Easter Reflections

Happy Easter, All! Happy Easter, Y'all!

Today is "THE" reason why we embrace our Christian faith, the very essence of our belief. The birth of Jesus Christ and His ultimate death by crucifixion are key to our faith, but the resurrection is the most significant event that sets us apart from other religions. Through Christ's death and resurrection, we see the promise fulfilled. As our pastor said a couple of years ago at an Easter service, "Christmas is the promise; Easter is the proof!" Jesus suffered death upon the cross to pay for our sins and by his resurrection, we are promised eternal life with Him. Therefore, we joyfully exclaim, "Hallelujah! Christ is risen!"

Easter holds another significance for our family as well. As many of you know, Easter of 2005 fell just two weeks after Jonathon's hospitalization at Grady. The date was March 27, to be exact. In that two week period we experienced some intense lows and well as some profound highs, but in an effort to maintain as much normalcy as possible, our sweet families descended on the ICU waiting room with a traditional Shaw/Clark feast so that we could at least be together on this most holy of Christian celebrations. We were (and still are) overwhelmed at their thoughtfulness and love in wanting to share the day with us as we had done so many Easters prior. In true Southern fashion, there was enough food to feed the entire waiting room, and in equally true Southern hospitality (who doesn't love that about the South?), anyone and everyone who was there on that day in 2005 was invited to join us. In the midst of so many unknowns, one thing was clear: we were family and together, we would get through anything. Since then, we've been tested and while the outcome hasn't always been what we would have desired, we've had to trust in our Lord and affirm that when one of us feels too weak to carry on, we have a loving family support system to gently urge us along. As difficult as it gets, we know without question that we are not alone.

From that selfless act by our families on Easter of 2005, we determined that we would "pay it forward" to those who find themselves sitting in the ICU waiting room at Grady on Easter Sunday. While our offering is meager compared to the elaborate spread that we shared in March of '05, our intent is to let those family members know that they are not forgotten--that we understand what it is like to be spending their Easter in a less-than-cozy hospital waiting room. For the past seven years, we've taken gift bags filled with snacks, personal care items, notebooks, activity books, etc. as tokens of our concerns. (We were actually out of town last year on Easter, so made our trip on Mother's Day instead.) Although I admit that even after this many years, I feel a small sense of appreciation as we pull out of the driveway to take our gift bags, we ALWAYS return home with a great sense of joy at having shared a few moments of our lives simply listening to those we meet there. Today was no different.

After a beautiful church service this morning, David, Jon, and I returned home to assemble the bags and make our trip. Knowing how many bags to make is always a guessing game, but as is so like God and His perfect provision, we seem to always have enough! This year, we took 15 bags and guess what? It was a perfect number! (After delivering the bags and sharing stories with the families in the waiting room, we had ONE bag left and decided that it would be just perfect for the little man who sat at the Information desk. You should have seen his face light up! It was really cute that he got so excited over such a small token.) The patient stories we've heard over the years have ranged from automobile/motorcycle accidents to gunshot wounds to brain injuries and strokes to heart attacks. Ironically, each of the stories we heard today had something to do with head trauma, brain injury, or stroke, with patient ages ranging from 37 upward. The common thread among them all is that no matter what circumstance brought their loved one to Grady, they are all praying for a miracle. What we've learned, too, is that everybody has a story. They just want it to be heard and know that someone, somewhere cares and that, above all else, there is hope. We try to convey to them that while we don't know WHY things happen, we believe in the power of prayer and will be praying for their loved one (and for them). Having Jon with us is proof that miracles happen and offers such encouragement to these precious families. We never want to offer false hope, but what we DO want to offer is encouragement and yes, hope--hope that no matter what their journey brings, they, too, will get through it. Won't you take a moment each day to praise God for the miracles in your life and ask His presence and healing for those in need? You will be blessed beyond measure.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Happy St. Patty's Day, Everyone!

