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Ian, on what heaven is like

By admin,

I don’t know – its not for us to know. It’s better than this place. And that’s enough for us to be excited. And that’s all we need to know.

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By admin,

Ian had an appointment today with his neurosurgeon who did his original emergency surgery. On the same floor, just down the hall from the ICU that both Ian and Steve had brain surgery in. Hated to be there. And making me cry on so many levels, the doctor told Ian that he is the sickest patient he has ever had who has survived.

So glad he’s alive. Wish Steve were too.
-L

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dance with me

By admin,

Thank you for healing me;
I was dying beneath my shame
But You brought me to life again, and I will sing:
Thank you for freeing me
I was dead to the truth of You,
But my healing was in Your wounds, and now I sing:
Thank you for healing me.

Though outwardly I may waste away,
On the inside I´ll be more alive every day.
As I walk through times of pain and grief
There´s a deeper truth inside of me…
You have placed Your life inside of me.


both ian and i have been feeling unwell over the past few days/weeks. god has been teaching us much but at times have grown weary and discouraged. tonight was a night that i would be alone with ian, without his brother here working and helping with transfers and the like. i didn’t work all day, not feeling well enough, and i found myself feeling anxious about being alone to care for ian – evenings that i typically look forward to with much anticipation. 

but god has met us, and met this very tiny request of meeting our needs just on this night, which is a speck of our lifetime. ian has made me laugh, made our roommate jen laugh, forgotten her name which made us laugh really hard, and he has cared for me. we took a walk. we watched a movie. and just after i had hung up the phone, he told me he wanted to dance with me. and on pandora was a song that i had been searching for all week, and it was a perfect moment. a perfect moment because ian was showing god to me, loving me, asking me to dance with him, caring for me. and we were dancing to words of healing, and mercy, and life. this is my husband who, two years ago, could not sit up in bed by himself. his dad, and i, and his caregiver had to hold him for strength. and now, even though his arms and legs are tired, he’s pursuing a dance with his wife. 

i am so grateful to the lord for my husband, and for these moments of sweetness and fellowship with the lord. i’m reminded each day that we are most clearly met when we are most weak.

thank you, always
i&l
…bless the lord, oh my soul…

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Race for Hope

By admin,

Thank you to everyone who supported us in the Race for Hope DC, which raised more than $2 million for brain cancer awareness and brain tumor research. We ran and walked with more than 11,000 people. It was quite an experience. Hopefully Team 828 will make more appearances around the area:)

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A Window into Ian’s Faith

By admin,

Ian was awake today for most of the afternoon. He fell asleep around 5pm, and I never roused him again before I left about an hour later. To see him in that state is draining emotionally. While I have confidence in the kindness, goodness and wisdom of God to do the best thing in his circumstances, I know we’re built by God to love and to grieve when the ones we love are taken from us whether by death or departure or, in this case, by a coma. I’ve discovered first hand that sorrow and grief are draining. But, God lifts me up as the Psalmist says in so many places. “He restores my soul.”

I’ve had a growing sense of satisfaction, lately, about the strength of Ian’s faith; it’s been consoling. I obviously haven’t been able to observe it in Ian, since he can’t talk to me. But, as I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Larissa Whiteley (who has been living with us since the wreck), as I’ve watched her respond to this very difficult circumstance with faith and as I’ve read her very meaningful and theologically sound posts on this blog, I’m aware from things she’s said to me that Ian had a lot to do with her responses today. Ian had a significant influence on her growth in faith by challenging her attitudes and decisions, teaching her truth, and encouraging her as she pursued God. I know Ian trusts Christ to save him, and I know that he was growing in his faith prior to his wreck. But, observing her faith up close and personal provides me a unique perspective on Ian’s faith, a window into his faith that I might not have had. I would have preferred not to peer into that window this way, but it means a lot to me to have the opportunity. Thank you, Larissa. God is good.

We want Ian back. Pray for Ian.

Steve

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Change is Good

By admin,

Ian and I have been talking about how we can change the blog to better serve our readers and those faithfully praying for us. Over the past five years, the blog has morphed significantly – initially set up as a way to update our friends and family on the constant changes to Ian’s immediate health right after the accident, we now don’t have many medical updates or big progress posts. We’ve entered into a new style of life, one that without a miracle, will become and has become the new normal. With that, we feel that the messaging of our blog has changed and will continue to change, hopefully without losing sight of the gospel or the reason that most of you visit the blog – to simply pray for ian.

Where we see the blog taking us for the next few months and if the lord allows, the next few years, is to really be able to share with our readers what it looks like to live in the midst of a significant disability at a young age and what it means as a christian to live that every day. and, more importantly, to not just live it, but to share the battle to see the beauty and grace that encompasses a life (and marriage ) disabled. we know that our blog already has expressed this in some ways, but we want to be more intentional in what we share and how we share it.
The first addition is a new daily gratefulness list, which is a right-link as a flickr photo stream. We know that daily thanking God for all of his blessings is critical in fighting against bitterness in the face of suffering. colossians 3:15 says it best – “and be thankful.”
We also have some exciting ideas and really great things coming up the first of the year to share with everyone.
More importantly, we want each of you, our readers, to know that you have played a role in our lives that we won’t fully understand until we reach heaven. in ian’s words, “thank you.”
We are grateful and continue to pray for grace to humbly share our lives/struggles/joys with you.
with love
i&l

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By admin,

Ian said to write whatever I wanted tonight and said he wanted prayer for whatever I think he needs prayer for. I caught on quickly and realized he was brushing it off on me because he’s totally distracted by Oprah’s soothing voice on the Discovery Channel’s premiere of “Life.” He’s such a loser..

So, since I have to guess, I would ask prayer for Ian’s initiation and that he would have a breakthrough here at therapy. We don’t have a date of when he will be discharged- he’s allowed to stay as long as he’s making progress.
Thank you for your prayers
Larissa (and not really Ian)

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By admin,

again i need to apologize for not keeping the blog up very well. there is nothing too new to report. ian had some testing done in pittsburgh today that went well. this weekend i’ll start moving into our new house, plus we’re running a 5k for brain cancer research in DC on Sunday.

Almost exactly four months until we get married. it’s going fast, but at the same time i feel like we’ve been engaged forever. still praying that ian will be walking and standing at our wedding, but trying not to put my hope in that.
thank you for praying. please continue to pray for ian’s memory and that he would initiate conversation.
i&l

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