Fighting Fire with Light

May 21, 2017

It looks like we will be going home tomorrow. While we are so thankful that Phoebe has improved so much and we are so ready to be out of this hospital, apprehension has set itself up in my heart. I now have to go home to get used to a new normal. I need scripture to help me with this. I want to place scripture all over my house to remind me of God’s words continuously. I want to place them on my kitchen window that I look out while I’m cleaning the dishes, at our dining room table where there will be an empty seat, on my bedside table to help me drift off to sleep, on my bathroom mirror as I get ready to start each new day, in the girls’ bathroom where I bathed her and brushed her teeth, on her bedroom door as I put her sister to sleep. Please comment below with your favorite scriptures that get you through those hard to breathe places.

January 12, 2018 – The scriptures shared with me on Facebook are now hanging all over my home.  I put them up the day we got home.  They have been so comforting.  God’s Word is powerful!

Two doctors now on different occasions one being this morning have come in to talk to Kelly and I about Phoebe and her condition, and they both basically say the say the same thing, “We don’t know how she is alive”.

That phrase is really ringing in my ears this morning. I have had people tell me “You are so strong” and for me that translates into ” Why aren’t you falling apart? Why aren’t you angry at God? How are you still standing?

In the same way that Phoebe shouldn’t be alive, I shouldn’t be at peace. In the same way that Phoebe is alive, I am at peace. It’s by His hand. It’s a miracle, and we are proof that the miraculous is something that God is still doing. I have been preaching through Philippians on Sunday mornings ( I’m eager to be back preaching again).
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Update time!

This morning Kelly Harsin Odell and I decided it was time tell Phoebe what happened. We explained about the wreck and about how Keren, Peachy and Pop Pop have gone on ahead of us to heaven.

We paused and waited for it to sink in and she was sad for a moment but this faith of a little child is so strong. She has accepted it and knows that we will see them again when our time comes.

May 18, 2017

Today was what it was meant to be – glorifying the Lord through it all. It was painful but peaceful. It meant so much to be able to hug so many necks of those that have been lifting us up this week. Please continue to remember us as Phoebe continues to heal, we break the news to her, and we go home to begin living our lives again.

May 17, 2017

I know it’s late but we need you to pour your prayers out on us and for us again. My stomach is in knots as I try to put this into words for you. This morning when the sun comes up and Phoebe opens her eyes and she becomes aware I think we have to explain to her what has happened. I don’t believe that she has any memory or knowledge of the events that unfolded that put her in this neck brace and cast. She knows she is hurt but not why and how much she has lost. She lost her crew, her best friends, she would say all the time that Pop Pop was her best friend, but the truth is Keren was her play mate, Peachy was her teacher and pop pop was one of her biggest fans. They were a crew and if you lived in Harrodsburg or Danville chances are you saw the four of them together, at the bank , or at Kroger, or at Hobby Lobby, they were on the go together.

May 16, 2017

Today we celebrated 5 years of Phoebe’s life! So many came to visit her – ER nurses that tended to her on Thursday, the doctors and nurses on duty that brought her cake and presents, the nurses who had tended her before but were off duty today and took time out of their day off to bring her presents, and all the friends and family members that came to spend time with her. And the presents, sooo many presents. She even got to get out of bed and go for a ride. She said this was her best birthday ever. It was a special day and we were able to find joy in it.

Tonight I am cold. Cold from a day of terror, anxiety, and weeping. I hear you all telling us how strong we are and that has brought me so much comfort. You also rejoiced with us when Phoebe had a successful surgery which lifted me up. But I have been so far down today that I still feel like I’m sinking. Every other thought today has been of Keren and how much I’m going to miss her. It is so selfish of me. She is happy and because I’m not I want her to leave her gift and come be with me. I need to be honest with you all because I don’t want you to think that I’ve got this. I’m so weak. I need my God, who sends His Holy Spirit to wrap His arms around me, to get me through this. I need my amazing husband, who lets me break down and say things I can only say to him because he knows my grief and has words of wisdom through it all, to get me through this. I need Jesse, Leah, and Phoebe, who remind me that I am a beloved mother, to get me through this. I need the love being shown by all of you to get me through this.

May 14, 2017

Phoebe update – surgery will be at 9:00 in the morning to fix her arm. She has had a much better day today. During the prayer yesterday, she was asleep but moving her legs and moaning. After the prayer and everyone had cleared the room, she woke up and started moving her legs again and moaning. When I asked her what was wrong she said, “I want to jump up!” Our girl will be healed, if she is not already.

Family update – because of all of the prayers said by us and for us, the Holy Spirit is intervening and has given us so much comfort. We still feel the grief but we also feel the peace that passes all understanding.

I need to put this into words in more than just catch phrases and copied scripture, I’ve said but I need the world to know. God has been good to me.

He gave me the parents that he did to make me the man I am. They where my examples, they where my teachers, they where my wise council. God has been good to me, he gave me them so that I would be prepared for these days. God has been good to me!

God knew that I would need to see joy and how to live with Joy, so he sent me my daughter Keren who found joy in all things, He gave me this gift and I will not ignore what He has done for me. I love her so much and I will miss her but I don’t know how not to be thankful. I will miss her until I see her again.

May 13, 2017

Here’s our Phoebe. This is what we need prayers for now. She has a torn ligament on the right side of her spine where her skull and spine are connected. This needs to heal on its own. She will have to wear this brace for months in order for it to heal. If the ligament gets pinched it could cause paralysis and will need to be operated on which would cause her neck to then be immobile for life. Please pray that her neck heals correctly. We have elders and pastors coming this afternoon to anoint her with oil and lay hands on her. Could we have our entire prayer network praying for this miracle between 4:30 and 5:00 today eastern time when she will be anointed?