Thursday, August 27, 2009

Latest on My Parents

So we finally got the test results from my mom's stress test yesterday and they saw what they think might be some blockage, so they are going to do an arteriagram (not sure if that spelling is correct) this afternoon. If there is a blockage they will balloon it or do a stint while they are in there. I will be over there with her with in the next half hour. She is at Vanderbilt Hospital.

I am currently at Centennial Hospital with daddy and Mr. Marty. (Watching the Price is Right - Daddy's normal routine!) Daddy is doing great. He has already been up walking and right now is sitting up in the chair and has been on the computer this morning already. He has not had much sleep thanks to the morphine drip machine. It is set to beep when his heart rate gets above or below a certain number and as soon as he gets to the point where he can sleep his heart rate gets below that number and the machine goes off on him! but he is well taken care of here at Centennial and as far as we know things are still on for him to go home tomorrow. We should know more after we hear from the doctor - he has not come by yet.

So, we are doing good just a little scattered at the moment! :) Please continue to pray that Momma and Daddy will continue to heal and be able to go home soon! :) Well, I am gonna leave it at that so I can head over to be with Momma. If you want or need to get in touch with us you can call my cell, 702-672-4833, or call Zeke @ the house and he can get you to us!
Thanks so much for your prayers! :)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Update!

Ok, so just to let you all know what is going on...We went this morning to Nashville and my dad had another colonoscopy done just to double check that everything looked good and would be ok for surgery tomorrow (Wednesday). So we waited forever for them to take him beack and they finally did and less than 15 mins later the procedure was done. Everything looks fine and we are on for tomorrow morning @ 8am!

However, on the way home, my mom started having some shortness of breath and chest pain. We got home and ate lunch and she wasn't feeling any better, so I went with her to the ER. They did an EKG and took blood and did a few other tests but nothing seemed abnormal.
Momma had already been referred to a cardiologist that she was going to go see on Thursday morning. But since this was the second time this week that she had been seen because she had shortness of breath, the cardiologist decided to play it safe and have her go on to Vanderbilt and stay overnight and have a stress test done in the morning. This is simply precautionary - she has not had a heart attack or even had severe chest pains. The doctor just wants to figure out what the problem is so that the issue can be resolved.

Momma is upset about having to go because Daddy's reversal surgery is tomorrow morning and she hates to miss it, but we all know that she needs to go and make sure everything is ok with her. Please pray that everything will go well tomorrow for both of them!

Paula is going with Momma to Vanderbilt tonight, and is going to stay with her through the night and until she is finished with everything tomorrow. They just left about 20 mins ago so they should get to Vandy about 11pm. Pray that everyone gets rest tonight and that tomorrow goes smoothly!

Thanks so much for all your prayers! We truly appreciate them! :)

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Overwhelmed

So Today has been insane! Last night it took me almost an hour to quiet my mind and stop thinking about jobs, bills, etc. so that I could go to sleep. Zeke and I have sent out so many resumes and filled out so many applications over the last few weeks that we cannot even count them all! And we have heard nothing back! So to say the least we have been overwhelmed.

But God totally threw us for a loop today - in a good way! And why am I saying just today - He has been throwing us for a loop since Spring (and honestly much further back than that! :) From the time we got ready to move to TN, God amazingly provided the exact amount of money we needed to get her safely and on time. Since then, He provided financially for every bill we have needed - we have not missed paying a bill yet! And we have not had jobs since May! When we were moving here we knew that the first two months here we would be ok because Zeke had camps lined up to lead for and had a job lined up for a few weeks, so we knew we would be able to pay our bills. But we also knew that when August hit, things would get tight! Really tight! But we knew that He would provide, somehow! However, over the last few weeks as we sent out resume after resume and application after application our situation became pretty discouraging! I still knew that God would provide, but it was still getting discouraging. It was hard to grasp that God would not provide a job more quickly so that we could have some source of income, but the other side of the situation is that this only means that He has another plan of providing for us.

