recovering

my heart has gone through many emotions in the last month and it can be said without a doubt that i am in a season of learning. it began with the bible study that started about six weeks ago. Keeping the Secrets of Jesus has been more than enlightening. i am just beginning to understand that there are certain practices/disciplines that will continually bring me to the feet of Jesus. And you can imagine that spending time at the feet of Jesus will, for anyone, magnify areas of sin. God has been helping me work through some junk in my life that has gone easily unnoticed.

A few weeks after this began, we stood alongside some friends and family as they each weathered the storms of heart surgery. i've never grieved with anyone before in quite this way. usually when trying to support someone in a difficult time... you pray for them, your heart hurts for them, you try to understand what it must be like, etc. However, for us, this was sooo different. For the first time ever, i linked arms with someone in great distress and did not have to wonder how they were feeling. For my friend, Jodie, my brother's family, and our family "felt the sentence of death," but in that grief we could all recognize that "this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead!" -2 cor 1;9 i'm grateful for the lessons learned when we endured this with caleb, but who knew that we were just beginning... we've lived through two more!

enjoy psalm 34 with us today! i encourage you to read the whole thing!
"glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together!"

baby business -

more good news for baby j....her blood coagulant levels are finally right after giving her something called "factor 7." As a result, they removed one of the internal heart pressure lines this morning. They've also removed her forehead and lower back oxygen sensors. Her color is great, and when one of the surgeons stopped by this morning, he said he was very impressed with her progress.

Her next big milestone is to wean her off the ventilator. Thanks for your continued prayers.

And yes, i have several things that i want to post about our immediate family... a recent visit with david penuel and adam roberts and our visit to bartlesville last weekend. i promise to get that up soon, but this just took importance right now!

baby jackie

jackie is doing well. her heart is looking great... However, she does have a bleeding problem that is keeping her from progressing to the next level of recovery. As they suction out her breathing tube, they keep getting a small amount of fresh blood. Her blood chemistry shows that she isn't producing enough coagulant, and she isn't responding to medication to fix the issue. The doctors don't want to remove any of the monitoring catheters until her bleeding has completely stopped. They don't seem worried yet, but very confused. Please pray that this issue would be resolved today and that the hematology experts can see her today or else they will have to wait until monday.

thanks for your constant prayers. we are not out of the woods yet!

Last night

I got to see beautiful jackie...

to whisper in her ear...
to stand beside her and thank God for his miraculous hand again...
to tell her that Caleb was anxious to swap stories...

She looks good considering!
Thank you friends and family for being so willing to pray! God is good!
I'm coming home this morning... please pray for a quick recovery so that mom and dad can settle back in at home!

final update of the day

matt and amy got to speak with the surgeon just after they sewed her up. He said that this was a very difficult surgery... saying alot for a man who has done 8,000 surgeries in his career. After everything was completed he said, "he watched her heart become happy!" I watched the relief on their faces and the tears began to fall. Thank you Jesus!

With urgent prayer, comes urgent praise... this is the passage that i used to praise the Lord with caleb and i echo it again with Jackie....

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them, he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and power, you have [saved the life of sweet jackie]"

Daniel 2:21-23


mandy

6:30 Update

the surgery is OVER... over 10 hours later! Jacqueline's heart is beating own its own and the doctor said that she is tolerating it well. He also said that it was a very long and difficult procedure. They are going to leave the. insision open for the next two hours to monitor bleeding. We are praying that they get to see Jackie by 8:30 or 9:00.

Mom and dad are getting pretty emotional... they are exhuasted.

4:30 Update

they are half way through the surgical part of the procedure.