What have I been up to? Prayer Request and UPDATE

Here's a little of what I have been up to the past few days.

A little bit of sewing for my son.

Window valance in progress.

Couple of completed panels for the living room and bedroom.

Finished valance.

Yes, all of these are very basic. Actually made up by me. I wish I could say these were whipped up in a few hours, but I am not quite as fast as many of the other ladies out there. I am also not a no sew girl. It's just not in me, especially when my husband bought me a nice machine.  It is looking like a great summer to be inside sewing. The temperatures here have been  close to the 100's with heat indexes of around 105. So glad we took vacation a few weeks ago!

PRAYER REQUEST

My girl is on her way to the Dr. She's not felt the baby move in a couple of days. We know that God is in control and always knows best. Please pray for her as she travels. She has a wonderful Mother-In-Law who is with her, only wish I were closer. I will keep you posted. Please pray for a peace and comfort for her regardless of the outcome.

UPDATE

Mom and baby are fine! Strong heartbeat and  lots of movement when they did the ultra-sound.

Blessings,

Jackie

Mama's Best Christmas Gift.......

....Answered Prayer!

Have a blessed week.

Jackie

I Can't

• I can't solve our world's economic crisis.
• I can't solve our world's spiritual crisis.
• I can't make our world's leaders make right choices.
• I can't nominate the right person for the Supreme Court.
• I can't make people understand the value of a human life.
• I can't stop wars.
• I can't erase famine and poverty.
• I can't turn a world that seems upside down, right side up.

Here's what I can do.

• I can stand for righteousness.
• I can humble myself before God.
• I can ask for forgiveness.
• I can ask that God will be merciful to His children.
• I can call on the Sovereign Lord of the universe to change what I can't.

....and YOU can too! I just finished reading a letter from our Pastor with a reminder to wake up, pray for God's forgiveness, and pray for a generation that is growing up not knowing who God is, what it means to be a Christian, and understanding that there is only ONE way, and that is through Jesus Christ. Focus on the Family has also issued a request that we not have just a National Day of Prayer, but a National Year of Prayer. I believe God is challenging me to pray daily for our nation and the place we find ourselves today. Will you join me? I will try to post a reminder every week, to keep myself accountable to do this daily.

"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:13-14

Please notice this is not talking to those that do not know the Lord, but those that belong to HIM. It is my prayer that you will be willing to join me daily. I know this has been a little heavy, but God calls us to obedience, and for me, this time obedience means sharing what He has put on my heart. Have a blessed weekend. Jackie

Did You Unplug?

I unplugged what about you. What were you doing? I was at the Shands Endoscopy Center with my daughter for her colonoscopy. What a day! I was hoping for good news, and it was not that great. Her colon looks as bad as it has previously and the Dr. says something better must be done. She will have some tough decisions. The preferred treatment is either Humira or Remicade and this could cause other problems but is the best alternative at this point. She has also been offered the opportunity to participate in some drug trials that are going on. If her insurance will not cover the other treatments this will most likely be the treatment preference. See she does for sure have Ulcerative Colitis and many drugs that treat Crohns even though similar to UC are not approved for UC. The effects of both diseases are almost identical so who can figure why it is approved for one and not the other.
Being totally honest it has been difficult to plug back in. If I had not just completed the Esther Bible study reminding me that God has a perfect plan in all of this, I would be in despair. I continue to tell myself that ALL THINGS work together for GOOD for those who love the Lord, and that does mean all things! I will keep looking to Him, the only one who holds all the answers. I may be a little slow getting there, but I will plug back in. I subbed again today and tomorrow and have a busy week ahead. I just wanted to update all of you wonderful ladies who have been praying. Thank you so much. I couldn't do it without the prayers of all of you and so many others that are praying. Have a blessed week, and hope to be back with some fun stuff soon! Jackie

Spring Is On The Way and.....

.....and I hope that I don't miss it!

This is how things are shaping up for me the next few weeks. I have subbed every day this week, which I said I absolutely would not do, no way, no how! but I did. My sweet guy is still on 12 days of night shift, so we just about see each other in passing.

Tuesday as soon as he arrives home, we will leave for the dentist 2 hours away, needless to say he will be sleeping on the way, and probably while in the chair, and as much as he can. He will then go to work Wed night.

I will leave Thursday to drive to my daughters 3 hours in the other direction. We will go on Friday about an hour and a half a way for her colonoscopy. I have not given the latest update, so here goes. After her appt on Wed the Dr thinks she has been misdiagnosed and probably actually has Crohns Disease, not a lot of difference, just tends to penetrate more than the lining of the colon. They are suggesting a major treatment, and this is one of those things I am just going to have to trust God with. Ideally we would like some better than expected news. I don't want to wear you all out, but please continue to pray.

I will return home probably Sunday. Possibly subbing on Monday and Friday. I will then go to my son's Saturday for several days of clean up and work. We have rented his townhouse out for the master's golf tournament, and we will be cleaning to prepare for the arrival of guests. I will then travel to my moms another hour north for a brief visit, and then return home some time, well who knows. I will have to check my sub schedule.

