Christmas Note from Connor's Mommy

Friday, December 25, 2009

As Christmas approaches, I'm filled with mixed emotions. My family is joyously celebrating our Savior's birth and gratefully counting our blessings. As my heart sings in response to this wonderful time of celebration, it also aches for the one gift I want most and won't receive this Christmas - my Connor back with us healthy and whole. I feel like the spoiled child who says "If I can't have that, then I don't want anything at all." So, I approach this Christmas with trepidation. I'm not sure how we will get through the next few days, but I'm counting on God to get us through. A couple weeks ago, Connor's Third Grade Class dedicated their Christmas choir performance to Connor. They also recited this poem "My First Christmas in Heaven" during the performance. Tonight, the kids and I talked about how Connor can wish Jesus a "Happy Birthday" in person this year. As we look back on 2009, we remember other family members who will be spending their first Christmas in Heaven, too. We will miss Papa Burt, Grandma Mann, Uncle Al and Aunt Loretta. I'm sure they are all having quite a celebration My First Christmas in Heaven I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year. I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear But the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here. I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring, For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing. I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart. But I am not so far away, We really aren't apart. So be happy for me, dear ones, You know I hold you dear. And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year. I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above. I sent you each a memory of my undying love. After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold. was always most important the stories Jesus told. Please love and keep each other, my Father said to do. I can't count the blessing or love has for each of you. So have a Merry Christmas and Wipe away that tear Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year Please pray for us and the other families who have lost loved ones this year, like the Ledbetter and May family. Also, please pray for my cousin, Missy. She has cystic fibrosis and is 35 years old. She's in the hospital and not doing well at all. They are not sure if she will pull through this time. Always believing, Joy Cruse

Exciting News!!

This will be quick and I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to accompany it. However, last night as we were getting ready for bed, I discovered something very exciting!! I can tuck my hair behind my ears!! Yep! It's growing!! Finally!!! Yippee!!!

I know this probably isn't as exciting for all of you as it is for me, but it was pure joy! Even my sweet hubby was excited for me. I thought it was only long enough on one side, but he had me try the other side, too! Sure enough, I can tuck it behind both ears!! So, thanks for sharing in my joy!!! It's the little things these days!!

p.s. I only had one seizure yesterday and B is getting better!!! Praise the Lord!!

Quick note on my hubby & then from Connor's Mommy

May I ask each of you (you unbelievable prayer warriors) to stop for a quick moment and pray for my amazing hubby? This is the man that sacrifices so much on a daily basis to serve me when I'm not feeling well, and even when I am! ; ) He started to get a sore throat on Tuesday. He immediately started pumping his body with Vitamin C. Mom gave him some Tea Tree Oil for his throat and it cleared up quickly! Thank you, Jesus!
However, whatever this is has moved to the rest of his sinuses. He just feels yucky! He is still working so hard at work and at home! He is making every effort to still take care of me (I've had a few rough days) despite how awful he feels! He is such an amazing man! Please pray for his rapid healing and for blessings on him since he continues to take care of me when he is feeling so bad.

I love each of you for giving of your time to come & check up on us and then go to Our Father in prayer!! Bless You!!

Now, here is the note from Connor's Mommy:

