someone with a needle who didn’t need it.  Another doctor was in the room with Hope chit chatting or trying to.  After they left I squatted down on the side of the bed I was going to need to be on to give the shot and just talked quietly to Hope about what needed to be done.  I wanted to cry again when she said, “no mommy, you are supposed to be sitting with me, helping and comforting me while THEY hurt me, not YOU hurting me.  You can’t help me if you are giving me the shot.”  I kept reassuring her that I was ‘really good’ at giving shots since doctor Lauren let me practice on her and that I’d do my very best and I would cuddle and love on her as soon as I was done.  I could feel God washing over her during that 1/2 hour, giving her assurance and comfort through my words.  Letting her know that I needed to do it here a few times before we went home.  How many times have I, in my heart perhaps said “no, no God, I don’t want this or that” and He didn’t take His presence from me but kept drawing me closer and closer to Himself. 

  We gave Hope oral Zofran an hour prior to her shot in hopes that she wouldn’t get nauseated this time.  Then Sara finally came in with the ’stuff’.  Hope was a little upset but you know, she held still, cried and we got it done.  Sara didn’t have to sit on her like I thought she would *grin* and afterward I jumped right up on the bed with her and just wrapped myself around her.  I said, “did mommy do a good job?” and she replied, “no, you didn’t.”  But I could sense in her soul that she knew I was caring for her and did my best.  She did get nauseated about 10 minutes after the shot but it was very temporary and about 30 minutes later was asking for food and drink.   Thank you Lord!! 

  1 shot down, maybe many to go but God knows that number and I’m trusting Him for everything!  The Lord is our strength and song.

Going Home?

  Well, the pediatric team is talking about us going home today!  Yes, you heard correctly.  I am waiting to hear if this is indeed true and what time this might occur. 

  Up until today I have been a peace with going home without answers but right now I’m not settled.  Hope’s complained of lower abdominal pain more yesterday and today than I’ve noted over the past week.  I’m so thankful her legs are not aching, she’s getting up and walking around.  This morning she was dancing with me in her room.  This morning during rounds they were sharing the fact that they hadn’t expected the Calcitonin shots to remain as effective as they have been.  Apparently the body becomes used to it and it will not continue doing the job it is now with lower the blood calcium level.  If this happens they are talking about another medication to give her, of which I don’t remember the name, bio something.  I have concerns about this drug as it stays in the body for decades and can potentially cause infertility.  I haven’t studied it yet but will need to do so soon.  If any of the doctor’s pray, I think they are praying her illness will ‘just disappear’ or she’ll start presenting different symptoms to point them to a diagnosis. 

  Although situations, body pains, dispositions and moods change, there is one thing and only one thing I am sure of.  God is unchanging ( James 1:17  “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”) and our hope. (Jer 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  In these truths we can stand in faith and with joy.

  OH, and one more perfect gift if we get to come home…it’s Darrel’s 37th birthday today. 

Home Indeed

  Well, the Schiel family is finally back together…with our Grammy too!!    The ride home yesterday was rough.  Right before we left I gave Hope her Calcitonin shot and she had 2 IV’s taken out.  She was nauseated the whole ride home but made it.  Once she got inside the house the kids showered her with love.   At first it was too overwhelming for her and she cried but she calmed down and was able to soak it in.  

  This morning she woke up in a great mood but soon after was having throat and lower abdominal pain.  We hung around the house until lunch time and then decided to try and use a gift card for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.  Oh yeah, it was snowing this morning so there was much giggling and laughter about it coming down!  Hope asked for salmon so I shared with her.  We all ate quite a bit but Hope’s lower abdomen was hurting throughout so we didn’t linger long.

  I had to stop by CVS Pharmacy on the way to pick up the Calcitonin and Zofran.  When I went to get it the pharmacists just looked at me and said, “I can’t get this for you”.  You can imagine my face at this point.  I’m thinking, “I have to give her this injection in less than 3 hours and your telling me you don’t have it?”  NOT a happy mama.  We drove straight home where I spent the next hour on the phone to all the pharmacies in Gaithersburg.  None of them carry this drug.  To make a long story short, I ended up having to call Dr. Niu on his day off, he got the medication transferred from Shady Grove Adventist Hospital to a pharmacy near them and after they got approval from our insurance was able to get it to me.  Actually we paid for it today because it takes 24-48 hours for approval for this drug but hope to get reimbursed.  Amazing.  In truth I was pretty stressed but thankful to get it.  Once home we let Hope choose where she wanted to get it and she chose an area on her forearm which really surprised me.  (She gets Zofran an hour before hand to help with the nausea it causes.)  With Danielle and Daddy near by I administered the shot while Grammy took the others upstairs to play.  Hope did pretty well but was very angry with me afterward which has been increasingly harder for me to take.  I know she loves me but at that moment of injection…I’m not so sure.   Please pray for this process.  Oh yes, the needles I got today were even smaller than the ones in the hospital so that could have only helped.  30 instead of 25 gauge. 

