Praise God – another Miracle

Yes, another miracle!!!  Braden’s surgery was a success.  As of this evening, they are probably going to move him to a regular room tomorrow :)  Amazing how the chances of survival went from slim to a miracle surgery to repair his little tiny only few months old heart! 

When I spoke to my mother in law about the surgery she told me that basically his little heart wasn’t growing as fast as he was and caused half of his heart not to function.  She said that “back in the day”, these babies usually didn’t make it and were immediately put on a transplant list.  This new procedure (If I remember what she told me correctly) basically re-routes arteries and such and made arteries bigger? (I think).  So totally more medical than I could ever understand.

What I do understand is that this boy didn’t have much of a chance of survival, and now he is doing amazingly well.

Thank you ALL for your prayers and please continue to keep him in your prayers for a strong recovery!.  Jane said in a couple of years they may have to do the same or like procedure again on him, but hey… he made it through the more risky one right?

Thanks Again!

Urgent Prayer Request…

Got a call from my father in-law today.  Brandon’s cousin has a child that is only a few months old and has a heart condition.  This baby (Brandon’s 2nd cousin) is facing surgery on Thursday and things are looking rough.  There are things that have lead up to the situation that might could have been prevented, but not everyone finds life as precious and fragile as we do.  I don’t have the baby’s name, but please pray for another “Strobl baby” to make it through his heart surgery.  We can only pray and hope for a miracle.  Miracles do happen!… My nephew Dallas is LIVING PROOF! 

Left Hurting...

So many people as "Why". We question God "Why"... but is it the "why" that really matters?

Tonight at church we learned about Jesus and the Garden of Gethsemane. He KNEW what was coming to him, he knew his fate. He didn't question the father with "Why", he just did what God asked him to do. Jesus felt anquish not because he was afraid to die, but moreso that he knew he would have have to transform from "He who knew no sin" to "sin itself". God hates sin, therefore Jesus knew that God would forsake him. He was in anquish because of the pain he knew he would go through by being forsaken!

Just a little bit of church lesson, and here is why...

We had a close friend of ours pass on today. Robert Ping was a friend to many. We always knew him as the type of person who would give the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was always willing to help. Today, he paid the ultimate price for his nature. Being the "helpful" person he is, he stopped to help some victims of a T-bone accident on 1417 and Hwy 11 early this morning. He went to the car to check if the people were okay and another car blew through and hit both him and another gentleman. Robert Ping died today doing what he does best, helping others! I pray we all remember him the way he was.

Do we question why? Of course we do... we are human. But, is the why important? Or is it the what that is more important? What did Robert do while he was with us? What legacy did Robert leave behind? What impact did he have on the life of others?

Jesus didn't question "why".... should we?

There are those left hurting, and asking why... I pray that I (along with others) can be of support to those who hurt.

Can't sleep - Go Figure!....

Wow, so I went to a friends house for Dinner (Thanks Dezi, it was YUM).... 9:00 rolls around and I start yawning... I am SO sleepy!, Brandon and I leave to come home. I give B a massage to try to work out some MASSIVE knot he has near his right shoulder blade and all the while talking to him, he starts snoozin and I become more and more awake! WHY???? I need my sleep tonight. I have a big day tomorrow!!!! I have a 2nd interview with Grayson County Tax Assessor and I need to be "top notch", but instead I am going to be drained. Isn't it crazy how your emotions can drain you?

Anyhow, while I am blogging, I would like to ask that you all remember a few people in prayer:

1.) Badgett Family - Melissa lost her grandpa this weekend so pray for comfort.
2.) Betty Davis Family - Betty passed away after a brain anurism and left behind lots of family
3.) My nephew Dallas - praying he gets into the Scottish rights hospital to help with physical therapy for his Cerebal Palsy
4.) Friend - Lesley Royal - Pray for her to be uplifted during her time of job searching. Pray she doesn't have to put her home up for sale!
5.) Pray for me with my current job situation and also help me to make the right choices with school too!

Well, I am going to ATTEMPT to go to bed again and see if maybe this time I can actually catch some Zzzz's

Hula Hoop (at 31)

If you ever want SHEER entertainment, put a 31 year old ME on a Nintendo Wii and do the Hula Hoop challenge! HAHAHAHAHA. I thought Brandon was going to bust a stitch laughing! Of course I don't find it very funny that my own husband was laughing at me and making fun of me... However, it WAS quite entertaining! Now I know for sure that I won't be doing THAT in front of anyone but family! LOL.

