Thursday, March 22, 2012
The 2nd One
For our faithful blog readers who keep up with Lori - she had a day of appointments at Children's Hospital in St Louis today. The surgeon thought her incision looked great (yay!). Her Speech Therapist was pleased with her progress (yay!). And, her Audiologist is ready to talk about implanting her left side (yay!). They want her to wear her hearing aid on the left ear for about a month and then we go back to have a full evaluation regarding the next implantation. Now, the only downside is that it is really hard to keep a hearing aid on an active 3 year old who has teeny-tiny earlobes. We have to use Wig Tape (remember the Hair store post from last year - hahaha). So, we will keep you posted on her progress as we approach the upcoming surgery.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Who, What, When, Where, Why?
Lately, I've been rather consumed with these questions.
After being so closely involved with the work of Harmony Outreach during Lori's adoption, after meeting the great folks in our area who are giving so much to Heart for Africa, after reading about the needs and mission of The Apparent Project in Haiti, and after seeing the beautiful HOW? Jewelry and learning about the vision behind it - I want to help. I want to sink my teeth into something. I want to use my creative energy for the greater good. I want to make a difference and know I've not wasted my life. I want to share God's message of redemption. I want to help those that are hurting. But........the reality of life grabs hold and sqeezes some of the life out of these wants and replaces them with - I also want to be the best wife and momma I can be. I want to keep my house semi-clean (the word "semi" gives me lots of freedom!). I want to learn more about Jesus. I want to have some time to just "be still and know".
In my past - I have tried the "do it all" approach and I'm just not cut out for that. The one thing I've learned in my 40 years - is that if I try to fly to high, the crash landing stings really bad. So, this week as I've pondered where I can best serve the needs placed before me - I know that God, Hubby, and Kids must remain priority. If I also fit in a little time for "me" to rejuvinate - that doesn't leave much left over. Do I raise money for Africa? Do we dive in to adoption again? Do I host HOW? and Apparent Project Jewelry Shows? Do I collect cereal boxes to send to Haiti? (interested? - click to read the blog post) Do I raise money for a mission trip? Do I take the kids on a mission trip? Do I go with Jay to the Clean Water conference?
My devo today was from an old book that I found on the shelf yesterday. An old fave - My Utmost for His Highest by O. Chambers. Love it! Today, it talked about how no matter what we do, unless we are found to be "approved unto Him" - it's all vanity. How true! It goes right along with our Wednesday night study of Ecclesiates. So, instead of trying to answer all my own questions - my real desire should be to seek Him and His "wants" for my life. No matter what it is - whether big or small - if it is His plan - than this life will not be wasted. I think I need to ponder that for a while. I have a tendancy to bite off more that I can chew and those experiences leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I'll let you know what comes out of all this. It should be interesting.
Apparent Project
Heart for Africa
Harmony Outreach
HOW? Jewelry
After being so closely involved with the work of Harmony Outreach during Lori's adoption, after meeting the great folks in our area who are giving so much to Heart for Africa, after reading about the needs and mission of The Apparent Project in Haiti, and after seeing the beautiful HOW? Jewelry and learning about the vision behind it - I want to help. I want to sink my teeth into something. I want to use my creative energy for the greater good. I want to make a difference and know I've not wasted my life. I want to share God's message of redemption. I want to help those that are hurting. But........the reality of life grabs hold and sqeezes some of the life out of these wants and replaces them with - I also want to be the best wife and momma I can be. I want to keep my house semi-clean (the word "semi" gives me lots of freedom!). I want to learn more about Jesus. I want to have some time to just "be still and know".
In my past - I have tried the "do it all" approach and I'm just not cut out for that. The one thing I've learned in my 40 years - is that if I try to fly to high, the crash landing stings really bad. So, this week as I've pondered where I can best serve the needs placed before me - I know that God, Hubby, and Kids must remain priority. If I also fit in a little time for "me" to rejuvinate - that doesn't leave much left over. Do I raise money for Africa? Do we dive in to adoption again? Do I host HOW? and Apparent Project Jewelry Shows? Do I collect cereal boxes to send to Haiti? (interested? - click to read the blog post) Do I raise money for a mission trip? Do I take the kids on a mission trip? Do I go with Jay to the Clean Water conference? 
My devo today was from an old book that I found on the shelf yesterday. An old fave - My Utmost for His Highest by O. Chambers. Love it! Today, it talked about how no matter what we do, unless we are found to be "approved unto Him" - it's all vanity. How true! It goes right along with our Wednesday night study of Ecclesiates. So, instead of trying to answer all my own questions - my real desire should be to seek Him and His "wants" for my life. No matter what it is - whether big or small - if it is His plan - than this life will not be wasted. I think I need to ponder that for a while. I have a tendancy to bite off more that I can chew and those experiences leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I'll let you know what comes out of all this. It should be interesting.