  The calcium specialist from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Emily Germain-Lee is to be calling us this week to schedule an appointment.  I’m so thankful for everyone who has helped us during this time of illness with Hope.  My mother’s presence here as been such a comfort for us all along with all her hard work, laundry, picking up, cleaning, etc.  There’s just nothing like having Mom around when you need a hug!  And all the support and care we have had from our care groups, friends and PC friends/families.  I will be thanking you all for years to come.  You all are indeed some of the joys, graces and mercies God gives to us! 

  Please be praying for Darrel as he begins to get back into the swing of things at the PC.  He’ll be trying to catch up with past work as well as keeping up with the new things given from now on.  He’s very behind in Greek and would like to catch up and maintain.  We all need wisdom in how to spend our time, what will glorify God the most in this particular moment?  Schooling is waiting for all the children and I know that there will be MUCH time needed to direct, instruct and correct angry or rebellious attitudes in Hope that have grown the last couple months.  I pray my life will be the example they need right now and that requires much grace.  Faithful is HE who calls me!!

Gettin’ On

  Now that we’re home I’m trying to figure out how to be ‘gettin’ on’ with things again.  Working the calcitonin shots into our life every evening is changing the look of things quite a bit.   If we don’t have something very distracting going on around Hope after she’s calmed down she seems to get nauseated more easily whereas if there is a movie or big playing going on it seems to help keep her mind off the sick feeling.  We’ll continue praying for wisdom in this area.  We will also be going to Lab Corp every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a blood draw so they can follow her serum calcium levels.  So, this new life of 10 needle pokes a week isn’t easy but is causing us to cry out to the Lord for mercy and wisdom.  This morning I started Hope’s day by praying with her in bed (recommended by daddy), thanking God for all his blessings and naming as many specifically as would come to mind.  It didn’t seem to improve her mood but I know God’s word is powerful and will continue doing so and quoting scriptures to her in faith that God is and will speak to her heart. 

  We did see Dr. Niu yesterday and are in agreement that she needs to see a Gastroenterologist for her continued throat pain and lower abdominal pain which has not relented through this entire hospital & testing process.  The soonest appointment I could get was a month down the road   but he is going to call today and try and get her in sooner.    I’m praying for favor in this area!  I haven’t heard from Dr. Germain-Lee, calcium specialist/endocrinologist yet but am expecting a call for follow-up in Baltimore.

Danielle and Isaac have gotten back into their studies but I just finished a math cirriculum with Isaac and need a bit of time to prepare the next level.  I’ve not gotten back into the swing of things with Hope, but hope to do that next week. 

  Darrel will pick up our pastor, Grady Van Wright, from Baltimore airport this evening and spend the weekend visiting with him.  There will be some talk about semester evaluations and no doubt talk of areas Darrel would best serve him and our church once we return to Texas as well as evaluations leadership at the pc have brought concerning Darrel to Grady and his views concerning Darrel. (was that confusing?)   I’m praying this time will be grace filled, a time of growth and encouragement for them both.

  Time to try and get in a little health and science class before lunch today.  I’ve opened our home for an art class for the next 8 weeks, given by a sweet pc wife, Emily Campbell.  There will be 14 students I believe, from 3-5pm every Friday.  Danielle will benefit from this opportunity as well!  So thankful for God’s blessing.

02-20-09

  Dr. Niu called yesterday and said he got us in to see a GI this coming Friday afternoon.  Very pleased at this news!  Her blood draw yesterday was not pleasant.  I’m struggling with how to share or what to share concerning this.  Please pray for me, for her, and for the person having to draw her blood…and for those in the waiting room.   Enough said!

02-21-09

  Fantastic message given this morning by Bob Kauflin.  Psalm 24.  God gives us such faith through all times of trial.  We do not deserve this but He gives it!  Oh, to keep looking at the finished work of Jesus Christ and this redemptive work, all else in life pales. 

  One thing I forgot to share was that the FISH test results came in concerning Williams Syndrome.  It was negative.    Hope is having some pretty good days and we are very thankful to God for mercy.  It’s so encouraging to see her get up and down out of chairs, off the sofa and walk around the house. 

  Our time with Grady (our pastor) was particularly sweet especially for Darrel.  So thankful for all who made sacrifices to send him our way, esp. Sonya and their children!  Thank you.

  Have you ever seen a dog try and eat a grape?  It’s hilarious!  Ok, so I am sitting here at the dining room table trying to pick out some edible purple grapes to eat.  The majority of them are going bad and I’m thinking, “Is there ANYTHING else I can blog about right now that doesn’t pertain to what we’re going through with Hope?”  Thus, the dog eating grape comment.  I don’t know…it gives me a chuckle. 

