In All Things

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." ~H. U. Westermayer

I have no clue who H. U. Westermayer is. I tried “Googling” the name and consistently came up with this single quote and only this—no biographical notes, no commentary, nothing. I don’t know Westermayer’s gender, ethnicity, or religious affiliation, but I know this: Of all the quotes I’ve read on Thanksgiving, this one stands out the most to me. Why? I think it’s because it forces me to face the fact that life isn’t always easy, but that whatever our circumstances, we have much for which to be thankful. I think the apostle, Paul, said it best in his letter to the Philippians when he declared, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4: 11-13)

After researching and reviewing the travails of our pilgrim forefathers, I am ashamed of some of the things about which I have ever uttered even the tiniest complaint! Unless you’re a history buff, my guess is that you, too, have forgotten much of what these early settlers encountered:

• It took three attempts to finally set sail from England due to issues with a second ship, the Speedwell, which was originally intended to sail to America along with the Mayflower.


• Of the 102 passengers who were on the Mayflower, only two did not survive the voyage; however, after their first winter (spent on the ship off the coast of Massachusetts) only 53 of the original passengers survived.


• The Mayflower veered off-course during its more than two months at sea and landed some 600 miles from the ship’s original destination. It was supposed to hit landfall somewhere near the Hudson River in an area of northern Virginia, but instead arrived off the rocky coast of Massachusetts after winter had already moved into the area, a harsh New England winter at that.


• Their arrival was documented by William Bradford, a prominent member of the pilgrim expedition who was thereafter elected Governor of the new Plymouth Colony, “Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof”.

Okay, so maybe you didn’t need a refresher course on the history of the pilgrims, but the point is, THEY GAVE THANKS! They “blessed the God of heaven” for delivering them! They had already endured SO many difficulties (and would face many, many more), but THEY GAVE THANKS! And that is what we, too, are charged to do—to thank Him in ALL things!

In the thirty-five plus years that David and I have been married, we have shared much joy as well as much heartache. We’ve rejoiced in the births of our children (and grandchild) and wept unashamedly as our parents, grandparents, and other oh-so-loved ones departed this life. We’ve watched our children grow into beautiful, responsible, loving adults and known first-hand the fear of losing one of them. We’ve had job-related successes as well as disappointments. We’ve enjoyed fun-filled times with friends and family members and grieved over not-so-fun-filled times. We’ve laughed—we’ve cried. And through it all, did we always give thanks? The honest—I’m not proud of—answer is, “No!” Did we thank Him at each and every opportunity we could? For the happy times, probably (I can’t even say definitely), but the hard times? I can’t say that we always have! We truly know what it’s like to have plenty and what it’s like to be in need, and yet I cannot say that we have always been thankful for the times of need. What I CAN say is that as the years go by, we are learning. We are learning to be thankful for the trials as well as the triumphs. We are learning through the trials that God is always in control and that ONLY by placing our trust in Him can we begin to grasp His overwhelming love for us. We are learning, too, that when we suffer, He cares. He really, really cares. We are learning that no matter how difficult the situation, He is always there for us to give us strength and that no matter how dark things may seem, He is always there to guide us into the light. We are learning above all that God is always FOR us, that He shares our joy as well as our heartache. For that alone, I can be thankful.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Y'ALL,
FROM OUR BLESSINGS TO YOURS!

Course Update

Quick update: Jonathon got a "B" in the online course he completed a few weeks ago! Woohoo! We are so proud of and excited for him! He worked hard, and it paid off in the end!

He has already signed up for another course and actually began the first lesson today. Please join us in prayer for success in this course as well. I ask, too, for patience as we seek God's plan for Jon.

Is the Tide Gonna Reach My Chair?

We just returned from a wonderful, relaxing (or should I say wonderfully relaxing?), nine day vacation on Okaloosa Island in Ft. Walton Beach. As Jon reminded me, this was the first family vacation we've taken since 2004. Sadly, though, after trying to find a time when everyone would be able to be there, our daughter was still unable to join us as she had just started a new job and didn't feel comfortable taking vacation time so soon. But...our boys were all there! Jon was with us the entire time, Jeff and Sarah were there for the first half of the trip, and Taylor, Portia, and Carson joined us for the second half. We actually had one night that overlapped! It was such fun for David and me to have them all there.

