“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else. Turning away with bitter scorn from earth’s hives, where we find no honey, but many sharp stings, we rejoice in Him whose faithful word is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. In every trouble we should first seek to realize God’s presence with us. Only let us enjoy His smile, and then we can bear our daily cross with a willing heart for his dear sake.”

Charles Spurgeon

I want that mindset to rejoice in Him whose faithful word is sweeter than honey…

Ian has been awake for much more of the day now, which provides more opportunity to just hang out with him. I’ve been thinking lately about how sweet he is with Lydia. If she’s on his lap I’ll say, “Ian, tickle her arm.” And he does! He always reaches for her as soon as she’s on his lap. One time she was laying in bed with him so her face was really close to his. He just turned his head and was looking at her so sweetly. He reached over with his arm, as if just to hold her.

These are such sweet tokens to us that Ian is still with us…

Thanks for praying

Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

….is something that God has been teaching me about a lot lately. Mercy is undeserved favor. I have more thoughts than I can put together right now (I should’ve gone to bed awhile ago but Ian’s wide awake and I’d rather be with him!) but it’s been on my heart so much lately. And mercy in so many forms. I want to understand this deeper, but it is God’s mercy that we do not all suffer horrible things on earth and we do not suffer in the ways that we deserve. And for those of us that do suffer, we still have no comprehension of what God’s wrath would feel like- only Jesus knows that.

Visiting a friend in the hospital tonight, I was reminded of another kind of mercy. God has had much mercy on Ian physically from day one. He has suffered much but he has received much by the way of healing. That he still has his life seems to me more like mercy on our family than it is on him. Ian would be perfected if he were to be in heaven right now- but instead God kept him here for us to enjoy.

Mercy is something that I want to continue to learn about, because it’s incredible.

Ian’s therapists were thrilled at what he did in speech. They didn’t have time to give details, but they said it was the best yet that he’s done.

Thank you, as always, one year and one month later, for still praying

Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

“Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for our deliverance, as it is our eager expectation and hope that we will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in our bodies, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

While on a date at Eat n Park with Lydia tonight, I asked her what she’s looking forward to doing with Ian when he gets better:

“Playing on his feet” (he used to dance with her all the time, and she would stand on his feet while he danced).

“And I wish he could come here with us and he could play and I could share my cookie with him.”

“Talking to him.”

“Play with him.”

“Go on a walk with him.”

“Eating dinner. I wish he could sit next to me at dinner.”

I want to pray for these things to happen….Please pray that Ian would be motivated to keep working for us.

Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Ian has come a long way. We have something of a routine in the evening that includes helping Ian re-learn to sit up. We were reminding ourselves of how far he’s come in that area. When we first started six months ago or so, he could barely hold his head up. Then we noticed he was holding his head up, but he couldn’t keep his body from lunging around in different directions. Then, at another point we were noticing how much better he was doing with that. We have a bar attached to the therapy table I made that we would have him try to use to hold himself up, but he couldn’t seem to grab the bar with any consistency. Then, we noticed he did that with consistency. I created another attachment for the table that would keep him from falling backwards hard onto the therapy table, and we’ve noticed he doesn’t need that anymore. Last night, we noticed he probably doesn’t even need the bar anymore. He holds himself up well. He’s making progress, but it’s so painfully slow.

This is the season God has given all of us. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will be glad and rejoice in it despite the pain we’re experiencing.

Pray that Ian would be able to talk to us.

Steve

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

“Savior, teach me of the cross.”

Even if Ian were to be healed completely tonight, that would not be the most amazing thing that God has done in his life. The story of Ian’s salvation is far greater than any story of healing. The story of the cross is far more glorious than any story of healing leppers. God came looking for Ian and saved him. God plucked his feet out of the net, delivered him from his sin, and gave him eternity. God has dealt mercifully with Ian. God willed Jesus to die on the cross and be punished for every sin that Ian ever has or ever will commit. Ian has been spared from much. Ian has been given a new heart, a heart of flesh, a heart that loves God and desires to please him. What a drastic change from the heart of stone that he had prior to being saved.

Oh to remember this above all else. Above any coma, any sickness, any sadness. To give God the glory that He deserves for what He has done…

Thank you, always, for praying for Ian

Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

‘To live is Christ, to die is gain’.Phil 1:21
Which of these will be our portion, God himself will decide.”

-John Piper

As of today, Ian will be kicking his left foot to say “no.” This will help the therapists and us to distinquish more easily between yes and no. Yes will still be a long blink. I right away thought that him using his foot sounded really dumb because it seems like such a step backward from normal communication. But it is a means to an end, and ultimately we just want Ian to be able to communicate his needs clearly.

Please pray for him

Larissa

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.

Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 30:1-5

We should take refuge in Him because of this! When we are weary we can trust in the God who has ascended into heaven and come down, who has gathered the wind in His fists, who has wrapped up the waters in a garment, who has established all the end of the earth. This is an amazing God, surely He can be our refuge!

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None

Those three seemingly simple words were in one of the songs that we sang at Resolved tonight, our church’s campus ministry. My Faithful God. If only I could believe that in just half of my thoughts throughout the day. Before this trial, I could’ve said those three words light-heartedly. Now instead I need to shout them in my mind because I so badly need to believe them.

God has proven his faithfulness to us again and again. But I have not yet found the way on my own to keep my mind focused on his faithfulness in my past instead of looking only at the trials of today. This is where I need grace. This is where Ian needs grace.

Please consider fasting with us on Wednesday. Specific prayer is that Ian would be able to communicate to us with his blinking. The therapists at the hospital are having trouble with his consistency in communicating with them. We’re not sure if this is because of his mood or because he hasn’t built up trust with them yet or really what it is. Pray that God would help him to communicate clearly.

As always, thank you for praying for ian.

Laris

  Filed under: Uncategorized
  Comments: None