What a difference three weeks makes

 
Ella Marie will be four weeks old tomorrow. David sent this picture a few days ago. I can't get over the difference between the firat pictures I posted and this one.

So much for tropical storm Ernesto. We had absolutely no wind here, and very little rain. Yippee! It is very humid here, though. We have had summer rains this year that have left the ground soggy in many places. I remember a few years ago when we were in such drought that the Hillsboro River was at the lowest level that it had been since 1902.

Off to see Ella on Friday. Sarah's going this time to see her niece for the first time. I'm hoping it isn't raining in Richmond when we land. 

Ella - Day 5

 

I tried to upload a photo through Blogger this a.m., but never could, so I decided to try Picasa. It seems to be working fine.

This is a picture I took of Ella when I was in Virginia right after she was born. I know she will have lost that totally newborn look when I see her on Friday.

Hopefully the wind and rain from Ernesto will be out to sea by then. 

Good Monday morning

Last night I was thinking that maybe Ernesto was going to make his presence known here as I watched the maps. I was so afraid that our travel plans for the weekend might be disrupted. Now that would break my heart. I want to get my hands on that baby again.

This morning, the forecast has changed. While the storm was over Haiti, it weakened as it traveled over the mountains of that country. I had an e-mail from Haiti this morning that said that three inches was about all that my friends got in the Cayes area. That is along the southern coast of the country. Considering everything, the damage was not too bad. There were only about three inches of rain.

Maybe, just maybe, it will fall apart and die. No one really deserves to get hit by a major storm this year. As I look at the map this afternoon, it appears that we are still in the path of the oncoming storm. I'm still praying it will fall apart.

At church last night, we had a ministry visit and give a report on their work. Loving hands is a ministry that aids in rehabbing men who have had problems with drugs and alcohol. The ministry takes in these men, houses and feeds them, and fills them with the Word of God. It is exciting to hear their testimonies. One young man is the baby, not yet out of his teens, another 46, who has had a run-in with the law. Others have been messed up by drugs or alcohol and not made good choices in their lives.

Some of the men were raised in Christian homes; some were raised in homes where drugs and alcohol were the norm. As they spoke, they all gave thanks to God for the transformation in their lives. They all ended with Scripture that had been memorized. I was reminded of the verse, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

What, no picture?

So I said to my son, "Send more pictures.!" He said, "I haven't taken any. Anyway, you're going to be here next week." I may have to go through some that I took and post.

Today was the trip to the specialist with Ella. David said it was mostly an overview of Ella's care. She'll start on vitamins and enzymes next week. Apparently, failure to thrive is a problem with CF children because pancreas doesn't secrete the necessary enzymes to aid in digestion.

I don't know about this baby, but she was 6'15" when she went home from the hospital, and now she weighs 9'4", and she was just three weeks old on Wednesday, and she's grown almost 2 inches. In all honesty, David said she wouldn't straighten out her legs when they measured her when she was born.

In reading about this condition, I'm finding that there can be no letup in treatment. Keeping the lungs clear is of utmost importance. As you can imagine, I have been scouring the internet as have my friends. While it used to be that children did not make it to their teens, the average age of a CF patient is now 37.

I know that as Ella grows, treatment can only get better, and maybe they'll figure out how to engineer that gene for a cure.

Here's the reason!

"We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads."...read on Cybersalt Digest from Pastor Tim.

Friends

This blog is not about the baby, but I thought I'd throw in a picture just to grab you. I've been talking to friends who winter in Florida who are interested in seeing pictures of Ella, so I posted this one tonight.

Actually, I just wanted to mention some of the acquaintances that have come my way through blogging. Gordon Cloud is a pastor in Cairo, Georgia. I asked him in a comment on his blog to request prayer of his congregation for Ella. He e-mailed me that after the service a young woman came to him in tears and told him that she has CF. I talked with her yesterday. Now 21, she was diagnosed at 3 months of age. She told me that she weighed 6 pounds at birth, and she did not thrive. The authorities came after her mother for neglect, and it was then that she found out that she had the disease.

