Just a little reminder today--
"Persistence -Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave." ~Calvin D. Coolidge
We are so proud of you, Jonathon.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
He's BAAAAAACK!
Yesterday, Jonathon returned to UGA for the fall semester. Although to most, this might seem to be a rather insignificant feat--to us, it's monumental.
For a variety of reasons, I chose to not share all that transpired last fall when he returned to campus, but suffice it to say that the fall of 2009 was fraught with frustrations, disappointments, and surrender. Jonathon began classes in his major in the fall of 2009 and quickly became overwhelmed with the demands of the curriculum. As he shared with the Dean of Student Services, he simply "shutdown" as opposed to having a "meltdown". As a result, he ultimately came home in late October and remained at home during this past spring semester. After seeking advice from his therapist and getting an order from his doctor, as well as gaining approval from his vocational/rehabilitation counselor (and upon Jonathon's intense desire to return to class), we determined that the best (and most sensible) course of action would be for him to return ONLY if he limited his enrollment to two classes. Therefore, he is enrolled in two classes this fall--one meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the other meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are hopeful that this schedule will afford him the best possible outcome.
As he begins this fall semester, we have several specific prayer requests:
1. that his funding be enough to cover his expenses
2. that he utilize any and all resources and support services available to him
3. that he is confident of his abilities
4. that he achieves success in his classes
5. that, above all else, God shows him the way to achieve his goals and that Jonathon remains diligent in his faith.
Please join us in asking the Lord for a successful return to campus for Jonathon! And..........GO DAWGS!!!!
For a variety of reasons, I chose to not share all that transpired last fall when he returned to campus, but suffice it to say that the fall of 2009 was fraught with frustrations, disappointments, and surrender. Jonathon began classes in his major in the fall of 2009 and quickly became overwhelmed with the demands of the curriculum. As he shared with the Dean of Student Services, he simply "shutdown" as opposed to having a "meltdown". As a result, he ultimately came home in late October and remained at home during this past spring semester. After seeking advice from his therapist and getting an order from his doctor, as well as gaining approval from his vocational/rehabilitation counselor (and upon Jonathon's intense desire to return to class), we determined that the best (and most sensible) course of action would be for him to return ONLY if he limited his enrollment to two classes. Therefore, he is enrolled in two classes this fall--one meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the other meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are hopeful that this schedule will afford him the best possible outcome.
As he begins this fall semester, we have several specific prayer requests:
1. that his funding be enough to cover his expenses
2. that he utilize any and all resources and support services available to him
3. that he is confident of his abilities
4. that he achieves success in his classes
5. that, above all else, God shows him the way to achieve his goals and that Jonathon remains diligent in his faith.
Please join us in asking the Lord for a successful return to campus for Jonathon! And..........GO DAWGS!!!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Real Thing
Monday, July 5, 2010
July 4, 2010
Two of my favorite guys in the whole world celebrating the 4th of July--decked out in their red, white, and blue! (Okay, one's in red and white; the other's in blue and white. It works.) God Bless America. God Bless us!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
One CJC and I'm a GrandMary!
"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged" ~ Proverbs 17:6
Of course, the arrival of Carson also made Taylor and Portia parents, Blair an aunt, and Jeff and Jon uncles (or as Blair teasingly quipped, "Juncles"!) Realizing how close we came to not having Jonathon here to share in this miracle makes me appreciate anew the grace and mercy of our God. The expression on Jonathon's face says more than I could ever say here........THIS is a picture that I will never forget! How blessed we are!
Sweet Carson--"Through you, I see the future. Through me, you'll see the past."
On Thursday, June 10, 2010, at 3:37 p.m., our lives again changed forever. With the birth of our first grandchild, Carson James Clark, we immediately began a new chapter in our lives, and witnessed the beginning of the next generation of Clarks. Wow! That's a pretty big statement about such a tiny person!
Carson arrived a bit early (at 36 weeks) but still weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs. 10 oz. He was 20 1/2 inches long and, of course, is the most beautiful baby ever! (Don't all grandparents think that?--I am actually right, however! Haha!) See for yourself! Any arguments? I didn't think so!
Carson arrived a bit early (at 36 weeks) but still weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs. 10 oz. He was 20 1/2 inches long and, of course, is the most beautiful baby ever! (Don't all grandparents think that?--I am actually right, however! Haha!) See for yourself! Any arguments? I didn't think so!
Of course, the arrival of Carson also made Taylor and Portia parents, Blair an aunt, and Jeff and Jon uncles (or as Blair teasingly quipped, "Juncles"!) Realizing how close we came to not having Jonathon here to share in this miracle makes me appreciate anew the grace and mercy of our God. The expression on Jonathon's face says more than I could ever say here........THIS is a picture that I will never forget! How blessed we are!Sweet Carson--"Through you, I see the future. Through me, you'll see the past."Friday, May 7, 2010
Our New Yard Man
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Proof is in the Resurrection
For most of us, Sunday represents the beginning of a week but the conclusion of a weekend. For Christians, Easter Sunday represents the very foundation of our faith. The birth of our Savior on Christmas marks the beginning of a life prophesied in scripture which would conclude not in death but in resurrection, also prophesied. Without the fulfillment of that prophecy, there would be no Christianity. Easter IS Christianity! As our pastor puts it, "Christmas is the promise; Easter is the proof!"
