Heart of Gratitude

This year feels like it has been one storm after another in my life. God answers one prayer, I give Him the thanks and it seems while I’m praising Him for the victory, another storm is brewing on the horizon. I always try to be grateful for the many blessings in my life and find that I sometimes have trouble expressing my gratitude. My writing skills are not as sharp many of the authors you’ll read here on Worldprayr, but I pray you’ll enjoy a peek inside my heart of gratitude.


I’m so thankful for the glorious gift of a Savior! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I had been the only person to ever have sinned that the Lord would have still given me Jesus. He would have still made such a huge sacrifice, just for me.

I’m so thankful for so many things – for a Christian family, for a husband that loves me, children that are Christians because they want to be, not because I am. For extended family that I can go to for anything at anytime and for the best sister in the whole wide world.

I’m thankful for the freedoms that living in the USA gives me, for the kindness of strangers, for the blessings of technology – that bring people that are a world apart right to my finger tips and I can *hug* them. I’m thankful for those that pray for me and then take the time to tell me they pray – as I know our Father honors those petitions.

I’m thankful for the million little things in this life that make life big! For the cloud shapes in the sky, for the colors that dance across the sky when the sun is rising and setting. For the moon that is always there, lighting our way at night and the sunlight that warms me and brightens my day. I’m thankful for the laughter of little children that are swinging on swings, sliding down slides and playing in the rain. For the rainbows that appear after the rain, reminding me that God always keeps His promises. I’m thankful for the ocean and how soothing, calming and gentle the waves feel as they lap against my toes when I’m standing next to it. I’m also reminded of its mighty power that can destroy cities – even those several hundred miles away.

The little things that are huge to me – Reese Cups, anything with monkeys on them, great books, greeting cards, snow, play dough, coloring in a coloring book, having the high score on Kirby’s Pinball on my gameboy! More little things include my favorite coffee cup, Christmas music in October, looking at my children’s baby pictures and game night. Good smelling cologne, coffee anytime of the day, Krispy Kreme Hot Doughnuts. I’m thankful for warm blankets, peach roses, toe socks, indoor plumbing, great movies such as the Wizard of Oz and Winnie the Pooh. I’m thankful for silly signs, great hair cuts, good pair of sandals, warm smiles and family gatherings. I’m thankful for teddy bear hugs, green lights, fire flies, big laughs, friends that call for no reason, surprise emails that say I care and joy of the Lord that gives me strength.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to give to others, to truly make a difference in this life that I live. I’m thankful that God gave me a desire to give big and I pray that desire will never leave me. I’m thankful for the chance to remind others that there’s no joy like spreading joy and when we give, we get so much more in return. I’m thankful for others that try and make a difference every day. I’m thankful for those that take the time so say I care about you….because, a little goes such a long way!

I’m thankful to be a tiny part of the Worldprayr team. Such wonderful men and women taking the time to pray for people they don’t know. Doing all that they can do to make a difference.

There is no amount of paper that could hold all that I’m thankful for! I hope that you'll stop and think about all the million little blessings that come your way every day. What are you thankful for?

Don’t forget the little things for they truly do make life big!

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meganwikle/3948505825/

Let Go of the Guilt

When I first started using twitter, I was so excited to see @worldprayr come across my twitter stream! Anyone that follows them can send a DM to them and a prayer request will be published to all of the people that follow them and then the prayers begin. I am excited about being a part of their team and volunteer some time each week to pray for needs that come across the twitter stream. They send out Thursday Reflections to those that volunteer and recently I was blessed in particular by one of the quotes.

The strong are not always vigorous,
The wise are not always ready,
The brave are not always courageous,
And the joyous are not always happy.
~Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Wouldn’t be nice to always be strong and vigorous, wise and ready, brave and courageous as well as joyous and happy. But the fact of the matter is that we can’t always be this way. Being brave with out being courageous isn’t what gets us down, it is the guilt that goes along with it. Being joyous and noticing the joys that surround us without being happy feels like it should be wrong on some level and then the guilt begins.

When the storms start raging around us and we take our eyes off of our blessings and the unhappiness sets in, that is when the guilt creeps in too. The raging winds of mounting bills, job loss, unexpected emergencies, chronic or even sudden illness are enough to make the happiest person feel sadness and turn their focus to the tornado force winds that are raging around them. Then - as if anything else is needed, the guilt quitely slips in covered by all of the problems.

