Stronger

Do you ever read something, consider it, pass it by, look at it later, contemplate it more, and then finally apply it? Are you sometimes slow to pick up on an important point? Do you sometimes have to reread something to get the point? Do you sometimes have to ask someone to repeat what they said so you understand it? Many of these situations can make us feel inadequate or inferior. 

One day I found myself laying on my bed in a sad state of mind. Life's negative pressures were a little strong that day. As I lay on my bed, I looked at the wall opposite the foot of our bed. There was a picture Tim had gotten for me. The wall was empty when he came home with the picture, so we hung it there. I'd often read the verse on the picture, but didn't give it much thought. We have several pieces of wall art that have a verse of scripture, and this was one of them. As I lay there, my eyes kept being drawn to the verse. I read it over, and over, and over again (remember the question earlier about having to reread something?). I'd read this verse many times since we first hung it on the wall. Today it took on new meaning. My eyes seemed glued. Our room has 'stuff' in it, so there was plenty of other things that could have gotten my attention. This picture, on this day, at this moment was what my soul was needing. It's what my soul was hungry to hear. It had hung on our wall for a couple years, and here on this day was when it finally sunk in. It's simple. It's life changing. It's encouraging. It's an attitude changer. 

Be Strong in the Lord. Ephesians 6:10

There it is. That's all. Five little words. Powerful. 

To my feelings of inadequacy.....'Be Strong in the Lord'
To my feelings of inferiority......'Be Strong in the Lord'
In my stress......'Be Strong in the Lord'
In my doubt......'Be Strong in the Lord'
When I'm sad......'Be Strong in the Lord'
When misunderstood.......'Be Strong in the Lord'
When standing for what is right......'Be Strong in the Lord'
Praying for a sick loved one......'Be Strong in the Lord'
When my attitude stinks......'Be Strong in the Lord'

On that day, Jesus and I had a 'come to Jesus' meeting, right there on the bed. I finally took time to slow down and see what I'd been missing for a couple years. I reread it over and over again. I felt God was repeating himself over and over, each time I read it. Scripture has been around for thousands of years. The bible has been written in many translations. The words are ancient, but each time I read them they come to life. Each time I read, they take on new meaning for me depending upon my life's circumstances. God's word is alive, changing and evolving, yet remaining the same. Days like this day, when a verse that has been hanging on my wall for a couple years suddenly comes alive for me, it's like I've seen it for the first time. It's just what I needed, this day. 

After a little while, I picked myself up off the bed. My path in life doesn't always go where I want it to, or how I want it to. God met me right where I was on this day, and gave this to me......'Be Strong in the Lord'. 

My Man's Hands

Often I get on 'kicks'. Finding something new that interest me, running with it a while until it fizzles out, and then moving on.  This cycle has created regret sometimes because of not following thru with some of the better ideas. Usually it's something like a new technique, a new craft, a new healthy habit, a new skill, a new hobby, a new attempt at a stay at home job, or even a new social media kick like a blog. About 10 years ago I was on a kick where writing a book sounded like a good idea. I had heard 'everyone has at least one book in them'. The Chicken Soup series of books interested me, and I had a book idea I felt had potential to generate a following as well. My book idea consisted of the title 'My Man's Hands'. Interested people could submit a photo of their man at work, play, or whatever the submitter enjoyed the most about their man. They would submit a story with the photo explaining why they enjoyed their man doing that particular thing. The submitted photo would need to have an emphasis on the hands. The photos and the stories would be compiled into a book, and submitted for publication.

A man uses his hands in a multitude of ways, and I find it romantic. Tim is a good sport, and so he posed his hands for a photo intended for my book. The photo is stuck in an external back up hard drive from an old computer, and so far I've been unable to get it out. If I am successful at retrieving the picture in the near future, I will definitely share it. It is not anything earth shattering. He was a great sport posing for my 'kick' that year, and it definitely deserves a spot in this blog. A couple weeks ago I came across a printed copy of a draft of the intended website. It had been sent to me by the web designer I used to create the website where people could submit their stories. The draft reminded me of my book intentions. It prompted me to track down photos of Tim doing some of the things he does best. I was happy to find my man's hands working, playing, flying, socializing, volunteering, and a multitude of other tasks. I wanted to share the photos because the heart of this man is multi-faceted, and has been a joy to watch over the years.

I know it seems strange to crop the heads off of these photos. I want the focus to be on the hands. The hands of a man are a marvelous thing.

