My break from all computer-related activities didn’t begin intentionally~ I got extremely sick and have lived in a fog ever since. I’m hoping that I snap out of it soon. No energy, whatsoever.

Nate didn’t make the trip to the Dominican Republic~ I got sick the night before and I was too fevered up the day he was leaving to even argue with him when he said he was staying. I felt so bad that he missed the trip, but later, when I was coherent again, I realized I would have been in serious trouble without him. Thank you for taking such good care of me, my husband.

Fortunately, no one got what I had, but they’ve not felt well either~ now, my girl is sick, Nate’s recovering and it seems like Indigo’s starting…ARGH!

Not to tell all the negative things, but…this is just what’s happening right now…

My dad is back in the hospital. He was in for a few days, went home and then had to go back in again. He’s having continual chest pains and some bleeding internally from the heart cath they did earlier this week. The good news is the blockage is about the same~ no worse~ from his bypass surgery in June. The bad news is they can’t seem to get the chest pains to stop and the nitro makes his already too low blood pressure even lower. Sounds like he has congestive heart failure too…so they’re trying to figure that out. Oh my. Just please pray for him and for my mama. They’re going through it…

They lost their beloved dog, Meggie, a little over a week ago. She’s been part of our life for the last 16 years and we are all brokenhearted that she’s gone.

I’ve sort of avoided the blog because I have had a hard time finding my sense of humor. It’s gone missing. And with this fog in my head, my thoughts feel like mush.

So on that cheerful note…ha! Actually, here’s a happy thing~ the kids are off school for Spring Break! I do love having my sweet loves home.

Happy Tuesday! I’ve missed my bloggy friends.

If you never read another blog post of mine, I hope you are reading this one.

My friends, Josh and Stacey, need your prayers. Their beautiful baby girl, Bailey, came early~ at only 26 weeks. While everything about Bailey is a miracle already, there are still some serious complications.

First, let me tell you a few of the wonderful miracles:

Bailey is growing! She is now 1 pound and 11 ounces. She is perfection in a little tiny package. Her fingers take my breath away. She has light hair and is so pretty. She wears baby doll diapers. She just had a bath without any help breathing. She’s done with the jaundice lamp/bed. She eats 1 cc every 2 hours.

Isn’t that amazing? Only 26 weeks in the womb and still perfection.

It’s hard to even capture how tiny she is. Her head fits in the palm of her mother’s hand…

This is what we need to pray about:

She has level 4 bleeding in her brain. Tomorrow she will have another ultra sound and I so hope that the bleeding has stopped and there is no lasting repercussions. Cerebral palsy is a possibility and brain damage.

Her parents and big sister are crazy about her and she is in the best care possible with her doctors and nurses. Please pray for the right people to come in her path and for wisdom all along the way. I pray that she continues to astound the doctors and that she can be home with her family before we know it, healthy as can be.

Josh and Stacey so appreciate your prayers. Feel free to leave words of encouragement in the comments and I will make sure they see them.

Now, here’s a crazy story about the crazy way things happen sometimes…

Six years ago, I met Josh and he was having a really hard time. Life was not going well for him and he was really discouraged. He was a friend of our nephew’s, Rob, and Rob brought Josh over one day while I was getting ready for a Funky Barn event. Josh pitched in and helped me so much that day, but I also couldn’t get over his sweetness and his tender heart. He just made me want to weep. Also, the story of Indigo’s miracle was still so fresh to us and I told Josh all about it. Before he left, I gave him a book, told him I believed God had a purpose for him and that he was going to get back on track. I don’t typically branch out with too much of that sort of thing the first time I’m around someone, but I believed it so strongly about Josh that I was able to ignore my chicken guts.

Fast forward 5 or so years and I’m at church on a Sunday morning when I spot a guy who looks so familiar. When I see him up close, I realize it’s Josh. I didn’t even remember at first about giving him the book, I just remembered what a special guy he was. He reminded me of our conversation and with tears in his eyes, he thanked me for what I’d done for him that day. I had no idea it had meant so much to him. In my mind, I had simply been kind to another kind person and I had told him that God loved him.

By now, Josh had a family~ a lovely sweetheart named Stacey and her beautiful little girl. Josh seemed so happy and I was thrilled he’d found someone so great. I was also thrilled to see them at church over the next few months. Then I didn’t see them for a while and wondered about them, but didn’t have a number for them…didn’t even know their last names…

Anyway…we had a huge flood in our basement last week and Nate was out playing and couldn’t get home to help me with it in time. Incidentally, Nate was at a rehearsal when I texted him about the water, asking what would be the best thing to do. He was learning a song called, “Blessings in the Raindrops.” I’m not even kidding. He was SO frustrated about the water and rolling his eyes at the irony of the song/timing. He called Rob to see if he could stop by to see what could be done. I had the shop vac and went over and over the area and was still able to wring water out of the carpet and pad underneath. Rob took a look (it was pretty bad) and said, “I better call my friend who has a carpet business.” I heard him telling the guy that he was at our house. When he got off the phone, he said, “Josh says he’ll do whatever he can do to help you! He LOVES you! I don’t know why, I mean, I love you too, but I don’t know why HE loves you!” I wasn’t even sure who he was talking about at first. When he explained that it was THAT Josh, I was so excited to get back in touch with him.

This past Saturday, Josh called and talked to Nate and mentioned that their baby was in the hospital and that the week before, she’d been born way too early. We couldn’t believe it when he wanted to come and look at our carpet! Both Josh and Stacey came and in the first few minutes, they filled us in on what had been happening with them. I couldn’t believe their strength and their positive outlook. I especially couldn’t believe they were in our home, trying to help US, with all they are going through! Stacey glowed when she talked about Bailey. Josh said he’d told Stacey several times about Indigo and how he’d nearly died as a baby. It had helped him to remember that miracle…

It was such a full circle moment. Indigo in the hospital. He lived and is completely well. Meeting Josh. Unknowingly making a difference. Seeing Josh again with his family. Healthy, happy. Dumb flood in the basement. Nate learning the silly song about “Blessings in the Raindrops.” (Sorry if you wrote that song, I’ve never heard it, just the title cracks me up.) Rob calling Josh, of all people, who was going through torture and didn’t even say because it had just happened. Josh and Stacey coming over to help US. (Still can’t get over that. So humbled and touched by this.) Their own miracle, little Bailey…

Unbelievable.

My heart was so full.

We cried and prayed together. I now have their numbers and we won’t go another 5 years again. I’ll be seeing them in the next day or two and it does my heart good.

So…thank you for reading this story. I hesitated to even tell it because parts of it are about me and I don’t want that to be anywhere near the point. The point is that God moves in such mysterious ways, often without us even realizing it. I’m reminding myself again to continuously step out of my comfort zone.

I’ll keep you posted on Bailey. Please, please keep her in your prayers.