Then Sings My Soul ~ Praise You in The Storm

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far and am so thankful for you stopping by Mel's World today to see this week's Then Sings My Soul Saturday song pick.

Praise & Worship songs are such a great way to connect the words of your heart, the stages of life, and the "stuff" going on in and around you all together in one beautiful package.

It's no surprise that if you've been here in Mel's World at any point this week you would know that we are in the middle of some pretty major storms in our life right now. The incredible part of that is that instead of focusing on all the things that are beating down against us we've chosen to Praise HIM in the storm.

Not because we have it all figured out, but only because of the grace that is so freely given from the One who does. I've picked "Praise You in The Storm" by Casting Crowns as my song of the week.

Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers for our family...we are so thankful to be surrounded by so many amazing people!

For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday songs head on over to Amy's at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders. While you're there make sure to say a little prayer for Amy & her family, every prayer makes a difference!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

God IS in the Details

This picture was on the last day we were in the hospital. We were waiting to hear back from the neurologist, waiting to find out when we could get out of dodge, and waiting...well...you get the point.

We're home now and trying to settle into our new "normal" (whatever that might be). The meds have made Nick very sleepy, but we are also pretty sure that he is just plain old worn out from everything he's been through these last couple of days. (I know the rest of us are too)

We're not completely sure what the future holds, but thankfully we know the One who does and in Him we are finding great peace right now. I mentioned the other day that there were so many "God moments" throughout this whole ordeal and so just to show you that God IS in the details I wanted to share a few of them with you.

1) It was a Sunday morning, and since hubby is a Pastor and I work in ministry too, that means we both should have been at church that morning. I had been sick the day before (4th of July) and still had slight fever, body aches, & sore throat, so I decided that I should stay home on Sunday so I didn't infect the entire church with my cooties. God was in the details.

2) Nick was supposed to be working at the grocery store on Sunday from 10am - 6pm. He woke up at 7am not feeling well (we later figured out that he probably had a seizure around that time and we saw him "after" when he was kind of out of it). I told him he should stay home and get some rest too. God is in the details.

3) Nick went to his room to sleep, I went to my room to sleep, then at about 8:30am I asked him to come to my room so I could "keep an eye" on him while I rested too. He called into work and told them he was sick & wouldn't make it that day. God is in the details.

4) At 11am my cell phone rang, it was my youngest son (Bailey) asking me about snacks for the kids ministry. I was completely worn out & took a minute to shake my head clear to talk to Bailey about his question when at that moment I felt a thump on my head. It was Nick in full blown grand mal seizures. While I was on the phone with Bailey I told him to run & get his dad out of church. God is in the details.

5) I called hubby's phone, which was not turned on silent yet (that never happens) and was able to tell him to come home immediately. God is in the details.

6) One of the paramedics that came to the house is one of our neighbors. We've never met him, but he said that he sees the kids out playing and Nick out running. God is in the details.

7) I called my mom & dad to let them know what was going on (they attend our church) and they came straight over to the hospital. My mom is having her 7th out of 8 chemo treatments this Friday (she can't afford to get sick), and while she was at the Peds ER there was not a single other person there. God is in the details.

8) When they decided to transport us to the children's hospital to be admitted and do more tests one of the transport paramedics was Nick's respiratory therapists from the time Nick was in the PICU for 51 days back in 2005. He remembered us and instantly clicked with Nick. God is in the details.

9) One of our old PICU nurses was in "Charge" when we were being brought over to the children's hospital and made sure that we were set up in one of the BEST rooms they had (it was a mini suite) so we would be comfortable. God is in the details.

10) When you get admitted to the hospital they always ask your religious affiliation (not sure why, they just do). The nurse that was taking our information asked me that and I mentioned that we are Christians and that Nick's dad is a Pastor and she said, "Well, Amen, we'll just have to pray that boy healthy". (She is a believer too) God is in the details.

