Please pray...

• Pray for wisdom for my parents as they make very difficult decisions.
• Pray for the healing of my Grandma according to God's will.
• Pray for her spirit to remain joyful.
• Pray for her physical and mental strength to be built back up.
• Pray for emotional strength for all of us, and especially my dad.
• Pray for His grace and peace to envelope and sustain us during this trying time.

Thank you all so very, very much.

~Christy

Reflections On 2007

{Note: I wrote this the first week of 2008, and I sent it out as an email to some friends, but only now have I finally gotten around to posting it.}

2007. With the word comes a tumult of feelings, emotions, and fresh memories; a chaotic mix of joy and grief, love and hurt, peace and fear. Strongest of all, comes a sense of the truth that through it all, God was there. Guiding. Calling. Leading. Side by side. Hand in hand. Through the thick and the thin.

A Few Quick Things I Discovered in 2007:

-John Piper, of Desiring God ministries, is definitely my favorite author. In terms of food for thought, his work is healthy (theologically sound), easily digested (understandable), and needed (applicable).

-We live in a hurting world. A world desperate for hope, crying out for love, dying for purpose, yet rejecting or ignorant of a God who offers all of that and more.

-Even Christians can hurt terribly. Christians still die, Christians still get sick, Christians still battle the old nature, Christians still backslide, Christians still are frightened, Christians still are tempted, Christians still fail.

-No one ever promised the sold-out life for Christ was easy… but it's totally worth it. In July, I went to an event in Dallas called The Rebelution Conference and it changed my thinking. I was inspired to rebel against the culture's low expectations and Do Hard Things. Check out their amazing website: www.therebelution.com

-For some reason, I'm naturally the kind of person who can whip up plans for my future right and left. I've got so many big dreams, so many delightful plans, so many driven goals. And why shouldn't I? After all, that's the question people ask me, "What are you going to do after graduation?" It's almost as if I don't "get a life" until the day I receive my diploma. Of course, I should be prepared and have plans, but since that comes so instinctively to me, and I don't know for sure what God's will is yet, I have to remind myself that I shouldn't have my focus on "someday". I should focus on today, not tomorrow. Live now, because later will come soon enough.

-Smiles are contagious. So is laughter. Joy is too. I wish I could spread them as well as I spread the colds I get. ;-)

-Time is precious. Where does the time fly?! I wish hours would go into the recycling bin so I could use them over again. Or else I wish I could buy minutes like a cell phone. But, alas, my dreams will never come true... My family is amazingly flexible as a whole, and I've been raised that way my entire life. Now, almost surprisingly, God is teaching me that I myself need to be more flexible. For example, when I'm left with an unfinished to-do list at the end of the day, I don't need to feel frustrated or overwhelmed. God hasn't called me to do everything I want to accomplish. He's called me to do whatever He wants me to accomplish. After all, He's the Potter, molding the clay (though sometimes I'm an awfully stubborn lump). When I mess up, His grace is always waiting for me.

-Here's simple algebra: Christina = human, Humans = sinful, therefore, Christina = sinful. It's just plain fact. We all fail, and we all fall. Yet it's then that I feel His strong, gentle hand lift me up, His tender embrace surround me, and His ever-patient voice beckon, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." We look to the cross, the blood shed, and the empty tomb, and we find forgiveness.

I could write on and on and on because there's so much more to say, but I won't. I doubt I wrote one thing you didn't already know (except for the personal information), and I didn't write a single thing that I didn't know before 2007. Then why did I say I discovered them? Because although I believed they were true, God showed me just how real they are.

It's wonderful to know that God was with me through everything. But the most beautiful part of the thought is that He is still here with me. This very moment. And He always will be. Forever. In 2008...and beyond.

God bless,
Christy

35 Years Ago

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Also, January 20-27, 2008, is Sanctity of Life week. For those who want to be a voice for the voiceless, check out Be A Voice.

Here are a few articles on the topic which I found interesting:

-Focus on the Family had this great article for those who fall under the category of "like many Americans, you know Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, but you may know little else":

http://www.family.org/faith/a000003847.cfm

-Focus on the Family is also hopeful for the future:

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000006321.cfm

-The Houston Chronicle ran an article entitled "Study Finds Big Decline In Abortions":

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5461945.html

-Reports on the "March for Life" at the nation's capitol today:

AFP, "Thousands rally on US abortion law anniversary"
Associated Press, "Thousands Protest Roe vs. Wade Decision"

-President Bush's remarks to the March for Life Rally participants:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080122.html

-Vision Forum articles "in defense of life":

http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/life

-And finally my own post written last March.

"For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth"

~Ps.139:13-15

~Christy

A New Eagle Scout

Paul is now an official Eagle Scout.

My first post...

in 2008...Happy New Year!

~Christy

Update

Halt! What be this "funny lightning box" you point at us?

On Sunday the 16th, a group from our speech and debate club went to Main Street Bethlehem in Burnet, which is about 45 minutes from our house. It was a charming and captivating reenactment of what Bethlehem might have been like on the night Jesus was born complete with tax collectors, a prison for those who couldn't pay their taxes, a synagogue with a priest, a bakery which passed out fresh bread, livestock including camels, a full inn, and of course the stable. As you can tell, Roman soldiers guard the city well.

Granny has been very busy these past two weeks, starting with Monday a week ago when she had a minor surgery to insert her feeding tube directly into her stomach rather than through her throat, so that she can learn to swallow and eat again. Granny's tracheostomy was taken out and the hole was closed the next day.

On Friday, she was moved out of Cornerstone Hospital and into a skilled nursing center in Round Rock called Hearthstone. This is so exciting for us because 1.) She's out of the hospital after being in one for 57 days, and 2.) It's a big step closer to her being able to come home. Although for a few days she was breathing completely on her own, she couldn't sustain that so currently she breathes with a nasal cannula.

