Please Pray...

Many of you know the story of baby Gabriel.  Things seem to have turned for the worst, but we're still hoping and praying.

Here is a video prayer by his daddy from yesterday:  Prayer for Gabe.
The following is a copy of the latest post...


Gabe's white bloodcell count has continued to rise. It is now at 22 and still getting higher. We will check it at 8pm, and if it has not improved we will hold Gabe off of the ventilator and say our sweet, painful goodbyes.

No parent should ever have to lose a child. The most surreal and strange feeling in the world. We are in so much pain but so thankful at the same time for all that Gabe has done for our family and our world.

Still hoping, but it doesn't look good at this point. Please continue to pray. Thank you for your love and support during this time.

There are no words to say except... please say a prayer for baby Gabe and his parents, Nick and Julia.

A Request...

I'm skipping a poem for today.  I wanted to ask for some special prayers this week.  Tomorrow Gabriel goes in for a very important surgery.  The doctor will be building him a full heart or doing something called a Fontan procedure.  The full heart is what we're hoping for.  You may have seen the link on my sidebar, but if not, this is Gabe:

I encourage you to go to his mother's blog.  She wrote the most beautiful letter to him.  You can find it at The Four of Us, click on the title...  "If I Never See You On Earth Again".

It will touch you, I promise.  It make break your heart a little bit.  I know it will make you want to pray for a miracle for sweet Gabriel.  Please read it... Please Pray...

Long Week...

We left town very quickly last Thursday, after learning my father-in-law had been found unconscious.  He was in very bad shape, in fact the first phone information was that he had passed.  Thankfully when the EMT arrived and moved him, they discovered a very faint pulse.  We drove over, and my sister-in-law caught the first flight available.  The drive seemed to take days.  I guess that's normal when you don't know what you'll find when you arrive.  We were just praying he would still be alive.

Over the next few days, it was back and forth.  A couple of the doctors and staff were so negative, advising to prepare for the worst. One kept asking, "Is he always like this?"  Really?  My husband wanted to say, "Well no, he isn't generally unconscious." but he refrained.  Usually Pete is very active.  Takes care of himself, his home, his garden, visits with friends and occasionally goes to dinners at his church.  He drives to the grocery and to appointments.  He is very conscientious about his health.  He eats right, keeps his weight down, exercises.  I should take a page from his book!

It was such a joy and relief when he started to speak, and we knew he recognized us.  Very quickly we could see he still had his sense of humor.  It may be a long road to recovery, but he seems to be well on his way.  We will be making frequent trips over.  We did a lot of cleaning and organizing for him.  Some repairs and upgrades will need to be done to make it easier for him when he comes home.  For now, we are grateful that he is doing so much better and that he got the second chance we prayed for. 

Family Emergency

I will be away from my computer for a couple days, so won't be able to do my daily posting for NaBloPoMo.  Please check back.

We've had a family emergency.  If you are a praying person, please whisper a prayer for us and for my father-in-law.

Thanks so much...

My boys with their Grandpa...

More Watching and Waiting...

My last post was about needing hope and courage in the face of life's storms.  While I continue to battle the waves of my own storm, there are so many others out there also trying to stay afloat. 

If you have an extra moment today, say a prayer for Gabriel's Heart.  You can read about baby Gabriel and his family Here.  Pray for his sweet momma too, for strength and for continued peace.

What's New...

First, I want to point out the photo link... over on the sidebar... for the "My Salvaged Treasures" blog!  Betsy is celebrating 200 followers with a fun giveaway.  All you have to do to enter, is leave a comment.  Go click now, because it ends soon!  Then come right back...

So, I've been absent a lot lately... family stuff... you know, life with it's good and bad.  Mostly good, I have to say, although we still need lots of prayer for Elizabeth (step-brother's 17 old daughter... is step-niece a word).  She was going through another round of Chemo for the Ovarian cancer, and she took a turn for the worse.  Everything is stable now, but this is a rough road for anyone, much less such a young lady.  So please keep her in your prayers!

The fun... I've joined Ancestry.com and have intensified my search for my family history.  It's time-consuming, frustrating, and fascinating!  You have to be so careful to document every relation with Census Records, or some other proof.  Draft cards, marriage and death certificates, etc.  I'm hoping to find out more about many family members, including my Grandma Ruth... my mom's mom... this is her...

I discovered another great-granddaughter on my maternal grandfathers side!  We are now exchanging photos and information.  She sent me her telephone number and I called.  We talked and laughed for about an hour.  There was that instant family connection.  She knew stories that my grandpa, and my mom, had told me.  Plus, she knew a couple I hadn't heard, and I was able to share a couple with her!  Her mom is still living, and can provide a lot of history!  It is Fun!

Well, now you know why I may be absent for the next month or so.  I'll check in, but am not promising anything.  I'll probably be sitting right here... just making my eyes go bleary, starring at old documents and photos! 

Prayers Desired... Autumn Beauty... Upcoming Give Away...

