James and Josiah

James went to the ENT yesterday for his third and last post-op appt. His nose looked very good. The surgery took him from 20% capacity to 70%. He seems pleased with the result.

I also took Josiah's xray to the doctor. He thought it looked just fine. That is good news!

Thank God for answering our prayers so generously!

Every Good Thing Bestowed and Every Perfect Gift

In the keeping of a joy and sorrow ledger, we must mark our trials on the joy side. God said so - James 1:2ff. Somehow, in the last weeks I have let the joy of trials slip away . I have forgotten to look up and ahead. It is a lot like Peter walking on the water, then sinking with a sudden fear and an abandonment of faith. Looking to Jesus is what keeps our minds off the water. Even when it's storm tossed water. I have had an Experience which has helped me to see in the Mirror that I have been looking down at the water.

I just couldn't believe it last Monday when I saw the tremendous amount of blood running from somewhere about Josiah down John's shirt. I knew better than to go get a band aid. I knew that we were having another go at some tragedy, although minor as these things go. I really didn't want to do it. Yet, I'm a mom through and through. Though my heart sank, more because of dread than sympathy, I jumped into action.

In the days that followed I just felt drained every time I looked at his bruised and lacerated cheek. You see what I mean, don't you? My eyes weren't in the Right Place. Friday came and brought with its lot of to do's, the news that something was amiss other than just the laceration and bruising. I worried and fretted and stewed. Guilt was my shadow.

Then, wow! What amazing blessings have come my way since my melancholy Saturday. A woman whose brother suffered a much more serious, but similarly located injury was at my house for a Bible study Saturday morning. After hearing about Josiah she shared with her brother. I have tried to engage this man in conversation before. At least to my very short sighted vision, he appeared quiet, indifferent and uninvolved. However, Sunday at church he sought me out. He wanted to encourage me. He assured me that Josiah would be just fine and described his own injuries. I was so touched and in awe of God. Just to think of the impact that Josiah's injury had! I would never have dreamed of such a result.

Today brought more blessing. Josiah was, this morning, supposed to see a much disliked doctor in our regular pediatrician's office for removal of the stitches. I have said out loud that I will never take another child to see said doctor, but it was all they had in the necessary window of time. Friday's bad news set me to the task of calling the ENT to assess Josiah. He was able to see him today and willing to take the stitches out. We didn't have to see Dr. Mean to My Kids. And you know what else? The doctor thinks Josiah is fine. He wants to see his xray to be more certain, but his examination and questions produced no concern today.

I am humbled. I didn't really deserve to see such blessing through this trial. I had marked it to the wrong side of the ledger. And that was an affront to God because "[e]very good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

Amelia Bedelia at Home

It's a mildly scary thought that I have an Amelia Bedelia clone living under my roof. Though I like the books - have read them to my children - it's not been my life long dream to raise one=) The troubling evidence follows.

I am walking through the grocery store with Nancy. I want her to learn to help and to spot a bargain. I ask her to get me some canned goods saying, "These (referring to and pointing at a middle shelf) are all gone. Please get me some from the bottom." I turn to something else.

Soon I hear, "Mom, I can't get 'em." I turn, baffled, to see what could possibly be the problem. Amelia (Nancy) Bedelia is trying to pull the cans from the bottom of the stack on the bottom shelf.

A few weeks later:

Nancy is laying letter and number flash cards out in their respective orders. She is doing the letters first. She finishes with no mistakes. Yeah! I tell her, "Do the numbers now." I begin helping Josiah with a reading lesson. I look up from the lesson to observe Nancy. She is running out of room. I tell her, "You aren't going to have enough room there. Why don't you put the numbers under the letters." I take my attention back to Josiah. Looking at Nancy's work again, I don't see the number cards though she seems to be working at something. "Nancy, where are the numbers?" I ask.

"They're under the letters like you said. See?" she suggests, lifting a letter card so I can see the number card underneath.

"You're Amelia Bedelia," I say with a chuckle. (And I'm afraid it's true!)

Josiah update

We got word today that Josiah's xray, taken in the ER Tuesday, was read later by a radiologist. Some discrepancy was noted. There is an air pocket under his cheek (which I thought was just lingering swelling.) I don't know why (though I have guesses=) We were instructed to make an appointment with our ENT as soon as possible. I am hoping - and asking you to ask God - that it is not a fracture which would require repair or some other consequential invasion.

School This Week

Two pictures from the week.





The first is of Nancy's and Josiah's boats, carved from Ivory soap. Nancy's was super-carved and listed badly to starboard in the water trial. Josiah's was successful before the overzealous captain soaked the paper sails.







The second is an illustration from Joseph's creative writing. (I don't know why it's on its side. It isn't in my photos folder.) I had to laugh...

Meet Me in St. Louis

It's amazing how one thing leads to another...