I am thankful for the opportunity to sub, be there for my daughter, and that we have rented the townhouse, as it will help since we have lost the roommate. I just get a little tired thinking about all of it. The driving is what wears me out. I hope somewhere in there I will have a little time to get some spring fluffing done. Hopefully I will be posting a little too. Have a blessed weekend!

Jackie

Feels Like Spring......

.....and I feel like this!

I am really trying to get in the mood. The weather here was gorgeous today, but I am just give out! After not sleeping well the night my sweet daughter was in the ER, it is all catching up with me, not to mention, I have been subbing almost every day. I said I would not commit the two days I have free this week, and I have already committed to one of those days.

In other news, I was pretty excited about something here called Peaches to Beaches. It is supposed to be a small version of the "Worlds Longest Yard Sale". Well I hit one small section and it was pretty disappointing. I told my husband, I have never seen so much over-priced junk in all my life. I did however have a few finds that I felt were a bargain....

My first purchase. These funky(you might say ugly) Yellow Box Suede Maryjane type shoes. Brand new with a price sticker of $37 on the box for $10. I know not a major bargain, but I am a real shoe person, and this brand shoe around here rarely goes on sale. Not to mention they have a little bit of heel and they are comfortable.

These note cards from the same person for $1 a pack. I thought of stamping something in the block on the front, initial, word, etc. They had a sticker of $10. I had to think about $1 much less $10!

A couple of cute fabric remnants.

The bargain of the day was this little glass cover for 25 cents.

Thanks again for all of the prayers for my daughter. She is doing much better, but still experiencing being sick at her stomach without warning. She will be seeing the Dr tomorrow. She seems to be doing much better at handling stress, which is most likely what has triggered this. Please pray if it is God's will that her stomach will return to normal mode soon. She is most grateful for all of your prayers. Have a blessed week! Jackie

Another Update

Thank you so much for all of the prayers. My daughter finally got seen in the ER last night around 4:45 and the strange thing is that I woke up at that exact time and prayed. I did not here from them until around 6:30 this AM. The good news is that the inflammation seems to be confined to the lower part of the colon and there was no indication of infection. They have started her on some Meds(no steroids this time) and we are praising God for that! Her hemoglobin was also the highest that it has been in about 9 years, which is an absolute miracle of God. The highest it has been in that period of time was around 8.5 right after iron infusions. Going to the ER has enabled her to be able to see the new GI Dr where she lives now much sooner than anticipated. She will be having a follow up next Wed. I ask that you pray that she respond well to this medication and quickly. She is tired and weak, but doing well, and was so excited about the hemoglobin results. You see this is the best news we have ever received since she has had this disease, so she has had great progress and we are so thankful.

God is good all the time, and again I just want to say I am blessed beyond all I could think or ask. We have had several curves thrown at us this week, and God just keeps showing his faithfulness to us. Thanks again girls! Jackie

UPDATE

Still don't know a lot Ansley's husband said they saw a DR about 4:45 this AM and they are thinking she is having a flare up. They are getting ready to do a CAT scan and we will know more later today. I appreciate all of your prayers and she does too! Please continue to pray, and I will keep you posted. Jackie

Emergency Prayer Request !

Remember this beautiful bride that I was telling you about in January(along w/ handsome husband)? Well what I haven't shared is that she has been diagnosed with a disease called Ulcerative Colitis. She has had this, and has had some terrible bouts with the disease since she was a senior in high school. Well, we have been praising God because she has been symptom free for over a year and a half. She should be arriving at the hospital in Gainesville, FL about right now, and is having what seems to be another flare up. The disease affects the colon and can make the person extremely sick, bleeding, not able to eat etc. She thought possibly she had the stomach virus, but it is clear that is most likely not the case. She is hoping to see one of the doctors that is top in this area of gastroenterology. Please pray for wisdom for them and the doctors, and this Mama that is waiting to hear from her. She wants me to wait until they have more info before I head her way. I know they would covet your prayers, and so do I. I know God is sovereign over all and we are trusting him. Jackie

Prayer Request

I know many of you are willing to pray , so I am asking for your prayers as I go to the Dr. Monday. This is that yearly check-up, YUK! But also, I am scheduled for a mammogram. I have no reason to worry, but it has been 2 years since I got word that I would need to have some biopsies. I was not in the least prepared for what this would be like, and needless to say was a nervous wreck afterward. The biopsies came back fine, and then I was scheduled for a routine yearly mammogram. I was sure there would be nothing out of the ordinary, until I received notice, that I needed to come back in 6 months for an area that needed to be watched. I went back for the 6 mo. app and it too was fine. I have some microcalcifications that I would never even know were there, and this makes me a little nervous still. Please pray that I will have a perfect peace as I go for what I am looking at as a routine mammogram. I know God is in control. Also please pray that I will take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, as I wait for the results. I have often battled with fear, and the enemy would like nothing more than to see me full of fear once again, and with God's strength I will not give in. Thanks so much for all of your prayers. Have a blessed week! Jackie