Sunday

“I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;

incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.”

~Psalm 17:6~

Chapmans

Deloy faced the night with peace of God and comfort of friends.  You may send cards in care of this address.

c/o Amite Baptist Church

7100 Amite Church Road

Denham Springs, LA 70726

Maggie Lee Henson

Saturday, August 1, 2009 7:51 PM, CDT

Hey friends-
Another difficult day for MLH. She continues to struggle with blood pressure stability.

The good news? Her cholesterol accodently got checked last night and that is good news:). Honestly, our precious girl is still in very critical condition and could use your prayers.
God is so good to surround us with so many of your prayers and concerns.
Graciously yours
Jin

Sunday, August 2, 2009 2:35 AM, CDT

Aug. 2
Sun am
Shift change- John is in the hospital chair-bed and I am not, yet my thoughts remain in room #7.
Friday Night instead of the surprise 40th Birthday Party I had planned for John, we were here at Batson Hospital celebrating Maggie Lee’s move to her own room in the pccu.
Life is so bizarre that way.
Like her twin cousin, Madeline, I, too want to think that this has all been some crazy dream. In my dreams, now, are the only time when I hear her booming voice and see her laugh, dance, dream or fly.
For now, we wait. And pray. And trust in God’s very rich love for us and her.
-jin

Dukes

Saturday, August 1, 2009 8:56 PM, EDT

Low on salt

My mom always has been considered encouraging and she has always changed an encounter or relationship with whomever she is connected to.  She seasons, she preserves, she protects, she changes (as in melting ice), and she balances all those she has touched.

Today she was low on salt, salt is what keeps the fluid balanced in our body.  It allows water to be held or released in our body.  I did not do well on renal in med school, more than half the class failed that area, but i do remember that brother.

Today my mom had a day like last wednesday week.  This means wednesday before last if you are not from Ms.  She appeared to be seizing, to be lethargic,  not responding to questions.  Her sodium was low and a CT scan showed a fluid shift in her brain, and they have given her a concentrated sodium drip.  Much like she gave all she touched. She is as much of a changing force as concentrated salt.  May God himself protect her and provide healing for her and balance of her electrolytes.

She has 3 more weeks of antibiotics.  Then hopefully we will be able to get the skull cap on and potentially a wound flap for the decubitus.

My awesome writer brother, whose book should be out in september, scanned out some snf’s in the orlando area.  One is close to mom and dad’s home and dad’s work and the BIRC gave them a huge recommendation, and jase agreed that it is awesome.  I am sure he will write in his post next week about with descriptive terms and flowery words, so i won’t steal his Thunder.

Dad is doing well and is holding out hope and positivity through this horrendous journey of realistic feeling and humanistic thought.  Did Jason just channel me? Whoa.  Anyway I digress.

Despite mom’s tough day I am glad to spend time with her and bring her sister to see her this weekend.   My family came with me as well, which I know dad has enjoyed.

Please keep praying for us. For peace that passes understanding, for patience to wait on our unimaginable heavenly Father, and for positive hope to endure this journey that has been brought upon us by the world of havoc.

I would echo my dad’s words that we have a loving and merciful God who is not surprised by anything and will calm the storm or carry us through this storm and the ones to come.  Praise the King!!

Thanks for journeying with us and continuing to lift us up to Him.  erik.

//
Wall, Mrs. Paula Jean Shaw
Graveside service at the Woodland Cemetery, Kentwood, at 2 p.m.

David Welch

A resident of Baton Rouge and a native of Mendenhall, Miss., he died Friday, July 31,
2009. Visitation at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., on Monday, Aug. 3,
from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visitation resumes on Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 9 a.m. until religious
services at noon in the funeral home chapel. Services will be conducted by the Rev.
Don Perkins and assisted by the Rev. Don Hoy. Interment in Greenoaks Memorial
Park. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II; worked at Ethyl Corp. for 20 years;
and retired from Carville where he was chief orthotist. He was employed at National
Hansen Disease Center at Oschner Hospital. He is survived by two children, Gwen
Starks and husband Roger Starks, and Kathryn Hatcher; three grandchildren, Janece
Collins and husband Troy Collins, Rachel Hatcher and Jonathan Starks; and a sister,
Patsy Dreher. Preceded in death by a daughter, Barbara Ann Welch; wife, Wincie Mae
Pippin Welch; parents, Ernest Welch and Louvenia Welch; brother, Lonnie Welch;
sisters, Bobbie Sanchez and Johnnie Bennett. Pallbearers will be Troy Collins, Andy
Dreher, Dickie Sanchez, David Jewell, Ronald Pippin, Delmar Gene Pippin, Richard
Sanchez and Scott Rankin. He will be dearly missed by many friends, patients and
loved ones.

Hardship

DIANA ROSS MCCAIN wrote an insightful article entitled, “The Hardships of Worship…”

In it she described what it was like to worship in a Connecticut church meetinghouse some two-hundred plus years ago. She observed:

“There was no fireplace, no stove, no significant heat source of any kind. Half-frozen men, women, and children, bundled up in their heaviest garments, hunched into themselves to conserve precious body heat and peered through clouds of condensation formed by their breath. In the pulpit the minister himself might be preaching clad in a greatcoat and mittens. At times it got so cold the Lord’s Supper froze… Comfort was not a primary consideration of those who constructed early Connecticut meetinghouses. Here one came every Sunday to attend to the serious business of hearing the word of God and how it might be applied to daily life. And that solemn duty was to be carried out no matter what weather it pleased the Almighty to provide.”

Wouldn’t it be interesting to some day note the following add in the local newspaper…, “Come worship with us. Our building is cold in the winter; hot in the summer. We use neither heat nor air conditioning. Our pews are not padded. We meet not for physical comfort, but spiritual worship. You are cordially invited.”

Now, what was it your were saying about the thermostat…? (Mike Benson)

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

Posted by Mike Benson

David and I have worshiped in a Roma (Gypsy) church in Romania where it was so cold there were icicles on the inside of the windows and one man fed the heater pieces of wood all during the two hour service.  We kept coats and gloves on the entire time.  I can’t say it was the most comfortable service I was ever in, but it taught me a lesson about how much people sometimes endure just to worship each week.

Today, I hope you worship in God’s house, comfortable or not!

Anna Lee

Leave a comment