Well, today around noon I'll finally be in surgery.  They are removing one of my parathyroid glands.  They will do an immediate biopsy, and they will do another one 24 hours later from a frozen section. I appreciate any prayers you have time to send up for me.  God has been so good to me.  I trust in His wisdom, whatever the outcome...  "I know who holds tomorrow... and I know who holds my hand"

Yesterday, as I drove to an appointment, I was struck by the beautiful autumn colors.  Some years, the leaves seem to drop off shortly after turning.  This year they have lingered... it's been awesome.  What a world we live in!  Sometimes, I get caught up in the day to day issues and forget to just look... just breathe... and take it all in. 

Now... a commitment!  I am finally going to have a Give Away.  I started this blog on March 23, 2008.  It's been hit and miss, so I am only at 239 posts, but should have hosted a Give Away long before this.  Sometime in the next two weeks, I will be posting photos of the items.  I can tell you this much, there will be some ephemera... bits of things for crafting like doilies, buttons, etc... a favorite book... and my favorite item of all... a Christmas CD called Tidings.  You can see the CD in the upper right side of my blog.  If you click on it, you can preview some of the songs.  My cousin Laurie, and her cousin Tammy, are the creators of this beautiful collection of Christmas music.

Check back soon to see photos of the items that will be included in the Give Away.

There!  It's done!  I have committed to it, and I'm excited to finally be able to share with all of you who have shared so much with me!

Christ Is All, All Is Good...

Hello Friends, before I get to my update I have a prayer request.  Those of you who know Pam Warden at Pam Warden Art and Faith Folk Cafe will be familiar with her husband John's situation with his lung transplant, and the ongoing struggles of her children, Toby and Jessie who both have MS (multiple sclerosis).  Tuesday Pam posted the following on her Facebook page:

John is in the hospital, I'm at a hotel in Madison. They will be doing a bronch in the morning to see what is going on. He is the very sick. Thank you for praying. Also for Jessie and Toby ♥

And yesterday...

Bronchoscopy this a.m. for biopsy's on John's lung. Can they find and stop what ever is causing this? We pray. This was sent to me today...so simple so absolute "Christ is all, all is good."

Pam's faith in God is amazing!  She has so much going on in her family, but she takes time to reach out to others.  She has been such a support for me.  Please pray for her and her family.  Pray prayers for healing, strength, and peace.

As for me...
It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post.  For those who contacted me expressing concern, Thank You!  There have been some health issues for Lucky 13 and for myself.  I won't go into lengthy details... I'll just say more of the same.  I haven't driven since sometime in late November, so I've been here at home.

I've had some old friends get in touch with me, and through that I regained contact with more friends I hadn't heard from in years.  That has been so much fun. 

The past three days I've been having a nightmarish time with my Facebook account.  Each time I go to sign in, I find my account suspended again!  I have spent hours trying to fix this.  It keeps telling me that I've been hacked, but no matter what I try I cannot clear it up.  As soon as I leave the page it locks me out again!  *sigh*

I have been catching up with some of my blogger friends, going through the posts I didn't get around to reading during the holidays.  What a busy, interesting bunch of people you all are!  It is so much fun to leave my little world for a while and see what is going on "out there".

I've been listening to some "new to me" artists on YouTube.  I love music of all kinds, so this has been a lot of fun.

I participated in a "Daniel Fast" with my church.  My Pastor mailed me the materials so I would know what was being done.  I chose to do a partial fast of eliminating a couple of my favorites that it would be hard doing without... for me that was 21 days of no fast food and no chocolate.  That was extremely hard for me.  I also increased my intake of fruits, nuts, and vegetables.  Even without doing the strict version of the fast, I found I got a lot out of it. I've tried a new variety of leafy greens.  I regained my love of salads! 

I spent more time in prayer and meditation.  I cut back on my TV time, also very hard for me.  I tend to put in Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Frasier, etc. or tune in to HGTV as background noise when I'm doing other stuff.  I hadn't realized how many hours the TV is actually going.  It helps drown out the constant traffic noise from the street and the persistant barking of my neighbors dog.  It also drowns out the sound of bird songs, squirrel chatter, wind, rain... all sounds I love.  I'd almost forgotten the joy of the simple sounds of life.

The past few weeks, I found myself taking another look at my life.  My thoughts, my deepest beliefs, my dreams.  It's good to "shake the dust off" what and who we believe ourselves to be; to re-examine our goals, our strengths, and our weaknesses.  To search deeper into our spiritual lives.  It's been a great way to begin this new year.  For me, it is a beginning full of hope and anticipation.  Great things are coming.  I really believe it. 

Update on Lucky 13...

All biopsies came back negative! No cancer! We are so thankful for that. There are some health issues, but nothing which is not treatable.

God has been good. He has been feeling better, less dizziness, but still nauseous and exhausted. We are hopeful that it will just be a matter of treatment options and that his life can get back to normal.