We have to let go of that guilt! We are all going to have times of sadness when our heart is heavy and we need a friend we can call. We shouldn’t feel guilty about making that call. We will find that our friends will love us even more if we trust them to lift us up during the raging winds. We all have times where we are afraid of the next step, but the courage kicks in when we pick our foot up and begin the journey. Don’t let the guilt of not always being what you think everyone expects you to be get you down and keep you from soaring to heights unknown.

Be comfortable with yourself, right where you are, right now. Me? I’m the happy go lucky kind of gal that loves the small, cute fun things in life. Have you seen the games that are key chained size? Oh, I adore that kind of stuff and it excites me. I mean really excites me - like a kid in the "oh my goodness - LOOK at this!!!" kind of way. I’m usually very "singy",talkative and just love the moment. But there are times that I’m not my normal singy, silly self and am actually kind of "blah". I do try my best not to let those times in my days spill over and affect someone else. I always want to lift up and encourage, but occasionally I need to be lifted and encouraged AND I need to not feel guilty about it. But – that is the hard part. NOT feeling guilty. Think about it - I am spreading joy, right? I am all about making a difference, doing for others and making others smile. I love reminding others to look for the joy that is there, no matter the storms that are around you. So, with spreading all kinds of joy - you wonder how can I be sad?

It happens. Trust me. I can name a handful of people that can pick up on it. I do love encouraging others, so I really try and not let it spill over into my day. There are times that these people don't have to "pick up" on it. I come right out and say - HELP!!

Letting go of the guilt isn't easy as it clings to you. You'll have to fight to get rid of it. Don't be afraid to open your heart when it is hurting. You never know who has been there, done that and can offer up words of encouragement simply because they remember how you feel. Sharing your sad/bad/unhappy times also allows someone to be a blessing to you. It is such a wonderful feeling when someone is dealing with something horrible and we help them.

I’m always encouraged when I start praying for someone else or DOING for someone else. I love sending my mom flowers and need to do so real soon just because I love her so very much. I remember shortly after my Dad died, I was struggling so horribly. I had spent a week of wanting to (and actually did) just sleep through the grief and ignore the entire world because I felt that I couldn’t get past this consuming emotion. I sent her flowers for the soul purpose of lifting my own spirits. Greedy of me – don’t you think? But it’s the truth. I didn’t feel guilty about doing it and unless she reads this, she won’t even know that was why she got them. I did have to work past the guilt of "grieving" in such a horrible way. (I should have called my very bestest friends for help that week. I made things worse by sleeping and robbed them of a chance to be a blessing to me)

Don’t let guilt keep you from making a difference. Don’t let guilt of needing a little encouragement steal your joy! That is what our friends and family are for, to help us through the rough patches. You can still have joy for the journey – even when you are not feeling the greatest, experiencing the best or being your normal, silly, giddy and crazy self. Focus on your favorite things. All of them, regardless of how small or insignificant you think they may be. Another thing to help get past the blues, do something for someone else. Even if just an email saying "I appreciate you!"

What guilt do you need to let go of? What weight do you need to set aside and move past? Never feel guilty for being honest when someone says "how are you today?" If you need prayer, ask for it. Don’t feel guilty for doing so. I take great pleasure in praying for others. When you ask for prayer, you are, in a sense – bringing joy to others for allowing them the honor of praying for you. Do you need a hug, a smile? What is it that you need to help get you through this "down" time. Don't feel guilty for asking!

Remember – I will always love and appreciate you for who you are deep down. If I ask how you are and you are feeling kind of icky and tell me the truth, I will still love and appreciate you just for who you are. I will never, ever hold the weepy, blah feeling moments against you and will always be willing to help you smile. I will probably search for a song, verse, quote - something to help lift your spirits. Something just for you. I’m not good with telling jokes. Actually stink at it – but am always good for a hug. Hugs are such a wonderful thing – even virtual ones.

I'm so thankful that when I need prayer that there are so many people that will pray on my behalf. I'm so thankful that when I need a hug - I know all I have to do is ask!! I'm so thankful that when I need a smile, someone is usually there with a pocket full of wonderful smiles and are willing to share them! I'm thankful I can ask for help without feeling guilty.