Apparent Project
Heart for Africa
Harmony Outreach
HOW? Jewelry
Friday, March 9, 2012
Tears
For some reason, I've been a little teary-eyed this week as I watch God unfold His plans in our life and all around us. Amazing. Simple conversations, taking opportunities, unexpected texts, swirling thoughts, compassion blooming, urgency needed, complacency fading.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Updates from the Lancaster House
(from Jay)
Many of you have asked about Lori and how she is doing. After her staph infection and brief stay at children’s hospital, we have been on infection-watch…dosing her with heaping amounts of horrible tasting antibiotics (7 bottles worth in all), and watching for the signs of the infection returning. At our one week follow up, our surgeon gave us the news that he ‘wasn’t happy’ with her incision site. It was puffy and spongy, and he was worried about the infection returning. He informed us that if it didn’t look better in a week, they were going to reopen, and clean it out a second time, put her on IV antibiotics for several days and send her home with a PIC line for six weeks…a bit extreme we thought. However, at our next follow up, which was a week and a half ago, we got great news. He was happy with the site, and sent us home. We are to still watch for signs of the infection returning over the next couple weeks, but we are clear, and so far she is doing great with no signs of returning infection. Maybe we will get a week or two without having to go to Children’s hospital! Praise the Lord for his healing and grace!
On another front, an organization that we are learning more and more about is the Heart for Africa group, led by Janine Maxwell, who wrote It’s not okay with me. The organization focuses on feeding the poor in Africa, orphan ministry, and helping young men and women develop skills to be independent. A local chapter of the group from Cape Girardeau is in the middle of their annual events this month. This past Sunday, we attended the Heart for Africa brunch at the Venue in Cape, and it was wonderful. This coming Saturday night is their big banquet and dance, also at the Venue. We actually splurged and bought tickets, and are excited to be going. Janine Maxwell is actually going to be present and speaking that night. We highly recommend everyone that can to go check it out. Leave a comment if you would like to know how to buy tickets.
Finally, some of the young men at our church, Miner Baptist, are putting together a night of worship scheduled for March 18th. We will be having it at the Studio One Youth Building at Miner Baptist, but the whole community is invited. Our band will be leading the music, and I cannot express how excited I am to get to serve in this way. Last night we took to time sit in a circle and discuss the event, its intentions, how to encourage a spirit of worship with those attending, praying together and carefully discussing which songs to play. We then dove into practice, which was so much fun. I actually found myself at one point in a song stopping to just sit and close my eyes and listen…it was great. We have several new songs to learn in a short time…but I’m confident we can bring it together. But I want to invite everyone who would like to enjoy a fun night of contemporary worship to come out at 6pm on Sunday the 18th. It should be a great time of worship, prayer, and testimonies.
Many of you have asked about Lori and how she is doing. After her staph infection and brief stay at children’s hospital, we have been on infection-watch…dosing her with heaping amounts of horrible tasting antibiotics (7 bottles worth in all), and watching for the signs of the infection returning. At our one week follow up, our surgeon gave us the news that he ‘wasn’t happy’ with her incision site. It was puffy and spongy, and he was worried about the infection returning. He informed us that if it didn’t look better in a week, they were going to reopen, and clean it out a second time, put her on IV antibiotics for several days and send her home with a PIC line for six weeks…a bit extreme we thought. However, at our next follow up, which was a week and a half ago, we got great news. He was happy with the site, and sent us home. We are to still watch for signs of the infection returning over the next couple weeks, but we are clear, and so far she is doing great with no signs of returning infection. Maybe we will get a week or two without having to go to Children’s hospital! Praise the Lord for his healing and grace!
On another front, an organization that we are learning more and more about is the Heart for Africa group, led by Janine Maxwell, who wrote It’s not okay with me. The organization focuses on feeding the poor in Africa, orphan ministry, and helping young men and women develop skills to be independent. A local chapter of the group from Cape Girardeau is in the middle of their annual events this month. This past Sunday, we attended the Heart for Africa brunch at the Venue in Cape, and it was wonderful. This coming Saturday night is their big banquet and dance, also at the Venue. We actually splurged and bought tickets, and are excited to be going. Janine Maxwell is actually going to be present and speaking that night. We highly recommend everyone that can to go check it out. Leave a comment if you would like to know how to buy tickets.
Finally, some of the young men at our church, Miner Baptist, are putting together a night of worship scheduled for March 18th. We will be having it at the Studio One Youth Building at Miner Baptist, but the whole community is invited. Our band will be leading the music, and I cannot express how excited I am to get to serve in this way. Last night we took to time sit in a circle and discuss the event, its intentions, how to encourage a spirit of worship with those attending, praying together and carefully discussing which songs to play. We then dove into practice, which was so much fun. I actually found myself at one point in a song stopping to just sit and close my eyes and listen…it was great. We have several new songs to learn in a short time…but I’m confident we can bring it together. But I want to invite everyone who would like to enjoy a fun night of contemporary worship to come out at 6pm on Sunday the 18th. It should be a great time of worship, prayer, and testimonies.
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