For those who have never taken a fall trip to the Gulf coast, I highly recommend it! The weather was perfect--mid 80's every day with a fabulous breeze. The Gulf was a bit cool but not so much so that you couldn't go out a bit in it (David, I admit, is a little more adventurous than me in that area). We enjoyed sunny days both on the beach and poolside. I started and completed two books, "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo and "Mount Vernon Love Story" by Mary Higgins Clark, and I enjoyed both very much. "Heaven is for Real" is the true story of a little boy's visit to heaven while undergoing life-saving surgery. The book is written by his father and tells of the experiences his son shares with him in the weeks and months following his heavenly visit. It's a quick read with a lasting impact. "Mount Vernon Love Story" is Mary Higgins Clark first novel and is based on information she gathered while doing research on our country's forefathers. It, too, is a quick read and highly enjoyable, providing a wonderful glimpse at the heart and character of the man who served as our nation's first president. I also resumed reading "Plan B" by Pete Wilson. I began reading this book last spring, but put it down and just never found the time to get back to it. It is written in a simple to understand manner and speaks directly to those situations which we cannot control. It is a reminder that there are sometimes situations and events in our lives for which there is no easy explanation and over which we have no control. It is a further reminder that just because WE aren't in control doesn't mean that HE isn't! The book is even sub-titled "What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought he would?" I am still working my way through this one but I can already say that is is making some strong statements to me about the Plan Bs I've been forced to face in my life (sometimes I think I've moved past the Plan Bs to the Cs, Ds, and beyond). Or maybe I'm just too bull-headed to embrace the Plan B God is trying to reveal to me?

I asked Jon what his favorite part of the vacation was, and without hesitation, he said "Getting to play golf with each of my brothers and my dad". Isn't that amazing? This young man whose prognosis was beyond bleak and who couldn't even walk for an entire year six years ago was on the golf course twice during our vacation! He played once with Jeff and David and once with Taylor and David. Even though his left peripheral vision is still really poor, he gave it his best shot (no pun intended) every time he stepped up to the tee. We are incredibly blessed and so very proud of his progress. (Of course, we don't have a single picture of either of the golf outings--I'll blame David for that oversight! Haha!)I guess it doesn't matter as long as they have snapshots in their memories.

One of my favorite parts of the trip (aside from the obvious--having most of our family around us) was getting to spend time with our sweet Carson, watching him explore his surroundings and experience so many new and exciting things! One of the most fun parts for him was the little spray park that the complex had. Check out the fun here! He clearly has no fear of the water which is both a blessing and a curse; we had to watch him like a hawk! He also loved playing with the hose and would readily wash the feet of anyone coming up from the beach, whether family or stranger! He is learning to talk, and daily asked to go to the "poo" (the pool) and to play with the "i, peas" (ice, please--in the cooler). We've only been home a couple of days and I already miss that sweet voice and the pitter patter of those not-so-little feet every morning! It is so true what they say, "Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old." (Although we're not THAT old! I have to admit, though, that after chasing him around for a couple of hours, I've also realized that we're not THAT young anymore either!) :)

All in all, I think we all agree that the vacation was everything we hoped it would be and more. We enjoyed the sunshine, each other, great food, and RELAXED! And even though our girl wasn't able to join us this year, we managed to Skype a couple of times to at least share a few moments with her. Everyone has agreed that next year, we'll make the "whole family" thing happen, whatever it takes! I can't wait!

Jonathon - chillaxin by the pool
Carson LOVES the beach!
The infamous Spray Park
Jeff and Sarah's last night with us :(
Taylor, Portia, and Carson - Love this little family!
Me with my favorite Jonathon
DC and Jonathon
Okaloosa Island sunset - God's Masterpiece!
Can't wait until next year!

Negligence

"Negligence is the rust of the soul that corrodes through all her best resolves." ~Owen Felltham (British author)

I've been negligent. I know it, I own it, and I hate myself for it. When this blog began in 2005, I was eager to share Jon's progress with anyone and everyone who wanted to know. During those early months, I chronicled his every accomplishment no matter how big (or small) as well as his setbacks, again no matter how big or small. My focus was purely to celebrate Jon's life and to praise God for the miracle He granted us in his survival and recovery. Why, then, have I been negligent? Have I become complacent? Have I allowed the day-to-day happenings in my life to overshadow the blessings? Am I just plain lazy??? Unfortunately, I think that laziness is part of the culprit, and even more unfortunately, I'm afraid that in some ways I HAVE become complacent which sickens me. I mean, God performed a miracle in Jon's life! Let me say that again, GOD PERFORMED A MIRACLE IN JON'S LIFE! I see this miracle every single day, and yet sometimes I act as if having him around is so NORMAL. There are other times, however, when I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of God's mercy and grace. I look at Jon and can almost physically see the fingerprints of God on him. Yesterday was one of those days. As I drove him to Athens to take the final for the online class he's been taking (a miracle in itself), I shared with him a story that my dear friend, Shelly, shared with me. She told me that her Bible Study has been studying Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us," and that the message is basically that we are to pray "Beyond the Beyond". She said that the leader asked if anyone in the class had ever witnessed a miracle, and when no one responded, she shared Jon's story. I was reminded again of the impact his miracle has had on so many. As I shared the story with him, he reached out to me and held my hand as I wept...I told him that no matter how many times I know I drive him crazy or how often he wants me to just leave him alone, I want him to know that I NEVER forget the miracle that he is. Sometimes I need a swift kick in the rear, but at the heart of the matter, I truly do KNOW how gracious God has been. So...at the end of the day, whether Jon does well on his final or not (I'm betting he did just fine), it doesn't really matter. We've got a perfect GPA (a.k.a. GOD'S PROVISION ABOUNDS) living under our roof!