11) There are more...but the BIGGEST sign for us that God IS in the details was this...we have not had health insurance for 8 long months. If you have kids then you know just how stressful that is, but when you have a kid that has a pre-existing condition (Nick has diabetes) then it is even more nerve wrecking. We JUST got our health insurance, effective July 1st, a mere 4 days before Nick would have a seizure.

That, my friends, is how I know, that God IS in the details.

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. ~ Ephesians 3:7 TM

So here we are...taking it one day at a time.

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

Life changes in a moment's notice

I guess to say it has been a "rough" couple of days would be an understatement, but the reality is that it has been.

You see, in this picture there are two things of special notice...the black truck through the windshield you are seeing this from is my husband and in the ambulance is my oldest son Nick (15) and myself (riding shotgun) as we make our way to the ER.

I had been sick the day before with a cold/flu and when Nick woke up Sunday morning not feeling well we thought he was getting the same sickness that I had the day before. I still wasn't well so I stayed home from church and has Nick call into work that day as well. He & I took a nap and when I woke up I saw him having Grand Mal Seizures.

I called 911 and thus began a new path for our family. After being in the Peds ER for a couple of hours the doctors decided that it would be best to transfer him to the local children's hospital for more testing. It is the same hospital that Nick spent 51 days in the PICU in back in 2005, so we were thankful to still have friends there and knew we would be in the BEST hands while we were there.

They did MRI's, CT Scans, EEG's, and did lots of blood work over the course of the time we were there and thankfully everything came back clear. That's the good news. The bad news is that unless they "catch" him in a seizure they can't really tell us what is causing it. (Is it just me or does that sound really crazy?)

They put Nick on some anti-seizure meds for a year and a half and for a week or two we are going to have to really watch him to see how he handles the meds and also to see if he has any other seizures.

My head is spinning from the information, from the new path, the "stuff" that goes along with it, and all the while I am wondering if I will ever get the picture of him seizing out of my head. Even though I don't know how long this new adjustment will be for us, I DO know that God is in complete control of the situation, that we are in His hands, and that He is faithful.

You see, Life changes in a moment's notice, but God never does. So, here we are, on this new path on our journey, seeking to find the JOY each and every day, while we love, serve, and grow to be more like Him.

I've got so many incredible God moments over the two days we spent in the hospital and can't wait to share with you how we've seen God's grace throughout this bumpy part of the road.

In the mean time, our family wants to take a minute to say THANK YOU for all your thoughts, prayers, emails, FaceBook comments, Twitter messages, and comments. Your support has been the extra "umph" we've needed to take one more step forward in the face of these scary days.

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

We could use your prayers...

Right now my oldest son, Nick, is laying in a hospital bed at the local children's hospital in our area. Yesterday was a hard day for our family and we would love to ask you to join us in prayer for Nick's health, for wisdom for the doctors, and for us to be a light in the midst of this storm.

My husband, Matt, has updated his blog last night with the series of events that happened that brought our son to the hospital yesterday. I will be back online later this afternoon to update Mel's World with the current status and prayer requests, but as for now, if you would like to see what's been going on please head over to Matt's blog (click HERE).

Thank you so much for your prayers, we covet them right now.

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

Missions Minded

Just over a week and a half ago my best friend, and husband, got back from a 6-day missions trip with Compassion International to Guatemala. He went with a group of (10) people from our church for what would turn out to be a live changing week for everyone involved.

This was our first exposure to Compassion as a mission trip and quite frankly I am sure it won't be our last. On May 17th, 2009 we sponsored our first Compassion child, her name is Ericka and she is from Guatemala. The cool thing about that is the day we sponsored her was her 8th birthday, and she was also living in the projects that my husband would be visiting on his trip with Compassion.

We loaded up a backpack full of goodies, pictures, games, etc for Ericka and hubby was on his way there a couple of weeks later. I won't spoil all the daily details for you, but if you want to see a day by day account of the trip through his eyes you can go over to his blog, Matt Mashburn, to walk through the trip with him.