  Hope will be going to Lab Corp every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for her blood draws.  I had a bright idea that Darrel should bring Hope on Monday’s since he’s off school.  This would serve in several different ways.  One, it will serve by sparing me having to see her hurt one less time a week and give me a break.  It will likely serve Hope as she sometimes reacts differently with Daddy than Mommy and give her a security she normally seeks from me as I’m home with her all day.  It will no doubt serve Darrel in many ways as well, of which I won’t write about but you can imagine…drawing out many fruits of the spirit.  Great opportunities for growth.  Seriously!  Ok, so along with my serious side I am at the same time chuckling…it’s a terrible thing.  Bitter sweet….going through what someone else experiences on a daily basis gives one a sense of thankfulness.  I, no doubt, should have to write a 15 page essay for Mr. Purswell. 

  Darrel had a rich time of fellowship with our pastor, Grady this weekend.  Today was going to be a day of great study and writing.  But he so kindly offered to take Hope to the lab this morning for her blood draw.  When they arrive and sign in they wait for 45 minutes.  When they called her name they asked for her insurance card.  I didn’t give Darrel the insurance card.  So, they drive home, get the card and go back to wait yet another 45 minutes.  Darrel tries to comfort and endures her screaming, although the commentary I received concerning this event was that she had a ‘new’ lady who was much faster today.  Hallelujah for that!   They came home and she cheerfully began playing with her sibblings.  I, however, had a message for Mr. Schiel concerning some time he might spend with Josh Jordan and Craig Cabaniss from the Frisco, Tx church (Craig is teaching at the pc this week) this afternoon.  I haven’t spoken with Darrel about this time of fellowship but I’m sure it was rich.  Trusting in the Lord to help Darrel accomplish the academics which lie ahead.

  I received a phone call from Dr. Emily Germain-Lee (calcium expert/endocrinologist) this afternoon.  With much frustration in her voice she explained that the first 1.25 di-OH vitamin D test has somehow been ‘lost’ or ‘mis-placed’ at the lab.  The 2nd one that began 2 days prior to our being released from Johns Hopkins somehow got ‘cancelled’, so we have no results nor pending results.  We hope to begin a new one this Wed. when she has her normal blood draw for her serum calcium check.  Okie dokie then! 

  Although she still dispises the shots, I do believe Hope is beginning to get used to them.  She is still quite vocal but is seeming to get over being upset a bit quicker.  We have laid some rules down about what she can and cannot say to me during and after the shots and tonight she violated those rules.  Please be praying that God will give her an extra measure of self control. 

  I will be driving my mother to Baltimore early in the morning for her to take a flight back to Dallas/Ft. Worth and then drive home to Texarkana.  What a blessing and solace she has been for our family, esp. the children during this time of questions and instability.  I’ve always had a good relationship with my mom but it just gets sweeter as the years go by.  So thankful for her love and care!  And I would be amiss not to thank Tony for sharing her with us as I know she is dearly missed by him when she’s away!! 

Much to do

  For those of you who read this blog to catch up with our family I must warn you that I may not be writing as much for a bit.  I’ve a very long list of to do’s that won’t get done without much work; one of which is getting our taxes filed.  And with the sale of our house, purchase of a new house, book business and our move, I have LOTS to look up.

  I received a call from one of the Pediatric doctors at Johns Hopkins today.  She informed me (after we had a new blood draw for this test today) that they did get a 1.25 di-OH Vitamin D test result in and it was……drum roll please…. perfectly normal.  They also received the histoplasma fungal results and they were negative.  They will be having their weekly meeting on Friday morning and Hope will be one of the many children as topics. 

  Hope is handling her shots better, still upset and crying but gets over them quicker and her blood draw today went well. She didn’t even scream…just a lot of crying.  So, she’s improving and God is giving her much strength and grace through it all.  She has started complaining of leg pain as of yesterday and today severe lower abdominal pain and throat.  I am looking forward to seeing the GI specialist on Friday afternoon.  Praying this will yield some kind of answer and/or pain relief.   She is eating and drinking well!

  Danielle, Isaac and Trinity are all doing well; happy we’re home together.  Danielle is working on her art skills while taking an art class every Friday afternoon at our home with 13 other youth.  Isaac is learning to concentrate harder during math.  Trinity can be very loud and he blames her for not being able to work.  He loves playing games so I gave him an idea of how to ‘beat the bad guys’…well, it’s too long to explain, but it worked!!!  And Trinity was watching a Shirley Temple movie tonight.  I was working in the office but could see her and she stood up on the piano bench to show us that she could perform and be just as sweet and cute as little Miss Shirley. 