Also, if you twitter, believe in the power of prayer and you have a few hours to volunteer to make a difference – email the guys at @Worldprayr. It is an amazing prayer ministry. You’ll be so glad you did!

No matter how difficult life can be the most important thing is to live it with hope.--Anonymous

Back 2 School 2009 Event

Going to school should be an exciting time for every child. Spreading Joy Corporation is pleased to announce that through the giving of a few corporations and many individuals, we were able to spread some back to school joy to 800 children and teens, thus making our Back 2 School project a complete success!


Your compassion towards children you have never met has touched my heart and blessed me deeply. These children will never be able to thank you personally or repay your kindness but you need to know the gift you provided will have lasting effects on their hearts.



There were 4 separate events of giving out back to school supplies as well as several neighborhoods that were covered door to door.

Each bag contained at least 2 spiral bound notebooks, pen, pencil, eraser, glue stick, bottle of glue, ruler, pocket folder and box of crayons. Ten items total.





In this economy, when people need help, many tend to head to a local church for immediate help. One of the events was at a church where their members have a heart for kids and they were able to add to these items. They added 1 inch binder as well as a mechanical pencil, 5 more pens and pencils. The members also gave out 24 completely filled book bags as a special prize.




There is no way to describe the joy and happiness of watching all the children walk away with a bag full of school supplies. The love and compassion from so many people that gave and prayed and told others about the project was very evident as the eyes of the children lit up with sheer delight while rummaging through their bags.









The joy of shopping, bagging and watching the children get their bags was such an honor.

The store associates had such wonderful attitudes as they rang up thousands of items for us. One even joked with me about help for my glue habit! (At least he didn't see me sniffing the crayons, he would have truly wondered then!!)


I'm grateful to my wonderful friends Dale and Jeanne Strickland who helped with the shopping, delivering and was the extra car that we loaded up with goodies. They endured hours of searching, counting and loading the buggies as well as unloading to the car. Not to mention the silliness that comes from just being near me sometimes when I'm tired. They deserve medals for that much alone.




So many people donated their time to bag at the church as well as my family who spent a day helping to bag at our home. Todd had to keep me in line and make sure I was productive - using a ruler to "whip" me back into shape. (I promise I did not take it when it disappeared son, I have NO clue where it when...honest!)


A million thank you's for your generosity could not even begin to cover how I feel for what you've done!

May you always remember that there's NO joy like spreading joy!

You have not lived a perfect day, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.--Ruth Smeltzer

Back2School Challenge

I was so blessed to be able to have an opportunity to try and raise $10,000 to help 1,000 children go back to school with a book bag full of brand new school supplies. The Apple Foundation of Denver NC issued me a Matching Challenge and I started sending out letters, emails, phones and a few tweets.



This was also the time that Megan started having severe issues with Gastroparesis. She had lost ALL ability to digest solids and to make matters worse, liquids were at this point not digesting well at all! Now, please, do not think that I'm using her as an excuse, because I would do the same in her case each and every time. I spent all the time needed to make sure she was taken care of as any Mommie would do. She is my Princess and she had to be taken care of.

The only thing I would do differently is TWEET it first. That's right. When I started tweeting this on Monday, you guys rallied around and the RT's were unbelievable. So many people were spreading the word and trying to help these wonderful kids and I thank you for it. I'm so grateful for how you guys jumped in and blogged, tweeted and then many of you donated towards this project! I say it all the time, but I really do mean it - I follow the greatest people on twitter.



So, what happened? We were able to raise $1150.00 and the Foundation is mailing a check for $1150.00 - matching what we raised, so we'll have a total of 2300.00 to spend on these children. Will I be able to purchase 1,000 new book bags and give them 16 different items to go back to school with? No, heavens no - but IT IS ALL GOOD! Do you hear me? All good!



Remember the story of the loaves and fishes in the Bible? Hmmmm? Indeed, time to walk the talk. Time to show you that we can make a HUGE difference in the lives of some FUN children. Time to pray for wisdom, make some decisions about which of the 16 items can be purchased and go from there. Time to do what I can with what I have!