Ericka now is our Compassion daughter, she lives in Guatemala physically, but in our hearts forever. I can't wait to get a chance to bring my boys over there one day (hopefully soon) to meet her and her family.

We've been so impressed with Compassion International and all they do & stand for. If you are not a part of the Compassion family there is still plenty of time for you to "Sponsor a Child and Change the life of a child...forever!"

It's as Easy as 1-2-3...

1) Go to the Compassion website

2) View Photos of Children available for Sponsorship

3) Click to start your Sponsorship

Here's what I will tell you...it is NOT some "random" child on the other side of the planet. It is a real person, with real needs, and chances are they are waiting for YOU to become a part of their lives.

(here's a picture of Matt, my hubby, with our Compassion daughter, Ericka)

You may not get the chance to travel to meet your Compassion child like my husband did (and hopefully myself and our kids too), but I can tell you this...there are plenty of kids in need, and you can make a difference in their lives.

Go on, go over to the website and at least take a look at the pictures...you'll be glad you did!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

Speak to My Soul Sunday ~ Peace of God

Welcome to Speak to My Soul Sunday's in Mel's World!

It's been a little while since the last Speak to My Soul devotional, but the Lord has really pressed this on my heart today and I know that this is something that I probably need more than anyone. I pray you are blessed by His word today.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NIV

Is it me or does it seem that there are things pulling at us from just about every angle of life. If it's not the kids, it's the spouse, or the job, or our ministry, our friends, our finances, our health, you name it and chances are it is pulling at you right now too.

It's enough to make you feel like that mom from the Incredibles, what's her name...ElastaGirl? The problem with that is that there isn't really an ElastaGirl is there? We can bend and move but eventually something will break (or fall).

If we back up from this verse a little bit we'll go to the verse right before it where it says;

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 NIV

Aha, now it's starting to make a little sense. The problems, the stresses, the kids, the finances, the health issues, the marriage...all of it we are to give over to God through prayer and petition.

And when we do, I love that part, then we will receive the peace of God.

Holy Moly...is anyone else totally all over this right now?

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NIV

Do you mean that by giving all that "stuff" over to Him we will actually have peace? YES!

Do you mean that by praying about it we will begin to have peace? YES!

Do you think that is possible for you and me? Absolutely YES!

Well, what does that "peace of God" look like?

I went over to my friends at Dictionary.com to look up the word peace and here's what it says;

- a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations:

- a state of tranquillity or serenity:

- a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity:

Then I took it a step further and asked Dictionary.com to define for me the "peace of God" and guess what, there were NO results for "peace of God". Is that surprising? No, not really, especially since it says right there in the verse that the "peace of God", which transcends all understanding.

I love that we don't have to completely understand it but can accept it with grace and humility. At the end of the verse it also says that the peace of God...will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is actually a beautiful thing for us because it says that even in the midst of the things that are pulling on you that not only will you have peace from Him but that He will guard your hearts and minds while you still try to figure out all the other stuff.

The reality is that we "need" Him to help us with that or we would fall under the weight and pressure of the very things that are pulling us in thousands of directions.

Let's face it can be tough to have peace when everything around you is pulling at you at the same time, but when you present your requests to Him, lay them down, and accept the gift of the peace from God you will be able to rest in knowing that He is there with you every step of the way.

What a great and beautiful gift that is!

So, let's get practical.

What do you need to take before Him right now so that you too can have the peace of God?

Take some time right now and really think about it. I am sure that there are things popping in your head right this very minute and when they do bounce them right up to the only one who can truly do anything with them. You'll be glad you did!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

Wordless Wednesday ~ Allen Wrench?

Apparently I am the ONLY person in the world that can run over an Allen Wrench and have it go straight through to pop my tire.

Which is bad enough in and of itself, but my hubby was also out of the country on a mission trip. Thankfully, I have two teenage boys who totally stepped up and helped their mom out!

For more Wordless Wednesday photos head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,