Update: 10:30 am

Just wanted to quickly report two things:

1. She had a tracheostomy yesterday morning. It was a minor surgery to put the ventilator in her lower neck instead of going through her mouth. This reduces the distance, wouldn't hurt her vocal cords, allows her to close her mouth, and can be unattached easier. Hopefully, this will only be temporary until she can actually breathe on her own.

2. Now, a different lung doctor thinks that she has signs of Emphysema instead of Pulmonary Fibroses. Both of them are diseases smokers get which is strange because she's never smoked or been around smoking. There's quite a bit of difference between the two because with Pulmonary Fibroses, it's hard to take in enough air, but with Emphysema it's hard to exhale air back out. That would seem to explain why the blood gas test showed she wasn't getting rid of enough of those harmful gases like carbon dioxide.

Please pray for her strength and healing, the doctors wisdom, and for God's will to be done.

Update: 8:30 am

On Monday, Granny was breathing on her own for about 9 hours. Tuesday was similar. Yesterday, she was only off of the ventilator for about 5 hours because, even though her heart rate was OK, they ran a test on her bad gases and it turns out that when she breathes on her own she doesn't exhale enough of the gases that she's supposed to.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~1 Corinthians 12:9-10

Update: 1:00 pm

I just talked with my dad and this is what he told me:

Granny is still quite weak, but her pneumonia is better than yesterday, though she still has a lot of lung congestion being suctioned out. Today the medical staff is much more actively working to test her to see if she's ready yet to breathe on her own so they can take out the ventilator. The congestion from the pneumonia may prevent that happening today but it appears they're making some real progress in that direction now. Praise God!

~Christy

Update: 10:00 am

I found out yesterday morning that my grandma has a slight case of pneumonia. They've put her on antibiotics to hopefully get rid of it. Other than that, everything else seems about the same. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I love Psalm 93:

The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed in majesty
and is armed with strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be moved.

Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.

The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty.

Your statutes stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days, O LORD.

~Christy

Update: 11:30 pm

Since Granny is alert, Pat IV came to the Austin this afternoon to visit for a few hours. He spent about an hour in her room so that was really super! You could tell she enjoyed it a lot (and I did too). God is wonderful.

Update: 2:30 pm

Yesterday was heart wrenching. Granny's off of sedation, and yesterday she was alert, responding, and aware of everything happening. When Paul and I went to her room, she was happy. We told her everything that had happened during the week (except things relating to her being in the hospital). Of course, she can't talk because the ventilator is still in her throat, but she uses gestures and can write on a piece of paper to communicate. When Paul offered to sing a song, she clapped meaning "I like that", but my dad warned not to sing since there were other patients in the next room. Then Granny motioned towards the door meaning, "You can close the door so they won't be bothered." We all laughed when she did that. It was so awesome! =) We couldn't close the door though since nurses come in and out all the time.

I tried making poetry for her on the spot which was pretty pathetic. Here's two examples:

"Roses are red
Violets are blue
You are so special
Just like me too"

"Peas porridge hot,
Peas porridge cold,
You are so special
That I am told"

The reason it was so heart wrenching, was because of how... alive she seemed. Yet the doctor says that on the inside her organs (especially the lungs) are failing. It's so sad. But I know:

God is there to wipe off every tear.
God is there to love when I despair.
God is there to hold on to when I fall.
God is there to comfort every broken heart.
God is there always.

~Christy

Update: 10:30 pm

I'm at the hosptial right right now, typing in Granny's ICU room. My dad is staying with her 24/7 and my mom, Paul, and I come here every evening and usually don't leave until after midnight. My dad is sleeping in the chair in front of me. He's completely exhausted.

Tuesday, I met this other family (a humongous extended one) at the hospital with girls my age. The grandfather had a heart attack and now family from across the country are coming here. He has over 30 grandkids and great grandkids. And he's not even 65!

Wow, I 've realized that having a family member in ICU makes me see the true priorities in life more vivdly then I ever knew I could.

~Christy

Update: 3:50 pm

Well, actually they're trying to wean her off the ventilator now. Basically she breathes so shallowly on her own that as it is she couldn't survive without a machine to do it for her. They have to make her lungs breathe in more oxygen. But the doctors think her lungs have this disease (I don't know the name of it), and its cause is unknown. Some people just get it.

Sometimes it seems like everything is useless. But it's when the whole world seems dark that God shines most brightly. It's when life seems ugly that Christ is seen most beautifully.

