Month: July 2011

Wednesday Addition

From Ronnie Nielsen

Please pray for Angie’s mother, Tay Cotton. They rushed her via ambulance this morning to a local hospital. She had gone septic (spelling?) overnight. Her temp was 93. She has infection in her colon. Thanks so much for praying. Ronnie

 

From Rachel Buckley

As of now… Services for Mandy will be from 6-9 on Friday night & 8-11 on Sat. Morning @ Spring Creek Baptist Church.

 

Wednesday

I’m on my way to bed, so this will be short.

 

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,

all your soul,

all your mind,

and all your strength.” 

CaringBridge:CarolineCutrer

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolinecutrer

Momma is better again today.  If she can eat, drink, sit, and walk a little more, she may be moved to the Specialty Hospital in Hammond tomorrow.  Thanks for the continued prayers.

Don’t forget to pray for the families involved in that tragic accident yesterday.

Tuesday Afternoon

I don’t have details, but several people were injured in an accident.  Mandy (12), daughter and Eugene and Tammy Tacket, has gone on to be with the Lord.  Please be in prayer for the families involved.

http://www.actionnews17.com/News/tabid/59/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7943/26-year-old-Indeprndence-woman-and-5-year-old-child-killed-in-wreck.aspxMobile ultrasound unit rescues ‘2 babies & 2 souls’ in 1 day 

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35817

TOP ‘LOTTIE’ GIVERS: Int’l missions offering fueled by churches of all sizes 

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35818

Pauline Felps Vick(October 2, 1928 – July 26, 2011)

A resident of Kentwood, she died at 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond. She was born October 2, 1928 in Baywood and was 82 years of age. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, 2011 immediately followed by a graveside service conducted by Rev. David Cutrer in Woodland Cemetery, Kentwood. She is survived by 2 daughters, Nona Lovett and Debbie Lachney, step-daughter, Jeanelle Bartlett, 2 step-sons, Roy Vick and Wayne Vick, 3 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, numerous step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, 3 sisters, Lillian Peevy, Alma Stearns, and Louise Croft, 2 brothers, Verlyn Felps and Donald Felps. Preceded in death by husband, Earl F. Vick, son, Russell Smith, daughter, Bridget Smith, parents, Luther and Ida Felps, 2 sisters, Betty Rodriguez and Lela Smith, 4 brothers, Sonny, Dale, Sam, and John Felps. The family would like to offer special thanks to the Kentwood Manor Nursing Home staff and doctors for their excellent care.

Monday

 

 

CaringBridge:CarolineCutrer

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolinecutrer

CaringBridge:LoganWatts

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/loganwatts

Jadon’s Story: Goodbye Banzel

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 08:51 AM PDT



I’ve been doing really well since my last post. I have been on a banzel wean for a long time now. We stopped the wean for a few weeks because we thought it was increasing my seizures but it really wasn’t. I just have my good days and bad. I took my last dose two days ago. We haven’t noticed much increase in seizures. I may be having about 10 more or so a day but not enough to stay on the banzel. The banzel has been the only medicine that has ever worked for me. I started it last October when I was having over 200 spasms. It decreased them to about 90. That is actually the number we have been stuck on ever since then. Yes they go up and then they go down but on a normal basis I’m having about 90 a day. We just assumed it was the banzel still but we were wrong. I’m totally off of it and we haven’t noticed any change in seizures. We go back to the neurologist in New Orleans in September. She will then start the vimpat wean. The only two medications I’m on right now is vimpat and lamictal. We are ready to get me off the vimpat because we haven’t seen any change since we started this medicine. I’m only on 15mg of lamictal. We are stuck at that number due to the medication reaction that I had. We will start trying to increase it a little slower August 1. If I break out again we will stop it all together. Right now I’m on the least amount of medication that I’ve ever been on and guess what, I’m progressing more than ever right now. We always thought that the medicines were slowing my progress down and now we know for sure that they are. I don’t think we will ever understand the medication thing. The only thing that explains everything is our faith and prayers. We believe that God is watching out for me and helping me fight this battle. Which leads me to what I’ve been doing this past week. I’ve been talking, talking, talking. I’ve been able to say bye, bye, da da, and ma ma for awhile now but only when I want to. I never would mimic you. Which in speech therapy is a problem. In fact my speech therapist decreased my time because I wasn’t progressing. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but it’s an early steps rule. Please don’t get me wrong, we love our speech therapist. She has gone above and beyond for us. That’s why I’m glad to say that I’ve done nothing but progress in the speech area this week. I’m mimicking everything. I mean everything. My brother’s laugh, my brother’s screaming, ma ma, da da, bye bye, vowels sounds, and hand movements. My mommy and daddy are so proud of me. I get super excited when I mimic them. I’ve been trying for so long and I finally got it. I’m also getting up on my knees and rocking, rocking, rocking. Mommy thinks I’m going to take off any day now. Other than that I’ve been having lots of fun this week. My Paw and Mar took me camping. We had lots of fun. My mommy and Shelby took me down the water slide at the campground. It was so much fun. I would start kicking my feet and laughing when we started to go again. I left you a picture of my mommy and I coming down the slide. Just look at that smile on my face. I also loved splashing in the water at the splash park. I sat and played with my Mar and my brother for a long time in the water. The second picture is of me splashing at the splash park. So as you can see I’ve been very busy this past week. I leave next Sunday for Boston. We are getting really nervous about this so please pray for us. We really want these seizures to stop. I don’t know what it’s like to go a day without seizures. Everyday my brain is attacked by this horrible monster. Even though I’m attacked daily, I continue to stay strong, to fight, and to progress more than expected. Thanks everyone for praying for me. Your prayers are the reason I’m doing so well. I love each and everyone of you dearly for the support that you give me.

