Friday, October 26, 2012
URL of this Blog Officially Changed
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Fall Break With My Sweet Girl
I should be working on getting things done around the house, but I have been spending time with my sweet girl. I was getting her to smile and laugh today. She is so wonderful and pleasant.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Moments With Mom (Catherine's Grandma)
A week ago we drove to Illinois for what we expected to be our final moments with my mom. Elisabeth, the children, and I arrived on a Saturday evening, checked into a hotel, and went over to the hospice home to see her. Our first impressions were that she was on her deathbed. She was extremely tired and very much hard to understand, but we took Catherine and put her in mom's arms. Mom was aware she was holding Catherine, but not very clear headed. But somehow Mom's reaction was like it was soothing her to hold our little girl. Catherine just lay there looking into her grandma's face.
We went up there daily and brought the children with us. While the boys played in the playroom, or out on the playgound set up for young family members, either Elisabeth or I sat for a while with Mom so she could hold Catherine in her arms. Even when mom was not herself, I wanted to give her those final moments holding Catherine.
We did get a chance to talk about some important things. Even Mom believed she was close to the end of this life. She told me she was ready and had no fear because she had Jesus. She told my sister she wanted me to preach the sermon at her funeral and make sure I mention Galatians 2:20, her favorite verse from the Bible. I was preparing for the end. My prayer for was that God would do what was most merciful according to His infinite wisdom. I told the Lord I did not know what to pray other than that.
Evidently God does not feel she is ready to meet Him yet!
By Wednesday night things started to make a huge turnaround. Mom woke up and started talking to us with a very clear mind. We kept bringing Catherine to her every day, and she was able to hold her with a clear mind. The hospice nurses and aides came in one-by-one to see my mom hold her. They were all charmed.
It looks like Mom will survive this if things keep progressing as they are. I like to think that God has used our little Angel Catherine as an instrument to sooth my mom with her presence and her happy disposition, and to give my mom hope that there is still something giving her the desire to live.
I tell people all the time that Catherine's life will bring glory to God. God used that little girl this week--an infant of only four months--and somehow communicated hope to my mother.
We took Catherine up to see mom before we left today. (We kept the boys away because they developed colds and are coughing.) I asked Mom, "Isn't she something to go on living for? Don't you want to see her grow up a little?" Mom replied, "I want to see her walk." May God grant that, and even longer for my mom. I want her to know Catherine, Christopher, and Noah very well. I want her to enjoy them.
But no matter what happens, I know my mom is ready to see Jesus. I told my parents that I pray for the Lord's return often so that we all might walk heaven's streets together glorifying Him.
We went up there daily and brought the children with us. While the boys played in the playroom, or out on the playgound set up for young family members, either Elisabeth or I sat for a while with Mom so she could hold Catherine in her arms. Even when mom was not herself, I wanted to give her those final moments holding Catherine.
We did get a chance to talk about some important things. Even Mom believed she was close to the end of this life. She told me she was ready and had no fear because she had Jesus. She told my sister she wanted me to preach the sermon at her funeral and make sure I mention Galatians 2:20, her favorite verse from the Bible. I was preparing for the end. My prayer for was that God would do what was most merciful according to His infinite wisdom. I told the Lord I did not know what to pray other than that.
Evidently God does not feel she is ready to meet Him yet!
By Wednesday night things started to make a huge turnaround. Mom woke up and started talking to us with a very clear mind. We kept bringing Catherine to her every day, and she was able to hold her with a clear mind. The hospice nurses and aides came in one-by-one to see my mom hold her. They were all charmed.
It looks like Mom will survive this if things keep progressing as they are. I like to think that God has used our little Angel Catherine as an instrument to sooth my mom with her presence and her happy disposition, and to give my mom hope that there is still something giving her the desire to live.
I tell people all the time that Catherine's life will bring glory to God. God used that little girl this week--an infant of only four months--and somehow communicated hope to my mother.
We took Catherine up to see mom before we left today. (We kept the boys away because they developed colds and are coughing.) I asked Mom, "Isn't she something to go on living for? Don't you want to see her grow up a little?" Mom replied, "I want to see her walk." May God grant that, and even longer for my mom. I want her to know Catherine, Christopher, and Noah very well. I want her to enjoy them.
But no matter what happens, I know my mom is ready to see Jesus. I told my parents that I pray for the Lord's return often so that we all might walk heaven's streets together glorifying Him.
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