  We’re trying to get back into a rhythm with schooling, etc. but I haven’t found the beat yet. 

Beat Found

  I found the beat!  At least for one day.  But it wasn’t me who found it…God blessed us.  I pulled one of my crazy Shari days and took the kids on a day trip to Jamestown and Yorktown in VA.  It was a GREAT day overall and we agree it was worth the drive.  More about it later.  I’m TIRED! 

Hurry up Mom, there's ice in this canoe!

Update

  Hope’s pediatric GI appointment went well yesterday.  We are going to start giving her Previcid every morning for the next few weeks to see if this helps with her throat and/or abdominal pain.  We might also have another abdominal ultra-sound and I’ll be doing a  ‘poop’ test   this week to look for Helicobacter pylori Antigen Detection which can cause abdominal pain.  It’s still quite a mystery which makes me think of God.  So many things He lets us know about Him and so many things remain a mystery.  I sit with a thankful heart that I do not know all He know and am thankful that I am the creature and He’s the creator. 

  Her 1,25 di-OH Vitamin D lab came in elevated but still does not give us a diagnosis.  I don’t really know why it was done anyway.  (eyes crossed)  Just living in thanks that Hope isn’t waking up with fevers and is walking and running around.  Thankful that, however much she doesn’t like them, she is getting used to the MiaCalcin injections and isn’t as nauseated as she used to be in the beginning. 

 

Not to shabby!This was one of our stops in Jamestown, getting to check out some wigwams and how the Indians lived. Kids really enjoyed smashing up corn, feeling the firs, scraping deer hide, watching men shape arrowheads out of materials. We got to go into the fort and also aboard one of the ships. Smash, smash, smash the corn!

Isaac and Hope loved using shells to try and scrape the hair off the hide. This was much harder to do than they thought!

Got to board the Susan Constant!

Lifting swords. French swords were thin and light. Danielle said, "they were sissy's!" ha

Naughty soldier! You get a time out and some humiliation.

Ah ha! News from the front lines...time to plan our attack!

Writing a letter to the captain with a private looking over my shoulder!

I'm hungre'! Somebode' feed me! I'm skin and bones here!

I've had a tad too much grog!

Oooooeee! Lookie what I caught Mama!

You didn't really think I was gonna let him have all the fun now, did ya?

I wanna have fun too, but I'm a Laydee!

Carding wool with carding combs. This is FUN! Will you buy me a lamb Mom?

Never too old for dress up!

Ready... Set...

GO !!!!!!!

IN the ER again

  Well, Danielle and I are waiting in the ER and just read 4 comments from yesterday’s blog.  She doesn’t have fond memories of the sledding right now…just hurting.  Hopefully this knee/leg injury will be something over with in just a few days but it’s been hurting pretty badly so I thought we’d better get it checked out.  Our ped. office couldn’t get us in and they are closed tomorrow…sigh.    Gonna let Dani and her purty little green eyes (right now) play something on my computer to help pass the time.

  Oh, and Hope and Trinity didn’t go sledding.  They were cold and wet and I wasn’t going to go sledding.  Remember I was still in my snowman pajamas. And Darrel in the snow?  Uh, no.  Not yesterday.  He is play Mr. Ketchup in school.   He spent all day reading and writing, gave himself such a headache that it turned into a migraine so bad this morning he couldn’t go to school.  I scheduled him an eye exam this afternoon at 5:15pm.  If I’m not home with Danielle by this time our sweet neighbor Sarah, Mr. Armstrong’s wife, is going to watch the kids until one of us gets back home.  What a trip!! 

  Dispite the injury to Danielle’s leg she did say, “Well, at least this didn’t happen in the morning and I got to play in the snow for a little while.”  Continuing to look for the good in painful situations.  We are also thankful for so many things and are currently laughing at the chair she’s sitting in in the ER.  When she moves it makes this really hilarious squeeking noise.  We got the giggles about it and she was shaking the chair like crazy from laughing, which in turn made it make the noises so much more and louder!!!  Thank you God for laughter in pain.

4:30PM Great news!  No breaks but sprained.   She has a leg brace and crutches.  We’ll contine the r.i.c.e and hope it heals well within a week.  Thank you Lord for protection!

In My Weakness He Is Strong

  After returning from the ER last night, not much peace in my household, I began feeling stressed and discouraged.  My mother called and said the surgeons didn’t get all the cancer from my grandmother’s mastectomy and that they were going to have to drive her to Dallas for more surgery.  Then Darrel comes home from his eye exam and the doctor wants him to have a glucose tolerance test, wondering if he has diabetes due to the large change in his prescription (for the better).  Danielle is lying on the couch with her leg in a brace, it was time for me to give Hope her Miacalcin injection and Trinity was getting into medicine she shouldn’t, Isaac has another headache and all the while I’m viewing a kitchen that looked like an atomic bomb blew up!

