The Irresistible Revolution

Note: this entry is cut and pasted from our other blog Coffee Klatch. So, if by some chance you are reading both blogs, sorry for the crossover, I just wanted to say the same thing in both places!
Now I've gone and done it. I am reading a book that could change everything. No, it's not the Bible. That might be too revolutionary for me. James and I just started reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It's all about Shane's search for Jesus and a true Christian. I just began chapter four and I have laughed and cried. He has lived with lepers in India and welfare families in Philadelphia. If you check the Spiritual Pathways from yesterday's post, you will see that Shane is an activist. More on this book as we read and digest it.

Check out the webpage for The Simple Way...this is the organization of which Shane is a part. Visit the page. Lots of great stuff. Learn something new while you're there.

More later, I'm off to plead with James for that grey water system!

a different walk...

Since Marshall's death, so many things seem different. Some things are more important and others have completely faded from the radar. I feel more mature, more well-rounded. I still struggle with anxiety and selfishness but I can feel their hold slipping. It's a neat feeling. I was walking through a crowd of people yesterday and didn't feel so conspicuous. It was like I was even walking differently. Have any of you ever experienced anything like this? It's such a liberating experience.

Those two weeks with my family were really hard. I think we all learned things about ourselves. We learned things about spiritual battles and faith and disappointment and grieving. Some things are impossible to put into words but my spirit knows there is a new deposit of...something.

Awww...

What better way to share my 200th post than with my darling nieces?

Wordless Wednesdays

She breaks all the rules!

I just spoke with Micah last night. Marshall is still doing well. Plans are to remove her from the ventilator beginning on Tuesday. She would have been weaned on Friday except for an unexpected event.

The latest development was this last weekend. For months, the doctors have been telling the family her heart is severely enlarged and only one side is formed properly. On Friday, Micah was called (she's staying at the Ronald McDonald house in Dallas) and told that Marshall was being rushed in for a CT scan. One of the doctors saw an abnormality that was thought to be a collapsed lung or further enlargement of her heart. After a full day of tests and study, the verdict came back.

Her liver has ridden higher in her chest cavity because of either a weak diaphragm muscle or a hole in the diaphragm. All this time, the x-rays were showing the shadow of her liver on her heart. Her heart is a completely normal size--and both sides are developed! We consider this a true miracle. Can you imagine...looking at these x-rays for this long and everyone saw it wrong?? It's such an amazing thing! The doctors aren't quite sure what to do. They say she's "breaking all the rules..."

No surgery is required at the moment to correct this. There is a possibility that pushing the liver back down into place would ease her breathing, but the surgery is a major one. Micah is doing well and her faith was given a huge boost by this last news (mine too!) Since I am such a big fan of the liver (seriously), I asked about the health of Marshall's liver. Micah assured me that it is fine. As well, if anyone has noticed that Marshall's color is a bit off in the photos, that's because her blood oxygen levels are so low.

Her arteries are offering a high resistance to blood flow through them. I promise you, at this point, that is good news! The doctors forecasted that by this time in her life, Marshall's heart would have flooded her lungs with blood. Because of the increased resistance, the lungs are still able to function adequately.

All things work together... has never hit home so closely before!

Thank you all so much for all your prayers. My family and I really appreciate them. All of your wonderful emails are a huge blessing.

Here is the address for the Ronald McDonald House in Dallas. My mom and Micah and Laurel are staying there.

Micah Vittetoe
c/o Ronald McDonald House
5641 Medical Center Dr
Dallas, TX 75235
(214) 631-7354

Marshall update

Marshall did not have the heart catheter placed. She had a cold and blood oxygen levels were too low. She had a rough time and is now in ICU with a central line and on a breathing machine. We have faith for her to be healed. Honestly, we're having a rough time right now and would appreciate your continued prayers...

Zombie Jesus

Well, I've been thinking about this post for about 24 hours now. Here it is...

I was on the Etsy Forums yesterday when someone started a thread informing people that not everyone is a Christian.

Wow. No way.

Other people chimed in to say that didn't Christians know bunnies and eggs are symbols of fertility left over from ancient pagan rituals...

Again, you must be kidding me...

Of course, the obligatory whining complaining about how Christians just can't be bothered to understand anything but their own outdated, misogynistic beliefs soon followed. The discussion was rife with complaints about people wishing anyone a "Happy Easter" and how offensive it possibly could be...when all of a sudden a wunderkid says that when someone wishes her a "Happy Easter" she responds with Happy Zombie Jesus Day.

Oh, the waves of laughter and right ons...you tell them sister and wish I'd thought of that's were rolling. One person posted a few times that the thread was becoming offensive to Christians and the response was, "I can't believe some people get offended when others are just trying to have a decent conversation. Nobody here is being offensive," ad nauseum...

Umm, excuse me? Zombie Jesus? Christians are offensive? I've said it before and I'll say it again...nothing chaps my hide like prejudice, hatred and bull-headedness masquerading as tolerance. It just isn't so folks. You can't trash conservatives, Christians, right-wingers, pagans, Buddhists, loggers or tree-huggers and maintain your high moral ground.

What I'm trying to say is: fighting fire with fire never won any battles...or friends for that matter. Don't label someone with a different viewpoint as automatically intolerant or the enemy.

"Jesus is going to make her better..."

Well, some of you may remember my earlier post about Marshall. Marshall is still doing well. She has been home since Christmas week (6 weeks in ICU!) and she and Micah and Drew and Laurel and all of us are settling into the routines of cardiologist visits, 6 doctor teams and oxygen level monitoring.

My little sister is still my hero...

Anyway, the other day they were driving home from Dallas, when Marshall choked. She became angry and held her breath. Micah's story is that Marshall's entire body stiffened and then went limp as the proverbial dishrag. She simply stopped breathing. Micah was in the back seat with Marshall and Laurel while my mother drove. One call to OnStar and three quick rescue breaths (calmly administered by my sister) and Marshall was breathing again.

Thankfully, lungs were clear with no aspiration.

After my mom called Onstar, she began to cry and pray in the front seat. Laurel (3) leaned forward and said, Don't worry MeeMama, Jesus is going to make her better."

Mark 10:15