Precise hands at a drafting table completing land surveys.

Passionate hands on 'Ole N5272U'.

Tender hands cut the cake in unison.

Energetic and careful hands make a safe ride for neighborhood kids.

Steadying hands prevent a fall.

Working hands complete many jobs.

Helping hands used at many church functions.

Farming hands for a multitude of tasks. 

Loving hands give Granny a hug.

Compassionate and respectful hands read scripture at Grandpa's funeral.

Guiding hands maneuver a sawmill to precisely cut lumber.

Nurturing hands teach a grandson how to work.

Farming hands plant sorghum for molasses.

Pumping hands provide much needed water for residents of Ghana, West Africa.

Educating hands teach a grandson how to use big boy toys.

Nurturing hands teach a grandson how to be self sufficient.

Volunteering hands share a passion with a grandson.

Mission hands fulfill a desire to serve, by drilling water wells.

Inspecting hands learn about the soil of Africa.

Giving hands take time to provide for some in need.

Cautious hands take mammaw for a ride on a Harley.

Piggy Back hands take his kids for a ride.

The hands of 'my' man are a marvelous thing!

Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Romans 12:11-12 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

A Treat

Beginning December 19, 2015 a chain of events happened that scared me to my core. The helpless feeling of not being able to do anything to fix the situation left me reeling with fear. On Friday December 18 our grandson had been running a low grade temperature and had thrown up 3 times. On Saturday evening of the 19th, my daughter called me. He had been getting sicker all day, and was running a fever of 104. He was throwing up everything, and wasn't keeping any medicine in his stomach to bring the fever down. She was frantic. We loaded him into the car and headed to the emergency room. At the emergency room the triage nurse took his vitals, and gave him medicine to settle his stomach. Additional medicine was given to bring the temperature down. After some time in the waiting room, we were transferred to an exam room. After a series of questions, an exam, urine test, strep test swab, and x-rays it was determined he had a fever virus, and it should run it's course over a few days. If it got worse we could bring him back to the ER, or take him to his pediatrician. Having an ER only 20 minutes away, Praise God!

Scare #1
Sunday and Monday did not bring any relief to his little body. His temperature stayed high, and keeping any food down was almost unheard of. Two calls to the pediatricians office on Monday the 21st, helped give reassurance his symptoms indeed sounded like a fever virus. When Tuesday the 22nd rolled around, and he didn't seem to be getting any better we called the pediatricians office once again. Being persistent about his symptoms of labored breathing with a respiratory rate of 60 and pulse ox ranging 89-95, they agreed to work him in at 3:40. After the doctor examined him, and got more x-rays, it was determined he needed to go to Arkansas Children's Hospital Emergency Room ASAP. He had pneumonia, was dehydrated, and his bowels were backed up. They said my daughter could only stop by her house long enough to pack a quick overnight bag, but not to waste anytime. Having a pediatricians office in the same town our grandson lives, Praise God!

Scare #2
At ACH ER they were waiting for him. The pediatricians office had called ahead and prepared the ER for his arrival. He was given a full exam, and asked a multitude of questions about his health. After several hours in the ER it was confirmed he had pneumonia in his lower left lung, was dehydrated, had blocked bowels, and needed to be admitted. He was immediately started on IV antibiotics, 1 liter of oxygen, and admitted to a regular room. He was settled into his room about 1:30 am on December 23. With labored breathing, high fever, and lots of body pain. He got little sleep. The ER put him on a broad spectrum IV antibiotic. Prayers for healing began. Mid morning of December 23 when his breathing became more labored, more x-rays were taken. From the x-ray they thought there was fluid around the lung, and prepared to do a procedure to insert a drain tube. They did an ultrasound to confirm the fluid. The ultrasound didn't show any fluid, so they decided not to insert a drain tube. The pneumonia had rapidly spread. What was originally in his lower left lung now consumed the lower half of his left lung. Having Arkansas Children's Hospital less than an hour from home, Praise God!