"God's efforts are strongest when our efforts are most useless"
-Max Lucado

~Christy

Update: 9:30 am

Wow, I didn't realize the gravity of what not getting the ventilator out meant. It's serious. You can fix her heart problem with a pacer, but there's no way to fix her lung. They're going to try another attempt at removing it today. Please continue to pray.

Update: 7:30 pm

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good."

-Psalm 107:8-9

The feeding tube is in! Praise God for an awesome answer to prayer.

They've found other problems though. The biggest is that she still has to be on the ventilator, and they aren't sure if her lung has collapsed/will collapse so the nurses are doing tests.

Update: 11:00 am

Pat IV went back to Houston yesterday morning because my grandma seemed about the same as the day before. Since then we've noticed that although the extra fluid is going out nicely, her heart rate is high and her blood pressure is low. Unfortunately, they're directly related... Also, they still haven't been able to make the feeding tube go all the way down through her stomach and into her intestine which it has to do in order to work. As I type, the nurses and technicians are giving another try at inserting it. If the feeding tube is not installed, although she has IVs which they can put energy into, within a few days her blood will start breaking down...

"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." -Deuteronomy 31:8

~Christy

Urgent Prayer Request

{Note: Something happened to my last post, so I had to take it off.}

Please pray for my 84 year old grandmother, Virginia Hastings. Here's the story as best I know:

For the past couple of weeks her feet and legs have been swelling. Since then she's been going to the doctor often, and has been wearing knee highs and has kept her legs elevated much of the time at home. The heart specialist said she has congestive heart failure.

Last Tues., she went to the doctor, and nothing seemed different. Then on Thursday evening she took a shower, and just happened to decide to weigh herself on the bathroom scales. Normally she weighs 95-100 pounds, but on Thurs. she weighed 120 pounds! And all of the extra stuff was in her legs and feet. My dad immediately took her to the Austin Heart Hospital that night (about an hour from our house and Granny lives right across the street from us). After doing tests they realized that her oxygen was extremely low. People are supposed to have an oxygen level at 92 or above. When she entered the hospital, she was at 57.

She was immediately hooked up to oxygen. Her blood was also very thin so they gave her blood products. It has the same danger that a blood transfusion does (such as transferring diseases like AID's) though nothing is too likely. The doctor did a cat scan, and found out that she has fluid in her lungs, partially collapsing them. That was the biggest danger because she could get pneumonia, and at her age...

On Sunday, the doctor said she wasn't receiving enough oxygen, so they moved her to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where they put a sealed face mask on her so she would receive more oxygen. Also, they gave her a bunch of laxatives so she would lose more fluid. At one point, she was losing fluid at a rate of 1 quart every 2 hours. Since then they've significantly slowed it down because she needs it to be more gradual.

Then this morning, the oxygen in her blood still was not increasing so they put her on a ventilator.

As far as the rest of the family, all I can say is that his promise stands true, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."~Phil. 4:19

One of my parents has to stay with her 24 hours a day, so please pray for them (and especially my dad) as they're under a lot of stress, worry, and just complete exhaustion because of the lack of sleep. Pat IV drove to Austin yesterday evening. Seeing the willingness of friends to help in whatever way needed makes me feel awestruck and extremely grateful.

At church yesterday, a friend of mine gave me a note with a verse on it. I know that it was a God send because I got it right when I needed it:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

~Christy

The Eldest Brother

So I live in Houston and find out what my sister and family are doing by reading this blog, just like you probably do. But for the moment I suddenly (and secretly) have access and think the only reasonable thing to do is to make a post.

So here's a link to a really interesting article you should read and think about.

And here's another picture of me:

Bye!

- Pat

Rebelution Wrapup

Honestly, the conference wasn't quite as I expected it to be--it was even better! Over 800 Rebelutionaries and parents gathered together to be taught, equipped, and inspired to "rebel" against our culture's low expectations for teenagers by doing hard things. The following are my notes from the first two of the four sessions:

Alex Harris: "The Myth of Adolescence"

• The elephant is just tied by a piece of rope from which it could easily break free, but it has shackles on its mind.
• Our culture expects teenagers to be rebellious, irresponsible, emotionally unstable, etc... but it's a myth that things must be that way!
• George, Dave, and Drew all took on high levels of responsibility at young ages in times past.
• Quote from Challenge of Youth by Friedrich Heer.
• Prior to this century there were only two stages of life--childhood and adulthood
• The word "teenager" did not exist until a popular magazine used it in 1941.
• "...the goal of the child was to grow up as promptly as possible in order to enjoy the opportunities of an adult..." --from a book describing the 18th and 19th centuries.
• "The current ceiling of expectation for young adults is where the floor ought to be".
• 1 Cor. 13:11; 1 Tim 4:12; Lam. 12:3
• Whose expectations are you using in how you spend these years? God's or the world's?
• George, Dave, and Drew went on to be George Washington (1st President of the United States), David Farragut (admiral in the US Navy), and Andrew Carnegie (one of the most successful businessmen of his day).
• You have to view the teen years as a launching pad whether you want to or not, because you are launching in some direction. The question is, "What direction are you going?"
• The applicability of the old adage, "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."
• Break the shackles.