I love this picture of "story time" with Jonathon and our sweet Carson.


(Now please, Lord, help me be better at sharing and celebrating Your goodness...Beyond the Beyond!) And PS - Thanks, too, to Rhonda S. for your reminder about faith and positive thinking!

Another Trip Around the Sun

Okay, it's almost the end of July and I'm just now posting a picture of my June birthday boys, but hey, it's been a busy, busy, crazy, crazy summer! By the grace of God, these two got to celebrate their 27th birthday on June 18th TOGETHER! Thanks be to God for His amazing grace and unending love! (Pretty sure that if you didn't know they were twins, you'd never guess it either!--Probably because they're dressed differently; Haha!)

Unexpected (But Always Welcome) Visitors

An unexpected visitor the day before Memorial Day(somewhat of a blast from the past) reminded me that I haven't posted anything since April 30, which totally blew me away since I didn't think anyone besides a few family members and friends ever read this anyway! She even told me she has it bookmarked in her favorites to remind her to check periodically for updates. Apparently, however, my updates are less frequent than her checking for them! Ah well, such is my life...(By the way, it was great to see you Sue and Terry!)

So let's see--I'd say that one of the highlights of the past month was our trip to Grady to visit with the families whose loved ones were in ICU. We (David, Jon, and I) typically make that trip on Easter Sunday, but since we were in NYC at that time, we decided to make the trip on Mother's Day (clearly another highlight). Our usual visits involve taking bags of "supplies" (i.e.-snacks, small toiletries, notepads, and the like), but this year I called ahead of time to make sure we would be able to visit the waiting area and was told that we would have to get special permission to bring anything to the families and that food was prohibited. Really? I was both shocked and disappointed. When Jon was a patient there, we always had food on hand so that we didn't have to leave the floor unless we chose. After many phone calls, I was able to speak with someone in Guest Services who told me that she would see what she could do to waive the "no food" rule for us (I think it was just about the time I started crying). I assured her that everything would be pre-packaged for the families to enjoy, but unfortunately, we were denied our request. Soooooo...knowing how helpful it was to have emergency toiletries on hand, we put together bags with toothbrushes, toothpaste, tissues, notepads and pens, and to adhere to the "no food" policy, we bought McDonald's gift cards to put in them. (There is a McDonald's right next to Grady, so although not the healthiest of choices, we wanted to offer something that was convenient for the families.) In each of the bags we also included a set of notecards with scriptures of encouragement that were especially meaningful to us during our darkest hours with Jon. I've written about our Grady trips before so to those who have read those posts, this is nothing new but I can honestly say that each and every time we go, we are met with grateful hearts for the simplest of kindnesses. We get so busy with our day to day lives that we too easily forget that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of people sitting in waiting rooms all over the world on any given day praying for a miracle. From our own Grady experience, I learned that EVERYBODY has a story and just want it to be heard. We spoke with families who shared their loved one's story--from auto accidents to motorcycle accidents to heart attacks to strokes--and the common thread among each of them was HOPE. Hope for a miracle and gratitude for prayers. Isn't that something we all need? Please remember those who are dealing with a trauma in their lives and join me in asking God's protection and healing for whatever their circumstance.

Hopefully, more soon--it took me over a week to finish this one!

