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.