On Gordon's blog a couple of days ago, he spoke about how happy he is that fall is approaching. The reason? Hunting and football. There were lots of comments there, and one of them was from a young woman whose name I hadn't seen before. I clicked on her profile and found out that she is a missionary with Worldteam in Australia. When I was 26, I went to Haiti with West Indies Mission. When the work of the mission went beyond the West Indies, the name was changed to World Team. The motto was "doing together what we can't do alone." The years went on and World Team merged with Regions Beyond Missionary Union, and Worldteam became the new name. I commented on her blog and have since e-mailed her, telling her about my time in Haiti.

One day, while reading Michael Fay's blog, he mentioned Sketchpad Warrior Kris is part of the Marines. His job is to draw portraits of soldiers. You can see some of his work and a description of it on his site. When I first went to his blog, he talked about working in Haiti at Fermathe, and he had written the title of his post in Creole. I couldn't believe my eyes. Before I went to Haiti as a missionary, I spent three weeks one summer at Fermathe in Hait. We have conversed a little back and forth in Creole in the comment section.

Another person that I've gotten to know is Tom. Tom is a young pastor who has had many physical difficulties. If you go to his blog and read down through some of his archives, you'll be amazed at what he is able to do today. He is an ardent Cubs fan and a great fan of the Indiana University basketball team. In one of his archives he spoke of traveling in Florida and seeing some strange names. One of them was Rifle Range Baptist Church. I just about dropped my teeth. When I was in high school and university, my friend's dad was pastor of that very church in Winter Haven, Florida.

When I came home from Haiti in 1972, missionaries were beginning to come to the field with microwave ovens and VCR's, and we wondered what on earth the world was coming to. Well, we've had a glimpse, haven't we. Computers and the internet have been wonderful developments in our world, bringing us together. We do truly have a global village. 

Choir practice

Tonight was choir practice at our church. A lot of churches have done away with choirs and gone to worship teams. Our church has a traditional service, called "heritage" service, and then one which is a blended service. When the choir sings, we sing at both services. We just resumed practice in August, and we will be singing this coming Sunday.

For whatever reason, our temporary choir director has selected arrangements of hymns yes, real live hymns, and I was so comforted tonight by his choice. The last few days have been hard, going from wondering if Ella has CF, to hearing yesterday that her diagnosis was confirmed. I feel sorry for my kids, particularly for Ella, who is after all the one who has this disease, and then for myself. My tears have flowed, as have those of my daughter Sarah, but particularly David and Sabrina.

This Sunday we are singing for our choir selection "How Firm a Foundation." Such wonderful words...

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

His grace is sufficient for every need. Hallelujah!

Not the news we hoped for

The news about Ella is not what we hoped for today. Her sweat test is positive for cystic fibrosis. David and Sabrina have an appointment on Friday with a specialist in Charlottesville. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. 

I lied!

I lied. Yes, I did. I just can't resist posting these photos. I received these yesterday from my son. Isn't that baby beautiful? I can just hear you oohing and ahhing over this beauty. Can you believe she's only two weeks old? Thanks for indulging me just a little bit.


Behold my son...all 6'8" of him. After having a campus minister for three years, working in construction for a year, he is now beginning as an eighth grade math teacher. He doesn't have the necessary credentials yet for being certified, so that will have to come. He's a great math student, however, and he is praying that his enthusiasm and compassion for the students will make a real difference in their lives. He's a wonderful young man, if I say so myself.

Tuesday is the day when we'll know whether Ella has CF or not. David said the other day, "Mom, we're putting that behind us and concentrating on Ella." And that is how it should be. If she turns out to be positive for CF on Tuesday, that will not become the emphasis of this blog.

Thanks to all of you who have left encouraging notes to us. I hope that my son and his wife have read them. I know that they read this blog. 

Please visit

If you haven't visited Sketchpad Warrior, please stop by and leave a word of encouragement. Kris has posted some sketches of patients at Bethesda Hospital.

