Nelson Anniversary

We need to keep praying for Moriah and her parents, Victoria and Justin. They celebrated their wedding anniversary this week and Moriah has been running unexplained fevers again. Please click on the photo to update yourself on their story.

This family and their faith through these painful trials have been a blessing and ecnouragement to me. I am certain you will be blessed by them as well!

Prayer Focus Sunday-Memorial Edition

Although my prayer focus is generally on parents with chronically or terminally ill children, I have a lady who needs comfort. Yesterday Russ and I were inspired to visit the local Veterans Cemetery. I have never done this in the 19 years we have lived in the area but I felt moved to go yesterday. I was hoping to find the grave of a local soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2005. As I approached the newer section, an elderly lady came up to me and pointed out over the sea of flags. "Isn't that wonderful?" she exclaimed. I agreed and she asked it I was there to see anyone in particular. I shook my head "No, we are here to honor all of them. I figure that they didn't know me when they laid down their lives for my freedom so I didn't need to have someone in particular to visit".  She proceeded to tell me about her husband who passed in April. They had been married 68 years. She almost gasped "I hate being alone after all the time". She hugged me as she turned to leave and thanked me for bringing honor to those who have given so much. With both of us holding back tears, I forgot to ask her name or offer mine.

As you pray this week, think about praying for the families of countless heroes who didn't need to know your name to fight for their freedom. While you are at it, pray for the sweet widow who stopped to thank the first person she saw at a small cemetery.

Ezekiel

This sweet little family deals with daily concerns and stress over health and developmental issues and they don't even have a diagnosis yet.

Please pray for Ezekiel and Chelsea as the Lord draws them close and the Doctors witness the miracles of the sweet boy and his dedicated Momma.

Another Farewell

Please pray for the Freeman's family today. As we all head out to our daily tasks, remember that life will never be the same for this family after saying farewell to their sweet miracle.

Mother's Day Prayer focus

Mother's Day gets a lot of attention and rightfully so. Many Mother's deserve to be honored and to have their accomplishments noticed. For first time Mother's its an especially happy day.Today I am praying for those who find Mother's Day to be a time filled with more difficult emotions.

For those whose Mother was less than honorable, this day hold feelings of regret. I have a dear friend whose Mother's actions were neglectful and at times abusive. She herself is a role model to other mothers and an encouragement to young women.

Mother's Day is also painful for those who no longer have their Mother here on earth. This is my first Mother's Day without my Mom. The approach to this day has been emotional to say the least. It won't be filled with sadness but their is no denying that its a challenging road.

For the women who have longed to have a child but motherhood has been elusive. Infertility has wounded the heart in a way that makes this day arduous. It may mark their first Mother's Day since the loss of a child or for some their 15th. They may be spending today in a children's hospital praying for the health of their sick one.

Then there are those whose mother/child relationship are estranged. A rift separates a relationship that is so easy to take for granted. Today could be a day of reconciliation or a reminder of what is being lost.

As you go about the activities of today, church, brunch, picnics and celebrations, I encourage you to be tender to those who may not be having a "Happy" Mother's Day. (I'm not suggesting that we forgo celebrating. I believe that mother's deserve honor.) I'm suggesting thoughtfulness.

On this day, Pray for the words to bring comfort. Ask the Lord to heal hearts and to give hope on this special day.

Mother's Day Prayers

So many of us know what it is like to celebrate Mother's Day but so few know what it is like to spend it with an very sick child in the hospital. Tomorrow, many of the Mom's I have mentioned on prayer focus Sunday will be doing just that. What can you do if you know of someone who won't be home on Mother's Day?

First, don't assume that they will have plenty of people in touch with them. When too many people follow that line of thinking, to few reach out. If they aren't taking visitors, drop off a card or a little gift. A note of encouragement will go a long way.

Second, (but not less important) pray for them. Let them know you are praying for them and if appropriate, ask for specific requests. The comfort it will bring is far and above what you might think.

Towards the bottom of my main page you will find links to different blogs where parents have either lost a child this year or are dealing with a pediatric health crisis. Check them out. The Lord may put a specific one on your heart to encourage and it will do your heart good as well!

Above all, have a blessed weekend.

Kayleigh

I can't believe it is Sunday already but it gives me another chance to pass on a prayer need. It gives you a chance to pray for someone you have never met.

My Mom taught me that God gave each of us Moms a "mother's heart" made just for our children. With that, we have the ability to understand with concern about what other parents must be going through with children who are ill.

Here is another family to pray for this day:

Maddie is home which is a praise but its hard on her parents to keep up the medication and IV administration. Please continue to pray for them.

Two Families

Even if I don't have much to say during the week I am trying to keep diligent in getting out a prayer focus every week. Mad is still having a rough time getting well enough to leave the hospital, I think they are are two weeks this time and her Mom (Tami) switched with Dad (Dan) so she could rest up. Tami went home and ended up sick in bed.

When we are praying for these sick children, please remember to pray for their parents health as well. It is so easy to get run down and ill.

