No News is Good News

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

~ Philippians, 4:6

First of all, is it just me or does Kate look like a character out of Whoville?

So far, the news is good from the EEG room at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Thus far, Kate has had no seizures -- apparently one can have abnormal electrical activity without having seizures. And if Kate didn't have any abnormal brain activity, I would wonder if she was in the right family....

We are staying another night to make sure there are no seizures. The neurologist is taking her off of her seizure meds to see if this has an effect. By the way, her neuro saw HUGE improvements in Kate already, which we've seen too. She told us that the meds she's on, Lamictal, has a "side-effect" of improving verbalization in kids on the autism spectrum. We didn't know that ahead of time, so it's very interesting how we've noticed the same thing.

The best part of the day? Well, for me it was hearing the good news so far and also taking a shower when my good friend and Kate's godmother, Cindy, came to visit. Thanks for the visit and the delicious dinner. You are fantastic!

The best part of Kate's day? Look and see:

Daily Manna from the 'Net for Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16 NIV

This was actually our pastor's reading a week ago. How appropriate that I found it again today. A week ago, I couldn't pray because my heart was hurting so very much -- for Kate, for Scott and myself, for all the unknowns, for all kids with troubles. It was just one of those days that my defenses were finally broken and I cried all through church, hurt and angry. Today, I am so grateful for that wall being broken down. I have always known that God has good plans for me -- for all of us -- but I have a difficult time being vulnerable. I think that's part of what God's plan is for me --being vulnerable, trusting Him, letting go of some of my fears and worry.

This isn't to say that that I shouldn't be concerned, shouldn't fight for my daughter and be aggressive with getting her well. This doesn't mean my prayers will all be answered. No, it means that I can do all of that and still accept that God is working magic in my family and I need only to look and listen for His grace. And when I'm broken, I can come to Him -- even if I can't pray. I can trust that God knows my prayers even when they are too painful for me to consider. And I can trust the beautiful people in my life to pray on my behalf, which is exactly the gift given to me this past week.

It has been a healing week -- not entirely because of Kate, but definitely through Kate and the other dear people in our lives. Thank you for being faces of God, hands of God, hugs from God.

Hugs and love from our home to yours,

The Lucky Ones