Category Archives: Faith

How You Can Pray for Us

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As I said in my last post, we’re moving to southern California at the end of February,and we’re doing it kind of blind. We don’t have jobs, Jon tentatively has supply-preaching lined up, and we’ve got people trying to find us a place to live. People have asked what they can do right now and at the moment, the best thing is to pray/throw good energy our way.

Here are the things that need to be prayed for:

[=] A smooth move with no complications (or very little ones if any).
[=] A place to live when we get there. Got that one covered on 2/8
[=] Job prospects for both Jon and Jen.
[=] For the funds to be available for the move. The Synod is coming through on that.
[=] Enough money to take care of groceries, rent, utilities, and any other daily needs.
[=] A good doctor for Daniel.
[=] Good health for all three of us for the next few months.

As prayers are answered or more needs arise, I’ll update this. This entry will stick at the top of the page so scroll down to see anything new.

What Do I Say?

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So Olive Hope passed away last night. This isn’t a surprise. She was born at 28.5 weeks, she had a class 4 brain bleed, she was dealing with hospitals in Thailand, she had to have shunt surgery when she got here… It’s really miraculous that she lasted 4 months. The pictures on that entry were of her family cuddling her lifeless body. I really wish I hadn’t seen those pictures because they will haunt me for a very long time.

Still, I hurt for her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and everyone else whose heart she touched in the last four months because *I* could have been in their place. Daniel’s NICU stay was a cake walk compared to what Rusty and Lynette went through. They’ve stood by Olive and had to make some pretty intense decisions. They’ve faced some really intense obstacles and yet, they still got things done. They got Olive into a private hospital. They assembled a team of doctors and nurses to fly home with them. They got her Medicaid benefits even though Olive was born abroad. I’m sure there are people saying that they could/should have done more; but I really don’t see how they could have.

Rusty’s sister is soliciting messages to put in a book for Rusty and Lynette and I wish I could tell her something but there’s no way I can quantify what I feel in words. I’m the mom of a preemie. Both Daniel and I almost died in his birth. I understand the four months of angst they went through — it was my first week times sixteen.

And yet, all I can say is that it’s good that Miss Olive is at peace now. She would have had severe developmental disabilities and I can’t imagine going through all the stuff she went through every day. How can you say it’s better that your child die than live and have all those problems?

I will eventually figure out what to say but I know my heart is definitely grieved.

End of Year Meme

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1. What did you do in 2009 that you??d never done before?
Give birth. See a good chunk of Alberta.

2. Did you keep your new year??s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
For the most part, no. Not sure if I’ll make more for next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Me. 🙂 Also a few friends and a few people in the community.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
One of our parishioners who I became close to.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada. Most specifically, Alberta.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A parish for Jon.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 7th: Daniel’s birth

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Having the dude.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not dwelling on anything so I couldn’t say.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Strep throat, bronchitis, pre-eclampsia (more specifically HELLP Syndrome), multiple sinus infections, migraines, and whiplash.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably jeans from Lands’ End or pajama bottoms

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Obama
NICU staff
Mom

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The list is way too long and also too risky for me to post in an un-passworded entry.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Buying Similac Neosure for the dude.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Daniel kicking butt in the NICU.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Not sure — there are many.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a) happier or sadder? a little of both in different ways
(b) thinner or fatter? unfortunately the latter
(c) richer or poorer? richer, actually

18. What do you wish you??d done more of?
Eating better and walking to get some of the pregnancy weight off.

19. What do you wish you??d done less of?
Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
In Seattle with my family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Very deeply in love with Daniel.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Smoking Gun: World’s Dumbest

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn??t hate this time last year?
Unfortunately yes.

24. What was the best book you read?
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
the Twilight books

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
No musical discoveries but I did find some great podcasts

26. What did you want and get?
A healthy baby.

27. What did you want and not get?
A parish for Jon.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
None. I don’t do movies.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
29 and I went out to dinner after work before heading down to the NICU.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less stress

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Maternity clothes.

32. What kept you sane?
Daniel’s smile and laughter. TIVO’ed episodes of “Smoking Gun”

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Healthcare reform.

35. Who did you miss?
A lot of people who I wish lived closer.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
The NICU staff at Benefis.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Pre-natal care is important and life-saving.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“Let it be”

Reminders to Myself

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Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
–Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
–Jeremiah 29:11-13