Family Photo Catch Up

Jack celebrated his 6th birthday on the 8th of May.  This year we headed out to the park to make the most of the brief sunshine. 

He loved his Swiss Family Robinson Cake.

His favourite present was by far his compass.  Camo paint, army utility belt and camo water bottle were put to good use.  The camo paint was oil based and took a loooong time to scrub off.  The next day he still went to school with well tinted eyebrows!!

On the weekend we went in to Melbourne to collect the camera we had lost at the hospital and enjoyed the zoo for the day.

 There were many people in the butterfly house and the butterflies were not resting on anyone that day.  Jack was desperate to have one touch him, so he prayed that a butterfly would land on him and he sat for well over 15 minutes with this particular butterfly coming back again and again.  I think it loved the blue colour of his shirt. He was so excited and sat still like this, just mesmerised by this little answer to prayer. 

Sometimes Words Are Enough

As Mother's Day approaches, many of us are without our mothers. 

Some are separated by distance

Some are separated by the end of life on earth.

Some are separated by offense, discord and disharmony.

Some have never had the pleasure of knowing their mother.

Some are separated by choice.

Some would give the world for one more kind gaze, one more warm cuddle.

Since being married, I have rarely lived close to my mother, though I love her with a love that surpasses our distance.  We may not see each other often but there are things we can share.

We share love, which can never be taken from our hearts.  For we are joined in a way that goes beyond space and time.

We share memories, because we take the time to make them and ponder upon them often.  They are precious jewels that I like to wear continually. I do not keep them for special occasions but use them everyday.  They draw us together.

We share words; spoken words and written words.  Words about the funny, the ridiculous, the serious and the everyday.  Words that flow into a continuous conversation which spans the great divide.

The above things that we share are yours to share with your mother too, no matter where you or she maybe.  Love, memories, and words may be treasured, spoken and received no matter where we are.

I LOVE YOU MUM, CAN YOU HEAR ME??!!

Also on Mother's Day, my TV interview with Wesley Impact will go to air.  So if you are an early riser it is on at 5.30am on Channel 9 or 7.30am on Australian Christian Channel.  I will be sharing about Sam's Heart.  Make sure you tell your friends. xx

Help Wanted

Compassion: (noun) a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. (source)

There was once a time when I felt completely overcome by the amount of need in the world around me. As time moves on, so does the number of people with breaking hearts. Our world is stricken by poverty, disease, violence, and all manner of evil.  It is hard to watch those around you struggle, and even more so when you are the one striving to make it through each day.

As I reach out to those around me who are hurting I meet others who are not interested in helping.  I don't judge them, but I can tell you that I pray for them. It is not that they are heartless but that they have closed themselves off from having compassion, because  they feel that if they let a little bit into their heart, they will be overcome with the flood.  The risk of this type of attitude is that you will indeed wind up with a heart of stone, completely without feeling for those in the world less fortunate than yourself.  In trying to preserve your own soul you will actually cause it to die from within. 

Yet there is hope...

For we were made in the image of God who is full of compassion.  And if we find ourselves as belonging to him, we need not ever be overwhelmed, because we know the Source of compassion.  We cannot out give God.

Feel and empathise with those around you.  LOVE THEM.

Let their burdens REST IN the hands of GOD.

ACT on your love and HELP those God places in your path.

They will KNOW LOVE because of what you have done.

Jesus did not rise again so that we could live mediocre lives waiting for a free ride to heaven,  He came to show the POWER of LOVE.  He came to impart that love to us that we can lavish  it upon those in our lives.

If we all simply loved those we met everyday in our travels, IMAGINE how our world would be transformed.

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’(Matt 25:34-36)

What Does A Miracle Look Like?

Today I witnessed a miracle.  It is not the first and I know it won't be the last.

Today Sam had his heart review.  This involves a general check up, and ECG, an echo and a chat with Sam's cardiologist.  Sam and I drove the 2 hours to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital and the GPS took us straight through the centre of town!  Eeeek!  We made it, but this is not the miracle.

Sam has all of his tests and check up and then we waited to see his doctor.  In between we had the opportunity to talk with a few families, watch the meerkats in their enclosure and chase the fish around the giant aquarium.

You may remember last time that Sam had some unwelcome news about the leaking valve in his heart.  Read more here.

On seeing Sam's doctor we also had two young student doctors present, and Sam spent a great deal of time monopolising their attention.  They checked him all over (which he loved), and then we discussed Sam's heart with his doctor.

Dr Pflaumer listened to Sam's chest and few times and then he turned to his students and asked them what they would do if the clinical signs (the sounds from Sam's chest) do not line up with what the echo is showing?  They replied that they had always been taught to go on the clinical signs, but take the echo into account.  They discussed it back and forth.  He then went on to tell them that Sam's chest has the faintest of murmers and this does not reflect what he sees on the echo.  He went on to explain to me that taking both into account he believes that there may be just be a bit more turbulence in the area, but it is not a true reflection of the regurgitation of his valve.  I asked:

Does that mean that the leaking is no worse?

No it is not worse, in fact I don't think it is that bad at all.  But we definitely do not need to do anything at this stage.  His oxygen saturations are still in the early 80's, he is well and growing.  I mean look at him. 

He continues to look for a moment.

So I guess we will see you again in another 6 months and talk about doing a catheter then.

Ok then.  That sounds great to me.  (My insides waiting to burst with excitement)

Sam and I walked out with giant grins on our faces, bubbling with laughter.