Still waiting

 

My son and his wife got the results of the second blood test done on Ella today. It is positive again. So on Tuesday they are making a trip to Charlottesville for the sweat test. This is the test that is definitive in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.

When I talked to him this afternoon, my son let her "talk" to me. I heard her little squeaks on the phone. I WANT TO BE THERE! Sarah and I are flying up over the Labor Day weekend to see her. I think I'll be adding up those frequent flyer miles for sure.

Thank you all for your concern and please continue to uphold us with your thoughts and prayers. 

A familiar sight

My beautician, or hair stylist, as they are called these days, opened her own shop recently about 20 minutes from where I live. I used to have to drive all of two minutes to get there. She's worth the drive, and really, in our county, nothing is far away.

I stopped in Palmetto for some breakfast on the way home, and as I was driving through town I saw a very familiar sight. Standing on the corner waiting to cross was a trainer with a Southeast Guide Dog puppy. Southeastern Guide Dogs is located in Manatee County, north of the river. They raise and train dogs to be placed with blind people, and now are training service dogs as well.

From time to time at the UPS store, or the grocery store, or anywhere you might find yourself, you will see someone with their guide dog puppy, patiently working with them, getting them accustomed to being around people without wanting to play or respond. It is SO HARD not to reach out and pet them or talk to them.

The folks who raise these puppies are a dedicated bunch, taking that puppy in their home to love them, train them, and then give them up when the time comes for further training.

After the dogs begin their training with their new owners, they can be seen on the streets of our town learning to guide across the streets and maneuver on the sidewalks. I always get a little teary-eyed when I see them. The dogs literally give their lives to help someone.

One day when I was at the vet's office with my cat, someone came in with a huge box filled with collie puppies. They were there for their checkups, and I believe, were destined to become guide dogs. That reminds me of the story I read about the man who took his litter of lab puppies to the vet for their shots. As the vet would give one puppy his shots, he wet his forehead with some water, so that he would remember which ones he had treated, and which ones he had not. Finally the man said, "Oh, I didn't know you baptized them too."

An interesting article about the training program for the dogs in a correctional facility can be seen here.

"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe, we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made." --Roger Caras

Losing one's pet

If you are an animal lover, or even if you aren't, this post is a must read.

Mother and child

 
I wanted to show you a picture of this beautiful granddaughter with her eyes open, and oh yes, her beautiful mother.

Thank you all for your interest and concern. When my son called me Friday evening and told me about the call from the pediatrician's office about the blood test, he was understably upset. They took her Saturday morning for another blood test. Results will be known this coming week.

The doctor did tell them that there is a very high percentage of "false positives" with this test and even with the second one. If the second one should be positive, they would proceed with the sweat test at the appropriate time.

So I thank you for your continued concern and prayers. I'll let you know the results as soon as I know.  

Encouraging news about Ben

In April, I began telling you about Ben, a young man, my daughter's age, who was stricken with testicular cancer. Here is the latest update from his wife. I thought you would like to read this and rejoice and pray for continued healing.

Good news!!!! Ben's HCG (cancer count) is down to 24. We also had a very encouraging appointment at a different rehab facility. They seemed very positive and hopeful about possibility for Ben's arm and are recommending him for a day program designed for younger people hoping to get back to work. It is a much more aggressive program and meets 5 days a week for about 6 hours. It even includes transportation which would be a huge stress relief since I've gone back to work now and am not as free to take him to his various appointments. Please pray that our insurance will cover this, and that if it won't, that we will find a way to cover it.

Some disturbing news

My son called this afternoon and told me that the pediatrician called to say that a blood test done on little Ella tested positive for cystic fibrosis. He did say, however, that a large number are false positives. She will go for another blood test tomorrow and they will know by the middle of next week.

Please pray for my son and daughter-in-law, David and Sabrina, and my little granddaughter, Ella marie.

Thank you.

My new granddaughter

Here she is!!! My granddaughter and first grandchild entered the world, Friday, August 4, 2006. I flew up on Sunday to spend a few days with son and daughter-in-law. I arrived on their doorstep just as they were arriving home from the hospital.