We did have to withdraw him from high school... Senior Year. This was a disappointment, but something we can live with. It's actually a relief for him. It was stressful to know he was falling so far behind as he's always been a good student. We are beginning the registration process to get him ready for a class with an online school. He will start slow, and add classes as his health continues to improve. This is a blessing! It wasn't that many years ago when this would not have been an option.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement, love and prayers! It has meant so much to us!

Prayers Desired...

I just got through texting my little sis... she has eye surgery tomorrow. It's to relieve pressure in the eyes. Her second eye will be done the same day that I am having my first eye surgery! Different doctors and different eye clinics, but I kept thinking how funny we'll both be "under the knife" on the same day.

My eye surgery is due to cataracts. On the 22nd, I will have my right lens replaced with a man-made lens. If all goes as planned, I will only need reading glasses. My left eye will be scheduled after the Doc sees how quickly I recover from the first surgery.

I am "looking" forward to having it done. I have not been able to drive at night for some time, or to read normal print. I tried using my Grandpa's magnifying glass, but it was too much effort to hold the book and hold the magnifying glass. I'm sure it made a funny picture to my family! Lol!

If I am absent for a while, it is due to pre-op and post-op procedures. Plus, it may take a little time to adjust to my new vision.

Please keep me and sis in your prayers. I'll be "seeing" all of you just as soon as I can!

Blessings!
Nita Jo

Update on PJ... and Fake Emails...

First of all, an update on my husband. The surgery went well, though he had a reaction to the anesthesia and threw up most of the first night. He is much better, though feels he won't be up to going back to work for a few days. Still having pain if he tries to do much of anything, especially if it requires him to bend over. PJ has not had to use hardly any pain medication, which is a real blessing. I appreciate all the prayers and kind comments! It means a lot!

Now for the second thing. Twice, after posting a comment, I received an email showing the comment I posted and a second email. It appeared to be from my own email address, but both were sexually based ads for products.

My fear is, since these came to me using my own address as sender, my friends and family may receive email that appears to be from me promoting these items.

I have notified AOL, my email provider, and hope to have the source of this tracked down and stopped. I have been running my virus program to insure that this isn't something buried in my PC.

If any of you receive emails from my address with titles similar to "Time is Pleasure" or "Making _ _______ Tools" (Yes... left blank for a reason), please do not open. Forward them to me or to TosReports@aol.com with a brief explanation. I don't know how my exact email address can be used like this, but am working with AOL to find an answer.

It may result in me closing my current account and opening up under another name. I will keep you all posted! Please, please let me know right away if you have received anything from my email address that you know is out of charactor for me!

Blessings!
Nita Jo

Asking For Prayer

Sorry I've been absent recently. Between life and computer issues, it's been impossible to get back here.

Please say a prayer for my husband and I tomorrow morning. He is having Gall Bladder surgery, and I will have to be up to driving him to and from the hospital. I am feeling well today and am sure I will be able to do it.

It is a laproscopic surgery, so he should come home by late afternoon. I am very optimistic about it, but the more prayers the better!

Blessings to all,
Nita Jo

Prayer Request for Sally

Please continue to keep my cousin, Sally, in your prayers. She has been making slow and steady progress, but it's a long and difficult road for her. Her sister wrote the following information about a visit with Sally's doctor this morning.

"He compared it to watching grass grow. He said that she is probably not seeing the growth as she is watching it every second, whereas the rest of us see a lawn that just keeps growing. He also compared it to a crockpot versus a microwave-it may take longer, but the end result is better. He assured her that she is making progress every day, and that she has come a long way. He also assured her that emotional times are ok and normal. I think Sally really liked hearing all of this from him. Once again, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Sally can feel your love... God Bless Sally."

Stroke recovery varies with each individual. There is still concern about Sally's eyesight. Her cognitive skills have improved a lot. Her walking is improving. They have her in the acute rehab unit so that she is receiving intensive therapy for 6 weeks or more as needed. She remains in good spirits most of the time, but does miss home. She is allowed limited visitation so that there is not overwhelming stimulation. Between therapy sessions, they want to be sure she is getting lots of rest which is important to her recovery.

I thank all of you who have continued to pray for Sally! She really has made amazing progress in most areas. I believe your prayers are being heard.

Please Keep Praying For Sally

I shared a prayer request with all of you last week. It was for my cousin, Sally. She is making progress in her recovery, but still needs all the prayers you can send her way.

Sally has at least one family member with her at all times. They made a schedule to make sure she is not alone at any time. She's now eating, but doesn't care for the hospital food. I have to agree with her on that point. She's remembering a lot of things from the past, but recent memory is still not as good. Stroke recovery can be a long journey, but we are believing for it.

Thank you, in advance, for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.

Prayer Request

My cousin, Sally, had a stroke Sunday evening. Family and friends have been holding her in prayer. She is now conscious and has been able to communicate. She has some movement in arms and legs, and most importantly, knows her family and knows where she is (though she wants to go home).

She is healthy and strong, a dancer, but the bloodclot is in a dangerous place. Her recovery may take quite some time. She needs a miracle.

I would appreciate those of you who pray, to pray with us believing for that miracle.