Helloooooo

Oh wow! I can't believe that it's April 30, and I haven't posted one single time since February 23. Trust me, it's not because nothing's been happening; I just have a tendency to let time slip away...definitely NOT a good trait to have. Soooo, let's see--first of all, I've been having an amazing time with Carson, the new love of my life! We spend every Thursday and most Fridays together, times that I treasure more than I can truly express. He is almost 11 months old now and is just on the verge of walking. He lets go of things and stands alone, but has yet to take any steps without firmly holding on to something. While most babies triple their birth weight by their first birthday, he has already more than quadrupled his! He is very well proportioned, though, topping the growth chart in height as well. I keep reminding Taylor and Portia that Taylor was wearing a size 3T at a year old, so his growth really doesn't seem unusual at all to me! He's just a big boy! He's already cut eight teeth and judging by all the drooling he does, I'd bet he's working on more. Needless to say, I am beyond proud of this little one! He is such a little ray of sunshine and a joy to each of us!


In other news, Jonathon is doing extremely well with his online class. The course is called "Oral Decision Making", and so far, he has completed two of the assignments and received grades of 98 and 100--not too shabby, right? We are so proud of him. He has been taking his time with each assignment and asking me to proof his work upon completion. I remember after the first grade came in, David asked me how much of the grade I felt I helped him receive. Without hesitation, I told him that MAYBE two of the points were from errors I found, and those errors were typographical, not content. Jonathon has a great capacity to learn and amazing writing skills; the biggest issues he struggles with are reading (due to his visual limitations)and procrastination. He has always been somewhat inclined to put things off (I can't say much--look at how long I wait to post!), thinking he has plenty of time to do whatever it is he knows he needs to do. That propensity worked fairly well before his aneurysm, but since then, I think he's still realizing that tasks that were fairly easy to complete quickly pre-aneurysm take him longer now. He just doesn't have the stamina he once had and trying to "cram" doesn't work. This has been a learning process for all of us, but having him home and realizing these things together has deepened both his and our understanding of his learning style and needs. I do ask that you continue to join us in prayer for his success with this course and any he may choose to take after this one. I think that the time in Athens was valuable for many reasons, but I also think that Jonathon now has to figure out whether academia is the right course (no pun intended) or whether he needs to focus on a job/career path that doesn't require a college degree. Seeing his success in this course as well as many he took in Athens indicates (to me, at least) that he is capable of doing the work; he just needs to to figure out if he WANTS to continue taking college courses AND if he is willing to do all that is required to be successful in every one he takes. I am confident that the Lord will guide him through these next months in reaching a decision. After all, He hasn't forsaken Jonathon thus far; I have no reason to think he would now! Jonathon and I had a discussion today that as he approaches his 27th birthday (June 18), he needs to be sensitive to hearing God's plan for his life is and that hopefully, by the time his next birthday comes around, he will be confident in that plan. If we've learned anything at all through this journey, it is that God is faithful and that He can be trusted. He truly DOES know the plans He has for each of us--we just need to willing to LISTEN and heed those plans!!!

Finally, David and I had the opportunity to visit Blair in NYC for a long weekend over Easter. We flew up on Thursday and returned on Tuesday, one of David's longest visits to date. The "plan" was for us to try to help her rearrange the furniture in her teeny apartment and come up wih some storage solutions for her. Unfortunately, after moving things around, we quickly realized that "it is what it is" and that the furniture was already arranged in the best possible way it could be for the living space she has. We WERE able, at least, to add new bedding and window treatment to her bedroom, a new rug to her living room, and make some minor repairs (a lamp that needed a new plug, a new smoke alarm--a daddy "must", batteries replaced in the carbon monoxide detector, and a wall hanging moved from the bedroom to the living area). As you can see, the apartment is tiny but charming...at least in her mama and daddy's opinion! :)
She plans to add some sort of wall decor above the bed; we moved the wrought iron piece that was hanging above it to the area above the table in the pic below.

Ah, the joys of paying the price of an Atlanta mortgage to live in a shoe box in Manhattan! And yes, the wine on the counter is compliments of Mom and Dad....a must-have in the city! Haha!

And I would be terribly remiss without adding the exciting news that another of our "babies" is engaged! That's right! In early March, Jeff asked his girlfriend, Sarah, to join our family by becoming his wife. We are so happy for the two of them and look forward to making more family memories with them. The wedding date is set for June 9, 2012, and already plans are in motion. The reception hall has been booked, the dress has been ordered, the photographer has been hired, and the Best Man has been selected and asked to do the honor. (I think the other attendants have been chosen, although I don't think they've been asked yet.) We are so touched that Jeff asked Jon to be his Best Man! When Jeff told us that he planned to ask Jon, he said, "I was born with a best man; of course, I want it to be Jon!" Jon is truly honored to have been asked and is already making plans for Jeff's bachelor party...whoa! Now THAT should be interesting! Gotta admit, I'm pretty proud of our Jeff! Sarah, you're a very lucky girl!