Thursday, December 17, 2009

"Jesus wept." John 11:35 Such a short simple verse, yet there is so much meaning hidden in those two words. After Lazarus died, Jesus came to his tomb. Mary (Lazarus' sister) was weeping. "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." (v. 33) And in Verse 35, Jesus wept. It seems simple enough, right? What's so significant about that? It's the shortest verse in the Bible, and perhaps the most profound. He wept for their suffering, for Lazarus's pain, for the sorrow and heartache of the moment. He entered their agony and suffering, and experienced it personally. Jesus wept. Imagine that you were reading this blog from your home in a remote country completely at peace and totally secure. Your homeland is immune from the economic turmoil of these times. Its enemies cannot attack its borders. Its residents commit no crimes; its land suffers no disasters. There is no pain and sorrow. Would you leave such a home at peace for a world at war? Knowing you would be rejected by the people you came to help, abandoned by your friends and executed by your enemies? Would you come to this place, where you would experience grief, pain and sorrow along with the rest of us? Honestly, I don't think I would. This is the story of Christmas. Of all the names for the Baby of Bethlehem, my favorite is the one Isaiah gave him seven centuries before his birth: "Immanuel," which means "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). One of the earliest hymns in praise of Jesus says that he, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8). The next time you feel stressed and frustrated and alone, remember that your Savior walks with you through your darkest days and longest nights. He is with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:20). You could not come to him, so He came to you. He loves you so much that he considered your life worth His death. The King who chose to be born in a cow stall chooses to live in your heart. This is the "gospel," the "good news" of Christmas. On a day (or year) of bad news, it's the best news of all. Thanks, James Denison, for your sharing this perspective on Christmas. Always believing, Joy Cruse

Anyone Know What Today Is?

Anyone?


Guess again...


YES!! You got it! Now, let's all Praise the Lord!! Today is the 3rd Anniversary of the day that the doc's told us that the most amazing man ever created (next to Jesus, of course) was cancer FREE!! Yes, Lord!! Today is the third anniversary of a day filled with much joy and relief.

December 8th, 2006, was the day we found out that B was cancer FREE!!! We continue to pray for his cancer to stay gone forever!! Please say a prayer praising the Lord for his healing and for continued protection!!

This was the first picture taken once we got the news!!

Here's a post from B's blog earlier in the year that links back to the day we found out he had cancer and his unbelievable response!

Here is a link to the original post three years ago today, proclaiming God's miraculous powers and B being cancer FREE!!

Whatever you are doing right now (I know, you're reading this, but anything else that is keeping you busy or otherwise focused), stop doing it, and just think about how amazing our Lord is....then, Praise HIM with me that HE is a God that heals and Praise HIM that He healed my most wonderful hubby!!!!

Thank you, Lord!!!!

B, I Love You with all of my heart and look forward to every single day of forever with you!!!! A thousand generations.....

Update

To all of you....Thank you for your faithful prayers and encouraging notes! We spent the majority of Thursday trying to connect with the many physicians that have been connected in this process. It was finally the afternoon of Thursday that we were able to get M into one of the docs to get her blood-work done. Still no answers, but no more lengthy seizures...

Thursday evening, M was in pain with her stomach burning and a very tight back. The night was very restless and early in the morning M was in extreme pain in her low back and stomach, bad enough that we put in a call to her doc to be seen ASAP.

After a brief description to the doc, it was determined to start fluids and keep an eye on M. Praise the Lord....the fluids worked. Blood-work determined that M was severely dehydrated and was very ketotic. What this meant is that while the diet has been effective in keeping M in ketosis (to treat the seizures) her ketone levels were too high and was most likely causing the issues we were seeing. While not definitively diagnosed, it is also thought that the low back pain is due to kidney stones.

By early Friday afternoon, she was better and has to focus on drinking plenty of fluids to flush out any kidney stones. While still not at a 100%, M is doing okay, but still feeling a little off. Hopefully, we can get a handle on things today as we put up Christmas decorations and can get M some much needed rest as she has had several restless nights and days!

We still do not know exactly why she had the lengthy seizure, but are glad that we have not experienced it again. Thank you for your prayers!

20 minutes

Precious, Precious Prayer Warriors: Red Alert....Please pray for M as we experienced something we have not yet experienced through this entire ordeal. Tonight at 6:10, M had a seizure (number 3 for the day) that lasted 20 plus minutes. This was and is continuing to be a very shocking and scary moment. we are now 3 hours past but M is still continuing to feel like she is in a constant state of having a seizure. So, please pray with us that she would be healed and set free from these seizures. Pray for our wisdom as to whether or not we go to the hospital, pray for the docs that we may come in contact with.

I will try to update more later....

Thank YOU!!!