Am I discouraged? Mercy NO! I'm so encouraged by what happened last week, you would not believe it! I found out just how HUGE your hearts are! I found out that I know some of the greatest people on earth! I found out that it never, ever hurts to ask.

So, unless someone ships me 1,000 DONATED book bags in the next week - the school supplies will be assembled in plastic bags. Will all 16 items be purchased? Probably not. Doing some quick math and glancing over prices in the stores it appears that the kids will get about 6 or 7 things each. But I honestly believe this will be huge to them and will come back and post the pictures! We may have to cut down the number of bags to 700 or so, but still praying about that direction.



I just wanted to give you an update on what happened, where we are and where we are going. As with any Non Profit, transparency is the key. I always want to remain open, honest and up front. I give because I want to make a difference. That's why Spreading Joy was started. A desire to give. I can't stop it, it's in me!



Oh, just one other piece of info - for transparency sake. I'm blessed to have a full time job - so all of these funds go towards the purchase school items. 100%! One day, when I'm living the dream and Spreading Joy full time, I'll probably take a salary, but until then, it is all about the giving!



Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.~James Matthew Barrie


photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/304120801/

Making a Change Series - Launch the Dream!

A DREAM you should be launching

This post is the 2nd in the series Making A Change.

(again, if you wrote this, please let me know so that I may give you the proper credit for inspiring me!)

To go out and change the world one should have:

A GOAL you should be pursuing;
A DREAM you should be launching;
A PLAN you should be executing;
A PROJECT you should be starting;
A POSSIBILITY you should be exploring;
An IDEA you should be working;
A PROBLEM you should be tackling;
A DECISION you should be making.

The greatest force in the world is a positive idea

Doing for others is something that I’ve always had a passion for. I love making sure things are taken care of, I love meeting needs of those around me and I love making a difference in the life of someone who is not expecting me to do so!

Spreading joy and doing fun, silly yet encouragement type things is just in me. I can't help myself!

I’ve worked with inner city children for many many years now and have always tried to do more for them to give them the encouragement they need to know that dreams do come true, to know that this path they struggle on now will not always be. I do this through a local church. Sadly, many organizations will no longer support a "religious" Non Profit group and these children feel the pain of it. I kicked around the idea for a year and a half about starting a "non-religious" Non Profit so that anyone, anywhere could benefit from it and so that I could make a difference and satisfy my craving of giving to others. I also realize that so many people are discouraged and think that their little bit doesn’t help – but I want to remind them it does. I want them to know the joy of spreading joy! I personally benefit from spreading joy as I have a need – a huge desire to give and give big!

With the paperwork approved in an amazing 78 days and legal in the sight of the IRS, Spreading Joy Corporation was a go! My dream was beginning – as so was a major recession. Many said "You are crazy, this will never work!" Others said, "no one will get Spreading Joy."

Bottom line – Spreading Joy Corporation wants everyone to realize that every single act of joy done for someone (anyone) reaps HUGE benefits for the receiver as well as the giver. Encouraging others is FREE and anyone can do it. I also believe that those of us who can give and do for others – should.

What are my dreams for Spreading Joy? What if money was no object and I was spreading joy on a full time basis day in and day out? I’m glad you asked, I’d LOVE to share that with you! (Well, at least a few of them!)

1. I would feed the inner city kids I work with every weekend. Many only get "free" school lunches, so when school is out – meals can be scarce.

2. Christmas in July wouldn’t be about preparing for the upcoming Christmas – Nope, it would be a full blown Christmas celebration with all the works, trimming and presents to go along with it!

3. Groceries for others – I would love to be able to walk up to several people as they are checking out of the grocery store and pay for their groceries. 1 person a day, each and every day. Never knowing where I may show up next.

4. Back to school wouldn’t be a horrible problem for several thousand children. Not at all.

5. Christmas – boy, that would be an awesome celebration. All the fixings of a Christmas Dinner for several thousand of the finest inner city I know! 2 or 3 gifts for each of them. Maybe some new clothing. There isn’t enough room to right the dreams I have for these kids at Christmas time! It would be a blast just to sit back and WATCH the magic happen!!

6. Spreading Joy Across America! I would go state to state reminding people of the joy of giving! Speaking about the huge blessings of doing for others! Having sponsors that would enable me to "give" things as I travel to help those in need. Reminding people that there truly is NO joy like spreading joy! There is joy for the journey! It is all around us! We just need to be reminded sometimes!

