Update on my Daughter:

Just the other day, Hope rode her bike without training wheels for the first time! Notice how she sticks out her tongue when she concentrates? Her dad does that too.

First: Thank you VERY much for your concern and your prayers! Our prayers matter to God, and they matter to me.

THE LATEST NEWS:

The Echocardiogram: This test confirmed that Hopes heart is structurally normal. This is very good news.

Irregular Beats:
Hopes heart beats irregularly about 25% of the time. The irregularity happens mostly when she’s sleeping or resting. Currently, we do not know why this is happening.

Normally, the upper chambers of the heart will beat and then the lower chambers will follow. 25% of the time, Hopes lower chambers go “rogue”; meaning that they don’t wait for the upper chambers to beat. Thankfully, the lower chambers are strong enough that they are pushing enough blood so that Hope doesn’t feel faint or dizzy.

Next:
Soon we will go in for a more tests, including an exercise test. Sarah and I are hoping that we can get some answers as to “why?”

Please continue to pray for the medical costs. Because Sarah and I are planting a church, neither we nor the church currently have the finances to afford health insurance for our family. But, whether we have insurance or not, we are certain that God is our provider and we trust Him. This isn’t spiritual rhetoric. We truly trust God to supply our every need and that’s why we pray.

Note: we just got the first bill in the mail. Let me just say this – it’s not in the hundreds.

About our Daughter

IMG_9779
Originally uploaded by Joe and Sarah.
About our Daughter:

The Story: Late last week we took Hope in for a “Wellness Check”. The Nurse Practioner heard an irregular heartbeat and immediately referred us to a heart specialist at Children’s Hospital.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we took Hope to Children’s Hospital and met with Dr. Caton. His initial examination included and EKG and lots of listening with his stethoscope. He felt that Hopes heart was functioning properly, but that she probably has a mild “innocent” murmur. He wanted to monitor Hopes heart for 24 hours so, she was promptly hooked up to a Holter Heart Monitor which she carried around everywhere.

This morning, we returned the monitor to the doctor. I asked when we would hear about results of the monitoring. The answer was, “We will call you if there is something to report. No news is good news.”

Late this afternoon the phone rang. Hope answered it and informed Sarah that it was her doctor. Apparently there was news.

The News: There is something irregular happening when Hope is resting and/or sleeping.

This coming Monday we will be taking Hope back to Children’s Hospital for more testing. The testing will include an echocardiogram.

There is no diagnosis yet. The testing should produce a diagnosis soon.

The Parents: We are doing “all right”. We trust God. We are certainly different in how we are handling the news and the stress... Sarah says it’s simply the difference between men and women. Certainly we both are appropriately concerned. We’d be lying if we didn’t say there was some worry or anxiety involved on both our parts. Did I say yet that we trust God?

Besides Hopes heart, we are a bit concerned about the cost. We don’t have health insurance.

Prayers are welcomed, expected even.

We’ll keep you up to date as time goes on.

---joe

Taking Daughter to A Heart Specialist

Hope's EKG
Originally uploaded by Joe and Sarah.

Today we took Hope to Children's Hospital to see a heart specialist. I secretly whipped out my camera phone to snap this shot behind the nurse's back (literally). This picture is of hope during her EKG... there's about 25 wires attached to her right now.

The Doctor thinks that her heart is fine, but we'll know 'for sure' tomorrow after we take off the 24 hour heart monitor that she's wearing right now.

Thanks for praying

---joe

Response to an Inquiry

To: Me
From: Justin (in the deep south)

“Dude, your obsession with this 5,000 gifts thing is making me do a double take on it. Explain to me again what this is all about? Oh, and looking for an album recommendation from you...I've got iTunes cash that's burning a hole in my virtual pocket...and since you're in my musical parallel universe...”

Justin –

To summarize:
This 5000 gifts thing is birthed out of our small church’s desire to live lives of worship far beyond the Sunday Church thing. It’s birthed out of questions like, “If every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights, then what exactly are these good and perfect gifts? What would change in our lives and our church if we were to spend far more time than we are currently spending looking for God’s good gifts?”

