Answered Prayer

A HEARTY THANK-YOU to everyone who has upheld Joel and Renee, since Joel's accident on Monday! It has been three days, and he is officially out of the life-threatening woods! Now entering the forest of recovery. God said, "CALL unto ME, and I WILL ANSWER thee, and SHOW YOU GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS, which thou knowest not." He proves it over and over. Hallelujah! These are the times when I'm inspired to write and sing songs of thanks to HIM!

Besides the loss of one kidney and his spleen, Joel seems to be fine internally. His lungs will heal. He had extensive surgery done on his left leg and knee. He has a metal rod now in his leg; I do not know details about that leg, but Lord willing, Joel will regain full function of the leg. (prayer request!)

He has no signs of brain damage, just a concussion- and no spinal cord or nerve damage detectable at this time. (praise request!)

Joel's cervical vertebrae were closely examined with MRI. Fracture was RULED OUT! AMEN!! He does have a broken ring finger, right foot, and ankle- which will heal. Praise God for sparing his HANDS from anything worse than one fractured finger! What a gracious God!

Joel was taken off the ventilator yesterday, and was slowly taken off the sedatives. He was very confused when he woke up. He knew he had been in the accident, but he had no idea how long he had been down. He asked if the baby had been born, and he asked if his brain was alright. He is able to speak and he is himself, but he is extremely weak. He is still in ICU, sleeping a lot, and on morphine for pain. I am praying against INFECTION.

Renee has a small cot next to his bed at the hospital. Joel is at Covenant Medical Center. Address is 3615 19th Street. Lubbock, TX 79410. Renee was much more tired on Tuesday, after Monday's huge adrenaline rush wore off. Brothers and sisters in Christ have delivered an RV for Renee to stay in, right in the parking of the hospital! WHAT A BLESSING!! I am thankful for servants and givers who see needs and MEET THEM!! Renee's parents and sister came to help her and to care for the kids. Renee is resting as much as she can, but still spending lots of time tending to all of the needs which are so important...like today...arranging a new pair of glasses for Joel as his were destroyed. All those abundant "little things" that make a BIG difference.

Baby boy-on-board is OK, too!! GOD, please continue to BLESS RENEE with amazing strength and energy now!

I will write another update soon. I'm sorry it took me this long to get an update written. I was drowning in a sea of essays. But now I'm swimming to shore... I have about 6 paragraphs to go on my LAST essay of the term. I'm like a delirious marathon runner who can't feel her legs anymore and everything's gone blurry. But I'll be crossing that finish line real soon. Then I can blog more, hopefully!

THANKS again to you all, for prayerful intervention on Joel's behalf. I know it will be an uphill climb for him and Renee. But I also know they WILL receive DIVINE HELP, SPIRITUAL COMFORT, and PERFECT PEACE that only comes from the Almighty Protector, Provider, Lover of souls. Creator of bones and skin and Giver of sight, hearing, cognition, muscle, humor, memory, all of the things that were so delicately preserved for Joel.

WE SEE YOU, LORD!

Jehovah Rapha our HEALER

For those of you praying for my brother, Joel, and his family--THANK YOU. For those of you who aren't, I want to ask you to please join me in praying.

Joel was riding his motorcycle home from work today- going home for lunch- when a vehicle collided with him when making a poorly judged left turn. Joel was medi-vac'd out of Sweetwater to Lubbock. He was bleeding internally and had emergency surgery. His spleen had burst and was removed, along with one kidney. His left femur is compound-fractured and his left knee is also broken, as well as his right foot and ankle. His lungs are injured, but not punctured. He has deep lacerations and road rash all over his body.

Renee is 23 weeks pregnant and is with him in Lubbock, nearly 100 miles from their home and from their three kids- Calvin, Donovan, and Josie.

My heart is so heavy tonight. But I do have hope knowing that Joel is right in the hand of our Father God. The safest place to be. WE ARE TRUSTING THE LORD FOR...healing. Comfort. Protection from infection. Steady, skillful hands of the surgeons as they work to repair Joel's leg, foot, and ankle. Understanding and grace for the little ones at home. Safety for the baby Renee is carrying. STRENGTH for Renee. Peace and protection for her parents as they drive up from the Valley.

We are THANKING THE LORD FOR...sparing Joel's precious life. His helmet. Protecting his brain and his HANDS, which are his livelihood and his greatest creative outlet. Joel teaches graphic animation for TX State Technical College. He is an amazing artist, songwriter, musician. Husband, Papa, son, brother, friend. He's 34 years old and he is loved deeply by all of us.

GOD be our joy, our peace, our steady Light. We BLESS Joel and Renee in the NAME OF JESUS.

Countdown to Meltdown

This evening I had what I would call a "freak-out session". It's what happens once in awhile, when I'm feeling overly overwhelmed to the point of drowning, and I let "things" get to me. Tears are always involved, the kind that come fast and furious. Said tears are usually accompanied by my nervous habit of biting my bottom lip...sometimes more of a chewing or gnarling. And a feeling of wanting escape. An insatiable desire to get in the car and just drive until I feel better. But of course, I never get out the door.