What does a miracle look like?  It is seeing a doctors face in wonder, pondering the results of tests that just don't line up.  It is knowing without a shadow of a doubt that the leaky valve was subdued to allow no harm to Sam and his growth.  It is knowing that the next 6 months are not going to be spent in and out of hospital, but doing all of the fun things that three year old boys do. 

Will you praise God with me?!  Will you thank him for Sam's healing and mercy?  You may ask why he doesn't heal his heart completely.  I don't have an answer for you.  You will have to ask God yourself.  I am content in the knowledge that he loves Sam and hears my prayers.  That he holds us all and let's no harm come to us outside of his plan.  And in the meantime we will continue to walk this path of life in abundance that God has given us. 

Take me to the Sea

Today began quietly enough.  We rose later and drove into the Latrobe Valley Airport to check out the Aero club where Don can continue his flying.  It is a great little club and we look forward to getting to know the other members.

Then on our way home we decided to keep driving and see what we could see.  We stopped by Yinnar to see where Sam will begin Kinder soon.  It is a quaint and beautiful little town down in the valley, surrounded by towering eucalyptus, meandering creeks and rolling green paddocks, hosting mainly dairy cattle.

We were so enchanted with our drive that we continued to Boolarra and then thought, 'We are so close to the beach, let's keep going!'  It has been well over 6 months since we have seen the seaside, so the adventure began.  Not an hour and a half from home we arrived in Inverloch, a beautiful coastal community and first explored the Shell museum.  It was a gold coin donation to view it and the boys were fascinated. We even saw a crab there that weighed more than Sam, just it's shell of course. It is well worth checking out.  We then continued down to the beach and enjoyed the windy yet dazzling vista.  The wind was strong but warmer than at home, and the sea air filled by senses.  The boys were ecstatic and found shells and cuttlefish, while pretending to be Bear Grylls upon the rocky retainers.

We then became aware that there was a short drive along the bottom of this part of Australia where we could take in the view so we set off in search of some more sights, between Inverloch and Cape Paterson.  We were amazed by what we found and we  were reminded once again at the splendour of God in His Creation, and the power behind it all.  The wind was whipping so strong Sam could hardly walk.  We threw out our arms and pretended we could fly while standing on the cliffs over the beach. 

Victoria is just so beautiful, from it's mountain ranges to it's roaring seas.  It does all sorts of things to my heart.  And it just wonderful that is all on our doorstep to enjoy for nothing but the fuel to get us there.  Truly we are blessed.

Fragility and Fierce Determination

I am continually reminded about the fragility of our lives here on earth.

This past week I have learned of two families who have lost loved ones, one a little baby, another a Dad.  At different stages in life, but each so precious.  This happens on a weekly basis.  I watch as families hearts break and re-break as they realise their separation from those to whom they will forever love.

Sometimes I wonder why I continue to search and to pray for those who need encouragement, prayer and love.  Because it hurts to watch others suffer, it hurts to comfort others when there are no words that can possibly be their balm.  That doesn't mean that we shouldn't offer our words.  For I have learned in our own hardship that silence is sometimes the worst sound in the world.

I go through feelings of empathy, and frustration as I reach out.  I experience guilt, for my own son lives, when others have had to let theirs go...for a season. 

However I know why I persist..

Each of these things drives me to  pray, to call out to God to make a difference in the lives of those who are in anguish. To make something beautiful out of something horrific, to draw fragrance from a flower that is crushed and bruised.

And I see miracles...I see medical breakthroughs, illnesses healed, people transformed, not by my hand but by the hand of God.  And that desire to see breakthrough drives me onward, even though it hurt,s to make sure that hope remains alight. To search for that flicker of light in situations that seem so dark.

I may be a Mum at home, but I can reach all manner of people through blogging, emailing, Facebook and other communications.  I can reach out to the Mums at school, and the people I meet at the shops and just sit and listen to them, smile and offer an encouraging word.

It has been four years now and my life has been changed forever.  I can no longer look at the world the same way after what we live with Sam.  There is more to this life than what we can see.  It is real and tangible and is tightly entwined with our feelings, thoughts and actions.  We are more than flesh and blood.  And I have to believe that as I reach out to others in love, changes are made not only in the countenance of a person but also in their eternal spirit. 

As we head to Sam's next heart appointment on Tuesday, I wonder about this next part of our journey.  This past four years has been a steep learning curve and I wonder what God holds in store for us next. I wonder if you will claim his promise with us this week:

Sam will live and have life in abundance.  He will testify to the nations of his healing.

For I am a fiercely determined woman, who has a fiercely determined son, and we serve a fiercely determined God.

Promise Renewed

Driving home after collecting Jack from school today, we were excited to see before us a beautiful rainbow lighting up the sky.  A symbol of God's promise.  It shone with a brilliant gem on the darkened eastern sky.  As we drove I spoke with God.

You always give us double rainbows when we were in the right place for you.  That is in part how we know we are walking the path you have mapped out for us.  We haven't had that here yet Lord.  I would really love to see that again.

We arrived home, and I began to prepare dinner, lit a fire, and then waited for Don to arrive home. Don came home and the rain began to ease again.Gazing out of the window I gasped and called for Don and the boys...

He loves me.

He knows my heart.

Little things matter to God.

Here you are my love.  Accept this as a renewed promise of my love for you.  You have a hope and a promise that cannot fail.  Delight in this gift, and remember it is only a foretaste of what is to follow.