Friends and Prayers

After a very emotional week, my brother, Todd is hanging in there. For those who don't know, Todd, my older brother, had open heart surgery in May of this year. During his open heart they bypassed 5 veins. We thought that he would have a very long life due to the fact that he pretty much had a new heart. He was recovering well, or so we thought.

On Monday of this week he went to rehab. He had been feeling a little different, while at rehab he started having chest pains. At around noon on Monday my phone rang and I just happened to be sitting at my desk. My students were in an enrichment and I was trying to get caught up on my emails. When I looked at the caller id it was my mom. That is always my first sign that something is not quite right. Mom knows I will not pick up my phone during the day. The first thought is that something is wrong with my dad, his heart is not that great either. When I answered the phone my mom told me that Todd was back in the hospital and was undergoing a heart cath.

The doctors saw that two of the bypassed veins were 99% blocked. Which means he was in for either open heart or stents. Tuesday morning at 7:30 there place 4 stents into my brothers heart. He left the hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Saturday morning at around 9:30 Todd was at the ball park watching his two boys playing football. He felt as though he was going to pass out and was experiencing chest pains once again. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance. When I got that call, I was not encouraged even a little. Yesterday he underwent yet another heart cath. where the doctors found a blood clot. So with the blood clot removed and another 4 stents later he is recovering in the hospital in Lexington,Ky.

So this is where the title comes in. Friends and Prayers. I can only say that the first person I called after my mom called me was not Joel or my best friend but it was to my schools secretary. For I knew one call to her and there would be a number of people interceding for Todd. The prayer chain would be started and people would be praying.

I then called Joel and my two closest friends to pray too. When one of them answered she said she had just gotten the call from the prayer chain. That quick news was out that Todd needed prayer. I emailed an update to my principal around 8:00 last night. When I checked my emails there were entries that just read prayer request. I opened one after another to find notes of prayer and encouragement for me and for Todd. I sat at my computer with tears pooling in my eyes thinking of all the people that will intercede for me. I knew that school would pray but I didn't expect the notes back.

The verse that kept coming to my mind over and over again yesterday was "Be still and know that I am God." Do you know how hard it is to sit and be still knowing that if something did happen I was 500 or so miles away (8 hours) from being there. It is hard to talk to a brother that is so worried that he is not going to come out alive on the phone. All the things I wanted to say of course did not get said. He was scared and worried about his own family. What does anybody say in that situation. I can remember when the doctors took my dad away for his open heart and my older brother saying to him,"We will see you on the other side." Those words being tears to my eyes even now. But how true they are. I will see Todd on the other side be it here or in heaven. I am just thanking God that this time around it will be here. I know God is God.

Here's another Post-it

Maybe I should call these Holy Ghost its. Because the Holy Ghost sure does speak.. I guess he knows I am a visual person.

Attitude is the crayon that colors our world

God's Post-it Notes

I travel 72 miles round trip to and from school each day . A lot of that time, especially in the mornings, I spend talking to God. During the drive I pass a lot of churches. God communicates to me by using their signs. The number of times He has spoken to me are way too numerous to count. Elise has gotten used to the quiet of the morning drives except for the occasional "isn't that the truth". She used to ask what? Now, she knows that we just passed a church. I always told myself I was going to carry a notebook in the car and jot down all the different signs that have spoken to me. I never have until now. I have been making the trip to and from Rock Hill for 12 years and I can only remember a few ... I think I better start writing them down.

Here's the few that I remember.

1. Instead of pointing a finger hold out a hand
2. worry looks around
sorry looks back
hope looks up
3. Gospel starts with GO

I always like to share these with others. Just the other day I was telling Joel about one that I had passed and I told him it was like God sending post-it notes down from heaven. The next time you pass a sign and the thought "isn't that the truth" crosses your mind, thank God for the many ways and means in which he speaks to us. Happy driving.