In concluding our weekend/starting our week, we attended church service and shared lunch with the family. After lunch, I asked the group to pack what we have come to call our "Grady Bags", the care bags that we deliver to the ICU waiting areas at Grady and that we have now made into an Easter tradition. Each bag was filled with cookies, crackers, trail mix, Easter candy, a card game, a notepad and pen, gum, hand sanitizer, bottled water, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. We topped each bag off with a note letting the recipients know a little about Jonathon's story and telling them that they will be in our prayers. It's funny really; I never know exactly how many bags to take, so it's a bit of a guessing game to determine. I remember the first year we took them (2006), we carefully planned and decided that eight bags would be enough (based on the number of family groups we typically encountered in the ICU waiting room when Jon was there). The eight bags were enough, but we left wishing we had taken a few more to share with some of the larger groups. Each year we have increased the number that we take, and each year we leave thinking that we could have easily shared even more. We always seem to have enough (thank God) but it is such a joy to share them, we find ourselves wanting to do more. This year we took 18 bags, and for the first time ever, we were left with one bag after giving them to each family group and giving more than one to larger families. As we left the hospital, we stopped at the Information Desk and shared the final bag with the worker there. Her smile and appreciation made the decision so right! I'm not sure if she was a volunteer or a paid employee, but the fact remains that she was not with her family on Easter Sunday--something that I hope I never have to experience. The families that we met were also so sweet and appreciative; each of them sharing their story and genuinely touched to be remembered. What they couldn't know was that the greatest appreciation was ours. We are so grateful to the medical staff and to our family, friends, and even strangers for the support that they gave us during those darkest days as well as the days that followed, this is simply our way of saying, "Thank You".
One of the other highlights of my day (and by far not the least) was the pure joy I experienced as my sweet daughter-in-law let me feel our little grandson move. As we ate lunch, she said that he was moving and asked if I'd like to feel him (ha, yes!). I gently placed my hand on her expanding tummy and felt the sweetest little nudge. It was almost as if he were saying, "Hi GrandMary! Guess what? I'll be there soon!" PURE, UNMEASURABLE JOY! I'm wiping away tears just writing about it! It was simply amazing......God is so good!
As I prepare to begin another week, I am counting the blessings that we've already seen and anticipating the miracles yet to come! I am so ready!!!
In concluding our weekend/starting our week, we attended church service and shared lunch with the family. After lunch, I asked the group to pack what we have come to call our "Grady Bags", the care bags that we deliver to the ICU waiting areas at Grady and that we have now made into an Easter tradition. Each bag was filled with cookies, crackers, trail mix, Easter candy, a card game, a notepad and pen, gum, hand sanitizer, bottled water, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. We topped each bag off with a note letting the recipients know a little about Jonathon's story and telling them that they will be in our prayers. It's funny really; I never know exactly how many bags to take, so it's a bit of a guessing game to determine. I remember the first year we took them (2006), we carefully planned and decided that eight bags would be enough (based on the number of family groups we typically encountered in the ICU waiting room when Jon was there). The eight bags were enough, but we left wishing we had taken a few more to share with some of the larger groups. Each year we have increased the number that we take, and each year we leave thinking that we could have easily shared even more. We always seem to have enough (thank God) but it is such a joy to share them, we find ourselves wanting to do more. This year we took 18 bags, and for the first time ever, we were left with one bag after giving them to each family group and giving more than one to larger families. As we left the hospital, we stopped at the Information Desk and shared the final bag with the worker there. Her smile and appreciation made the decision so right! I'm not sure if she was a volunteer or a paid employee, but the fact remains that she was not with her family on Easter Sunday--something that I hope I never have to experience. The families that we met were also so sweet and appreciative; each of them sharing their story and genuinely touched to be remembered. What they couldn't know was that the greatest appreciation was ours. We are so grateful to the medical staff and to our family, friends, and even strangers for the support that they gave us during those darkest days as well as the days that followed, this is simply our way of saying, "Thank You".
One of the other highlights of my day (and by far not the least) was the pure joy I experienced as my sweet daughter-in-law let me feel our little grandson move. As we ate lunch, she said that he was moving and asked if I'd like to feel him (ha, yes!). I gently placed my hand on her expanding tummy and felt the sweetest little nudge. It was almost as if he were saying, "Hi GrandMary! Guess what? I'll be there soon!" PURE, UNMEASURABLE JOY! I'm wiping away tears just writing about it! It was simply amazing......God is so good!
As I prepare to begin another week, I am counting the blessings that we've already seen and anticipating the miracles yet to come! I am so ready!!!
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