SNAP, SNAP – back to reality. That is honestly just a few things off the top of my head. I would be a little more structured, have a plan etc. But the question now becomes, since we are in the midst of a horrible recession and things are financially worse than ever, what is a gal with a big desire to give supposed to do?

WORK THE DREAM! Launch it! Keep at it until it becomes a reality! Never give up!

*I can’t travel across America and tell others about how wonderful and easy it is to be spreading joy every day and making a difference – but I can meet with various ladies groups in churches and start there. I can show/remind them that there is joy in the journey – no matter what we are facing!

*I can’t throw a shindig of a bash at Christmas, but I can start now, collecting toys and money to make a difference for as many children possible this Christmas. Making sure that 1,000 kids get at least 1 present, but will SHOOT for 3 each.

*I might not be able to fill 1,000 book bags with the necessary school supplies, but I can purchase a few supplies and give that to the kids to help!

*I can’t purchase groceries for 1 person a day, everyday, but I can distribute food to the homeless in my area and help them with their food needs.

*I can’t make Christmas come twice a year for some wonderful deserving children, but I can plan ahead and start asking various organizations to support Spreading Joy Corporation with a toy drive or a change drive that will be used for the upcoming Christmas season.

*I can’t feed the kids every weekend, but I can call companies and see who would be willing to take 1 weekend day a quarter and set a goal of finding 13 Organizations that will commit to feeding the kids once a quarter. I already have one, (Jim – I’m calling you) so I only need 12 more to go!

Will my dream stop there? No – no way! I dream of giving big, HUGE. This is just the beginning. Don’t focus on what you can’t do when it comes to your dreams!

Focus and work on what you CAN do and get those dreams out there! It isn’t enough to "launch it" – work at it. Set goals! Never give up!

Photo: Kids I DREAM of helping! These guys have been hugging me for 3 years now! We helped them at Christmas! I love you Q and S!

Cheesy Glory of Pizza!

Oh, the Cheesy Glory of Pizza

Is there anything that brings more joy to a teenager than pizza? Really – is there? Ok, yes, there may be something like getting their license or their first car. Maybe driving off for the first time without a parent in the vehicle is better than pizza. Wait…come to think of it, for a teen, anything without a parent may be better than pizza.

But back to the purpose of the blog post.

After not digesting anything other than liquids for 3 months – Megan enjoyed Pizza for the first time AND kept it down Wednesday night!

I’m so thankful for your prayers, your emails and the tweets that have encouraged us through this entire ordeal! The question is what now? Her next Doctor appointment is August 26th and we will find out more then. But until then - she will stay on currents meds and keep eating solids!

The research I’ve done says that she may go back and forth fighting this for a long time. It is probably going to be a long battle and that she will have to make dietary adjustments for the rest of her life, but this slice of pizza – this is a huge win!

Will there be future texts that says – Megan is having a hard day, can you text her? Maybe. Will there be the phone calls that ask for prayer because the digestion has stopped again? I don’t know. Will there be the 2 am tweet that cries out in the night for a hug because the battle has been long and the heart is heavy? Possibly. There are a lot of theings that I do not know, but something that I do know is that I’ve had an incredible support group that has held us up in prayer. I know that God is still in control and that miracles do still happen and your love and support has blessed my heart so deeply that I could never express my gratitude completely!

My heart can never say thank you enough for your prayers, love and compassion for a 14 year old teenager that just wants to be a normal kid and that I love with all my heart!

You are amazing at spreading joy!

Kindness in words creates confidence;

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness;

Kindness in giving creates love.--Lao-tzu

Photo: Megan's actual slice of pizza!

Making A Change Series - Goals

I recently came across this and decided that I should do a series of posts on it. To help me remember if I'm going to make a change, there are things I should be doing. This is one of the 2 things I have posted to my computer screen so that as I work through the day I am constantly reminded of it. I hope that you'll be inspired to continue to grown and work towards change! (There was not an author listed, so if YOU wrote this, please let me know so that you may receive proper credit!)