We bought Nanny a Nintendo Wii for her birthday. She wanted the Fit to go with it. It has lots of amazing things to it and the accountablility is great! It is absolutely hillarious though to see someone my age (out of shape and out of practice) doing something I haven't done since a child! And to think I used to LOVE to Hula Hoop!

I am so incredibly sore right now!

I am blessed...

Seems like lately it has been hard to sleep. I suppose it could be because of my mind trying to wrap itself around LIFE. My world is spinning faster than I can keep up with. Sometimes I wish I could be like Superman and just turn back time or at least slow things down. I remember when I was a kid, I couldn't wait to "grow up"... now I just want to be a kid again... but wait... Do I? NO! I love my life, as chaotic as it may be sometimes, I am TRULY BLESSED! I have so much to be thankful for. I try to remind myself of my blessings when I begin to grumble or feel sorry for myself. How have I been blessed? Let me count the ways :)

1.) I surrendered my life to Christ when I was 19 and rededicated my life in 2004. My God has been there as my ROCK and my Foundation. He has helped me to weather the storm, this storm called life. You know, there is a saying I love to hear: "Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell the storm how big your God is!" It is so very true. With God, all things are possible.

2.) I am married to a wonderful man and have been now for almost 11 years. Although we have had our share of "trials" (like any perfect couple has), ultimately we work together as one pretty well tuned instrument! During my personal trials with school, Brandon lifted me up. While I have been recently under a cloud of confusion, he has been the light to shine through. You know, I just read something interesting: It takes 40 muscles in your face to frown, but only 17 to smile... so why not smile? Brandon brings out that smile in me. I am truly blessed to have someone who completes me.

3.) Family - Wow, I could write and write on this one!!!!!!!!! I have so much to be thankful for. My mom who has wisdom and knowledge and always looking out for someones health and finding more natural ways to heal, her passion to succeed in school, and her push to get me into school! David (my stepdad) who is talented with wordworking and makes some really AWESOME Chili. My Nanny who has always been my Angel! She is the shoulder I need when I need her, she is always making me smile and she gives an amazing back rub... I think she should have been a massage therapist!!! My Sister who helped lead me to Christ! She is so sweet and always has such a meek and mild, yet BOLD and PROMISING way of putting things. Crazy how she can take a lemon and make lemonade. Although my younger sister, she is still someone that I look up to for so many things. My Mother and Father-In-laws David + Jane AND Debbie + Tom.... WOW I am blessed. I thought I had a big family, but then I got married!

4.) Yes, still an extension of family, but one deserving of it's own paragraph. I have 3 WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, SPECIAL, AMAZING Nephews!!! Steven (Brandon's Brother) and Liz first had Luke Dominick Strobl on 06/26/05 which they allowed Brandon and I to be a part of the amazing delivery process. What a miracle! Then their next child is Grayson Carl Strobl which was then born on 08/01/07. Absolutely adorable boys... you know when they say you could just "eat 'em up"... they are THAT cute! Oh, but it doesn't stop there! Danielle (Brandon's Step-sister) had a little boy Dallas Ryan Story on 01/03/06. There is something awesome and amazing about Dallas.... he was born at 28 weeks (I think that was the #). He had several ups and downs while he was in the NICU at a hospital in Ft Worth. He did however, get to come home and bless us with his wonderfulness! He is what we call our "miracle baby". Some may not beleive in miracles, but I beleive he is! Dallas has cerebal palsy I beleive as a result of a brain bleed (I might be wrong). Well, PT's say he may never walk without braces... but if you could see the determination in this little guy and see how he climbs the walls, you would say differently. God isn't done with him yet, so I don't beleive it when others say he CAN'T do something! He has proved them wrong so far!!!

5.) My church family. I have so many people in now an even larger family... my brothers and sisters in Christ. Brandon and I were unable to have children of our own, so God helped to fill that void by leading us to teach a class on Sunday nights called "Bible Buddies". We have been truly blessed.

I know I could probably write for HOURS AND HOURS about all my blessings. That is why my "problems" and trials... well, they are nothing compared to all the good stuff! God tells us in the book of James that we will face trials in our lives and we must consider them pure joy because they are there to strengthen us! I beleive it.

Thank you for being such a blessing in my life.