Momma (and I) didn’t get any sleep last night.  Pray this changes tonight.

Fredrick Allen Lea was born March 10, 1957 and passed away on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at North Oaks Regional Medical Center, Hammond. He was 54 and a resident of Kentwood.

Fredrick is survived by 3 brothers, Charles E. “Dup’s” Dupont, Glenmora, LA, Eugene Ganson, Dazetta, TX, Billy J. Dupont, Bergland, MI; sister, Carolyn S. Mercier, Tylertown, MS; numerous cousins and extended family members.

Preceded in death by his parents, Johnny & Ilamae Lea; brother, John Williams Lea.

Visitation at McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Tuesday,, July 26, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until Celebration of Life Services at 12:00 Noon in the funeral home Chapel with Rev. Michael Shumock officiating. Interment in Hyde Cemetery, Chesbrough, LA.

An on-line Guestbook is available at www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

Later Sunday Afternoon

Fredrick Allen Lea was born March 10, 1957 and passed away on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at North Oaks Regional Medical Center, Hammond. He was 54 and a resident of Kentwood.

Fredrick is survived by 3 brothers, Charles E. “Dup’s” Dupont, Glenmora, LA, Eugene Ganson, Dazetta, TX, Billy J. Dupont, Bergland, MI; sister, Carolyn S. Mercier, Tylertown, MS; numerous cousins and extended family members.

Preceded in death by his parents, Johnny & Ilamae Lea; brother, John Williams Lea.

Visitation at McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Tuesday,, July 26, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until Celebration of Life Services at 12:00 Noon in the funeral home Chapel with Rev. Michael Shumock officiating. Interment in Hyde Cemetery, Chesbrough, LA.

An on-line Guestbook is available at www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

Sunday

“Let the same mind and attitude be in you

which was in Christ Jesus.” 

~Philippians 2:5~

Thanks for the prayers for Momma and for the family.  She was a little better when I left her last night.  My sisters worked out a schedule so I could see Jennie and her family when they arrived last weekend and attend church this morning.  Pray for us as we continue to stay by her side.  Daddy continues to make the trip to the hospital daily.  Pray God continues to give him the strength he needs.

Tripp Roth and his family need our prayers.  I hope you will spend some time reading on his mother’s blog and then praying for the Roth family.

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/

Have a great Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Saturday

“You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You.”

~Psalm 31:22b~

CaringBridge:LoganWatts

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/loganwatts

Today is day 24 for Momma at North Oaks.  We need your prayers as much today as we did the first day.  Thanks for praying for us.

Bro. Ronnie’s mom

Phyllis Lee Nielsen 

Date of death:
July 21, 2011

Visitation:
Sunday, July 24, 2011, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Monday, July 25, 2011, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Rabenhorst East, 11000 Florida Blvd.

Funeral Service:
Monday, July 25, 2011 at 11:00 am
Rabenhorst East, 11000 Florida Blvd.

Burial:
Greenoaks Memorial Park

Today’s inspiration: A living illustration of biblical love  by Kelly Boggs (Baptist Press)

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)–These days when negative news seems to dominate the headlines, I am always on the lookout for inspirational stories that accentuate the positive. I discovered one recently that deserves to be not only read but also contemplated.

On July 22, Rachelle Friedman wed Chris Chapman in Pittsboro, N.C. Of the perhaps thousands of weddings that will take place in America over the next few days, what makes this couple’s nuptials newsworthy is that the bride’s father pushed her down the aisle in a wheelchair.

Friedman and Chapman were scheduled to marry about a year ago. However, just a few weeks prior to the wedding Friedman was injured in a freak accident, which resulted in her being paralyzed from the neck down.

It seems Friedman and some of her girlfriends were celebrating her approaching wedding with a backyard swimming pool party when a friend playfully pushed her into pool. Friedman’s head hit the bottom of the shallow end, and she was instantly paralyzed.

