Emilie knows me so well and knows exactly what I need to read each morning to start my day off right! Ha! Emilie doesn't know me from Eve, but the God that Emilie Barnes, my devotional author, serves knows me and inspires her to write just the noted words to inspire and spur me. (I have met Emilie Barnes, but that's not important) This morning she expressed the necessity of having measuring standards for your dreams. They will remain dreams, illusions, if you do not seek to fulfill them by orchestrating a plan. If you truly desire to accomplish something, than set a time limit or a deadline. Also, give yourself awareness of your parameters. That is to say, don't seek to lose 50 lbs in 2 weeks - that is NOT POSSIBLE. Instead, lose 50 lbs in 6 months with a goal each month along the way to help you monitor your work towards that goal. I am a task manager and a LIST MAKER. If you don't know me, which by now, I am sure that you all feel that you do, you are probably not aware of my obsession with lists. I have been making grocery lists since high school. I make a list for packing for EVERY TRIP WE HAVE EVER BEEN ON. I hate getting somewhere and feeling the defeat of leaving something behind. I make weekly achievement lists. I make lists on post-its at school of things to accomplish each day. I have a problem.
As I reflected on what Emilie was illustrating in her devotional today, I was all the more aware of how important it is to be specific in our petitions to the Lord. It doesn't bother him when we are vague or somewhat rambling, but it delights him when we think through our needs and specifically list them to him demonstrating that we entrust Him with these burdens. Grasp that! God wants to hear the specifics, EVEN THE SMALL STUFF. He wants to know that you trust Him with every, EVERY aspect of your life. These past few weeks we have been making specific requests for Jeremy and for healing and endurance. I think we can take it even further. Let's talk with God about an index, a measuring device to give evidence to His divine intervention and provisions. Think about how God has been all the more evident in His faithfulness to us when we have done that. For example, I asked you to join me 2 nights ago in praying that ONE tube be pulled. What happened yesterday? Our specific deadline was met. WOW! Now, don't walk away thinking that every time you lay this type of request before the Father He will grant it. "God I need a new job by tomorrow." That might be asking for the 50 lbs in 2 weeks. Be realistic. "God, I need a promise of an interview in the next 48 hours." And then do your part so He can do His part as He watches you faithfully trust in His love.
Pray for the requests I mentioned last night, but do so with specifics. Jeremy spoke with Dr. Kemp this morning and we have already seen some of our petitioning come to fruition. Dr. Kemp said that they plan to monitor the fluid production of Tube #3 today and if it continues to produce little to no fluid, than they will do a CT scan this afternoon and possibly pull Tube #3. If they do not perform the CT scan this afternoon, Jeremy is the first one on the docket for a CT scan tomorrow morning at 7:30am (6:30am CST). They will again assess where the air and fluid is, if there is any, and decide if, and how many tubes they are pulling. Truthfully, the best case scenario is postponing the CT until tomorrow and finding no fluid or air and pulling both tubes. If they do the CT scan this afternoon, and pull Tube #3, than we will have to wait another 48 hours for another CT scan because of the exposure to radiation. Therefore, we would be well into the weekend and most likely would be pushed over until Monday when Dr. Quaong arrives. We spoke with one of the fellows on Dr. Malech's team today and asked her to be our advocate for the removal of both tubes. We stated that we would remain on campus (the Lodge or whatever) after they remove both tubes if they would at least give him the relief of removing both tubes. She agreed that after tomorrow, if the tubes are producing no output, than it would be senseless to leave a "dry" tube in him for 2 more entire days. So, we have someone else on our team and we have you all on our team. Pray that today, another day of stability, is a day of productivity. Pray that his lungs continue to expand. Pray that the fluid slows to NOTHING, because it has all drained out of his body. Pray with a deadline that God will provide evidence of His good and perfect work tomorrow morning with the CT scan. Pray, if you are awake, with us during the CT scan tomorrow morning at 7:30am (6:30 CST). We would love to be on a plane Monday, but we would be ecstatic to be on a plane Saturday or Sunday, but I will take Monday.
Praise the Lord, today Jeremy walked to x-ray (no wheelchair). They are still restricting his diet, so low fat. Boo. The advocate is going to try and change that for us as well since he has now lost even more weight. I won't even tell you because it is sickening. All you fantastic creators of down home Southern cooking get your best recipes on. It's time for a fattening of the pastor and a pounding of the new music guy. I love church potluck! Whoo hoo. Listen, if you aren't a member of a local congregation - you ARE MISSING OUT PEOPLE!
Praise the Lord, the fungal specimen removed has begun to grow. This is huge. They can now compare it to other samples they have taken from Jeremy, including the vertebrae infection from '06-'07. This will also give them a better idea of how to attack any remaining infection in his body by identifying which drug best attacks the specimen! THIS IS GREAT! This is a long term praise. Whoo hoo! We also just spoke with Dr. Malech, who also said he would be our advocate and also expressed the 'artistry" mentality of a surgeon more than the "doctor" mentality of a surgeon. Jeremy is a work of art to the surgeon and he is making final strokes, so he doesn't want to put Jeremy out on the auction block in any other way than perfect because it is a reflection of the surgeon's work. YADA YADA! I know.
Pray for my dealings with Southwest today that they be merciful as I change my flight once more. Pray for Emma and Abbi as the time apart continues. We got to see them last night and it was GREAT!. Pray for our endurance and for God's glory.
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