The Holy Spirit comes to my rescue when I call on Him... to calm me down, to comfort me. And while He does not take away the circumstances leading me into my mini-meltdown, He gives me that self-control, the peace and the temperance, that I may have lost for a few minutes. And then it's all over and I can think about why I'm even doing what I'm doing, and why it's worth it. Tonight I am feeling very worn out- but comforted. NOT despairing. Just really tired.

What generated my upset today was my school work. I have had a lot lately. It is several hours a day of reading and typing, reading and typing, typing, typing, reading, reading. Essays up the wazoo. I think when it is all over, I should be granted an honorary second Master's degree in essay writing. As soon as I finish one essay, I'm starting to plan the next one. It is rather grueling. I am ready for it to be DONE. But it isn't done yet. I still have lots of work to complete, and I have a deadline August 1st, which feels uncomfortably close.

Thus the freak-out session today, queue tears, lip-biting, etc. etc.

Mark- AKA my steady constant- ordered pizza, and that made it a little better. A curious form of anti-depressant, I know. It was stuffed crust. Self-medicating never tasted so good.

There isn't really a point to this entry other than to say that for me- for now- summer sunshine and sand and joyrides are on major hold. I hope to enjoy a sampling of those things in August before school starts again. But for now, I need to get back to Essay #347.

Just kidding. Kind of.

Let's end this on a happier note...LAMENTATIONS chapter 3:

"Waters flowed over mine head, {but} I called upon Your Name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. You have heard my voice. Hide not Your ear at my breathing, at my cry. You drew near in the day that I called on You. You said, 'Fear not'. O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul; You have redeemed my life." (verses 54-58)

Davida's Song Picks - JULY 2010

A Walk in the Park

Yesterday I bought a pair of sandals- the first real pair of sandals I have owned since tearing a tendon in my foot in 2007. It's so great to wear sandals again. They are the kind of sandals made for walking. I decided to break them in this evening, at a neighborhood park, after making a shamefully poor decision for dinner. (We tried the much-highly acclaimed new burger joint, "Five Guys Burgers & Fries"). It was deliciously disgusting- or disgustingly delicious-- not sure which. So anyway, after consuming what felt like enough meat and potato to FEED all five of those guys, I decided to take the kids AND my new sandals to the park and attempt to walk off at least the bun, maybe 1/2 the beef patty.

It was the PERFECT night for such a decision. The park was like a good dream. No mosquitoes, no pollen blowing around my head, no pain in my feet. The sun was starting to go down and it got "stuck" in its sunset position. Perfection! The evening was cool and I had my MP3 player. Aw yeah.

I couldn't help but notice what beautiful diversity was all around me. My fellow park-goers were all busy doing their things. It was a beautiful snapshot of melting pot America. I didn't just notice. I WATCHED, as I walked.

Many 20-something to 40-something year-old men played baseball in full uniform, as their families watched from the sidelines. I wondered how many of these men were aspiring pro-baseball players as young boys. Now as "family men", I wondered how many of them had worked all day prior to coming onto the field? And how many of them have a night shift awaiting them after the game? How many of them are out of work, facing the financial crises of their lives? Yet they were there, playing a high-energy, sweaty ball game, looking very fulfilled doing so.

My attention shifted to the soccer field, where many tweens and teens were facing off in a casual soccer match- with their pretty, tan moms looking on so proudly and chatting with crossed arms and warm smiles. A mother and two kids were walking a yellow labrador puppy, enjoying him immensely. He was the star of their show. I thought of how much joy our little Daisy has brought us since we got her last spring.

Not far off was a Hispanic man in his 40's, maybe early 50's, kicking a soccer ball around, running slowly after it. His attire, his ball, everything about him was in "el estilo puro mexicano". I missed the Rio Grande Valley for about 3 minutes. I appreciated the simplicity of his pleasure there on the field. I thought of times when I would watch boys playing soccer in Mexico. I imagined a Spanish conversation I might have with that man about the World Cup. I wondered where he was from.

Another Hispanic man was chasing two young kids through the grass, toward a large pile of woodchips. The woodchips were for the swingset area, but had not been spread out yet. When the kids reached the pile, they ran up on it and laughed and laughed. A nervous, giggling, nonstop kind of laughing. The man chasing them was laughing too, and very winded. Already at the woodchip pile stood an older woman with a strong, haggard look. She was looking after several young boys already playing on the woodchip pile, and a little girl with a physical disability, sitting in a wheelchair, sipping from a juice pouch. The woman pointed to her wrist and looked at me, asking the time without saying any words. 7:22. She nodded to say thank you, as though she was too tired to say it. I wanted to tell her to go sit down on the bench, to rest, because she looked tired, and I knew how she felt. But I kept walking...knowing that my not-so-little "Little Burger" would be haunting me forever if I didn't do something to make it go away.

On the path I was walking, another old woman was posing by a beautiful flowering tree, and a much younger Russian woman (perhaps a granddaughter?) was taking her picture with a cell phone. The old woman looked to be of Russian descent, wearing her babushka head scarf and her button-down coat and polyester skirt. Plainly not calling attention to herself, yet I couldn't stop watching her. She had the look of a content and kind woman who worked hard her whole life. I smiled at her and thought she looked stunning standing there under the white flowers and green leaves on a night like this. She smiled back at me. I wondered if that picture would be sent to some place deep in Eastern Europe, or treasured by the younger woman, after she was gone.