  Enter Holy Spirit.  

  God is so faithful to give new eyes to us when we are looking at our current circumstances.  I think back to my mother saying “God never gives us more than we can handle.”  I remember that Hope is feeling better with these injections.  I am thankful Danielle’s leg feels better with this knee restraint.  Her immobility gives me greater opportunity to be thankful for her as a servant in our home.  She and I usually tag team on the dishes and without her…WOW…she makes a huge difference in the atomic bomb blasting area!  Darrel doesn’t have any symptoms of diabetes, so I’m not fearing this.  We took our ‘date night’ Sunday night on a whim…if we would have waited until Tuesday like normal, our sitter would have been hurt!  I’m more grateful for ‘non sick days’.  I’m trusting in Christ for His strength in me, not my own.  To  not have moments of dispair I look to the cross and the final work of Christ on my behalf.  In that light what can we NOT face?  God has done all for us; what greater love and care could He give?  Nothing.  

  And then I remember all the miraculous things God did to bring us here.  None of these things were by chance.  Each one was ordained by God and I will thank Him and praise Him for his faithfulness and care.  He knew each of these circumstances would come our way and He would and will work them out for our good; because He loves us!  THAT is shouting ground!!! 

  Isaiah 40:31  They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.  They will run and not be weary, they will walk and not grow faint.

To Our Unknown Angel

We have a little angel

We do not know its name

It brings us many goodies

Through wind and snow and rain

It comes each Sunday evening

while we are all in bed

and in the early morning

there’s special foods and bread.

This morning in the bags of food

were beautiful red blooms

Gerbera daisies are the best

to fill our dining room.

This angel is so kind to us

food on our porch seems odd

But I know that its only our angel

showing forth the care of God

It seems the Schiel’s keep getting sick

Healing sometimes seems so slow

But of one thing I am sure today

This too shall pass I know.

I write this on my blog today

for this has become a trend

I want to thank our Sunday angel

You are a faithful friend!

Blogging for Shari

  I would have to say that in the past ‘blogging for Shari’ was a type of release.  It was a reflection on what was going on in her life; a pondering; journaling; sharing.  It still is, but this is perhaps why I haven’t written in a while.  Such trials… I just didn’t want to ponder it another moment.

 Ok, now I’ve been looking at some photo’s to see what to put on this blog and now I’m laughing!!  David, these are just for you!  I’m not even going to say anything about them but I know you are going to crack up…words aren’t necessary.

Now below are a couple pictures of the girls playing in the snow before the sledding, sprained knee accident.  Hope is freezing and fussing everytime the boys are throwing snowballs.  The little girls didn’t last long and didn’t go out again at all.  Too cold for usns.  And if you can’t read that word you ain’t no Texan.

 

Now here comes another photo of what happens after lunch.  Danielle and Isaac go sledding…I’ve posted Isaac before.  They really did have a good time.  Danielle just didn’t know how to run straight legged into a fence.  Actually this photo she’s in the back.  I believe the next ride down she was in the front and just couldn’t think fast enough to pull her knees in before kaphwumping.  (That’s not Texan, just Shari language)  Danielle will have to forgive me for posting this picture but…does she look like she’s having fun to you?  LOL    It totally reminds me of the picture I have of us (Danielle and I) together on a log ride in California when she was 5 yrs. old.  As we came over the hill and were about to plunge down, down, down into the water, her face looked about like this!  I have had many minutes of laughing! (I mean really…look at the seasoned Marylander on the front actually smiling and POSING for the photo)

 

Next, we have the next 9 days looking like this with bags of frozen broccoli on her knee. 

Tomorrow will be day 11 and she is now out of her brace.  Still using crutches but she is bearing weight on it and trying to work those muscles.  She’s doing well and I believe is no longer taking Ibuprofen for pain.  Thank you Lord for healing!  What a blessing this young lady is to our family…even during her time on her bum she still helps me by reading stories and helping with school lessons.  I appreciate her so much!

  Now….before this leg incident, we had/have been dealing with a new type of living with Hope’s daily shots and tri-weekly blood draws.  Around 5-6pm I give her Zofran which keeps her from getting sick to her stomach from the MiaCalcin injection…she gets that about an hour later.  After I was my hands this is my prep work…

We have just recently come to find out that if we give her a popcicle right after the injection she stops crying a lot faster….so this is now part of the program.

I’ve been keeping her used needles in this plastic case so as to dispose of them properly but am acquiring a strange affection for this jar.  I may be keeping it a while. 