Can't promise anything, but INTEND to be better at posting....that's about as good as it gets! Love, love, love mi familia........ :D

How Great is Our God

AMAZING - my one word description of Jon's Walk to Emmaus weekend. God revealed Himself in such a beautiful way; Jon returned refreshed, renewed, and reaffirmed in the knowledge that God has a very special purpose and plan for his life. We are so blessed that he had this wonderful opportunity. Thank you to those who encouraged us, and to the Lord for working out all the details. You alone are God!

Timing is Everything

When the stars line up
And you catch a break
People think you're lucky
But you know its grace

It can happen so fast
Or a little bit late
Timing is everything

You know I've had close calls
When it could've been me
I was young when I learned just how fragile life can be
I lost friends of mine
I guess it wasn't my time
Timing is everything

And I could've been the child that God took home,
And I would've been one more unfinished song

~from "Timing is Everything" written by Natalie Hemby and
Troy Jones (Country Strong soundtrack)

The past few years of Jonathon's life seem to have been so much about timing--the last-minute timing of his decision to serve as a young adult chaperone at our church's Sharp Top youth retreat, the perfect timing of "Dr. Don" to also serve on that trip and ultimately make a critical assessment of Jonathon's situation, the quick timing of the Lifeflight helicopter in getting him to Grady, the precise timing of the surgeons in finding and clipping the aneurysm to hinder even further damage--all of which were part of the miracle we've realized in God's always flawless timing.

This weekend we are experiencing yet another example of God's amazing timing as Jonathon participates in Walk to Emmaus, something that we hadn't even considered until a couple of weeks ago, although David and I had attended similar walks several years ago. The opportunity presented itself through casual conversation with another church member who, knowing Jon's story, suggested that we think about sending him on this spiritual retreat as a way of affirming God's wondrous love for him and reminding him that God has a very special plan for his life. As many already know, Jon has returned home after a difficult semester at UGA and is struggling with the direction to follow in fulfilling his purpose. Although he will likely not return to UGA, he is not sure if it is time to give up on the college path, or if God is simply calling him to re-direct his focus. On one level, he knows that God spared him for a very real purpose but on another level, he is anxious to learn what that purpose is. I think we can all relate to that, can't we? We want so desperately to answer God's call, but we fear that we won't hear it.

We presented the idea to Jon and asked him to pray about whether attending the retreat was something he wanted to do, and the very next day he told us that he very much wanted to go and was excited about the opportunity. At first we worried that we had waited too long to get him in to this particular weekend and that perhaps he would be asked to wait until the next one, but something inside me (a Divine whisper?) kept telling me that this was the weekend God was calling him to attend. Although the quota for our church had already been filled, there was still room at the retreat for a few more participants. By the grace of God and after much prayer, we received confirmation for his attendance to this weekend's retreat. We drove him to the retreat center last night and from the moment we arrived, I can honestly say that I felt such peace and assurance that God had indeed called Jonathon to be there at THIS precise time. Within a very short time of our arrival, several of the individuals we met shared with us that they, too, had been at Sharp Top when Jon collapsed and had watched the miracle of his recovery unfold. Even though it has now been almost six years since this part of our life journey began--the "after the aneurysm" part, I am still so grateful to hear from those who were actually with him on that day. My heart still aches at not being there with him, but I am overwhelmed with gratitude toward those who were there to comfort and care for him. We were even approached by people who had simply heard Jon's story and were excited to have him on the Walk. As we drove home, I reflected a bit on Queen Esther's role in delivering the Jewish nation as Mordecai prophesied in saying, "Who knows but that you have been called...for such a time as this?" I also recalled something I shared in a much earlier post about a quote Jon uses which is, "God's timing isn't always our timing, but it's always perfect timing." I'm not saying that I think that Jonathon has a royal calling other than to the Kingdom of Heaven, but knowing that he is surrounded this weekend by those who know him and his story, who love him, and more importantly who love the Lord, gives me such peace and such confidence that his journey until now has led him to "such a time as this", and that Jonathon will return to us renewed in the spirit and eager to embrace all that God has planned for his life. Praise be to God, the Master timekeeper.

Welcome to Holland

If you've never read this, I urge you to take the time to read it. If you have read it, I encourage you to read it again and often. It's a wonderful reminder to each of us that even when our journey takes us to places we never imagined, we can be grateful for the trip. Thank you to my friend, Fran, for sharing this beautiful essay with me and for truly "getting it". I needed our chat today.

Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley

"Yeah, life throws you curves, but you learn to swerve." ~ Rascal Flatts