My Family

My Family
Summer 2015

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Lessons on Love

I realized this morning that my blog posts have been scattered at best over the past few weeks.  It is not for lack of activity in our household.  We are actually dealing with a lot right now, but it is not always things that are blog worthy.  They would make for an interesting story for sure.  But, sometimes things are very personal.  Now when I say that I want to be clear.  We are all ok and surviving.  But, we are dealing with some hard stuff.
Primarily we have been dealing with Teen Depression.
And then ocassionally we have our "Lucas" moments that get tossed into the mix.
Then there is the finacial challenges.
Some of the topics are hard to share in detail.
The good?
God has been teaching me about LOVE.
That sounds so simplistic.
But, here's the thing.
Over my lifetime, Faith in God has not been a struggle.  I have always felt His presence in my life in some way, shape or form.  It has grown and been challenged for sure, but overall I have believed God exists and known about Jesus and salvation and all that goes with that.  To me it's sort of a "basic".  I can't imagine not breathing.  I can't imagine not having Faith.  Call it a "gift".  But, it is what it is.  There is not an incling of doubt to me that God exisits, is alive and desires all to Know Him.  (and by the way there will be a day when "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord" just a head's up on that one)

I have learned that I have a long way to go to even catch a glimpse of His Glory.

But, Faith.  It's been there.

Recently, however, the most basic of Christian concepts has surfaced for me in a very real and tangible way.

Love 

I have been challenged to Love.

And to Love Well.

Overall, am I a loving person?  I hope so.
But, I am talking about that deep well within all of us that desires to be loved and also to give love.

I have been reading and rereading the "Love" chapeter in the Bible--slowly, deliberately, repeatedly...
1 Corinthians 13


If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues,they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I have so much to learn. 
One thing I have realized is that indeed Faith is important...of course it is, for the sake of our salvation in Christ, it is important. 
But, these words have recently hit me... 

if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing

Wow, that is just humbling right there.  A bit of a kick in the gut.  Have I carried a pride in my "faith" that has gotten in the way of loving people well?  My faith really means nothing if I don't love outside the box.  If I don't demonstrate love to my son who is struggling with his faith, my faith means absolutely nothing.  If I don't see my other son through his illogical meltdown or verbal attack, my faith means nothing.   If I don't encourage my husband from every angle when finacially things don't make sense, my faith means nothing.  They all need my Love---not "my" faith.  

In the end it is LOVE that remains.  

We all know people that walk around carrying their "faith" on their shoulder like some proud peacock. 
Perhaps I'm guilty. 
But, how does that help if that same person can't see beyond the surface and into the heart of the person who is hurting?  What if the person they are trying to love is asking for space from all things "God"?  "Don't shove God down my throat?" or the person they are trying to love pushes them away because of  unexplained hurt from their past?  
Is it more important for me to get my feathers in a ruffle or to just hug him and love him well?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Obviously, I will never fully be able to accomplish a perfect love here on this earth.  So if I fail, please forgive me.  
Ultimately God is LOVE--
and fortunately He has a Perfect Love 

So glad to be covered in that kind of Love and be learning from the Master!
I have a long way to go.







Thursday, June 14, 2012

Just a quick family pic



I realized a few days ago, that we haven't taken any kind of a family picture since September--before Lucas's surgery.  I had to search and search for one for our final one year post placement homestudy update.  Then when I realized I didn't have one it took almost a week to get the 4 of us in one place and conscious to take one.  That's craziness.  With the teenager working full time, then out and about with friends after work.  With Peter and evening appointments.  I've been working a few days here and there.  And a boy who goes to bed before the rest of us do...it was a bit of a challenge.  So, it's not my best "hair" day, but here it is...=) 
(Peter, Isaac-age 17, me, and Lucas boy-age 8)


Saturday, June 9, 2012

"That boy says I'm a Liar"

this is a guest posting from my husband...
We went to the park last night to talk while Lucas played


"So we are sitting at the park talking and Lucas comes up and says: "that boy said I'm a liar"..."I told him that I had surgery and then I got my legs and he doesn't believe me";  to which Heidi replies "you should have told him that I lion ate them, then you could really freak him out and pull one of your legs off to show him..."

...and I wonder why I have issues."  (peter)



What he neglected to share was how Lucas completely cracked up and was searching the boy out to show him.  I was dying of laughter and so was he.  Peter just had his face in his hands and was shaking his head.  
Unfortunately, it was time for the boy to go so Lucas never got the chance to show him.  


Nobody gave me the rule book on how to raise a child with prosthetics or missing limbs.  My number one response is always "do something funny" to lighten the mood.  I think we often take ourselves way too seriously.  And people walk around on pins and needles uncertain what they can and cannot say.  Humor is my "go to".  Will you laugh with me?






Thursday, June 7, 2012

"Grampart this is Squad 51"

So, if you are old enough to remember the old TV show Emergency you may recognize some of these phrases that are often heard in our house (Along with their interpretations)

We hear a lot of this stuff when playtime is in full swing...

Lucas version:  "Grampart, this is Squad 51, can you read me? negative Grampart, the patient is not feeling good"
Interpretation:  "Rampart" (not Grampart) is the name of the hospital that the paramedics Johnny and Roy call when there is an emergency. He pulls things from what they say and puts them together for whatever the "emergency" may be. They use an old style radio telephone to communicate with the hospital.  Lucas improvises and uses a walkie talkie usually to communicate.

Lucas: "the patient has a heart beep"
Interpretation: "heart beat"

Lucas:  "Her heart attack is 167 over 153"
Interpretation:  I think he means "blood pressure" and it probably is related to a heart attack if it is that high.

Lucas:  "10-4 over and out"
             "This man is freaking out"(that's a Lucasism--nothing to do with Johnny and Roy)
             " What are we gonna do--
                           shock him?"

Interpretation:  none needed

Pics to follow from adventures in "Emergency".






Sunday, June 3, 2012

Uno --- a Red Letter Day!



I have to admit, we attempted to play games with Lucas several times and it was so frustrating even 5 months ago, that I just didn't go back to it much.  It's really quite understandable why it would be so frustrating if you are struggling just to understand the world around you, grasp a new language, figure out what "taking turns" means, etc.  It's a lot really.  But, because of the frustration for him and for us and lack of enjoyment in doing it, we have not played a lot of games with him.  Sad to admit.

Recently we started playing Battleship, but even that requires one person to be on the team with him to help him.  He is finally getting the ideas of taking turns, being a good sport when someone else wins, rules of the game and more.  So, things are improving.

Tonight, the 4 of us sat down and dragged out the UNO cards.
Since we haven't played in a while I had no idea what to expect.
But, I was pleasantly surprised!!!
He did GREAT!
He even played his own hand.
And congratulated others for winning some rounds.

He was bordering on "losing it" because he hadn't won a round, until he finally won the last hand.

Wa HOOO!!! Great Job Lucas!!!!

(he told me to write about this so everyone would know he won at Uno and played the game so well.  He wanted his friends and relatives to know all about it!!!---=)