  So, we are plugging along and then Isaac and Trinity get sick.  Isaac starts running 103 degree fever, Trinity tagging behind at about 102, headaches, body aches, coughing, runny nose, stopped up nose, sneezing.  Oh, WAIT a minute!  Did we NOT get the Flu Mist back in Nov. like good little girls and boys?  YES, we did.  (I doubt we’ll do that again)  Do you know how MANY strands of flu viruses there are?  Well, I don’t either, but there are too many.     Then Hope gets it too.   Fortunately, Danielle and I have not caught it but…lo and behold who gets a good dose of it on Tuesday night?  Yes, Darrel.  3 AM he is shaking in bed with chills and body aches saying he’s cold and needs another blanket!  ha  I had pulled the covers OFF me.  He’s having cold chills, I’m having hot flashes.  So, daddy has to miss yet another day of school with 101.5 fever.  Praise the Lord his fever only lasted 24 hours and was able to go back to class today.  God is so faithful and kind!

  I could write a whole lot more about all this…but let me get to the really good stuff…oh, and I have great pictures of the kids having fun now that they are feeling better, but those will have to wait.

  Yesterday while we were all sitting in the livingroom I pulled out “A Gospel Primer” for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love.  Fantastic resource!!!  I had just been upstairs repenting to Darrel for being judgemental, unkind, and self-righteous so I was pretty tender.  I opened up the book to read a snippet of some sort to the kids (all of it is so good) and just ‘happened’ upon this.  Let me just say that I couldn’t read it all.  I was weeping through most of it and Isaac, Trinity and Hope both came and literally laid on top of me and held me.  I was repenting to them for not showing gratfulness, kindness, patience and many other things during these trying times.  God is so faithful to show me my sin and I’m ever indebted and thankful to Him.  The last 2 days have been days of joy in the midst of whatever we’re facing.   Here is what we read as a family:

  THANKFULNESS ENRICHED BY RELIEF

  The more absorbed I am in the gospel, the more grateful I become in the midst of my circumstances, whatever they may be.

  Viewing life’s blessings as water in a drinking cup, I know that I could discontentedly focus on the half of the cup that seems empty, or I could gratefully focus on the half that is full.  Certainly, the latter approach is the better of the two, yet the gospel cultivates within me a richer gratitude than this.

  The gospel reminds me first that what I actually deserve from God is a full cup churning with the torments of His wrath. (Rev. 14:10, Ps. 75:8)  This is the cup that would be mine to drink if I were given what I deserve each day.  With this understanding in mind, I see that to be handed a completely empty cup from God would be cause enough for infinite gratitude.  If there were merely the tiniest drop of blessing contained in that otherwise empty cup, I should be blown away by the unbelievable kindness of God toward me.  That God, in fact, has given me a cup (Ps. 116:12-13, Ps 23:5) that is full of “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3) and this without the slightest admixutre of wrath, leaves me truly dumbfounded with inexpressible joy.  As for my specific earthly circumstances of plenty or want, I can see them always as infinite improvements on the hell I deserve.

  When I look at any circumstance that god apportions me, I am first grateful for the wrath I am not receiving in that moment (The empty part of the cup never looked so good!).  Second, I am grateful for the blessings that are given to me instead of His wrath.  (Life’s blessings, however small, always appear exceedingly precious when viewed against the backdrop of the wrath I deserve.)  This two-layered gratitude disposes my heart to give thanks in all things ( 1 Thess 5:18) and it also lends a certain intensity to my giving of thanks.  Such a gospel-generated gratitude glorifies God, contributes to peace of mind, (Phil 4) and keeps my foot from the path of foolishness and ruin. (Rom. 1:21-22, 28-29)

 

  I got a message on my answering machine yesterday from Dr. Germain-Lee stating that Hope’s calcium levels were going up and that her level was at 12.4 on Tuesday.  (It was interesting because Tuesday night she was hurting very badly and I was sad and frustrated and got on my computer to write her a message.  I’m learning that sometimes, not all, I have to be a bit more emotional for doctors to understand our present situation.  I tend to be very calm, cool and collected in a heated medical situation, which is good, however it can cause some to think the situation isn’t as severe.  Well, showing emotion isn’t one of my struggles.    So, I wrote her a letter right in the middle of Hope’s pain.)  Normal range is 8.5-10.5, although hers were up around 15 prior to us being admitted to the hospital last month.  So, Dr. Germain-Lee said she thought we’d probably need to increase her dose of MiaCalcin or change her medication.  I thought it fairly imparative to get her levels checked today and Dr. Niu said it was at 8.9 .  OK.  Either she’s got something really strange going on or the lab isn’t getting accurate readings.  So, I’m waiting to hear and we are just keeping things the same.  She has complained of lower ab pain quite a bit this week so I would tend to the higher side, but like I keep telling Dr. G-Lee, I very likely could be wrong. 