Christmas was awesome with Pat IV being home, cooking Christmas dinner, packing all of the food in the car, and finally taking it to Granny's room to eat it there with her (though the doctor hasn't cleared her to eat food yet so she couldn't eat anything). It's hard to believe that there's less than a week left in 2007!

~Christy

Update: 12: 45 pm

Granny's talking!!!

~Christy

Update: 6:00 pm

Sorry about the delay in updating, but I'll try to catch up. Thursday, 12 days ago, was not a very good day. The doctor said they simply went too fast in trying to wean her off of the ventilator, but she was back up to the level of where she had been by the following Sunday.

Almost everyday, she's moved from her bed to a wheelchair, and sits for about an hour. On Saturday, she was even wheeled down the ICU aisle and back. Unfortunately, she had a bit too big of a day, and on Sunday she had to be on the ventilator for most of the day because she was so tired. She still can't talk yet, but today she walked a little with the nurse!

During Nov. 30- Dec.1, we took our first out-of-town trip since the day Granny went to the hospital. We had hoped my dad would be able to join us, but because of Granny's set back that Thursday, my mom, Paul, and I headed for Lubbock on Friday morning for Paul's robotics competition. Hopefully, pictures and commentary will soon follow.

~Christy

An "Adventures in Odyssey" adventure

I thought I would chime in here to mention something interesting (at least to me that is, a doting father:-). Back in August, Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey invited listeners to call a special phone line to record their comments about the program, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Christina did leave them a message, and it turns out that it was broadcast for all the world to hear on the November 20, 2007 edition of James Dobson's Focus on the Family broadcast. You can hear her starting just after the 15 minute mark at the following link:

www.oneplace.com/ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/archives.asp?bcd=11/20/2007

This link may only be active for a couple more weeks, so if you try to listen to the broadcast and it's not available any more, perhaps you can ask Christina for it since Focus on the Family sent her a copy of that day's broadcast.

----------
Celebrating 20 Years of "Adventures in Odyssey": Part 1

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

It teaches kids about faith, honesty, compassion, and courage. It provides countless hours of entertainment and makes long road trips enjoyable. We celebrate the 20th anniversary of Adventures in Odyssey, Focus on the Family's highly popular radio drama for kids that is equally loved by adults. Listeners share fun and touching stories about the life-changing impact "Odyssey" has had on their family.

"['Adventures in Odyssey'] really reinforced what my parents were teaching me and the importance of honoring them." - Rebecca, a 14-year-old listener
----------


~Pat III

Update: 4: 30

She's continuing to improve a little bit everyday. Her cheerful demeanor stills radiates about her even through all of the life and death trials she has faced and is facing. She is such a remarkable example of what the apostle James meant when he admonishes us to "count it all joy" (1:2). I've heard other patients complaining and yelling at the nurses, but Granny never does. She's amazing...

This Thanksgiving was extra special. Why? Because, in a way unlike I've ever experienced before, I am thankful my grandma is breathing... loving... listening...caring... smiling... sleeping... ALIVE...

~Christy

Happy Thanksgiving!

Update: 8:45 pm

She's improving little by little each day! Yesterday, she was actually disconnected from the ventilator for an hour and a half. That means she had oxygen available, but the added pressure she normally has wasn't present.

The extra fluid in her lungs caused by the pneumonia has been reduced SIGNIFICANTLY, but some fluid is still present at the very bottom of the lungs simply because of the congestive heart failure. This is really awesome! God is incredible.

~Christy

"A Challenge To Women" by John Piper

I want to be this kind of woman.

Please take time to read this excellent article.

~Christy

Update: 7:45 pm

{Note: My dad wrote this on Sunday, the 11th, as an email for our church which he sent, but only now have I been able to post it.}

Dear Friends,

There is no way we can adequately express our gratefulness
to all of you for your love, concern, and prayer to God on
behalf of my mother, Virginia Hastings, over the past 15
days.

At present she is still in the CCU (Coronary Care Unit, or
what is typically known at most hospitals as the Intensive
Care Unit) at the Heart Hospital of Austin. This week her
vital signs have been much more stable than last week,
particularly in comparison to the three days at the
beginning of last week when she was hovering on a thin
line between life and death.

Things are still quite serious as efforts to get her off
the respirator have not been successful so far. As best I
can tell, it appears that the doctors themselves may not
be entirely clear on what they think all of her underlying
health issues are, particularly with the heart and lungs,
though they are excellent physicians and have been trying
hard. The nursing care has been outstanding.

Mom does appear to be making gradual progress toward
getting off the respirator, but it has been a difficult
process. Because she had been on the breathing tube for 10
days, this morning (Friday) she underwent a brief
tracheostomy operation to switch to breathing through an
opening in the lower neck, which under the circumstances
is preferable to the breathing tube for several reasons.

We continue to seek your prayers, particularly for
improvement in her breathing ability. While quite weak,
when awake she is very alert to people and things going on
around her. Having been told of the outpouring of
expressions of concern and prayer for her has in itself
been a very encouraging thing to her. Obviously it has
been for the rest of our family as well.

We thank God for her improvement and we continue to trust
in Him for the outworking of whatever is His will in Mom's
life. And we thank God for all of you who have been such a
blessing as you have continued to uphold us in prayer.

"When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid."
--Psalm 56:3-4 ESV

Pat, for the Hastings family

Update: 1:00 pm

She's slowing improving everyday. This morning she was moved to Cornerstone hospital which is a much smaller rehab hospital about 6 blocks away from the Austin Heart Hospital. It's designed for long term recovery which is likely what she'll need. At the new center she's still in ICU there. I'm headed off to visit her now.

~Christy

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.