Moriah finally had her tracheotomy on Thursday and is already doing well but so many mysteries need to be solved. On my main page you can find links to many of the families who need prayer.

I don't want to overwhelm, I just want to share the need for these families. Thank you to those who are taking the time to lift up families they may never know up close.

Madalyn

This Week I am asking for prayer for Madalyn. I mentioned her several weeks ago. Things were looking up but this weekend she has taken a bad turn. She has an illness that has taken a year to diagnose. The stress of not knowing was painful enough but just when life was looking semi-normal, she is in danger again.

Please pray for Dan, Tami, Mad and her siblings who are understandably stressed and scared. Their blog is not public so that is the most I can tell you. God knows...

Prayer Focus - Moriah's Family

I encourage you to keep praying for Moriah. This week was a bad week for them. Click on the photo to visit their blog and pray specifically.

Be blessed!

Prayer For Two Families

I have decided to start posting a prayer focus (or two) once a week. Its not that I don't think you don't have enough to pray for, I just believe that we get blessed when we have a specific prayer goal. (Click on the photo to read their stories)

This week is for Stellan.

I encourage you to keep praying for Moriah as well. She will be getting a trach as soon as they figure out a couple of other issues.

Okay, that is TWO prayer focuses! I know you all can handle that!

Be blessed!

Glimpses of Parenting a Child With Special Needs

I've mentioned before about the list of duties that parents deal with when caring for their children who have multiple medical needs. It goes beyond having to fight for things that are already promised. Constantly having to educate those around you on the differences your child has compared to other children with special needs can wear you out. All of that is nothing compared to the underlying stress that we all feel to some degree caused by the fear of losing our child.

They say it is every parent's nightmare. Too many parents are closer to it being a reality than those who only have typical children. With fragile bodies tied to fighting spirits, they come close to leaving more times than any of us want to count. When someone in our community, loses their precious child, it become one more reminder of just how precious these lives are. It adds to the daily, underlying stress we live with because we know, it could so easily be our child without any notice. We have a deep knowledge of how precious every day is, take less for granted and know that we can't always count on doing something next year, next month or even tomorrow. When one of our families faces this kind of tragedy, we all feel it deeply. We can so easily put ourselves in the place of those parents because we have ran it through our minds so many times.

Please pray for those you know who are walking this path. Tonight you can pray by name for Bryant Paquette's family. Dave, Cheryl, Emily, Julia & Liam.

My First Parental Prayer Post

In the past several weeks I have had the privilege of praying for parents who are in need of encouragement, healing, strength or comfort. I felt it was time to share their stories so that those who stop by and read these entries will also have the opportunity to pray, be encouraged and be blessed by these various people whose stories have so much depth and meaning.

Tami's daughter Madalyn age 11, has been dealing with a mysterious illness that has kept her hospitalized or on home health since August 2007. Every time they think they have a diagnosis, something else comes up and caused more symptoms. She was airlifted across the country this week in order to have more in depth specialized testing. Her symptoms include cyclic vomiting, severe muscle cramps and overall weakness. During a bit of remission, she raised several thousand dollars running in a 5K for Breast Cancer research to honor a friend she met in the children's hospital. They are a remarkable family with deep faith and weary souls. They have two other children who have also taken huge emotional hits that many families take when a sibling is so very ill. T and I have many "g-tube" discussions over the past year. Please pray for encouragement and wisdom for the Drs. The not knowing can be as painful as the illness itself.

Victoria and Justin welcomed sweet Moriah into the world early in the year. M has congenital heart defects related to Charge Syndrome. Over the past month she has endured surgeries, a collapsed lung and GI complications that cause this sweet girl severe pain. Please pray for strength, comfort and healing.

D's 17 year old daughter R was killed last March when her 15 year old boyfriend crashed while driving drunk from a party. The how and the whys are difficult enough but "the year of firsts" that so many of us who have grieved a loved one experience can be a uneasy path. When I see her there is still that empty look in her eyes that reflects the pain in her heart. Please pray for D as she moves forward towards healing.

Ashley and Todd have been chronicling the year of their sweet daughter Resse's life. Their story has been a spiritual lifeline for me the past several months. R joined her Saviour on her first birthday and her story continues to touch lives. Please continue to pray for their healing and the opportunity to minster through their experience and their love for their sweet family.

As I write this, Terri is sitting in a burn center praying over her son Jon. Jon was adopted at birth by Terri and her husband Dennis several years ago. A year later they were joined by Jon's 3 older bio siblings and two years ago they took in five foster children. Now Jon is recovering from burns and this week's skin grafts on his neck and chest. They are almost 4 hours from home and with this weekend's weather will not be joined by the family. We are hoping for some time together on Chrsitmas. There is more than anyone has time to read in a blog but please pray for their family as they rest in the Lord's promises. Also pray for financial provision, their health care will be cut off on January first and treatments will not be close to over.

Thank you for joining my in prayer for these amazing families. I know there are hundreds that I do not know. If this reminds you to pray for them as well, then please do.