One Year on the Waiting List | Miracles

As an adult I am beginning to know the meaning of St. Paul’s words to the Romans, “We glory in tribulations… Knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” It is true. I have been blessed my whole life to have severe congenital heart disease. I am far from perfect and needed this in my life to teach me things I could have never learned without it. As a result, I am a witness of God’s hand in our lives. I’ve observed many miracles in my own.

Last Wednesday I was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit to begin receiving additional milrinone and nutrients intravenously. I’m also beginning some physical therapy.

These changes are an effort to help my organs hold steady so my body is prepared for the challenging transplant. In addition, I am getting some much-needed rest.

Thank you for all of your love! Our little family feels it so strongly... And with all that is transpiring we'll need your faith and prayers even more. A few days ago doctors shared with me tests results from my esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Doctors are theoretically concerned that there could be some excessive bleeding which may or may not be controllable during the transplant operation. It’s statistically serious because with each individual transplant surgery blood must be thinned with heparin for a lengthy time so patients don’t throw a clot and have a major stroke.

I have always believed someone greater than all of us runs the show. I’ve witnessed too many miraculous events to believe otherwise. I’ve also felt such comforting and peaceful emotions during hard times, which are unexplainable in words. I can’t deny feelings.

My friend and author Richard Paul Evans said of God, “If we looked at life as a ball game, God is not an umpire who sits and looks for failure. He’s more like the father in the stands cheering us on.”

Philosopher and spiritual leader Neal A. Maxwell wrote, “God loves us and, loving us, has placed us here to cope with challenges which he will place before us. I'm not sure we can always understand the implications of his love, because his love will call us at times to do things we may wonder about, and we may be confronted with circumstances we would rather not face. I believe with all my heart that because God loves us there are some particularized challenges that he will deliver to each of us. He will customize the curriculum for each of us in order to teach us the things we most need to know. He will set before us in life what we need, not always what we like. And this will require us to accept with all our hearts--particularly your generation--the truth that there is divine design in each of our lives and that you have rendezvous to keep with destiny, individually and collectively.”

For me, God has been extremely generous, kind and loving. I am surrounded by such love and support from family, friends, and strangers whom I see as brothers and sisters. I ache for others without such love to feel that same strength and power. Doctors have the skills to heal the body. Friends and family have the power to heal my mind.

My God and your God has provided me with a wonderful medical team who He can inspire. They are schooled and prepared to work miracles. And through them, I know God can perform many wonderful things according to His will and the faith of those who believe in Him.

And so at this time I humbly ask each of you to please pray for my gifted and skilled medical team of doctors, surgeons, nurses, technicians, and more at Primary Children’s Medical Center.

“I am a witness of His miracles and his mercy. I put my future in his hands knowing he's made me all I am. I put my faith in him and truth begins to speak. His power is real and it moves me until I will not be still.”

Photos: Top: With Eden in the P.I.C.U. / Middle: Rockin in the P.I.C.U. / Bottom: Standing in front of the painting of George Veasy, M.D. my childhood doctor. / Very Bottom: And a video of me and Eden

Acts of Kindness

Acts of kindness continue to pour down upon us like a much needed rain storm. A large group of our neighbors and church goers thoroughly spring cleaned our yard, removing all dead leaves, weeds, pruning trees, branches, edging, mowing, straightening our mailbox with new cement, prepping an area for a garden, putting a trampoline together for Eden, planting flowers, and much more.

What can we say? We’re overwhelmed. There are kind people in the world. Amidst all of the sensational headlines of war, death, and destruction, there is goodness. Generally people have good hearts and use them. I also hope for a heart that I will use for good.

I believe there is hope for anyone in great need of help. People won’t take away your grief. They won’t solve all your problems. They won’t abolish your fears. What they can do, if you’ll let them into your lives, is ease your burden.

Neil A. Maxwell wrote, “To withdraw into our private sanctuaries not only deprives others of our love, our talents and our service, but it also deprives us of chances to serve, to love, and to be loved.” He also said, “Of a truth, those who can easily bend their knees in prayer do not feel they are stooping when they bend to help a neighbor in need.”

Most great service and acts of kindness go unknown and un-rewarded except for that inner conscience which gently soothes the soul with comforting words saying inward “job well done!” There have been many of you who've done kind things that we don't know about. Thank you!

We’ve always tried to surround ourselves with goodness in our home and in our friends. And we try to do all within our power to lift others to be worthy of service.

Soon I will have renewed energy to tutor relationships so I might find out what it is I can do to help them, lift their load, ease their pain.

It’s hard for me not to be among people and shake their hands. I miss it. I miss serving and sharing things in common and enjoying conversation.

With a new heart, God knows I will continue to share my love for life, not only through my music, but also through common friendship and private acts of kindness. But, I know it is not up to me. Our lives are not completely under our control. One minute we're here enjoy things and another we're not.

No matter where I am God knows I will always strive to improve things. If I land in hell - I'll gather people one by one and start making a heaven out of the place.

(Picture: TOP - Our City removes compost piles each Spring and Fall. This pile is a result of acts of kindess, BOTTOM - Carl Bloch painting that has hung in our home for many years.)