AN IRISH PRAYER

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

Let the party begin!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day 2012: Facts, Myths, and Traditions

Pretty interesting article from National Geographic:
St. Patrick's Day 2012: Facts, Myths, and Traditions

The Lucky (and Very Blessed) Seven

Once upon a time, I started a blog, a blog that I later moved and have subsequently neglected--it's been almost four months since I've posted anything at all to it. Today, I'm going to try (AGAIN) to get back on track and commit to this cyber recording of moments I want to always remember. In actuality, the blog was started FOR us by someone I barely knew (but who has since become a dear friend--thank you so much, Mickey) so that we could post updates regarding Jonathon's progress as he struggled to recover from a life-threatening ruptured brain aneurysm, and I (along with Blair and Jeff) did a good job for a really long time at keeping it updated for our family and friends. The prognosis at the time was incredibly bleak--we were told that it was so serious that he would likely not survive, and that even if he did somehow manage to live, he would exist in a vegetative state--but we prayed that God would spare our Jonathon and restore him to our family. I think we also believed that by sharing his story and enlisting an army of prayer warriors on his behalf, God would indeed hear us and answer our prayers. Well, friends, it's been SEVEN years ago today since we received that gut-wrenching news, and I owe God ALL of the glory for the amazing things that He has done in Jonathon's life as well as in each of our lives! I can hardly believe it when I look at the date and recall where we were at this time in 2005. We had been called shortly after 8:00 that morning and told that Jon had experienced what appeared to be a seizure while chaperoning a youth group trip near Jasper, Georgia, and that he was being taken to a nearby hospital. Within less than 30 minutes, we were told that his situation was so severe that he would be airlifted to Grady Hospital in Atlanta. With that news, we knew that his condition was grave. What we didn't know was just how grave or how long it would be before the word "normal" would again become part of our vocabulary. The journey toward "normal" has taken us through valleys and put us on top of mountains. We've cried rivers of tears and we've laughed uncontrollably; we've been fearful and we've been brave. We've survived, and we've realized how very, very blessed we are.

Although Jonathon's recovery and progress is always at the forefront of our thoughts and prayers, the past seven years have brought with them many other changes for the Clark family. Our oldest son, Taylor, got married five years ago and each of the siblings was part of the wedding party. As I wrote at the time, I'm not sure which sight was more beautiful--the bride or Jon as he slowly but surely made his way WALKING down the aisle, something he worked hard to do from the moment Taylor and Portia got engaged. Adding to the beauty of their marriage, Taylor and his beautiful wife, Portia, gave us our first grandchild, Carson, nearly two years ago. Can you imagine how amazing it is for us to see Jonathon as "Uncle Jon"? Check it out for yourself! Have you ever seen anything sweeter? Uncle Jon loves his Carson, and Carson loves his Uncle Jon! My dad would have called it a "mutual admiration society"!

Also in these seven years, our daughter, Blair, followed her heart and moved to New York City where she met (actually re-connected with him since she actually met him in 7th grade) and fell in love with her boyfriend, Ron. I guess you could say she not only followed her heart, she found it!(Another mutual admiration society!) And would you believe it? Ron was actually on a baseball team with Jeff when they were younger!

Speaking of Jeff...in the years since Jon's aneurysm, he also met (another re-connection since they actually have known each other since kindergarten) and fell in love with his now-fiancee, Sarah. The wedding date is June 9 of this year and Jon is the Best Man! (When Jeff told me that he was going to ask Jon to be his Best Man, he said "Mom, I've always known that Jon would be my Best Man! I was BORN with a Best Man!" Oh, how I love that!) AND...Blair is the Maid of Honor! Taylor and Portia are also in the wedding so we get another opportunity to see all our "children" in the same wedding! How very blessed we are!

Yes, the Clarks have seen many changes over the past seven years, and although our lives are far from perfect and Jonathon's recovery has not been without its struggles and setbacks, we've realized that blessings come in many ways and that sometimes you just have to shift your focus for a bit in order to see things more clearly.

"And though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm" - Praise You in This Storm (Casting Crowns)

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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!