Happy Birthday Peter!

Happy Birthday Peter!

10 Years Old today

He put holes in his last good pair of jeans this week. I had to get a 12 slim, which nearly put me in tears. My little boy wearing a 12! Cruel how fast the years pass, isn't it? I still remember my little guy standing near the sink, pointing to the faucet and asking for "wa".

I bought him this bead set and he already told me how wonderful it is three times this morning! He is so sweet. It's just the right difficulty level and the boys are having so much fun together. Handicrafts are such a wonderful way to pass the time together, as siblings. By the same company, I bought a birdhouse wood project for him to complete with Daddy, including painting the finished project. He loves time with Daddy and my husband loves to do such things with the boys.

Aside: Charlotte Mason believes handicrafts should be a part of every child's education, and I wholeheartedly agree. The discipline, patience, and pride that must go into such projects teaches so much!

Update On Beth's Arthritis

Here is an update on Beth, which I sent out to her prayer partners:

Thank you for praying for Beth this month! We went to follow-up appointments with both her eye specialist and her rheumatologist.

Rheumatology news: No new joints are involved--still just the two knees! Both legs are still the same length. The doctor was happy with the effectiveness of the naproxen in controlling the joint swelling. Beth can walk right away when she gets out of bed about 75% of the time now, though stiffness is still there and some day and night pain. Between 3pm and 8pm are her best hours for comfort. She did lose 2 pounds in 6 weeks (she was already skinny!), so the doctor put her on a different anti-inflammatory, thinking that the naproxen is upsetting her stomach and making her too full too soon. Starting tonight she will get celebrex, which gets sprinkled on some applesauce. I've been giving her higher fat foods since learning of the extreme weight loss. I knew she was thinner, but didn't realize how extensive the loss was.

The weekly physical therapy is going well. She is walking on her toes to offset the knee joint pain. Over time that could lead to her calf and hamstring muscles becoming too tight. We are addressing that in therapy now (stretches).

Please pray that...she gains weight quickly and that no new joints become involved, and that her pain and night wake-ups subside. Taking steroids with anti-inflammatory meds increases the risk of bleeding or ulcer. Please pray for no side effects.

Eye news: The eye inflammation is completely gone! A huge answer to prayer! The eye specialist--who happens to be world-renowned for helping to develop a surgery for wandering eyes in children--seemed surprised that the inflammation was completely gone this soon. I think he was expecting a reduction only. (Prayer works!) In the next 25 days we slowly wean her off the steroid drops, seeing him again on the 25th day. If the inflammation is back when we return for follow-up, she will need a more aggressive therapy (possibly steroid eye injections, or methotrexate shots given at home weekly). Too much steroid-drop use puts her at risk for glaucoma and/or cataracts, so one of these other methods would be preferred this soon after steroid drop use. (Methotrexate is given for aggressive joint problems associated with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, but it also works on the eye inflammation because it suppresses the auto-immune response).

Please pray that...no more steroid absorbs into her blood stream, and for no damage done from the absorption. Her moods, her sleep quality, and her dreams worsened since starting the steroid, so he suspects some was absorbed into her system. Also pray that the eye inflammation never returns.

In his opinion, the worse thing that might happen to her eyes if inflammation continues, is that she might get cataracts from steroid use (which would be treatable). The eye inflammation is caused by the arthritis, but it will take a completely different course now--either better or worse than the joint issues, and either longer or shorter in duration. Some children get eye inflammation and never get any joint problems. They have the worst prognosis because the inflammation tends to go on a long time without symptoms and the vision gets progressively worse before a diagnosis is given and treatment begins. He thinks it's highly unlikely that Beth would ever go blind from her eye involvement. It is likely, however, that at some point she will get more inflammation. It flares like the arthritis does, but not necessarily at the same time. 

The rheumatologist tells it like it is, while the eye doctor sugar coats it a bit. I don't know which is better, from a parent's perspective? The rheumatologist warns that because Beth's eye involvement started so early, it could follow an aggressive and/or long-term course. (1/5 of arthritis children get eye involvement, but usually not this soon)

Thank you again for your prayers!  They helped a great deal with her eyes, her joints, and with our family's ability to cope with the life changes.

Never hesitate to share your own prayer requests with us, please. Prayer works!

