328 North River Park Drive in Pictures

Struggling to Rejoice

My niece, Lydia had heart surgery this morning. The results have left me feeling rather emotional.  I cannot imagine what my sister is going through.

Lydia is my sister Renee's daughter, age 8.  She has had episodes of her heart racing so fast that she would turn gray in color, cold and clammy for, I want to say 3 years.  Renee, her husband David and their six children live in Colombia.  About 2 years ago Lydia underwent heart surgery in Colombia which was unsuccessful. 

My oldest sister, Terry, who lives in California offered to have Renee and Lydia fly to CA to have surgery at the University of San Francisco Hospital. After some insurance details were settled, tickets were purchased. When Drew and I heard Renee was bringing their 3 yr. old daughter, Sophia, as well we asked Mary if she would be willing/interested in going and helping out.  She jumped at the chance.

Today Renee called to say that they located the electrical node that was out of whack but it was too close to the hearts electrical system to do anything about.  Renee was just sick when she called and I have felt sick ever since.  This means Lydia will have to live with these attacks!

I am afraid I was putting my hope in the surgeon, not in the one who created the surgeon. I just knew the surgery would be successful and Lydia would go home all better, forgetting that God has plans I do not comprehend. 

My prayers have changed.  I am now praying the Lord would be glorified through Lydia's handling of these attacks in the future.  That she and her siblings and parents would shine through this extremely difficult time as lights for the Living God.  My heart still aches as I praise Him. He knows! He is good! (Nahum 1:7) He is sovereign! To Him be the glory!

Chloe Quote

"Ohhhhhhh!!  I didn't know I had a Dorothy shoe crayon!"

interpretation - a red glitter crayon ;)

Look What's Outside Our Dining Room Window!!!!!

A Quote I Can Relate To

"People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." --D.A. Carson

Summer To Do List

I LOVED this list I found hanging on the refrigerator.  I LOVE my husband!  Sounds like we are going to have some nice times this summer =)