To go out and change the world one should have:

A GOAL you should be pursuing;
A DREAM you should be launching;
A PLAN you should be executing;
A PROJECT you should be starting;
A POSSIBILITY you should be exploring;
An IDEA you should be working;
A PROBLEM you should be tackling;
A DECISION you should be making.

The greatest force in the world is a positive idea.

A GOAL you should be pursuing is what I want to focus on today, as I'm already such a wordy person - I could never do a post about all of these at once. You'd leave and never ever return (and I don't blame you.)

Goals are such wonderful things. It gives you something to constantly keep in the back of your mind while you are actually focusing on reaching the mark!

I have several goals right now! So many things to work on. One of which is Back 2 School Project. Trying to raise $10,000 during a major world wide recession is crazy - especially for a newly founded Non Profit Organization without much exposure. Will we reach it? Who knows? Will we be able to give out 1,000 book bags completely filled with 16 different necessary school supplies? I don't know - but what I am completely certain of, if I do not work at it, we will not reach it! I also know that my motto is giving what I can until I can give big. We will take whatever funds are given and purchase what we can and give that if our goal is not reached.

Missing a goal is not a reason to completely give up! Missing it is the very reason we should work harder, smarter and more diligent.

To assist you in reaching your goals - whatever they are make sure you do the following:

1. Make a list of your goals. List them out and then number them in order of importance and focus on your top 1 or 2 while keeping the other goals in the back of your mind.

2. Make it public. Ouch...that is a little scary isn't it? But, if you make it public, you are holding yourself accountable in front of everyone and trust me, you will work on it more simply because you don't want to miss "in front" of everyone.

3. Set a deadline. Give yourself a "due date" Don't just want to lose 25 lbs, lose them by a certain time. Don't just want to be debt free, have certain bills paid off by certain deadlines. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when a deadline is looming overhead.

4. Share your goals with a trusted friend who will encourage you and ask about them from time to time. So easy, but we tend to forget. Our friends will ask us if we sent out those letters of intent for our Non Profit, if we made those phone calls about getting organizations to commit to getting toys donated for Christmas. Share your goals!

5. Enlist help. When I exercise with my sister @marrangee we have a complete blast. I'm usually trying to just get by breathing and she is just pressing on. I want to have a break sprawled out on the floor and she says to keep going. We laugh, have fun, sweat, stink and we do it. Get help where you can. Help doubles the blessings and divides the load! Never forget that.

6. Never, ever give up. Never. Bottom line, plain and simple. Don't give up. Keep working on them. Keep shooting for the moon!

What are some of your goals? Is it to get healthier (boy, don't even get me started there...) Is it to finish your college education and get your degree (never to late to go back) Is is to get out of debt (I know about those piles of Dr. bills over in the corner.) What are they? Setting goals will motivate us to continue to do what we know we should be doing!

Whatever you are working towards - keep working at it! You'll get there!

Photo: http://www.headachecare.com/goals.html

Gastroparesis - Update

I realize that the "Spreading Joy Corporation" blog may not be the "best" place for these types of update - but if just one other person can relate to what Megan is going through and it helps them to find joy in their journey, then it is worth it to me. Besides, if we can't talk about every step of our journey with friends, family, twitter friends and such - then who can we talk to them about? If you are here, you are at the very least a friend.

Here is the latest on Megan and where she stands.

The Doctors office did finally call and Megan did show some digestion on her scan this past Wednesday! Now, its not a lot, but it is a start.

He is going to continue her medication, deep relaxation and pain management techniques. The relaxation and pain mgmt is due to the fact she has been removed from ALL pain medications as they tend to relax her stomach and we need it to contract. Also - the insurance has denied the zophran - which helps to ease the nausea caused by the extremely strong antibiotic that she takes 3 times a day. They will not even approve 1 a day - only 24 for the month and she needs 3 a day. We are in "official" appeal mode but that could take a month.

She has also got to learn to "relax" (in a good way, not medicated) her stomach before eating so that it can do what it needs to do.

She has been eating a few ounces of pudding and yogurt and while it "hurts" her to eat it, she is keeping it down. She is now up to mashed potato type food for the next few days and then we can ease her into more of a solid after that continues to do well. Being the typical teenager that she is and the fact that she loves to eat, she really wants pizza. If she continues to keep down 2-3 ounces of mashed potato type soft solids, then we will get her a very small slice of pizza that she will take an hour to eat.

