The Journey Continues...: "Boot Camp": Experienced the discipline...

Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm; the signs He performed and the things He did in the heart...It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place...But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done.

[Deuteronomy 11:1-7]

Absolutely Unbelievable, Seriously Ridiculous, Crazy, Divine Favor and Healing...Moving Mountains...are the phrases that have been on our hearts, minds and lips over the last three days (as they have over the last year!) ...but not without great struggle do we write a new Psalm!

I write today...just as the great Psalmist, King David wrote - sharing Praise in, through and beyond the grip of suffering and struggle. This is why I love the Psalms so much...they are a transparent song of Joy, Hope and Peace in the reality of the every day adversity we face! Over the last several years, God has stirred a great desire in my heart to read and meditate through the Psalms - revealing tremendous Power, Strength, Truth and Grace to walk by Faith through the troubles of this world, by the encouragement shared of a man truly after "God's own heart!" [Acts 13:22]

Today - we are a writing a new Psalm in this journey! You know the struggles, suffering and sorrow, but you know the Victory! You know the heartbreaks, but you also know the Life! You know the doubt, the worry, the fear...but you have also seen and experienced His Majesty, His Mighty Hand, His Outstretched Arm, His miraculous signs and wonders!
As Kelly and I have reflected over the last three days - here is the question that the Lord has laid on our hearts..."What are you going to do with this miracle journey?" It was not Jackson who saw what God did! It was not Jackson who experienced the discipline? It was not Jackson's faith - today - that was tested or called to the challenge, endurance and perseverance. But ours! And over the last three days...in the wake of the miracles this last year has held...this is the question, by which Kelly and I have been confronted! What are we going to do with this miracle journey? What has God taught us about who He is? What has He taught us about our faith, our call, and our discipleship through His favor, His majesty, and His sovereignty?

And our response...a New Psalm! In the wake of the miracles and in, through and beyond the grip of the struggles - we are sharing a new song of praise! We are writing a new Psalm, because our faith believes that Greater Things are yet to come! Greater Things are still to be done - not just in our lives, our family, and our community - but in yours!

"It was our own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done...now - observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land...land flowing with milk and honey. The land you are entering to take over is not like the land, from which you have come...But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."

[Deuteronomy 11:7-12]

And so today (actually Monday) - is a new beginning in our house...spring has sprung and "boot camp" has begun! Didn't know I was a poet! LOL...
Last Friday, I shared that we have definitely realized that there is a "hole in our roof". And if you are not familiar with the scene of Mark 2 - Jesus' healing of the paralytic and the faith of friends - please click on the following link and take 2 minutes to go to biblegateway.com and read this story - so that you understand I am speaking figuratively and not literally of a "hole in our roof". [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%202:1-12&version=NIV]

You see...it takes a tremendous amount of resources - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual - to bring people to the feet and healing of Jesus! And the day after the miracle - there is a great realization that takes place..."honey, there is a hole in our roof - where faith led the broken and hurting to the Amazing Grace and Healing of Jesus!" And we too embrace that there is a huge hole in our roof from our journey of faith and healing in Jackson's life over the last year! But God...
Because we are learning to love the "hole in our roof"! How sweet it is!  How awesome of a reminder or stone of remembrance it offers to God's Miraculous Healing, Majesty and Power! And yes - the "hole" can cause doubt and fear, but we trust that God is Jehovah Jireh - the Lord will Provide - and in Jesus' name we pray and trust that His Grace is sufficient and His Power is made perfect in our weakness! [2 Corinthians 12:9]  And so we observe the commands He is giving us today, and take possession of this new land...and life! A life of Praise through the storm! A life of Healing through the broken hearted! A life of Victory through impossibility!

So..."Boot Camp" started Monday!