We were watching the rest of "Meet Me in St. Louis" tonight. During the formal dance near the end, Nancy disappeared. When she returned, she was wearing her Cinderella dress and a (dilapidated) hat and carrying an old lady handbag. (She doesn't know the difference yet between old lady and truly glamorous.) It was hilarious to see her from the back because she didn't get her shirt tucked under the dress. It looked as if her baby blue Cinderella dress was augmented with a misplaced lime green bustle.

Nancy began to dance with Jason, the only willing partner. She was a bit animated and nearly flung him into the wall while twirling 'round and 'round. Surprisingly, he decided it was all quite fun. He found Nancy's discarded hat and put it on his head. The ham act ensued. We laughed and laughed.

Of course, Nancy saw the attention that Jason was getting by being cute with the hat. After Jason discarded it, she picked it up and attempted her own version of ham. Jason saw and promptly removed it from her head. That cause her to erupt with giggles. The whole thing was just funny.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the live performance.

And Another One Bites the Dust

Josiah is the latest victim in our run of situations requiring medical attention. The kids and I have been reading together in the evening followed by 30 - 45 minutes of a movie. Tonight, instead of a portion, we needed to watch all of Kit Kittredge so it could be returned tomorrow, creating a later night. Josiah fell asleep during the movie, and remained so until John got home from work just after 11 PM. John woke him to go up to bed. Josiah got to the top of the stairs and began running to his bedroom. Once there, he attempted to dive onto his bed. Instead he dove into the 2 x 6 wooden bed frame. It gashed his cheek and blackened his eye. We quickly went off to the ER.

We are home now, Josiah sporting five stitches. John and I both are going to have to function with only tiny bits of sleep. Please, please pray for us. It is so hard to be and do all that is required when you are sleep deprived. Pray also for Josiah. It appears that the bony structures were unharmed, but I would still be grateful for prayer in that regard. Thanks!

Really Exciting Hope

We had a singing tonight at church. We sang the hymn, "Mended and Whole." A portion is below.

Oh how great a salvation in Jesus, that the prophets of old testified!
Even angels desire its revealing. Praise and glory to Christ crucified!
You were threatened for me. You were slandered for me.
Ev'ry thorn, ev'ry nail, ev'ry tear was for me.
Sweet the tho't that my soul may be mended and whole by my Lord who was broken for me.

Good Reminders

1. I saw this quote this morning...

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the
mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give
up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the
mind is not tired."
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

2. Please go vote (unless you are going to vote irresponsibly for Obama;-)

If Heaven's Not My Home...

Then indeed, "what will I do?" I know crime is common and that it's everywhere. There were two little girls recently shot to death while walking down a familiar, remote country road in a Podunk, "nobody heard of it" small town of only a few hundred people. It can happen anywhere, and not any place on this sinful planet is safe. I know, I know.

Today, though, I'm feeling like crime is closing in around my family. We have so much petty theft in the neighborhood, it's unbelievable. The kids can't ride up on their bikes to come in for a drink without putting their bikes in the closed garage for fear that they'll not be there when they return. Yesterday Josiah had his big ole Nerf gun outside. It was on the ground where several were playing. A neighbor boy came, picked it up, and began throwing it to the ground in an effort to destroy it. There hadn't been any altercation, just the destruction. When I went to "take care of it," the boy (7 or 8 yrs old) just kept cussing and ignoring, while riding away on his scooter.

Child crime is rampant. The same boy tried to steal Joshua's $200+ race bike from our garage while the kids were out playing this week. A couple of weeks ago somebody dumped a stolen bike at our front door. After turning it over to the police, we came in contact with the person from whom it was stolen. She wanted to find the guilty party so she could press charges. The boy who stole it is 10 or 11. It's definitely not his first heist. Last night a neighbor boy with whom we are friendly was held up at knife point with several of his trick-or-treating buddies for a little bit of change. When their parents called the police, the police said that they had received several calls about the same children doing the same thing to others. Joshua was questioned recently by the police about several small neighborhood fires that have been set. He did know of a boy who was involved. The same boy (10 or 11) is also known for theft and making small bombs. He live a few houses down and across the street. He also shot out several windows from the two vacant houses across the street from us. When questioned by the police he accused our boys and the same neighbor who was held at knife point last night. The police never came to our door. I'm sure they know who the trouble makers really are.

You know the sad thing is that these juvenile criminals are just little boys. One of them comes from a home with an abusive father, a convicted brother living under house arrest, and a mother who used to care but has given up with discouragement. Another is one of several children who have different fathers and never know if they'll have a place to go. The house is locked until somebody with a key gets home. He's been seen after dark riding his bike because he couldn't go home. Tragic. So tragic!

Joshua called from work this morning to tell us that the bank across the street from Chick-fil-A was being robbed. The police arrived and hopped out of their cars with guns drawn, evacuating the area in the process. Turns out the bank manager was held hostage overnight as part of a plan to rob the bank this morning. The story is here.

I'm glad to be allowed the grace and mercy to know God. I am so glad that Heaven is surely safe from heartache and sin. With God as the gate keeper, I know it's secure. Can hardly wait...