Joyanna is the same, still experiencing some increased tone in some muscles though she has had enough strength to hold her head up a few times for me in the last few days. We may be in the rollercoaster season for her, where she’ll do better for a few weeks then worse. We’ll see. She is still very sleepy in the morning so I am experimenting with moving her morning medicines to early morning (4 am) to allow her day to gain a better regular pattern, more consistent with school and everyone else’s routine. I just started this morning and she was awake for the morning. She is napping now while receiving her infusion. We’ll see what happens over the next few days as I try it out. (We’ll actually see if I can manage to wake up even with an alarm at 4 am each morning 😉.)
Philip has had some days of agitation but is much calmer overall with the medication changes they have made. The doctors are continuing to fine tune that new medicine to get it at its best level. We are excited that hopefully the end of flu precautions is close. Then I can take Ethan with me to see Philip. Other family members and friends with younger children will also be able to see him a little easier. It’s not easy to ask for childcare for yet another time each week. I have many here who are willing to help but everyone knows that you hate to ask over and over again. Besides, Ethan wants to see Philip again too. He should get to see him this weekend as my nieces and nephew are in town and we are reserving a family room to bring Philip out of his unit so they can see him. Soon, he should be able to see him weekly.
Ben has a busy week this week at the college. It’s College Days which is a time each year when prospective students get to come on campus, attend classes, hear preaching, etc. My husband does a lot of the planning for it so he is heavily involved.
Joyanna returns to school on Monday but the college’s spring break starts Tuesday. Ben has a long weekend on Easter weekend because of the break. He will probably be working to plant the garden during those days off. We may scale back our garden this year because of our vacation plans in July but we’ll see how it turns out. Either way, it will be good to get back into that time of year. I’m sure Ethan will learn so much this year just getting out in the back yard and working with his daddy.
With Easter close at hand, I hope you are seriously considering the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. He payed a great debt for us that we will never be able to repay. His resurrection gives us hope and power for every day living. I’ll never forget (over several months) when the Lord taught me that His resurrection power was available to me every day. That’s the greatest power in the universe…of all time. And it’s part of the gift God gives to me with my salvation. Power to submit to God’s will and carry out God’s plans for me. AMAZING! Rest in that power!
Paul says it this way in Philippians 3:
Phil 3:7-10 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
It seems though that we can’t really know the power of His resurrection without also knowing the fellowship of His sufferings and conforming to His death (that death for us not being physical but dying to our selfish way of thinking.) Once I look at it that way, it becomes obvious that we must have His power to do the other two. We certainly can’t face suffering and death without His power to keep us. I serve a Risen Saviour!
Well, lest I sound like I’m preaching 😉, I’ll say goodbye for now. Thanks for praying for our family! May God truly bless you.
He Lives
I serve a risen Savior
He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary,
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading,
Through all the stormy blast;
The day of His appearing
Will come at last.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him,
The Help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.