  I have much to do this evening so I’ll leave the blog at this but with a special picture of my dear boy, Isaac.  I caught him outside alone and took this shot without him knowing.  It was through the mini-blinds, as I didn’t want him to see me, so it’s a tad fuzzy but I think you can tell what he’s doing.  So sweet!  You cannot see it in this photo but he has water splattings all around his mouth.  I was cold just watching him.

On, one more.  He worked really hard to get this one!  And lest we think he kept all the goodies just for himself, he set out after this to get Trinity one as well, at her request.  And conquer the icecicles he did! 

A few smiles

Hope loves to cook; to pretend she’s cooking; to cut, chop, stir, puree, pour, mix…make a mess.  She’s always been a very hands on kid; and yes, that is a pretty sharp knife, but how can she cut with a butter knife?  Believe me, we’ve been through this question before.  Do you see the smile on her face?  She’s in her element with an old potato!  ha

Hmmmm…looks like her daddy but wants to race cars like her mama!  HA

I’ve come to slay the speeding red dragon! 

What is my mother up to?  Yes ma’am…I am very thankful to have two legs.  I’ll be especially thankful when the left is fully functional.  But I’m lovin’ not having to walk my dog! 

Potato peelin’s over dude!  Look out cuz here I come!!!  (when she’s feeling good she likes to get in on the action too)

There were about a dozen iris shoots coming up under this hideous bush around our mailbox.  I don’t know if plants talk to you or not but they talk to me.  They said, “save us, save us!”  So I did.  I dug them all out with a kitchen knife (all my gardening tools are in Texas) and replanted them around the front of the tree where they are sure to flourish and grow this spring…Lord willing.

Many more little shoots are sprouting up around here including wild chives in the backyard.  I was outside quite a while taking pictures of things reminding us spring is on its way.

I don’t know what these pretty little purple flowers are but they come off a viney plant growing under the pine trees.

Here is Danielle’s Luther, or Woofie as he is called most of the time.  While I was out taking pictures of the kids and all things lovely…he pokes his little head out the window and says, “dearest Oma (german for grandmother), something smelleth very good in this house!  I thinketh you’d better come in.”  Yeah, I know.  It’s weird for a German dog to speak kjv.  I came in to find I had forgotten about these!!!  Oh well. 

So, we ended that night with burnt porch chops, a lovely piano recital, an indoor serenade and help with our diets.

some song from neverland I believe

 

Looking back

  I was going through my blog and came upon this from September.

“  After looking at days of baking, science projects, art projects, baby photo’s, park pictures, kids trying to fish, Christmas photo’s and dozens and dozens of more photo’s I sat in bed thinking “I HAVE A GREAT LIFE” and I don’t deserve one bit of it.  God is so good to us in the midst of ourselves.  Now Hope is asking to have the bible read to hear and to have her legs massaged!  hahahaha  Now Trinity is Miss Massager.  Hope’s asking for ‘relaxation lotion’ for her to use.  Oh, my goodness. ”

  I realize 2 things from this little part of an entry.  1.  I AM blessed beyond measure and have a GREAT life, definately qualifying the comment about not deserving one bit of it!!!  and 2. realizing again that Hope’s legs have been hurting for a very long time.  The grace and mercy of God has been so upon her even through this trial.  Having high calcium levels undetected can cause severe heart damage and at this point, not having extensive stress tests done on her heart, it appears that her heart is fine and functioning perfectly.  WHAT MERCY!!!! 

  I am overwhelmed again at God’s kindness to us in the midst of this physcial trial with Hope.  Her lower abdomen was hurting pretty bad last night which got me on the email with Dr. Germain-Lee.  I now understand that her Vitamin D levels are high which is causing the blood calcium levels to be high.  None of the diseases that cause high Vitamin D are fitting with her or coming out in any labs…usually granulomas or lymphoma’s cause this and they can’t find these in her at this time.  I am still praying!!!

Teacher This Week

Darrel is learning under Dr. Woodbridge this week.  He also had the opportunity to pick him up from the airport and visit last Monday.  Darrel is having a wonderful time of learning and growing…however, as many weeks where there are lecture after lecture, he is worn out by the end of the day.   A good worn out however!  He was sharing with the kids at the table last night about Charlamagne, lords and nobles.  They were discussing the fall of the Roman empire and this of this nature but I must confess I was day dreaming about landscaping our backyard back home!  HA 

So thankful for all the teaching he’s received this year…I just haven’t blogged much about it.  Below is information on Dr. Woodbridge.  Darrel said he is a masterful communicater and very humorous as well.

 

John D. Woodbridge, PhD

John D. Woodbridge is research professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has taught at Trinity since 1970. He has also served as a senior editor of Christianity Today.