So today God revealed Himself to Zeke and me in such an amazing way. Through friends and family God provided financially all that wee needed to pay bills for the rest of the month and some that we will have the first of next month. Amazing! It finally made sense. God could have easily given us any of the jobs that we had applied for, there is no doubt about that. But we would never experience His provision in this amazing way if that had been the case! How incredible! To sit at the feet of a the God of the universe who is faithful to provide - not necessarily how we think He should, but in His perfect way and perfect timing!

And not only that, but for our family and friends who were faithful to do what God laid on their hearts! A reminder that when God calls us to do something, we need to be faithful to obey because our obedience effects others. Think about it this way...because the disciples were obedient to follow Christ, we benefit from their obedience! They went into the world and told others about their relationship with Him, and through that many people have come to know Christ. Amazing!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord." Isaiah 55:8

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Random Thoughts

So it has been a while since I have blogged, and I should probably use this time to update you all on some of the things going on around here. Zeke and I are still in Tennessee, and will be staying here for a while. We really feel that we need to be here to help my parents as my dad continues to recover. So since we are staying, we are searching for jobs...and finding nothing as of right now. We are trusting that God will provide and He will provide in His timing! Please pray that we will continue to lay this at His feet daily!

As far as my dad's recovery process, things are going well. He went to the doctor today and had some tests done to make sure that the leak they found before was repaired so that he could have the ostomy reversed. Thankfully everything has healed just like it is supposed to! So he will go in for the reversal surgery on the 26th (next Wednesday). I am not sure of the time right now but I think it is going to be first thing in the morning. We are very excited and my dad is definitely ready for this surgery! He has been able to do some work from home the last week, but he is ready to get out of the house!

God has truly blessed us through this whole situation! I remember when i first found out about my dad's cancer and how overpowering it seemed. Through it all God has reminded us that He has placed us here! This is not something that we simply wandered into and He never saw coming. He knew that we would be here before the foundation of the world! Amazing!

Zeke and I just celebrated our first anniversary! We still cannot believe it has been a year already! So much has happened in this last year that it has gone by insanely fast! However, we have enjoyed it thoroughly!

Zeke starts seminary classes online through Liberty University this Monday. He is really excited and I am too! I am looking forward to learning some of this stuff along with him! :)

God is continuing to grow in our hearts a passion for the world! We are daily getting more excited about what God has for us here in Shelbyville and what the future will hold. For those of you who don't know, our long term goal is to plant a church in Hawaii, the big island, in Hilo where Zeke is from. God has really burdened Zeke's heart for the people there is his hometown, and the more I seek after God, the more my heart is burdened for these people. A great friend of ours sent Zeke a video on Facebook last week and it completely encouraged us about this long term goal! God is continually reminding us that if we are followers of Christ we will follow after and fight for His heart. And His heart beats for those who do not know Him to be reconciled to Him! I am constantly reminded that our Amazing God is a God of Reconciliation and Redeemption! Thank Goodness - otherwise we would not be able to have an intimate relationship with Him! Back to the video...it was of a Pastor from Alabama who spoke at this year's Sothern Baptist Convention. He spoke about how the church was commanded to GO and yet we are not willing to risk what we have to follow after Him! "Are we dying in our religion, or are we dying in our devotion?" He read these verses in Hebrews 13 "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us fo to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured." (Heb. 13:12-13) If we are ever going to impact the world for Christ, we have to be willing to endure the filth, dirt, and suffering to see the precious reconciliation that lies outside the gate! The unclean things were outside the gate. Jesus went outside the gate. The servant (that's us) is not greater than the Master (that's Jesus). We must go outside the gate! I am going to embed this video so you can watch it too! Please take the time to watch it! You will be encouraged and challenged!

Thank you all for your prayers for me and my family! Please keep them going! :) Love you all! :)

David Platt: SBC Pastors Conference 2009 from Todd Thomas on Vimeo.