Jeff over at Bear 2 Care 2009 has issued his readers a challenge to stay away from pizza for 5 days to encourage Megan - to let her know that she is being thought of and prayed for and a time will come when she can have pizza again. It's a goal to shoot for!

Her next appointment is Aug 26th and I am concerned that the pain of eating that has been there for 2 years is still there and wonder if/when it will ever go away...and if this wasn't one of the "causes" to begin with. Also she will be starting school around that same time. Right now she lays down and completely relaxes 35 minutes prior to eating and will not be able to do that when school starts. We need wisdom and direction as to what to do for her for that.

Thank you for your prayers, tweets and emails of encouragement. You keep us going! My princess has such a long way to go, but I know she will be one amazing lady on the other side of this! She already is!

Photo: Megan playing w/statue at last Dr. Visit

Always a Mom

When Pat asked me to do a guest post, I wanted to so something fun. Being a Mom is a tough job sometimes but I will always love it. So, here is a fun article I'd like you to hop over and see. You do not want to miss it. You'd be amazed at what all a Mom is! (go there, you know you want to!!)


Always a Mom

When I was growing up and dreamed of getting married, having children and being a Mommie, I never really knew what all that entailed. I knew that Mom's did so much for so many and always loved and respected my Mom for all that she has done for me over the years.
Even though I am a wife - I may not always be one. I will, however, always and forever be a Mom!

Here is a link where the entire article can be read - with an amazing video of all the things a Mom says!

Here is a quote from the article:

"We are a constant reminder that can't never could and that won't never will but if you think you can, then you probably will."~ Marie Wikle

Enjoy!

The Joy of Gastroparesis

Megan had her appointment with Dr. Pinerio with the Levine Children's Center today and we left hopeful!

He believes this is Gastroparesis.

According to the Mayo Clinic's website Gastroparesis is "a condition in
which the muscles in your stomach don't function normally.
Ordinarily,
strong muscular contractions propel food through your digestive tract. But in
gastroparesis, the muscles in the wall of your stomach work poorly or not at
all, preventing your stomach from emptying properly. This can interfere with
digestion, cause nausea and vomiting, and play havoc with blood sugar levels and
nutrition. No available treatment can cure gastroparesis. Dietary changes
and certain medications sometimes help control symptoms of gastroparesis, but
they're not effective in every case. And the available gastroparesis drugs can
cause serious side effects. Researchers are investigating other types of
therapies for gastroparesis.

He is going to use Erythromycin and Zophran to help treat it. She will take these 30 minutes before 3 meals - which right now is 4 ounces of Ensure (Yummie!!!) She will finish the other 4 ounces a few hours past that. The Erythromycin will also help her stomach muscles to contract - and push the food to small intestines.

In a week or so, we will move towards yogurt. We will stay there as long as we need to - until she feels like she can move to soft foods like mashed potatoes, yummy cheesie grits and oatmeal type foods.

We will keep progressing from there. He explained to her that she will need to re-teach her stomach to accept food - which I had already discussed with her.

She will be doing a 2 hour Gastric Emptying Scan where she eats a small amount of food and then her gift of holding in vomit will have to kick in for 2 hours. They will scan her and see if she is digesting anything at all. This scan will take place July 29th. She will have been on the new meds for 9 days. He will then decide if we need to up the medication or if she still has zero digestion, he said the Gastric Pacemaker would be an option. It is just like a pacemaker they use for the heart - just on the stomach.

This will be a long process. She will have to do some pain management techniques in addition to the meds and thanks to some great people, we already have some relaxation items on hand to help her.

She is tired of the Ensure, but willing to try. She is still skeptical because nothing has helped.

Thank you for how you have rallied around her (and me) and lifted her up in prayer. There is no way that I can tell you how encouraging it is to hear we are praying for you during this time.

I'm so grateful for all of you! I am so blessed to have friends such as you!

Megan is at camp. She will not have the energy nor the ability to participate in the sports but wanted to go.

A million *hugs* and *kisses* would never be enough to say thank you for caring, lifting us up and for being there anytime we needed you!

I am Completely awed by your compassion.....

“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.”
Pablo Casals quotes