Prior to coming to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Dr. Woodbridge taught at the University of Toulouse, France, and Trinity College. Dr. Woodbridge has also taught as visiting professor of history at Northwestern University and at Hautes Etudes, the Sorbonne, Paris. Dr. Woodbridge has done postgraduate study with fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Studies, and the Herzog August Bibliothek in Germany. In 1965 he was awarded a Fulbright fellowship.

Dr. Woodbridge earned the Doctorat de Troisième Cycle from the University of Toulouse, France, the Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, the Master of Arts in history from Michigan State University, and the Bachelor of Arts in history from Wheaton College. Dr. Woodbridge has done postdoctoral course work at the University of Paris in France.

Dr. Woodbridge’s areas of expertise include evangelicalism, fundamentalism, the history of the Bible’s authority, the French enlightenment and religion, the French Hugenots, and the origins of higher criticism. He speaks fluent French. Dr. Woodbridge is a member of the American Society of Church History, the American Society of 18th Century Studies, the American Catholic Historical Association, the French Historical Society, and the French-Société française d’etude du 18 siècle.

Dr. Woodbridge’s published works include The History of Biblical Authority (Zondervan 1982), The Evangelicals (Abingdon, 1975), and Revolt in Prerevolutionary France: The Conspiracy of the Prince de Conti Against Louis XV (1755-1757) (Johns Hopkins, 1995). He has edited works such as Ambassadors for Christ (Moody, 1994), More Than Conquerors (Moody 1992), Great Leaders of the Christian Church (Moody 1988), and Renewing Your Mind in a Secular World (Moody, 1985). Dr. Woodbridge also frequently writes and edits books with faculty colleague D. A. Carson. Together they have written Letters Along the Way (Crossway, 1993) and edited Scripture and Truth (Zondervan, 1983). Dr. Woodbridge has received four Gold Medallion Awards for his works related to Christian history and biography. He has also coedited scholarly works published in France and Germany by university presses.

Dr. Woodbridge and his wife, Susan, reside in Lake Forest, Illinois. They have three children. In his spare time, Dr. Woodbridge enjoys music.

6-12-08 Memories

Trinity has been talking about going back home to Tomball a lot lately.  I decided it was time to make it very clear to her the home we were going to be moving back to…and now know that she thought it was this house but doesn’t know the new town name.   It gets even more confusing when she hears us tell people we live in Houston but our church is in Pearland and our acutal house is in Rosharon.  Poor baby…she doesn’t know where she lives!  HA

So, as I looked up pictures of our house, which weren’t many, I came across these and thought I would put this one on my blog.  Many of my friends have said they’d love to meet David and Betty or have a David and Betty in their life.  David comments on my blog, oh…daily I would say, and what an encouragement!  Well, this was one of the last times we got to hug their necks before we moved up north.

So Thankful

  The past few weeks have been challenging and full of sin, repentance and growth.  We are always looking for evidences of grace in one another but some days it’s harder to see & share them than others. 

  I’ve noticed a marked difference in the relationship between Hope and Trinity this week.  Although there are daily remindings of ‘a soft word turns away wrath’, ‘be ye kind one to another’, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ and many others, I’ve noticed the girls spending much time in play with each other which is not the norm.  It so encourages my heart to see this play time between one another.  Not only this but Danielle encouraged my heart this afternoon as she was sharing her excitement over a craft book she was reading at Barnes and Noble.  She was heading down to the basement in search of a ‘lone sock’ to make a stuffed sock doll and said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry.  I should stop talking about this.”, as she had been going on about it for quite a while.  I said, ‘No, I don’t mind.”  Then she turned and said, “Thank you Mom.  That is one thing I notice about you.  You let us go on and on and on about something and you just smile and listen.  I need to work on that.”  I thanked her for that encouraging word as it brought joy to my heart knowing that I don’t shut my kids down when they’re talking about what excites them and at the same time her realizing it’s any area she needs to work on.  What a sweet gift from God all round. 

  And I must write about Trinity’s imaginary play world sometime.  Her favorite made up characters are “Miss Stem” when I am in the basement doing laundry and a friend named Jacie.  She is just too cute!  It reminds me of a book my sister wrote of me as a child.  I didn’t have an imaginary friend with this name but it’s a name I will NEVER forget.  In her book my imaginary friends name was Smucky-stuckyip-didily-doom-dop-riggley-bing-bong-sally-sue-picky-wicky.  NOW, doesn’t that tell you something about my sister? 

We got a package in the mail with styrofoam. We hadn’t had any snow yet so I thought, “why not let them create their own?”

Oh yes, and what would life be without one of the Schiel kids NOT getting hurt this week?   Darrel and Isaac stepped out in the back to toss around the football.  Isaac takes off running to catch a long pass and…KA-BAM…runs right into a tree!  Thankful he didn’t break anything and hey, we didn’t end up in the ER!