Jack wants to go home!

Dear friends:

Jack spoke yesterday--and said "I want to go home!!" Official update below. Keep those prayers coming!

Praise the Lord- the doctor removed the ventilator today and he is doing great! His first words were, "I want to go home!" Jack is moving his arms and legs and recognizes everyone. Talking is hard because he is so hoarse from the vent. Pray that he will get strong quickly so they will do the bypass surgery before sending him home to recover more.

"The Lord is my rock and fortress, my deliverer, and my strength, in whom I will trust. Psalm 18:2

Update part 2:

26 days till our wedding!
Come back this week for updates on my final water aerobics class and two wonderful showers from my coworkers and friends. Really, I'll be updating very soon! :)

Signs of Hope

Our friend is still fighting, and we saw signs of hope today. We just returned from the hospital, where we learned that they took Jack off of sedation and saw him glance around the room, as well as responding to a voice command to squeeze and release someone's hand.

They sedated him again, as his blood pressure was going wild. Please pray that they are able to stabilize him (he is also doing some breathing on his own). When they can stabilize him, they can talk further about doing the bypass surgery that is required.

Keep those prayers comin'....

Please pray for our dear friend

Friends:

Dear friends of ours, Jack and Lahree, are in a completely unexpected crisis right now, and they need your prayers.

Yesterday morning, our dear friend Jack suffered a massive heart attack. (See attached picture of David and I with Jack and Lahree at their cottage over New Years.) He is hospitalized in critical condition, and it will be another day before we know if he has brain activity.

Jack has been so special to me, like a second dad, and I was looking forward to him walking me down the aisle at my wedding.

We will pray for a miracle, knowing that Jack has a heavenly Abba Father who cares for him more than we ever could. We are praying Scripture found in Psalm 41:1-4 for this faithful servant-- "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness."

51 days...but who's counting?

Dearest friends:

I am a pathetic blogger these days...but a happy bride-to-be!

David and I had our first shower on Sunday at his church in Indiana...40 women attended! I was humbled and awed by their generosity and their welcoming spirits. My favorite gift? A toss-up between the laundry sorter from Target (3 bins!) and the Kate Spade candle holders (we did not register for these but they are amazing!) David's favorite gift: the pizza stone. Gotta love a guy who can cook...who makes you a frittata on Sunday mornings before church. In the future, I might even get him to serve me breakfast in bed! :)

The journey is sweet, albeit hectic at times, and our family and friends are wonderfully supportive and encouraging.

I'll be back soon with musings on what it will mean to share our problems and our peanut butter, the dailiness and the divine of married life.

51 days. We still can't believe it. But we're quite simply, overjoyed.

Talk to you soon.