Critical but Stable...

This is a post from my wife's blog pertaining to her dad. We would still covet your prayers for her parents:

My dad nearly lost his life on Wednesday 1/28/09. He pulled through after emergency surgery and spent the last couple days in ICU at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington. Dad was moved to a new room yesterday and is resting as much as possible. He is very week and is back to square one with the doctors and what the future might hold. Luke and I traveled down from Orcas Island Thursday afternoon and made our way to the ICU with mom. Dad had pressed his little morphine button a few extra times in anticipation of some news he needed to share with us. Mom was on his left side and I on his right, each holding a hand and doing our best to comfort my very distraught papa. Dad took a deep breath and his eyes filled with tears as he barely uttered the words "It's going to be - Amputation." It was one of the hardest moments of my life, but so filled with grace and strength from above. Mom and I had total composure and where able to console him and let him know how thankful we where that he was still with us. Loosing a leg verses loosing your life suddenly was put in a new profound perspective. We visited for a while and hugged as best we could between all the cords, wires and bed rails. Dad was extremely exhausted and fatigued so we made our visit fairly short. He didn't didn't want us to go right away because he thought we where going to fall apart as soon as we left his sight. Yes- we have had our tears but it is a confusing mixture of sadness for what dad is going through and also tears of gratefulness that he is still with us. The last few days have been spent trying to get the run down directly from the doctors. We were apprehensive to fully except dads statement about amputation because of his state of vulnerability and pain killers. At this moment the doctors are collaborating as to what is the next best step. As of today the plan is for dad to rest and hopefully regain some strength over the next week or so. They are aggressively trying to rid dads body of the current infection that is reeking havoc on his body. There is talk of a collaborative effort of several specialists to once again open dad up and assess the current condition. We have gone from thinking amputation to a slight hope of saving his leg. It is touch and go and the doctors are working hard to communicate and get a plan together. Our prayer is that the surgeons will have a collaborative agreed plan for that which would be best for dad, his leg and for the rest of his life. May we all continue to lift my dad in our thoughts and prayers as we are hope and ask for Gods Best for him. May peace reign in his an all of our hearts, no matter the outcome. My heart is pounding out of my chest as I type this. Every morning I open my eyes and realise this nightmare is real. I am pretty worthless today and have taken time to jump off the roller coaster. Naps are so good for just disappearing for a while and writing everything out is not just a means of keeping friends and family posted but is also wonderful therapy for me. I will be in Seattle for a bit longer than I will head back to the island to meet with all the fire investigators/detectives scheduled to descend on the farm on Tuesday, February 3rd. One thing I will leave you with...my dad shared with me yesterday that he had a little talk with God last Wednesday night (Thinking he was dieing) and all he could come up with was Pure Thankfulness!

Blessings,
Pastor Scott

After Thoughts...Goal Oriented

This version of After Thoughts is not really on the subject of being Goal Oriented. Even though I am a youth pastor and love what I do, last night I my mind was not on the kids. Many of you know what has been going on with my in-laws, but if you don't let me catch you up to speed.

Last Thursday night they lost everything (except their lives and the dog) to a house fire. The fire was due to a gas leak and they are truly lucky to be alive. Here is a link to see some of the fire pictures: http://www.sanjuanislander.com/groups/fire_orcas/01-08-2009.shtml .

As if this wasn't enough Kim's dad, Doug, was coming down to Seattle from their property in the San Juan Islands. He still works as a dentist and had a couple of patients lined up for Monday. It was going to be a good distraction from dealing with the loss of so much. On the drive down his right hip dislocates. This is a hip that has been replaced twice in recent history. So, Sunday night they got to a hospital in Seattle and the doctors were trying to pop his hip back into place. The doctors couldn't get it back in so they were going to do it surgically on Monday. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that Kim and Luke headed up to meet her parents in Seattle. The surgery took quite a while and later that evening they found out why. His hip joint was so full of infection that it popped it out of the socket. Ouch!!! So, instead of resetting his hip they cleaned out the socket and don't plan to re-set it for another 6 or so weeks. Yes, that's right his leg is attached only by flesh and tissue.

I found this little bit of information out on Tuesday, which is also youth group night. Needless to say I felt very distracted. I think I gave a talk and played a game, but I really don't remember much from the last few days.

So how does this tie into being "Goal Oriented"? It doesn't. God does things that at times we can't understand and at time He allows things to happen that seem out of control. But I believe in a God who is in control and nothing is by accident. That doesn't mean that this kind of things are easy, matter of fact they are very hard, but God had a plan when He created the universe, He had a plan when He created Adam and Eve and He has plans for you and me. We don't always get what happens, but I know I can rest in the fact that He does understand. For that I am eternally grateful.

My prayer if for Doug and Jeri. Let them grieve the loss of a home (which in many ways is like losing a loved one). May they continue to be thankful for life and life abundantly. I also pray for healing, both physical and emotional. May God be with Doug and Jeri and they adjust to what is going to be a different lifestyle than they had before.

For those of you reading this, please take inventory of your life. Not just material things, but what truly matters to you. If it is stuff understand that it can be taken away in a matter of seconds. If the things that matter most are people, then make sure they know that. Hold them close and make sure they know that you care about them.

Blessings on you,
Pastor Scott

Spring Break Vacation

This spring break I took my family off on a family vacation. We didn't go to Hawaii or Mexico, instead I took them to the winter wonderland of Washington. We got to see family and friends, but most of all we had a lot of fun as a family.














Here is Luke and I out on a rabbit hunt. Well that is what is was for me, for Luke he was looking for mud puddles to jump in.
















Breakfast with the grandparents.
















Makayla and Luke are hoping to one day be as tall as Papa Doug. Little do they realize they've got a long way to go.
















Luke and Makayla goofing off at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.
















Kids and water, they go together like peanut butter and jelly.























Makayla and Luke think Papa Doug is tall. A little side note, their grandma and papa met at the Worlds Fair in 1962 where the two of them works, grama Geri as an elevator operator and papa Doug as a security guard.
















We've always said Makayla has a big head.















Luke's in heaven with our friends daughters. Ali, Makayla (sister), Luke, Makenzi and baby Brin.


We had a great time and our finally getting our routine back here in Oregon. Why do we always need a vacation after our vacation?

Blessings,
Pastor Scott

Getting Ready For Christmas...

Well, we are getting ready for Christmas. Yes, I said Christmas, not Happy Holiday's or Merry X-Mas. Christmas is to celebrate the birth our Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah , our Savior. It is a fun time of year, but it also has it's stresses. If we can continue to focus on celebrating the birth of Jesus then the other crude seems to disappear. Jesus left the comforts of heaven to live on this earth. Did you hear that, he left the comforts of heaven. He left perfection to join us in our imperfect world, full of struggles, pain and sin. Why would he do this? Of course we can go to the pat answer, because he loves us so much. While this is true, do we fully understand that. HE LEFT PERFECTION TO LIVE AMONGST OUR MUCK AND MIRE BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! Don't forget that during this crazy time of year. While your stressing about finishing school work or shopping please, I beg you, remember God so loves you.

Here are a few pics of the family getting ready for Christmas.

Here we are getting ready to go get our Christmas tree.

Here we are making a few snowmen from mommy's Coffee Mate containers.

If you look very closely, you will notice our very own Christmas mouse. Since the flooding he is trying to join our family. He won't be around for much longer (4-5 days according to the box).

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!