It's hard to remember holding one so tiny. I can't imagine what holding a preemie would be like. She looks big in the photo, but when my son, who is 6'8'' holds her to his chest, she looks like a little peanut. I'm amazed at her hair with its two cowlicks. Neither of mine had very much. My daughter-in-law is Asian, and so bets are being placed about her eyes (just kidding) but they would be very happy for that to be evident.

Everyone told me what a wonderful experience it is...and it is. I can hardly wait to go back and spend more time with this new little girl. More to come...

Flying home yesterday seemed like any other day, except for heightened security at the airport. I flew out of Richmond, and when I went through security, of course my knee set off the alarm. I was taken to a private security check area. Often at the airport I'm asked if I prefer that, and I always say that it doesn't matter. Perhaps that is their practice in Richmond. The checker asked me if I was traveling with anyone, and when I told her no, she gathered up my belongings. That is always a concern to me; however, usually they seat me so that I can keep my eye on my belongings. Yesterday as well as checking my body, the checker went through my purse as well, looking for offensive liquids. I always check everything except my purse and may a small tote bag because I don't like the weight on my shoulders.

When I got to the airport and returned my rental car, I tossed the bottle of water that I had after having heard the news that morning. The only glitch in travel was that in Charlotte, the plane that would take me to Sarasota had started at Newark that morning and had been delayed a couple of hours after news of the arrests in London. It had then flown to Kansas City then to Charlotte. It arrived about an hour after the time that I would have taken off for home. I was none the worse for the wear. It was good to be home safe and sound.

Arriving home, a friend met me at the airport. Her first question was "Do you have pictures?" "Of course," I said, "let me get my camera." Well, I scrounged and looked and my camera wasn't there. I called me son, and he said, "Mom, your friends in Florida aren't going to be happy." I had left my camera at his house, so he sent me a couple that he had sent my daughter earlier...so soon I'll have my pictures, and I promise not to bore you to death with them. 

Good News From a Distant Land

Note: I'm off to Virginia until Thursday to see my new granddaughter (and my son and daughter-in-law.)


GOOD NEWS FROM A DISTANT LAND

A man from Holland called simply, Brother Andrew, had just smuggled a load of Bibles in his VW across the Rumanian border. He checked into a motel and began praying that God would lead him to the right Christian groups-- the ones who could best use his load of Bibles.

On Sunday morning Andrew walked up to the hotel clerk and asked where he might find a church. The clerk looked at him a little strangely and answered, "We don't have many of those you know. Besides you couldn't understand the language."

"Didn't you know?" Andrew replied, "Christians speak a kind of universal language."

"Oh what's that?"

"It's called Agape."

"Agape?" the clerk wondered. "I never heard of it."

"Too bad," Andrew replied, "It's the most beautiful language in the world."

Well Andrew was able to locate several church groups in the area and he managed to arrange a meeting with the president and secretary of a certain denomination, we'll call them James and Leon. They sat down together in a small office. Andrew was eager to tell them about the Bibles he had smuggled into the country. He also wanted to find out something about the men and their churches. But soon the three discovered that they couldn't speak each others languages. The men knew several European languages, but none in common.

So there they sat staring at each other across the room. Andrew had come thousands of dangerous miles in his little VW. He longed to bring greetings and encouragement from Christians in the western world to these brothers isolated behind the Iron Curtain. But how? They couldn't understand a word he said.

Then Andrew got an idea. He noticed James had a Bible on his desk. Andrew reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Dutch Bible. He turned to I Corinthians 16:20 and held the Bible out, pointing to the name of the book, which they could recognize.

Instantly their faces lit up. They quickly found the same chapter and verse in their Rumanian Bibles and read this verse:
"All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss."
(I Cor. 16:20) James and Leon beamed back at Andrew. Then James looked through his Bible and found Proverbs 25:25. Andrew found the verse and read: "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."

By then all three were laughing together. Andrew responded by turning to the
book of Philemon. He pointed his brothers to verses 4 and 5. They read: "I always thank God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints."

