Prayers for Marissa

I was filled with so much joy as I watched our "baby" girl, dressed in her Prom finery two weeks in a row. I watched her, head held high during not one, but two grand march events. I watched her laugh and smile and dance and just look so beautiful with her handsome boyfriend. They attended the "Mardi Gras"! She had a wonderful time at her "Hollywood" after prom! I watched her run like the wind at the track meet just Tuesday. WHAT Joy! By Tuesday night, she was very, very ill. Joy very quickly turned to concern. How could that beauty and finery fade so quickly? Your prayers are invaluable to us as we search for answers to her illness. Dizzy, lightheaded, unable to eat or drink or hold anything down, hour after hour, and I was up with her most of the night. She stayed home most of the day Wednesday alone, sick and scared, and I took her to the doctor Wednesday afternoon. This strong beautiful athlete could barely walk, and barely sit up to talk to the doctor. Many, many tests later, we are still unsure. God knows....we do not. An ultrasound today, we still do not know....but God knows. Tomorrow, more tests, more consults...perhaps we will know tomorrow. 1 Peter 5:7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you." Please pray for her strength and that she can eat and drink. Pray for her doctors and through all of the tests, that they will find the answer and the correct treatment. Pray that she will soon be up and running again! Oh, and her mama could use some prayers too, for rest and peace.... Matthew 6:27 "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Matthew 6:30 "If God cares for the wildflowers, does he not care for you?" Phillipians 4:6-7 "Worry about nothing. Pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done." I love you Marissa Rose, the sweetest flower that grows! Update and Prayers of Thanksgiving: Back from more tests and praising God for His hand in this. The ultrasound of her kidneys came back normal!!!! Her white count and bacteria are better. Kidney function is still not normal, but a little better today than Wednesday. Protein in her blood could be from injury or stress to her muscles. Muscles get tired too and they start falling apart....sort of like stressed Mom's do. Protein from the muscles can spill into the bloodstream, not good or normal, but maybe nature's way of saying, "slow down, rest, drink, eat well, give us time to heal." All of this is such a guessing game. What I do know is that she got up and walked to the van, walked into the doctor's office and I saw a few smiles. Afterwards, she asked for a slushy!!! Do you know how excited I was? She had some beautiful blue lips from that Blueberry slushy! She also asked me to buy popscicles, and went on to ask for chicken noodle soup broth! She will be resting all weekend, try to go to school on Monday and will have to do no athletics or strenuous activty until her bloodwork comes back normal. We will take this day by day, week by week and get her well!!! Thanks for all of your prayers and concern. We can see the light today................

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Happy 3rd Birthday Braylyn Ray!

Love you forever, Grandma Carol

God's Masterpiece

From graceful lilies pure and white, God fashioned lovely skin,

Forget-me-nots he chose for eyes, Then formed your baby chin.

He took a tulip bright and red -- Twas one that did not fade;

A softer, sweeter little mouth Before was never made.

Another flower next He used - A rosebud, pink and fair;

Touched it to your dimpled cheeks And bade it blossom there.

Then with His magic fingers picked Two morning glories white;

Curled and shaped your little ears, Soon they were fastened tight.

That crowning bit of golden down will soon become your hair;

He gathered pollen from the flowers, And sprinkled it with care.

For dainty little fingers dear and precious, tiny toes,

He used slender daisy frills; A snowdrop made your nose.

This world and all within it He created here for man;

But Braylyn was "God's Masterpiece" Since time and life began! -author unknown

Pashmina

My sister, Kristy, has gone to Isreal and we are praising God for her safe return. She is so loving and giving....her gifts to her sisters were these beautiful pashmina wraps,also called a pashmina stoles, shawls, or scarves. She thought of us as she traveled, wishing we too could be wrapped in this place....warm, cared for, loved.





Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh (پشمینه), made from Urdu and Persian pashm ("wool"). The wool comes from changthangi or pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Pakistan and northern India. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, woven and embroidered in Kashmir, and made from fine cashmere fibre.

Kristy came home bearing gifts for all. She came home with stories and love for people she met along her journey. She came home with Jesus, closer now to her heart. She talked of the Garden, of walking the streets Jesus walked carrying the cross. She talked of Calvary, and the tomb where he was laid. She was baptized in the Jordan River.