Brett Harris, "Do Hard Things"

• God doesn't call us to do everything, but He definitely hasn't called us to be afraid of doing hard things.
• Don't be like Moses who was afraid when God called him to do a hard thing.
• How do we grow stronger? By doing hard things and building "muscle".
  

---

1. "Do Hard Things" means fighting sin in your life

• Example: Getting angry is wrong and easy; controlling your temper is right and hard.
• Example: Being proud is wrong and easy; staying humble is right and hard.

2. "Do Hard Things" means battling discouragement and complacency

• If you're facing discouragement because something you find very hard is very easy for someone who is naturally gifted in that area (example: math), the "Do Hard Things" mindset will give you an edge over the person who is naturally talented because he will stop at the end of how far he's naturally talented, but you can go beyond that.
• It's about building muscle--mental, physical, spiritual...
• Do what's hard for YOU, not someone else.

3. "Do Hard Things" means doing more than is required

• A failure to perform in character or competence is due to a failure of past exertion.

4. "Do Hard Things" means getting over your fear of failure

• Even failure produces muscle.

5. "Do Hard Things" looks different for every person

• Our unique makeup allows for beautiful diversity.

6. "Do Hard Things" is often small things

• Small things aren't usually seen by others.
• Don't think that you always have to do an extraordinary thing; but instead do normal things extraordinarily.

7. "Do Hard Things" is your best life

• It's a call to the sold out Christian life.


Conversing with fellow Rebelutionaries, the Beilmans and Rileys, during a break after the session "Character Counts".



Me, Paul, Jeremy, and Ben. Paul and I had met Jeremy last year at Awana Camp, and Ben came with us to the conference.

Mr. Nasser and Pat IV.

Anti-Feminists Hannah (we stayed at her house for the weekend), me, and Sarah. Attention all young ladies! If you want to find a godly web site with posts filled with encouragement and insights for girls then check out Hannah's blog Beauty from the Heart which she co-authors with two other young ladies. The web site is also on the sidebar of this page under "Links".

Joel Harris (the twins' older brother who was the worship leader), Brett Harris, Paul, and Alex Harris. I am amazed at the work the Harris family is accomplishing, and I was sorry when we had to leave. But the good news is that they're coming back to D/FW next year! Who knows, maybe I'll see you there!


And if you live within range, there's still another conference on this year's Rebelution Tour, Indianapolis on September 15, 2007. Don't miss it.


By the way, you can find professional photos of the conference here, and a photo of Paul and Ben on the Desiring God blog here.

~Christy

Update: A friend sent me this picture:



Marshall (the head coordinator) , Brett Harris, me, and Alex Harris

O'er The Beautiful Balmy Lake

It was supposed to be a three-guy canoe trip, but the 30-year-old canoe had some small holes which created a little problem. So the only solution was: borrowed kayaks + a dad + a sister= 4 1/2 hours kayaking on Lake Travis! Last Thursday, Paul, two of his buddies (Caleb and Jeremy), my dad, and I had loads of fun paddling 10 miles from basically our house to Caleb's house.

Taking off at a park close to our home.


A short detour to stop by our swimming platform.


Cruisin' over the middle of the lake. Take a look at the clouds. That is what we call, "The perfect weather". No blazing sun beating down on us (but our legs were still toasted by the sun rays coming through the clouds), not much wind, wonderful temperature, and although it threatened there was No Rain!


My dad was taking pictures from his seat behind me in the kayak.


The boys pause to talk while waiting for the slow pokes (us) to catch up.


The a-little-over-halfway point was marked by Starns Island, which is owned by the LCRA which means that anybody is allowed on it.


Exploring the island.


My kayaking partner preparing to embark from Starns Island.


Bringing the kayaks back after a fantastic ride.

~Christy

The Rebelution Conference

“Let no one look down upon your youth, but be an example to all the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, in purity.” --1 Timothy 4:12

In two weeks I’m headed off to attend the Rebelution Conference in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So I thought that I’d write about why I personally am going.