The two Rumanians nodded, smiling. Then Leon's eyes wondered down to verse seven. He pushed the Bible over to Andrew, pointing to these beautiful words: "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints."

These three men had a wonderful time together. They spent half an hour conversing and sharing---just through the words of Scripture. They were so happy in their fellowship they laughed until tears came to their eyes. Finally Andrew showed his brothers the Bibles he had brought for them. James and Leon were overwhelmed and overjoyed. They embraced him again and again.

That evening when Andrew returned to his hotel, the clerk approached him and remarked, "Say, I looked up agape in the dictionary. There's no language by that name. That's just a Greek word for love."

Andrew replied, "That's it. I was speaking in it all afternoon."

Adapted from "God's Smuggler" by Brother Andrew in Steven Mosley's book:
"Great Stories and How to Tell Them."


For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
"In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Richard Eastman
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!


This is from an e-mail that I received from this website.

The story was sent in by a Pastor Michael Jackson.

Happy birthday

I just would like to announce the arrival of my very first grandchild, a little girl, born at 3:26 this morning. Parents and baby are doing fine. I'll be on my way to see her soon.

Waiting

Tuesday was the due date for my first grandchild. So far, she (the baby) has decided to stay right where she is. Maybe she knows that it is nearly 100 degrees in Virginia where they live. I've been reading and enjoying a lot of blogs lately but not posting. The first three days of the week were hectic, and I didn't want to take the time to sit down and try to do a decent post.

Tom wrote on Tuesday about Greg Maddux's leaving the Chicago Cubs for the Dodgers, and then he mentioned today that he had been a Cub before he ever became a Brave. I had only known him as a Brave. SRP has been writing about her experiences in New York City, from riding the subway to visiting the museums, seeing Broadway plays, and in general describing the neighborhood in Brooklyn where she has been nanny for a couple of weeks to Tanya and Tucker, two cats.

I went to see a baseball game on Monday night. In our area we have the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Some folks call them the "Rays." They prefer to leave the devil out of it...which is o.k. with me. Tampa Bay has a strange sports history. Years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started up and had a losing season for how many years? Well, I haven't looked up the statistics, but probably 20 or so. Then Tony Dungy came and turned the team around with his defense. The team became contenders, but because He didn't get them to the Super Bowl, he was fired. One of the players said of him the other day, "He made us what we are today." I believe he was talking about the character he helped instill in the men as well as the football skills that were taught and caught by the men.

Years ago, the city of St. Petersburg build a dome to house a baseball team. When the leagues expanded, the Arizona Diamondbacks came into being as well as the Devil Rays. What were they named? Tampa Bay...this caused a lot of anger in St. Pete. They sort of lost their identity. Then along came the hockey team...the Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of the Stanley Cup a couple of years ago. They built the "Ice Palace" for them...it is in Tampa. What is it named now? The "St. Pete Times Forum." The newspaper bought rights to the name. So in Tampa they play at the St. Pete Times Forum.

I find myself wandering here...I went to the baseball game, which is now played in the same dome, now known as Tropicana® Field. Tropicana is the orange juice brand which is made right here in Bradenton where I live. As I sat and watched the game, I recognized a few names on the Tigers team. The Rays are a young team. They have traded away their experienced players for younger ones...We're building, they say. The team really does have some talent on it, and management says they have a plan. Hopefully, it won't take as long as the Bucs did to succeed. Unhappily, they find themselves in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox.

A few things that management did this year to try to boost attendance at games was to offer free parking (a savings of ten dollars,) lower the price of food (you can buy a hot dog for a dollar, also a small drink for a dollar,) permit food to be brought into the dome. Attendance is up 30% over last year, and gradually a fan base seems to be building up.

Unfortunately, Northerners who move to Florida bring their team loyalties with them. When the yankees or Red Sox come to town, there are more of their fans their than Rays' fans, but a gradual change is being seen. One day...one day, perhaps the Rays will rule

I have many more thoughts on baseball, but I'll save them for another day. If I contine, those of you who visit here and are not particularly baseball fans will long ago have stopped reading...z-z-z-z.