An Update and a VLOG

Hi Friends,

Thank you all for your continued prayers over the last few weeks.  The surgery for my G-tube went well.  I'm so thankful to be back to my old self.  The feedings are going great and we are beginning to see some bursts of energy.  Thankful to have this step behind us and we are hopeful that it is going to just increase my quality of life in wonderful ways.  I continue to be humbled by the way you all love and support us during this journey.  It's not always easy to enter into peoples hard trials.  I don't take this for granted.  I know what a gift this is and I just thank you from the bottom of my heart. Click on the link below to view a Vlog interview with Jonah and I about G-tubes.  This kid cracks me up.  He never shy's away from an opportunity to be on camera.  As always we are happy to answer any questions you might have.

https://youtu.be/WDAfOIWOZIE

God's Still Good

Hello Friends,

It has been a busy month with lots of doctor visits and tests.  I’m in a place where I’am just really looking forward to getting this surgery behind me.  So many of the doctors I have visited are all feeling hopeful that this feeding tube can provide relief in so many areas of my body.  I’m very encouraged by their optomism and very much hoping the same.  So here we go this Tuesday March 14th is the day.  I would very much appreciate your prayers.  This surgery normally would be a simple procedure in a radiation lab but because of my compromised breathing, pacemaker dependent, and muscular dystrophy they will need to take more precautions.  This means I will be admitted, intubated, and monitored closely overnight.  I would really not like to wake up to any surprises or complications. Whatever the outcome I know we will face it head on.  I was so encouraged by this following post I read today.  The following post comes from a man who’s daughter just received a new heart.  She has been barely holding on for the last 4 weeks.  I don’t know this family but his daughter has the same heart defect as our Noah.  The trauma they have faced these last four weeks could be our reality at any moment.  I hope in all I face that I would echo his same words.

OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN GIVEN A GREAT GIFT. Lexi has been given a great gift. There are many children and adults who are very sick while waiting for a transplant, and they die before an organ becomes available. Right now we are talking about how "good" God is because He answered our prayers and He provided a heart for my daughter. But this begs the question...if a heart had NOT been provided for Lexi, would God still be "good?" Would we have been strong enough to endure the ordeal of losing our child with our faith in our "good" God still intact? The goodness of God far surpasses the mortality of our child. For us to simply say that God is "good" when things go our way is crude thinking. I think that the "get-rich, success and wealth" gospel that is so prevalent in America has warped our concept of what a "good God" is. The Bible never promises health, wealth, and prosperity to people who follow God. God certainly DOES bless people with health, wealth, and prosperity, and we do see it in the Bible. However, it is not a guarantee. It should not be expected as a promise or a natural privilege of following Jesus. Not a single disciple was wealthy and prosperous. Their reward for following Jesus? Death and persecution. They were crucified upside down. They were beheaded. They were boiled in oil. Would any of them, having willingly laid down their lives for the sake of the gospel, denounce the goodness of God because of their suffering? I think not. The message of the gospel is not prosperity, health, wealth, and success. The message is that Jesus is enough, no matter what happens in life. It's that simple. We live in a fallen, sinful world, and suffering is part of the package.

So, God is not good because he gave us back our daughter. He ALREADY WAS GOOD to begin with! (“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Psalms 107:1) What God has shown us is GRACE. He has shown us favor which we did not deserve. What we have experienced pales in comparison to the salvation He has given us through Jesus, but it is one extra blessing we have experienced in our journey with Him. So how would we endure if Lexi had not received a heart, and if she had died one of the many times she came close to death on this journey? It would have been brutal. We would have been broken. But bones mend and wounds heal. God would have given us the grace to get through, and Lexi would be with Him. As it is, God has a unique purpose for Lexi here on earth, and He has honored our prayers and chosen to return Lexi to us. She will have to live her life to find out what that purpose is.

We can never understand the ways of God. However, we must trust in His goodness, knowing that He sees the full picture, and we can only see a small portion. Isaiah tells us, ““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 

I hope his words are just as much an encouragement to you all as they were to me.  God has purpose in all he does. Amen and Amen!!!

Praise

We are still celebrating that we surpassed our goal for our service dog.  We are waiting to hear more details on the time line and will let you all know soon.  We were also able to purchase a mobility scooter.  My kids are so excited that mom gets to join in on bike rides and no longer has to wait on a charged scooter at Target or Costco.  WOOT!!!!  Watch out La Mirada peeps this scooter goes pretty fast.  Praising God for the ways he continues to provide and sustain us.

Prayer
I have a cold and can not risk it getting to my chest.  I want to be well enough for our woman's conference this weekend and for surgery.