Scare #3
Late night on the the 23rd our floor nurse 'Brandon' (I thank God for this observant and efficient nurse), quickly jumped into action. A request was made to move him to PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) because of his worsening pneumonia. More x-rays had showed his whole left lung was involved and was considered a 'white out'. The X-ray looked like a white blob on his left side. His ribs were barely distinguishable. Once again they said there was fluid on his lungs and they were making preparations again to insert a drain tube. Arriving in PICU was unlike any experience I've ever had. These nurses and doctors thrive on attending to and caring for sick babies. Their passion for helping the little ones can best be seen by the looks on their faces when a new patient arrives. I can't adequately explain what I saw on their faces when we arrived, but it was like his mother and I were not even on the planet. All eyes were on him. Their care was for him. Their compassion was for him. Their concern was for him. Their love was for him. He was quickly put on high flow oxygen and a 2nd antibiotic. It seemed the journey was getting longer. Mid morning on December 24th, he was taken to have an ultrasound to determine if it was fluid, and how much. For the second time, the ultrasound didn't show any fluid, and a drain tube would not have to be put in. At some point on the 24th a 3rd antibiotic was added to his regimen. It was Christmas Eve. The pneumonia seemed to be on a rampage. For exceptional nurses, Praise God!

Christmas Day, December 25, they started introducing him into a clear liquid diet. We felt like progress was finally being made. The pulmonologist said they definitely could hear more air moving in his left lung!! Perhaps the antibiotics were starting to work. It was a good Christmas Day. We started seeing improvement, Praise God!

Scare #5
December 26. What a good day. He woke up hungry. Ate a biscuit with jelly, and was sitting up playing. We got news he would be going to a regular room, no step down room but a regular room. It couldn't get any better. Praise God!.............well, not so quick. Yes praise God, but not so quick celebrating him getting better.. Always praise God, but sometimes things change, and it did. During the afternoon and evening of the 26th he took a turn for bad. His lungs got worse once again. He had increased chest pain and labored breathing. Some of his pain was from a build up of air in his stomach from the high flow oxygen. They transferred him to IMU (Intermediate Medical Unit - a step down unit) on the evening of the 26th for closer observation. He stayed in IMU on the 27th, received a CT scan in the afternoon, and received results that evening.  What he had avoided twice before seemed evident this time there was definitely fluid around his left lung. They said the fluid amount was significant, and a drain tube would be inserted the following morning. He would remain in the IMU unit until the procedure, and then return back to PICU once again. Fevers were still spiking at 103-104. Prayers were continuing. There is providential care even on a bad day, Praise God!

Scare #6
The morning of the 28th a drain tube was inserted at his left lung. The initial drainage amount was 800 cc. He was put on a breathing tube. Another tube was inserted into one nostril to help remove some of the air that was accumulating in his stomach, causing it to bloat, and cause pain. He would be kept sedated for the next 24 hours. During the night of the 28th they installed a feeding tube to get him much needed nourishment. He hadn't had a decent meal in about 10 days. He was loosing a lot of weight, but we could not tell it because of swelling from fluids and bloating from air in stomach. A catheter was also installed during the night of the 28th. His movements were limited, and they were keeping him sedated. They did another chest x-ray on the morning of the 29th, and there was improvement!! His breathing was better, and most of his breathing was on his own. Fluid drained was increasing, and was up to 1700 cc. He was resting better than he had in days, and he could shake his head to answer yes and no questions. He wanted to so desperately to talk, and tried without much success. Sometimes when we feel we cannot endure anymore, relief comes. God is good!

Scare #7
On the 30th there was talk about removing the breathing tube. He was still swelling and they were giving him meds to reduce swelling, however they did not seem to be working. With 3 antibiotics running thru his little body, and all kinds of other meds his kidneys were taking a hit. His kidneys had been injured. They were cutting back on his meds that filtered thru his kidneys. They would spend the next few days closely monitoring his kidney function. Our bodies ability to heal, God is good!

December 31: The catheter was taken out and he was taken off high flow oxygen. His stomach pump, and his feeding tube was removed. He was introduced to a low sodium bland diet. Hallelujah!

Happy New Year!! Today was a strong turning point. His chest tube was removed. The amount of fluid removed from his left lung grew to a total of 2700 cc. (2000 cc is the same as a 2 liter coke). All he had on was a blood pressure cuff, oxygen, and a pulse ox monitor. He was finally eating real food. God is certainly good!

January 3: Oxygen was taken completely off. He stood up for the first time in 2 weeks. His legs were 'wobbly', as he called it. He could barely stand up, and barely made it 10 feet across the room to sit in a chair. I was going to leave the hospital for a little bit, go home to clean up, and come back to stay the night. I asked him if there was anything I could bring back for him. He said 'yes, bring back a treat for all the sick boys and girls'. A compassionate heart. Praise God!

January 4: We did a happy dance this day. He was finally going home!!