post-transplant UPDATES
07/31/09 6:00 AM - www.CameronChana.org
06/19/09 9:00 AM - Kelli has been having some difficulties lately with what we all first thought was a possible cold she had caught - hung on for a couple weeks and then started to ease up and looked like it was going away, but then the nausea worsened and now she can't keep her medicines down so yesterday the hospital did some blood work to see if medicines need to be adjusted. They also told her that if she was unable to keep her evening meds down then she would have to go the the ER and be given the meds by IV .
This morning, the hospital told her she needed to go ahead and come in, so she is making preparations now to head that way so I will keep this site updated on what's going on from here. Pray that it is simply a medicine issue and it can be easily remedied.
06/06/09 9:00 AM - Again, this is another posting that has no direct connection with the normal content of this site, but I was so moved when I heard this yesterday that I felt I just had to comment on it. If ever there was a doubt whether or not this country once believed - shamelessly believed, prayed and honored Almighty God, this should remove such doubt. It is a true eye-opener of just how far this nation has fallen in just a very short period of history. This is the text of a prayer, given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on D-Day, June 6, 1944. I heard the audio of this prayer and was left in amazement when I realized, this wasn't just a prayer of appeasement - this was a real prayer - a six minute and thirty-two second long prayer - spoken before the entire nation! Here it is.....
"My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violence's of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen."
Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944
Where has this United States of America gone? In 1944 the President of the United States publicly poured his heart out to God in prayer. Today, our children can't pray in school; the Bible is not allowed. Our President uses the word "god" to refer to whatever god one may choose to believe in, and he would certainly never address "god" in a six and a half minute prayer before the nation. We are no longer safe in our schools or even in our churches. Everything is turned up-side-down. The morality of this nation (and the world) has all but disappeared.
Jesus said the signs of the end of the age would include; "wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, famine and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places; and because iniquity (sin) shall abound - the love of many shall wax cold. Many shall be offended and betray one another and hate one another. False prophets shall arise and deceive many.... but he says - This is not the end - this is the Beginning of Sorrows...." Is this where we find ourselves today?
I can't think of a better way to close this writing than to quote from the prayer of President Roosevelt as he said, 'Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts."
Amen.
05/27/09 9:00 PM -
It was Thursday, September 25th, (day 2 of Kelli's uncertain
condition). All we really knew was that she was lying in a coma and
the doctors were just waiting for some sign of a truly positive
response from Kelli.
We as family and friends prayed, with a fervency we had never before
know. We drew on one another for strength and we cried out to God
for deliverance.
For those past 48 hours I paced about the floors of the hospital,
wandering off in search for a place I could find solitude. After
all this searching, I finally found the hospital chapel, late
Thursday night. It was nothing elaborate, but I immediately
recognized a calming sweet presence draw me in.
I walked immediately to the front of the chapel where a large
"coffee table" Bible lay open on the table. I looked to see what
passage it was opened to and I found it to be Psalm 91 and I read:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall
abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God;
in him will I trust.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver
him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my
name
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him
in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
(While this is only the beginning and ending verses of this
scripture, these are the verses that stood out to me and brought a
quiet assurance to my heart.)
As I turned and faced the door to the chapel, I noticed a hymnal on
one of the seats. I opened it and thumbed through the pages. I was
astonished to find in the pages a hymn, that I have only heard the
opening few words of as it is played as the opening theme to the
"Thru the Bible Radio
Ministry" w/ Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I always wondered
what the rest of the words were and as I read it my heart was
flooded with joy as I felt these words speak to my soul the
assurance again that all would be well.
The words of the song are as follows:
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
05/27/09 8:00 AM - As I begin to write, the kids have boarded their school bus for their final trip to school for the 2008-09 school year! It's unbelievable that another school year has reached it's end! What a year it has been.
I remember watching the kids as they each waited for their bus (separately for the first time this year as Kali entered middle school, leaving Al to manage his last year in elementary by himself.)
I am very proud of the both of them. They have had a tough year emotionally but they were both very strong during their mom's surgery and recovery; (They were barely a month into school when their mom's catastrophe hit.) And they both maintained very high grades throughout the year! They both held their own in the A-B category!
Each day has it's unique moment where I say in my heart, "Wow! It's awesome that we are all here to experience this moment together." And this is that moment today. As I say often lately, the story could have been extremely different. God is good!