The wedding plans were placed on hold as Friedman’s recuperation took precedence. However, the idea of canceling the wedding was never entertained by Friedman or Chapman.

Chapman, a middle school science teacher, never considered deserting his injured fiancé. “It was not, ‘What am I going to do?'” Chapman said in an Associated Press report. “It was, ‘What are we going to do?'”

In a day when marriage is a political football for some, entered into casually by others and abandoned easily by far too many, Friedman’s and Chapman’s story is inspiring. It is a living illustration of love as described in the Bible.

Love in popular culture is depicted as an overwhelming emotion. It is treated like an unpredictable summer shower, here one moment and gone the next. As such, the practice of love is too often capricious, especially in regard to marriage.

Love as described in the Bible is not an emotion; it is not depicted as casual and fickle. Love is articulated in Scripture as a commitment. “Love,” the Apostle Paul wrote, “never fails.” The wedding ceremony is a couple’s public pronouncement of their commitment — their never-failing love — to one another.

Traditional wedding vows include some form of a verbal commitment whereby the bride and the groom pledge to remain married until death separates them. Most vows state that love will endure in spite of difficult circumstances that include tough economic times and/or poor health.

In a time when marriage vows are treated by many like, in the words of Mary Poppins, “pie crust promises, easily made and easily broken,” it is encouraging and inspiring to see a couple who appear to be taking their commitment seriously.

In a society where love is expected to be flighty and unpredictable, few would have blinked an eye if Chapman had chosen to not marry Friedman. After all, a paralyzed partner is surely not what he expected. Marriages end every day over far less than a debilitating accident.

Chapman is following through on his plan to wed Friedman because he loves her genuinely, purely and unconditionally. As a result, he is committed to her even if she is in a wheelchair.

Marriage is based on the commitment of love, not the emotion or whimsy our culture calls love. It is unconditional and cements two people together as they agree to face life together with all of its uncertainties.

Life offers no guarantees for a couple entering the commitment of marriage. No one knows what the future holds. However, love — real love — will enable a couple to navigate together through the uncertain waters of sickness, tragedy, economic hardship, childrearing … the list goes on and on.

The various reports that I read never mentioned a faith aspect to Friedman’s and Chapman’s story. I don’t know whether or not they are Christians. However, I do know their commitment to one another is a clear illustration of love as described in the Bible. And I find it inspiring.

Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.

Have a super Saturday!

Anna Lee

Friday

 

 

Momma was moved from telemetry to step-down less than an hour ago.  She’s now in room 3230.  Our roller coaster ride continues.  Please pray for our family and sing along to my Hymn of the Day! (below)

Ronnie Nielsen’s mother passed away.  Please pray for those who are left behind to mourn her loss.

USING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US

A band director was having a lot of trouble with one of his drummers. He talked and talked and talked with the drummer, but his performance didn’t improve.

Finally, in front of the whole orchestra, he said, “When a musician just can’t handle his instrument and doesn’t improve when given help, they take away the instrument, give him two sticks, and make him a drummer.”

A whisper was heard from the percussion section: “And if he can’t handle even that, they take away one of his sticks and make him a conductor.”

It is a biblical principle that if we are unable to handle the responsibility that God has given us, it can be taken away.  Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 about three servants who were given money by their master and were told to make use of it while their master was gone.  When he returned, two of them had used their “talents” and one had not.  Jesus concluded the parable by saying:

“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matt. 25:29)

I need a constant reminder that all that I have has been given to me by God to use for His glory.  It is an exciting thought to realize that as I use what God has given me, He will bless me with even more opportunities for service.  On the other hand, it is a sobering thought to realize that if I fail to make use of what I have been given, I may lose it.

So what are you doing with what God has given you?

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

 

Hymn of the Day

God On The Mountain Lyrics

Life is easy when you’re up on the mountain
And you’ve got peace of mind like you’ve never known.
But then things change and you’re down in the valley.
Don’t lose faith for you’re never alone.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He’ll make it right.
And the God of the good times
is still God in the bad times.
The God of the day is still God in the night.

You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain.
Oh but the talk comes easy when life’s at its best.
But it’s down in the valley of trials and temptation
That’s when faith is really put to the test.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He’ll make it right.
And the God of the good times
is still God in the bad times.
The God of the day is still God in the night.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He’ll make it right.
And the God of the good times
is still God in the bad times.
The God of the day is still God in the night.
The God of the day is still God in the night.

“God On The Mountain” words and music by Tracy G. Dartt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V65EPF2S-s0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkpfFxA6Yk0&feature=related

I’ve had this song on my mind since yesterday.  Of course, Robert Callihan is the one singing it in my memory.  I hope you will sing or hum along as you read the lyrics or listen so some of the singers listed on the You-tube site.