To unpack it a little bit more:
In addition to questions like the ones above, we think the exercise of finding God in our daily lives would go a long way into shaping how we view God and how we approach the life He’s given. If God is always at work in this world, then there are infinite number of places (including “dark” places) that I can find God’s good works in operation and If I stop long enough to identify those places, then God get’s honor, glory, praise and worship… which just happens to be what I’m created for.

I think the spiritual practice of gratitude has often been underrated and overshadowed……wait, hold on, I’m trying keep myself in check… I’m feel a long-winded blog coming on. Focus, Joe, focus…

So, Justin, the 5000 gifts project is a place that we can collectively tell of all of God’s wonders (Psalms 9). We recognize that a collection of “Thank You’s” couldn’t possibly tell of all God’s Wonders, but it’s sure if fun trying! At some point, the idea came to shoot for a massive, global list that goes far beyond our little community.

As far as an album to purchase:
Here’s a few that I wish I could buy, but It’s a high possibility that you already have these (or don’t care to own)

Over The Rhine: Drunkards Prayer through the latest, “The trumpet Child“
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City
The Cure: Festival 2005
David Crowder Band: Remedy
Van Morrison: The Best of Volume 3
John Mayer Trio: Try – live
Angels and Airwaves: I-Empire
Sinead O Conner: Theology

I Will Not Be Silent

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God,
I will give you thanks forever.
~ Psalm 30:11-12

I'm loving the 5000 gifts project because it allows a whole bunch of us to be much less silent about God. It allows people from around the world to collect a list of the wonders of God for all to see!

It's about not being silent about what God has given. It's about living lives of gratitude. It's about stopping long enough to ponder every good gift that comes down from our father in Heaven (Read the book of James).

Would you like to join us? We're officially Massive (over 2,000 gifts listed). We're officially international (Canada, USA, New Zealand, and Guatemala). We officially think that 5,000 "thank you's" is way too little considering how absolutely amazing our God is!

We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.
~ Psalms 75:1

I'm Grateful but That's not all I Feel

I look at that picture, and immediately I'm grateful (to God) that that's not me or my family in that situation. That is certainly a good thing to be thankful for.

Gatitude isn't the only thing I feel. I feel guilty, like I'm not doing 'enough'. I feel selfish. I sense arrogance in me. I feel spoiled. I feel out of touch with reality.

How do you feel? What do photos like this cause you to think about?

Thank You For Hearing Me

By Sinead O'Conner

Thank you for hearing me
Thank you for hearing me
Thank you for hearing me
Thank you for hearing me

Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Thank you for seeing me
Thank you for seeing me
Thank you for seeing me
Thank you for seeing me

And for not leaving me
And for not leaving me
And for not leaving me
And for not leaving me

Thank you for staying with me
Thank you for staying with me
Thank you for staying with me
Thank you for staying with me

Thanks for not hurting me
Thanks for not hurting me
Thanks for not hurting me
Thanks for not hurting me

You are gentle with me
You are gentle with me
You are gentle with me
You are gentle with me

Thanks for silence with me
Thanks for silence with me
Thanks for silence with me
Thanks for silence with me

Thank you for holding me
And saying "I could be"
Thank you for saying "Baby"
Thank you for holding me

Thank you for helping me
Thank you for helping me
Thank you for helping me
Thank you, thank you for helping me

Thank you for breaking my heart
Thank you for tearing me apart
Now I've a strong, strong heart
Thank you for breaking my heart

Lyrics posted without permission

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

When upon life's billows
You are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged
Thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the Lord has done

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

Are you ever burdened
With a load of care
Does the cross seem heavy
You are called to bear
Count your many blessings
Every doubt will fly
And you will be singing
As the days go by

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

When you look at others
With their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised
You His wealth untold
Count your many blessings
Money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven
Nor your home on high

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

So, amid the conflict
Whether great or small
Do not be discouraged
God is over all
Count your many blessings
Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you
To your journey's end

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

- Words by Johnson Oatman, 1897