Jackson is learning that he loves to cry - now that he is able! He has been very fussy - but aren't most of us when change in a routine is involved! We are focused at getting him on a schedule that works best for the family - not just Jackson! He has been the boss for the last three months - but...not any more! He continues to eat well [4+ ounces on a regular diet of GoodStart Gentle Plus formula every three hours - a huge blessing, as we do not have to mix a 24 cal special recipe any more!] and is very consistent with his feeding schedule, which is a tremendous blessing in the midst of trying to establish a routine! He continues to take his meds (Captopril for heart strength/blood pressure, Lasik for fluid reduction, and Zantac for reflux) very well...and things seem to be currently balanced in that area. He is taking Motrin around the clock and Tylenol to help with the pain following surgery and the headaches that the doctors believe he is experiencing, due to the new plumbing/re-routing of his blood from his brain and upper extremities. The bi-directional Glenn shunt hooked up the Superior Vena Cava directly to the pulmonary artery, which greatly changes the flow and pressures in his brain.  In theory this would cause severe headaches, but it is just a little hard for a 3month old to tell you his head hurts! It will take a couple of weeks for his body/brain to adjust - and should be off the Tylenol within days, and then the Motrin within a week - hopefully!
He is sleeping well at night - now that he is adjusted back to his nursery and crib! He gave the nurses fits at the hospital with not sleeping at night...but has transitioned well at home! He is still fussy and not sleeping much through the day, which makes an extremely long day with the demands of two other amazing kids!  Speaking of Carter and Jordyn...
Carter...is doing wonderfully, and continues to set the example! The two of us went for a hike the other day in the 50 degrees and sunshine - finally! He continues to amaze us with his compassion and prayers for his little brother! He understands that Jackson still has a long road ahead of him and continues to intercede for his baby brother! Carter and mommy had a day at the Carnegie Science Center yesterday - and had an absolute blast with his friends from school! It is just awesome to have some "normalcies" back in our life!
Jordyn...is Jordyn! She is an absolute pistol and a princess in the same breath! She cracks us up too many times in a day to count! She has been struggling with a bad cold and fever over the last couple of days, but still has more energy than Kelly and I combined!  Her world has been rocked over the last several months - as she is no longer the baby of the family, but she has taken the big sister role to a whole new level! When Jackson cries...she is the one who comes running for mommy and daddy with "jack jack drying!" She loves to give "baby Jack Jack" hugs and kisses - and you don't have to worry about mommy being over-protective...Jordyn has this covered all by herself!  Please pray for her healing, as this cold has really hurt her rest and sleep - and she is battling hard right now!
Mommy and Daddy... are stronger today than they ever have been! Our prayer through this journey continues to be one of unity in our marriage and home! Our relationship has been under some very tough stresses and strains with the move and Jackson's medical care...but we are truly more united today than we ever have been! We struggle at times...but typically that comes when we are not praying or digging into the Word together! Our morning coffee/hot chocolate devotion, prayer and conversation time has returned as a staple in our diet - and we are making some very difficult decisions regarding our emotional, spiritual, physical and financial peace! We have not only begun the Total Money Makeover - but the Total Life Makeover in the wake of this last year! We have some "holes" to fix...but the focus is a long-term lifestyle that delays pleasure for the greater result!  We thank our Heavenly Father for the wisdom, knowledge and guidance He is giving us through our wise counsel to walk by faith beyond what our eyes can see!
We are excited about the changes the Lord is leading us in...and more excited about the opportunities He is giving us!
We have been contacted by several people wanting to know if we felt led to share our story and/or write a book - and we are so excited to bring Hope to the hurting through the opportunities the Lord opens in His Perfect Timing! We will "wait and work with Him!"...and the Victories we have experienced are only in preparation for the next Victory - just as are the failures! We can only imagine the number of people, churches and communities that have held us up in prayer...and we look forward to giving back, thanking them for the love, support and prayers and encouraging all of those and more who have stood beside us! We are praying right now about where and when...and feel led to schedule 9 speaking opportunities this year (2010), where we have the opportunity to encourage people to Keep their Eyes on Jesus!
We have finely tuned our schedule to create opportunities and windows for time to write, study and prepare for these events - while staying focused on our call and ministry with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association! God is speaking, we are listening...and our feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace! [Ephesians 6:15]

We are excited - scared to death...but absolutely excited about where, what, when and how the Lord is leading! Please continue to reinforce the foundation of prayer as the Spirit leads you...and stand on the Promises of God! Greater things are yet to come!

All Eyes on Jesus!