A Gracefull Place

Jeff and Kate Estes are the parents of sweet Noah (the Noah on the sidebar) who has a mitochondrial disease.   He is having a lot of things hit him right now, and they are overwhelmed to say the least.  Would you please pray for them all–mom, dad, Noah and all the other children?  You can read the latest update (as of August 3rd) here:Exhausted and Overwhelmed

And please comment and let them know you’re praying!  Kate is on Twitter and has her "tweets" on the sidebar for any "breaking news" in between posts.  If you want to you can sign up for updates to their blog.  Noah’s 3rd birthday is on the 10th, and the poor little guy has been hospitalized a lot in the past several weeks.

Thank you for your prayers!  We know they make a difference!

Some of you know about Noah Estes, the sweet little almost-three-year old with a mito disease.  He has been in and out of the hospital a lot lately, and is there now, waiting to go home (unless his fever spikes again).

I’ve had his picture on my sidebar and we lost it when we had our last blog catastrophe.  I need to get that back up!  Anyway, if you want to subscribe to their blog where they update so you can pray, click here:  Noah’s Blog.

Jeff and Kate, Noah’s parents, have a business called Hands and Hearts. They used to make really neat history kits, but with the new CPSIA laws (which are about as clear as mud!), they’ve had to discontinue them until there are further clarifications (in case you didn’t know, the fine is a stiff $100,000 per incident if not per item not in compliance–you are responsible to test every batch of stuff no matter if the stuff all came pre-tested.  It’s a bureaucratic nightmare!).  

Although they can’t sell their history kits, they do have a lot of neat things to offer.  And there may be others selling the same things, but if it’s something you’re looking for for your homeschooling, would you consider helping this family by doing business with them?  

They are having 20% off everything sale, which is just for their newsletter subscribers, but you can go to Hands and Hearts and sign up, and it will be delivered quickly to your inbox so you can have the sale code.  The sale ends Friday.

I’m heading over there now to see what I might want!    And please share this with all your friends via e-mail, blogs, message forums, etc.  She has given everyone permission!  You can read about it here:  Spinning Our Wheels.

Thank you so much for helping this family!  And please DO pray for Noah Estes!

Editing to add that the link didn’t work earlier for Hands and Hearts–I have it fixed now!

Thank you all so much for your prayers!  The doctor thinks Millie has a herpes infection (the cold sore kind–sorry I forget which that is!).  She is on antiviral medicine now.   Her mother told me (via big sister–mama was feeding her at the time!  ) that she is eating yogurt and drinking now.  Her sister also told me that this morning Millie was just glued to the couch or her mama–and that was scarey!   She seems to be acting more normally (well, normal for Millie! ) now, so that is a big relief!

As the Lord leads, please do keep them in your prayers.  This little tyke has been through SO much!

Thank you again!

Blessings!

I am again asking for prayers for Millie.   Her mother called me just a little while ago and Millie is very lethargic and not responding well.  She seems to be very sick and they just don’t know what’s wrong.  They are headed to the doctor’s now.

Please pray for the family’s peace and comfort. 

Please pray for Millie, as she is very traumatized by doctors and hospitals.  And of course, for healing.

Please pray for the doctor to have wisdom. 

Thank you so much for praying for these dear friends!

In Him~

With my dear friend’s permission, I am asking for prayer for our special "China Doll", Millie.  My friend and her husband (and older daughter!) adopted Millie almost a year ago from China.  She just turned 3, but is more like maybe 18-20 months old developmentally.  It is hard to know how much is just delay from being in an orphanage from birth, or how much might be neurological issues. 

It is difficult as she does not speak yet (a few words, and she does sign words, too).  She understands many things, but cannot tell her family what is wrong.  She has gone through night terrors, some regression and an eating strike this past fall, and recently, after a bout with antibiotics for an ear infection, didn’t eat well again.  She is eating a bit better, but it’s mostly thickened pureed foods as she doesn’t care for texture (she had a cleft palate, which has since been repaired). 

She has the sweetest smile and just melts your heart! 

Her family needs prayers to know how to help her–it is so hard as she cannot communicate what she is feeling, but lately, she has been putting her hands up to her face, as if shielding from things that frighten her. There seems to be no rhyme or reason–even in her own home, where she feels very secure, she will suddenly be fearful–a terrorized fearful–and cry.   My friend has told me that even in her sleep sometimes she will have her hands up shielding her face.

Please pray for them to have wisdom, for God to lead them to the right counselors (they have had to sort through a LOT of worldy stuff through this!), and to know how best to help her. 

And most of all, please pray that God will touch her mind, body and spirit, and that she will feel that peace that passes all understanding.

Thank you so much for praying for my dear friends and their special little girl!

Blessings on your day!

This isn’t our Noah, but Noah Estes from Our Quiver Full (click on the name or the button on the sidebar). If you haven’t read about him, he has a mitochondrial disease (not sure that’s all spelled right!) and has had a lot of health challenges because of it.  This family is so solidly rooted in Jesus, but they need our prayer support during this challenging time (and all the time!).

He suddenly took ill this morning and it looks like a serious infection like he had a few weeks ago that, as Kate said, "almost took his life".   Please pray for this family!

Noah is a cutie!   If you read their blog you’ll get a wonderful slice of their life, trying to be as normal as they can be in the midst of what often becomes chaos!

Thank you for praying!  And if you can, please leave a comment over on their blog–they read them (although they can’t respond to everyone) and I know from times like this in my own life how much it means to know God’s children are lifting you in prayer.

Blessings!

However you chose to vote yesterday, and whatever your feelings today, it is important that as a blood-bought Child of God, we remember that we are not here to party or wail, but to pray.  (Yes, I needed that reminder, too!  )

I get e-mails from Phyllis Sather, and she had these wonderful websites listed that I went to and bookmarked.   I offer them here for you to ponder and remind you of our responsibility to our elected leaders (whether they’re the ones you elected or not!)

I am firmly convinced that our nation is the shape it’s in not because of the Democrats, the Liberals, nor the global conspiratists, but because we as Christians have lost our savor as the "salt of the earth".    When God’s people are holy, seeking Him (and not His gifts), living lives that are pleasing to Him (and not ourselves or our peers), willing to suffer for Him (which we really know nothing about here in America), then God moves.  He doesn’t need a majority, He doesn’t need to compromise, He doesn’t need anything or anyone–He is quite capable of running the universe and men’s affairs, whether or not they acknowledge Him.  He has quite a history of using the weak to confound the strong! 

So, with that, I offer these websites to encourage you and admonish you to do the most important thing you can do—PRAY!

First,  An Election Perspective From Serbia.

Then go to Biblical Thoughts on Elections, Leaders, and Believers.

Check out The Presidential Prayer Team.  Often I want to pray, but don’t really know how.  This is a wonderful guide and resource!  Be sure to scroll towards the bottom and click to read about Rutherford B. Hayes, president from 1877-1881.

And something I am so glad to be a part of, 77 Days of Prayer for Our New President.  You can sign up and have this e-mailed daily from now until the Inauguration.  Now more than ever, our president needs our prayers.

And finally, to inspire you, here is an absolutely beautiful arrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic, sung at a public school!  You will definitely be inspired!  (And maybe shed some tears! )

Blessings to you as you seek to obey the mandate to pray for our nation’s leaders.