She saw remains of a prehistoric buildings that have been discovered in the modern city of Tel Aviv. The three room structure is about 8,000 years old and was built in the Neolithic period when most humans moved from a nomadic existence into permanent settlements. Years and years of erosion, earthquakes and abandonment deemed these structures lost and irretrievable, yet, now, she saw workers, painstakingly taking out bits of these structures, piece by piece, and reassembling them, again piece by piece, "like a puzzle", to recreate pieces of history...a newfound need and desire to see what Jesus saw.

"And leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capharnaum on the sea coast …" (Matthew 4:13).

From Mount of Precipice on the southern outskirts of Nazareth to Capernaum, my sister visited the same places and saw the same landscapes that Jesus visited and saw.

It seems like a dream to me that she has been there. It probably seems like a dream to her as well, but she has gifts and trinkets and stories and pictures and memories. And now, more than before, she carries Jesus in her heart. She was able to walk where he walked. I am so proud of her and happy for her that she was able to make this journey. She now can be the vessel to share these stories with us.



Praise God with me for her safe return, and, while you are praying, please pray for her big beautiful family. They are having some major family concerns, and she covets your prayers to bring this family back together, whole, healthy and well. Join with me in praying that her newfound closeness to Jesus will be a step in the right direction! She has just returned from walking where Jesus walked and now, I know He is right beside her, holding her hand. How amazing is that?

Makayla

There are things that we don't want to happen,

But we have to accept them;

Things we don't want to know,

But have to learn;

And people we don't want to live without,

But have to let them go. -Author unknown

This precious little girl, Makayla, has won the battle and earned her heavenly reward.

Prayers have been uttered around the nation for this little girl, for her pink, girly, "Makayla Miracle"! We can not understand why the answer to our prayers sometimes comes in death instead of renewed health.

Why can we not keep those we love with us on this earth?
Why does a family have to go through such suffering?

What lessons could possible be learned from this?

Her mama, Krista is a beautiful, loving young lady and she worked and worked, and tried everything to save her baby. When the answer became very evident to them, she shared with the world on Caring Bridge, how peaceful it was and how mom and dad told her how much they loved her and that if she was ready to go, it was ok.....They held her as she took her last breaths. They are teaching us....this is exactly the way to do things. They loved her enough to let her go.

Mama Krista, you are so beautiful. I have not seen you much over the past years, but I love you! Look at those smiles! Remember this picture when your heart becomes too heavy to bear.

I have learned so much from this young family...love, beauty, caring, giving, strength, courage...

In their loss, they are thanking us for our prayers for peace and comfort, and asking us to continue to pray for their 2 other children as they learn what life is like without their big sister.

Even now, they asked for no flowers, nothing for themselves. Instead, they ask us to use the donation for a toy for the Children's Care Hospital. They had donated many of their childrens' toys there at Christmas. Makayla said, "It's okay Mom, I have lots..." I know Makayla would love this, and it will help to pass on her smile to so many more kids."

They are teaching us to give. Tables and tables loaded with toys were collected at the celebration and will give so much joy and many, many smiles to children in honor of Makayla. Her smile will live on.

Makayla is still teaching me through her parents' selfless actions.... Give, share, love. A friend wrote that the celebration of life was fun and beautiful. How does one do that??? The saddest time of their lives I am sure, but they worked to make it a celebration geared towards happiness and fun. This friend said that usually funerals are so sad, but she left the celebration with smiles and remembrances of happy times. I was unable to be there that day, but I can not erase the vision of pink balloons from my mind.



I have NO IDEA how one survives the loss of a beautiful child, but I have been watching the story unfold, and I am sure I will continue to marvel at the strength of this family. Please continue to pray for this young family, that they can continue to remember happy times, times of love and sharing and laughter before Makayla became ill, that they know that they know that they know that they did everything humanly possible for this child, that the decision was in God's hand, and that they know that God holds their hands and walks this journey with them. Makayla no longer walks this earth beside you, but she will forever be in your heart.

-photo by Jaci Moser

Looking UP!

I received this in an email from a friend, Mary Jane. I do not know who is responsible for writing it , so I can not give proper credit. I thought it was some pretty outstanding material for all of us to share, oh, and I decided to give you a beautiful taste of spring which is right around the corner. I took all of these pictures last spring, but can't wait to get out there and take some more....if spring would just hurry up!!! Things always seem to be "looking up" in the spring! Enjoy!!!



1. Wake Up !! Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalms 118:24



2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7



3 . Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen.. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3



4. Stand Up!!..... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as w e have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10



5. Look Up !!... To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13



6. Reach Up !!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6



7. Lift Up !!... Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything;
Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6