A boy about 11 years old was shooting hoops at the basketball court. His audience was a pudgy man who looked like he may have spent some time as a carnival worker- or perhaps as a long haul truckdriver-- and a much older man wearing sunglasses, lying on the grass next to a wheelchair, obviously his. Later I saw the boy walking beside the middle-aged man, who pushed the old man in the wheelchair. They were not saying anything, just walking.

At the playground were several moms and grandmoms pushing toddlers on swings, cuddling babies, giving lots of kisses, smiling, laughing, teaching. I wished I had a little baby again. Remembering so well the wonder of those times at the park when Hannah and Matthew were little like that. I watched Hannah and Matthew as they slid back and forth on a large metal bar overhang structure. They needed no help from me, but still looked over and waved or came over for a quick hug. Hannah walked with me for a few minutes and held my hand. Matthew was just glad to be getting a bit dirty and sweaty, jumping and running in his new tennis shoes (the kids got new shoes yesterday, too). Matthew and Hannah looked as beautiful as they did to me the day they were born. Maybe more.

As I began feeling like it was time to go, I saw a blind Asian man walking with a stick alongside two younger men who were speaking a language I will likely never understand a word of. I think they were Vietnamese. They were talking so fast. I listened in complete awe of their ability to communicate in such a way. The blind man seemed to be enjoying the air and the sounds of the other two men talking with him so energetically. I thanked God for my sight. I thought of my Dad and how he'll never again need help to walk a path. I imagined him walking with Jesus.

It was just about time to go. By now I had walked for about 40 minutes, several times around the big "track". I wondered how many of the people I had seen were watching me the way I watched them. They may have (correctly) assumed I was walking to lose weight, and I hope they thought I looked like a joyful person. Because inside, I was bubbling over. I sat down on a bench and took it all in. I thanked God for America and for His gifts. For this clean park and the security I felt there. For health. For love and for family~ these cross all cultures, and they unite us. For green grass and crabapple trees and flowers and puppies and babies. For bringing our family to Vancouver and for bringing us through so many trials since we have been here. God is so good; He's so good to me.

I strongly encourage a walk in the park if you haven't had one in awhile! ~Davida

Jumping Hurdles

Recently I have been reflecting on the things in my life that continually hinder me. I feel that there are several things getting in the way of my completely fulfilling Christ's purpose for my life right now. But two which stand out as MAIN OBSTACLES are: 1) my weight and 2) Facebook. These are really unrelated, but they are the two highest hurdles I MUST get past if I am going to WIN this race I am currently running.

My weight has been an ongoing hindrance to me for many years, but lately this has been more true than ever before. It has become a spiritual stronghold. It is beginning to take hold of me in a very negative way. This has happened before. In high school, I was so unsatisfied with myself because of my weight, that I began to deeply hate myself and to doubt the very worth of my life, even my life in Christ. I can see that creeping back in now-ever so slowly, but it is there- and I am uprooting it even as I write this. I do not say this to shock anyone, to have a pity party for myself, nor to give place to the devil. I say this to proclaim that I have identified my enemy's using this against me, and I am going to rise against it- against HIM- again, in a new way, with all that I've got- and with Christ as my Help. I am declaring WAR. And I will fight it with prayer, supplication, Scriptures, my elliptical machine, and my calorie counter! :)

I believe that if we truly and WHOLE-HEARTEDLY seek God's work in ourselves, we WILL receive REAL ANSWERS to our "questions". But the answers He gives are not always the answers WE would choose. So we find different answers that better suit us. Then we wonder why we stay in the same ruts- or get into worse ones. We sometimes grow very attached to our own hindrances, mentally and emotionally. And we begin to think we'll never change. So we give up. When all along, the Lord was there to help us, but we didn't let Him- because the way He wanted to "help" was not our way, not our ideas. I have done this in regard to my weight. And I have also done it in regard to Facebook.

This morning I heard a great message about idolatry- the gods we "worship" in this life. And I was asked to identify anything that might be taking the place of GOD in my heart. And this may sound silly, but FACEBOOK kept coming to mind! I already thought God was telling me this- for awhile-and I had pretty much ignored His still small voice. But today He confirmed this without question. I need to get off Facebook for awhile.

I see nothing wrong with Facebook, but for me, it lends itself to excess. There are many times when I choose to spend time on Facebook when I should be doing other things. It is difficult for me to ignore Facebook, even when I have coursework to complete, dishes to do, lessons to plan, not to mention a family to be with. I feel lately that I MUST cut out everything that distracts me from doing what I'm CALLED BY GOD to do, and Facebook does that. So I am taking a break from it, for awhile, to focus on my more important tasks at hand. I'll still write on Paint the Truth- hopefully more because I really enjoy it. And I will focus on finishing my Master's program, exercising, and preparing for my 4th amazing year at King's Way. I will devote more time to my husband, my children, and my Lord.

Today is a good day! **Now initiating project hurdle jump**