With Love,

Christine and Family

Note: You may have heard some bad press on Celebrex, but the reported heart problems happen with much higher doses, and when it is used long term. It doesn't work on the stomach lining, so it has been prescribed for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis since 2006 for patients who experience gastrointestinal problems on other anti-inflammatory meds (like naproxen or ibuprofen).

Who Can I Bless Today?

When you wake up in the morning is your first thought: "Who can I bless today?"  If you're not a morning person and you get too little sleep, this might be akin to a joke. Ahem.

But wouldn't it be nice to hold that thought all day? It honors God. It seeks not its own. It's filled with the Spirit.


We cannot live out our faith without the Spirit. The beautiful thing is...He's always available! We don't wait for him to fill us...he already did that, the moment we believed. We must go to Him to renew the fire. The fire that causes us to say..."Who can I bless today?" "Who can I be the face of Jesus to?"

Church is like a date to us, the parents of four. At our church the children worship with their family, leaving for their lessons after the last song and before the sermon. Honey and I then sit side by side, my head on his shoulder, his arms enfolding me. It's bliss. One with arthritis and one with neurological issues means our days are taxing, to put it lightly. We perform very well as a team but rarely have moments fully together. Church is one of those moments and sometimes we wish we were never asked to stand.

Another memorable time in church is when the pastor says, "Open your Bibles to...." I love that statement when I've been in the Word faithfully since the previous Sunday. But when I haven't? When I let life consume me? The shame of knowing I didn't faithfully love my Lord, grieves me.

Friends, at church yesterday, I hope you had the satisfaction of knowing you'd been in the Word, since the previous time your pastor said, "Open your Bibles...".

Remember that opening your Bible is the hardest part. Don't necessarily wait for the sanest moment to do so. Maybe that doesn't come on some days at your house? Then pick any moment. We have a number of Bibles so I keep one in every living space. Sit on the floor with the Legos and games. Let them play while you read. Interruptions will happen, but God will reward your faithfulness. If you have time later to do more reading, great. But if not, you still did something to renew the Spirit of God within you. The Spirit that compels you to wonder..."Who can I bless today?" That feeling can only come from someone who has been ministered to. While you read, He ministers.


photo credit

A God-Honoring Marriage

How is your marriage these days? Great, good, just getting by, or decidedly poor? Whatever your response, I have some wisdom that will create a God-honoring marriage.

What I'll share might seem a hard pill to swallow, but please stay with me.

A couple years ago I began noticing similarities between my husband and my oldest son, Peter, who suffers from ADHD. I checked with husband's aunt, asking her, "Did he display possible ADHD symptoms as a child?" His aunt thought about it: "I do remember symptoms like that."

I gently shared my thoughts with my husband, telling him ADHD might explain some frustrations and failures he's lived with all his life, including a poor relationship with his father. His aunt confirmed for me, too, that husband's father treated him terribly. Additionally, since 65% of ADHD sufferers have other conditions riding on its coattails, I suggested that mild depression might accompany his ADHD. Depression and/or anxiety are common co-morbid conditions, but there are several others, including oppositional-defiant disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, and Bipolar Disorder, which his nephew has (along with a few other letters).

I'm in many ways my husband's opposite. In the most important ways--spiritual faith and beliefs on how to raise children--we are alike, thankfully. When I know what I'm dealing with, like a family history of anxiety and my own similar symptoms, I develop a plan and fight. I assumed sharing with my husband my suspicions about his ADHD would affect him likewise. Knowing is half the battle, in my mind.

He expressed concern that ADHD medication, begun at his age, might affect his heart. Other than that he seemed to be in denial and developed no plan for action. As I said, he is my opposite...passive to my proactive. It continues to be difficult for him to organize and prioritize and sustain motivation.  Everyday life circumstances easily overwhelm him, especially with four children at home. His symptoms worsen with lack of sleep and lack of routine, just like my son's symptoms. He is often angry and frustrated, he forgets things, and is inattentive to details, making it hard to complete all but the most straightforward tasks (straight-forward like his custodial work...low responsibility, low level of planning required).

