CHALLENGES...

So far 2011 has brought a number of challenges to our family. I'm not sure why, but it seems that for us, we will be just coasting along through the routines of life and enjoying the ride when all of a sudden instead of an occasional bump in the road, we hit sink holes. That is the way things are going right now. Just a couple of days after returning to school following Christmas Break, I was teaching my students and noticed that I could not see my left hand. You see, I talk with my hands. Couldn't communicate without them. But as my hand was moving about, it was completely missing from my peripheral vision - as was everything else, actually. After an immediate trip to the eye doctor, I found myself being scheduled for emergency eye surgery to repair a torn and detached retina in my left eye. The next 2 weeks I was only allowed to look at the floor. I could get up for 10 minutes each hour to go to the bathroom and eat. Then back to staring at the floor again. The surgical process was called a vitrectomy and the doctor also had to do LOTS of lasering to repair the tears and holes in my retina. If you dare to Google the procedure, I hope you don't have a weak stomach. It was serious stuff. In total, I missed 3 weeks of school. Today was the first day of my first week back. I still can't see very well out of my left eye, but I am continuing to pray that my vision will eventually return to 20/20 like it was prior to the surgery rather than the 20/50 I have right now. But honestly, I am SO BLESSED that I can see at all out of that eye. I was closer to permanent blindness than I care to think about.

Okay - so that is one thing. But about that same time, my mom fell off of a ladder at her house and didn't want to tell anyone about it because of what I was dealing with. She seriously hurt her back and has some broken ribs. She's wearing a brace, but also has obviously serious discomfort. Please pray for her.

Then on Saturday, I was upstairs working in our office, Kevin was outside playing with the boys. I came downstairs to let our dog back into the house. I smelled smoke. After following the smell to our laundry room, I opened the door to find the whole room FULL of smoke. Our washing machine had an internal fire. PRAISE GOD it did not burn down our house!!!! Today I got a brand new washing machine, but it wasn't really good timing for us from a financial standpoint.

PLEASE PRAY FOR KEVIN. This Friday he is going to have back surgery. He's been having so much trouble with his back for so many years. We don't have any guarantees that the procedure will work, but there is a possibility that it will. And with the intense pain that he has suffered through for so many years, he believes it is worth it to try. Please pray specifically that this will bring him tremendous relief of his back pain. Some days he finds it difficult to even stand or walk. That is difficult for him because he wants to be very active with the boys, but it just hurts too much.

Thank you for your prayers. While we go through all of these things, we continue to praise God for the blessing that have come from them. Join us in our praise, too.