All of the kids I grew up with from birth to the beginning of middle school are teenagers now. Unlike when we were little kids playing together, much of what I see now is rebellion, rebellion, and more rebellion in their attitudes. Sadly, that’s all too often true even in the “Christian” ones. But, hey, that’s just normal…right?

Looking at the situation closer reveals the fact that the culture expects teenagers to be rebellious. For example, two days before my 13th birthday I was at the dentist’s office. After looking at my files he shook his head and said, “Uh, oh. It looks like you’re about to enter the ‘Terrible Teens’.” What’s sobering is the fact that I could so easily live up (or is that “live down”?) to his expectations. But by the grace of God I don't want to follow that path.

As I consider the alternative to the low expectations our world has for young people, I look at fellow Rebelutionaries who are doing hard things and refusing to be defined by the world...and are turning the culture’s view of teenagers upside down. That’s what I yearn to do so I’m going to the Rebelution Conference because I believe it will:

• Teach how to adopt the mindset behind it all
  
• Equip us to effectively “Do Hard Things”
• Connect like-minded Rebelutionaries
  
• Inspire teens to change our generation
  

All of us who are attending would love to see you there! Check out the Rebelution website at www.therebelution.com and be sure to look at their award winning blog as well as their excellent resources.

~Christy

Flooding

The power of water continually amazes me. Yesterday after church my family drove to Mansfield Dam which holds in the flooding Lake Travis.

Out of the four open flood gates came monstrous gushes of water. Forcefully and speedily, it shot through the gates and descended into the churning waters of Lake Austin below. Then for some reason, it seemed as if the speed of the spray bouncing upward slowed down. In reality I'm sure it wasn't, but with that appearance it seemed as if the spray was turned into slow motion as it gracefully floated through the air only to again be tumulted into the rushing torrent.

The majesty and power of it all was breathtaking to see. Of course it wasn't nearly as spectacular as many waterfalls, but to think that it was on our very own Lake Travis was what made it so special.


The lake is flooding over with water. My question is, are we flooding over with Jesus? Can our lives come to the point where we are no longer getting to know Jesus and his love, faithfulness, mercy, peace, etc--but we are actually filling up on them to the point of overflowing? Flooding over. Can you just imagine that? No wrong motives, but simply a natural response to experiencing Jesus. "The majesty and power of it all would be breathtaking to see."


You can hoard everything you take in from your relationship with Jesus inside of you, but what if you had the courage to spill it out onto others? Opening the floodgates for others to then flood. How different could the world be if everyone was bubbling over with Jesus? Sure, you may not get results as spectacular as Billy Graham or Charles Spurgeon or Jonathon Edwards did, but to think that God can use you to make a difference is what makes it so special.


~Christy

Three Words

To my Daddy,

You are awesome!

My favorite dad!

Happy Father's Day!

I love you!

~Kiki

Capitol Days 2007

During the spring we went to four Capitol Days once a month hosted by THSC. They describe the experience like this: "THSC representatives, legislators, and legislative staff members will educate attendees about the legislative process and train them to lobby. Each month there will be different speakers and topics, depending on the current issue of concern for Texas home educators. In the afternoon, students, parents, and chaperones will head to the Capitol to meet and lobby legislators; then finally reconvene for a debriefing."

February

Debra during Role Playing (practicing what we were going to say when we lobbied later in the day).

Rattlesnakes in the outdoor rotunda of the Capitol annex.

Close up.

"Ain't she a beaut'! "

The fangs. Yes, the REAL fangs.

It's not every day you get a picture with a rattlesnake in the Capitol.

One of the staff whom we lobbied.

With Mr. Lambert afterwards.

March

Our teammates.

With friend and representative from San Antonio, Nathan Macias

April - We have no pictures from April because Paul had the camera while visiting Sequim, Washington.

May

Training.

This time there was no homeschooling bill that THSC thought needed lobbying so we delivered cookies instead.

"Would you like some cookies?"

Grace and I in the underground Capitol annex. Our families had been put together on a team.

More cookies.

On the Capitol steps.

Debriefing afterwards.

Two men conversing about important issues.

Two ladies smiling about a job well done.

~Christy

Discovering A New Word

The joy which comes from God is inexpressible.
The extent of God's peace is incomprehensible.
The majesty of God is indescribable.
God's holiness is unutterable.
God is ineffable.

Ineffable: Incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible.

~Christy