"It's a great day, for a worm"

We woke this morning to weather that was mirroring my emotional state. Overcast-the sky looked as though at any moment it could open and unleash a torrential rain. I too, was feeling that at any moment, all the emotion that has been bubbling just under the surface all week could erupt.

We know that many people have been, and will continue to lift Schaeffer Jo to the Lord in prayer, and for that, we are so grateful. We have been so reminded that while the last few days have been filled with uncertainty, we have much to be thankful for, and cannot help but sing the praises of our Heavenly Father, who lavishes us abundantly.

Schaeffer's ultrasound this morning came and went without incident. She was very cooperative, considering we yanked her out of bed, and wouldn't give her anything to eat or drink on our way to the appointment.

So, now we wait again. While we wait, I'm hoping to establish a sense of normalcy, to get doughnuts in the morning, make target runs with popcorn, enjoy uncle ron's with friends. But most of all, soak in all the little delicious moments of life, that we take so for granted.

1st Thess. 1:4-6 "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."

Great news!

It seems that just as I update the blog, I get new news that requires another update.

Schaeffer's doctor just called, the results from her X-Rays are in. (Yes, that was VERY quick!) Everything looks NORMAL. Thank you for your prayers, what a great God we have. We'll continue to do the next right thing, and see where God leads.

1 Chronicles 16:8-10 "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."

One down, one to go.

Have you ever just known people were praying? That is how it felt this morning, throughout SJ's testing.

Upon our arrival at the testing center this morning, we discovered that there had been a miscommunication regarding fasting & her ultrasound (of the abdomen), but we were able to complete the necessary X-Rays.

Our prayers for a quick wait & Schaeffer's calm during testing were answered in abundance. While tears were shed, each X-Ray was captured on the first try, and all testing was complete in under 30 mins.

We've been promised a quick turn around of results--we may even hear something yet today. Schaeffer's ultrasound is first thing tomorrow morning, we have to be @ the outpatient center no later than 7am.

Keep praying!

Today is Tuesday.

Schaeffer woke in the night to the loud thunder & hail storm and crawled her way into Griffin and my bed. It's amazing how quickly SJ will fall right back to sleep, and upwards of an hour later, G & I will still be awake, trying to get comfortable.

I just got a call from JoJo's doctor office, and we are free to go for her X-Rays and Ultrasound anytime today. We're going to get dressed, have a special breakfast out & head over to the Hollywood Rd facility.

Please pray that we will not have to wait very long before each test & that Schaeffer will remain calm during the testing.

As we've been praying about Schaeffer's care and our next steps, I've also been praying for God to give us a clear promise to hang on to--and this is what He's given me this morning:

Matthew 6:26-34 MSG

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Ladies & Gentlemen: We're in a holding pattern.

Griffin and I have been determined to have a brave & courageous child, and in doing so, knew we couldn't sweat the small stuff. The occasional skinned knee or the zipped chin could not be maladies for days. With that said, we now find ourselves in a 'crisis' of sorts--where I find myself struggling to find the balance of brave & courageous//acknowledging this is a difficult time.

Background Info:

Schaeffer's symptoms began to surface about 2months ago-but being the dead of winter-and the peak of cold & flu season, we took the fever, lack of appetite and lethargy in stride.

Fast forward to today--where the 'symptomless' fever has been sporadic, but frequent enough to be bothersome. On 'fever days', SJ will take long naps & have very little appetite. We've had the gamot of tests done. X-Rays, blood work, urine samples--and for the most part, all have been well within the 'normal' range.

To our doctor, the only remarkable thing has been SJ's sed. rate (definition: sedimentation rate: the speed at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of a column of citrated blood measured in millimeters deposited per hour and which is used especially in diagnosing the progress of various abnormal conditions--as chronic infections).

Our Next Steps:

Because of the raise in SJ's sed rate, she will now have a chest & sinus X-Ray as well as an abdominal ultrasound. From what I understand, these tests are done to search for hidden infection.

Once the X-Rays & the ultrasound are complete and the results are in, we will be heading to DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids to see a Pediatric Specialist.

What you can Do:

-pray that Schaeffer is able to remain calm during her testing, yeilding best possible results

-pray for wisdom for the doctors who read the scans, that they will have a definite diagnosis

-pray that Griffin and I will see God's clear will, being united in decision making for SJ's care

-pray that our hearts are prepared for the diagnosis/no diagnosis

Thank you friends & family for your prayers & best wishes. We'll keep you updated on information as we have it available.