I spoke to a pastor about my suspicions, thinking maybe some pastoral counseling might help my husband. Acknowledging some depression, husband went to two sessions. The second session went very poorly and perhaps made things worse for awhile. From that lesson I learned that pastors should refer some counseling to those who "have been there", rather than trying to tackle every topic themselves.

Here is what I did next. Absolutely nothing. Yes, that's right...nothing. (Except prayer)

My husband is not my project. He is and always will be, the Lord's labor of love.

Every husband has redeeming qualities and I'm grateful for my husband's faith, strength, love, affection, and commitment to family. But every husband has issues, too, just like every wife does. We are imperfect people married to the same. Perhaps your husband is gruff with the children or with you, works too much, plays too much, drinks too much, cusses, is an unbeliever, believes but has no spiritual practices, is verbally abusive, etc. There is something that grieves you about him. Something that seems very crucial--though you may not know what this something is until after the "seventh year marriage itch".

You are his best friend, hopefully, so you can gently bring up his "issues". The key is to stop there. He is not your project.

~ Don't withhold love or affection (especially the marriage act), no matter how he responds to your little talk

~ Ask the Lord to help you cope with the issues, without any grudge or retaliation.

~ Marriage is one of the Lord's "growing avenues" for us, like parenthood. God won't take all issues away; some are part of God's plan for our sanctification. Embrace the hard just like you embrace the blessings. Some hallelujahs are hard hallelujahs.

~ Write down all the ways you can be a good wife, and carry them out. Be a blessing. Ask God to change you.

~ Know in your heart that God will either take care of the problem, or flood you with grace.

~ Remember that your marriage covenant is more to the Lord, than to your husband. You stay with your husband, loving him faithfully, because the Lord asks you to. Except in cases of adultery and a couple other instances, like when an unbelieving husband decides to leave you, a believer--you are bound to your husband for life. Whatever your circumstances, resolve to endure. Heavenly rewards await you for you obedience to God.

~ You didn't deserve the Cross, but it was given to you anyway. Your husband may not deserve your respect, love, and devotion, but give it to him anyway. This honors the Lord.

~ Be careful in talking about your husband to your friends and relatives...and even to your pastor. Accentuate the positive A LOT if you decide to speak to someone you know and see regularly. Always pray before sharing and share when you're level-headed, rather than after an upset. Someone who lives out of town or state might be a better choice. (If you are physically unsafe with your husband around, remove yourself and your children...don't wait and hope for change).

~ Enduring may seem overwhelming, when you look beyond today. Don't let your mind wander to the future...to the uphill battle. Take on today only.

~ Sing your husband's praises to your children. They need to honor him, no matter what. Don't sabotage that.

~ When you are short on love, ask God for more. Love comes from Him, who first loved us. He is love. In the midst of hardship, a faithful wife prays, "Lord, help me love him another day."

~ What does the Bible say about your role, as a wife and mother? What is required of you? Leave your husband's role to the Lord. Don't force it on him. Don't try to take on his "duties". Are you unhappy with his ability to provide...or to lead? Don't assume you're supposed to go out and work, or lead the family on your own. Focus on your God-ordained role. Study it in the Bible; know it by heart. If you take the "lead" designed for your husband, you'll only make things worse. (Many probably think I should definitely work, but just taking care of these four children and providing meals--and now dealing with Beth's arthritis and related poor sleeping--seems overwhelming on many days).

When you give of yourself sacrificially, God will inbed gifts and blessings into your marriage. He will transform it, in ways you never imagined. Trust Him and obey.


1 Peter 3:1 (New Living Translation, source here)
In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over


photo source

Sharper Than The Sharpest Knife

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.

It's so easy to go about our daily life and not own up to what we really are. We tend to think of ourselves in terms of our ideals, rather than our daily actions. We may believe in kindness, goodness, self-control, reading the Bible, praying, caring for the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed, and submitting to God, but do we really do any of these things?

We are what we do, not what we believe.

How do we reconcile the two...make them match up? By drinking in God's living power...the Bible. By letting it "sharpen us, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires". 

Won't you open your Bible today, friend? It's January 6th and you hopefully have 5 x's on your calendar so far, for having opened your Bible at least 5 times this month. If not, jump in now! January is Open Your Bible Month here on the blog. Opening it is the hardest part. Once you've done that, the Holy Spirit will take over.