Big Prayer Requests

We have a few big prayer requests, and we would greatly appreciate your prayers and petitions on our behalf.  Mike and I most firmly believe that we are called to bear one another's burdens.  As Believers, we are called to pray for one another - to speak to the Father on behalf of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  It's important for us to pray for each other because we learn that we cannot live alone in this life - we are called to live together, in community.  It's important too because it keeps us humble before our community and before the Lord.  Prayer allows God to be glorified, and that is why we ask for it (and it's why you shouldn't be scared to ask for prayer either!).

First of all, I want to share a BIG PRAISE!  

Our Sweet Boy has been doing SO well!  We are incredibly grateful for everyone's support, encouragement and prayers where Henry is concerned.  The Lord has lifted Henry's burdens for the last few weeks, and we've seen him slowly unfold into full confidence and joy.  Even in the last few days, we have seen a new spark and happiness in Henry's eyes - I just cannot tell you what that means to me as his mommy!  Mike and I are praying that this peaceful time will continue in Henry's mind and body, and that Henry will excel in all areas - physical, emotional, and spiritual.  Thank you, Lord for lifting this off of Henry!  We ask for more, Father!  


Prayer Requests:

1.  TEFRA - You may remember me mentioning this in previous posts.  TEFRA is supplemental insurance through the state of Oklahoma, and we are finalizing Henry's application for this program at the end of this week.  It's a tough application with many details and components, and I'm so grateful to just be done with it! However, we are praying that Henry will actually be approved for TEFRA, which would act as a secondary insurance.  We are blessed to have this for Lucy Belle, although not all of her items are covered by insurance (many are not FDA approved and thus cannot be covered ).  Little Henry's medical bills have hit us hard, and we want to make sure we can keep up his care, and that he can receive all of the services that he needs.  We NEED TEFRA for Henry.  Please pray for favor, and that the Lord would work in the hearts of those deciding.  Pray for those looking at our application - that their hearts would be tender towards Henry and that they would understand the medical issues he has been facing, as some of them are rare (ex: PANDAS).  Having TEFRA would help us in SO many ways, I just can't even tell you!  And we turn it in on Friday - EEEKKK!!


2.  HANDICAP VAN - As we were driving home from Henry's counseling session today, it sounded like we hit something on the highway, except we didn't see anything.  We heard the sound a few more times, and I really was thinking it was just a bag or something caught up under the van.  Then we pulled into our driveway and heard a loud sound, along with a giant scrape - UGH.  I don't know what the piece is called exactly, but a big piece of metal came out from under our van.  It's about three feet long, so it really is a big thing.  I don't know what this means for the van or how we will be affected.  I just know this:  We NEED that van for Lucy Belle to get around in.  The Lord was SO gracious to give us the van when I was first pregnant with Lucy.  It was perfect for EK and now it is perfect for Lucy Belle.  The back lowers and we can wheel her in and drive, all while she stays in her wheelchair (fastened to the bottom of the van, of course).  It's incredibly safe and unbelievably convenient.  I'm nervous about it all, although I know the Lord is in control.  He gave us the van and He will fix it.  Would you pray that the van would be fixed quickly?  Pray too that the Lord would give us wisdom as we try to figure things out with this priceless item.


3.  SCHOOL - This week, we were able to start Henry's IEP (individualized educational program) for next school year.  We have been treated very well by our current school, and they have so kindly walked me through the wild maze of 504's and IEP's with an able-bodied child (it's SO much more difficult than planning for the girls).  However, Henry is still asking to go to his old school where he attended pre-k; the school where he attended with Ellie Kate.  This is also the school where Lucy now is (I know that's hard to follow, ya'll).  Would you pray for wisdom for Mike and I?  God has given us dreams but He hasn't opened doors.  In fact, we feel like He has closed a few, but we don't want to close them for Him.  We want to be open to what He can and could do!  As Henry's parents, we just want him to feel safe and happy.  I know he will learn better once he feels those things as well, no matter where he attends school.  Pray that the Father would cause everything to fall into place quickly so that we know what to do for this coming fall.


4.  ENCOURAGEMENT - It's so interesting . . .  after you feel God reveal Himself to you in intimate ways, you can, in the next breath, feel far from Him.  That's how I feel this evening (that's why we can't trust our feelings, am I right?).  God has RICHLY blessed Michael with a fantastic job, which he absolutely loves.  This is something we have prayed about for years!!  And Michael is an excellent provider, continuing to grow and excel in his industry.  However, when you have children with special needs, when you've buried a child without life insurance (Lucy and Ellie are ineligible because they were born with NKH), and your wife has an autoimmune disorder/health issues as
well . . . you don't always SEE the fruits of your labor.  I know Mike feels this way a lot, and I even feel this way, even though I'm not bringing in income!  It is terribly frustrating. I wish I could make it different.  I wish I could take that off of my husband so that he wouldn't have to carry it.  We are choosing to focus on the Lord and on the fact that He gives us ALL that we need.  He always has given us even above and beyond what we've needed as a family!  It's just that we long . . . I mean, really and truly LONG to be in a position where we no longer need so much. That's where our hearts are tonight.

Thank you for faithfully praying for us - for bringing us before the throne of God.  I don't know why so many of you have stuck with us for the almost ten years of this roller-coaster, but I sure am grateful that you have!  Not only do you stick with us, you encourage us and love us in tangible ways, over and over AND OVER again.  It is beautiful to me.  It is life-changing to my family.  Thinking about you and your love for us literally takes my breath away.

I can't wait to follow up and tell you how the Lord decided to answer these prayers!!  

Much Love,
Ryan

Revival - It's Time to be Well

Reviving: the act of breathing life into something that was once dead, or close to death. To me, revival is an awakening of the heart, of the Spirit within me.  What once was dry and cracked, in a drought; those places that hadn't seen growth now given life - immediate, powerful, indescribably beautiful, abundant, life!  I have experienced revival over the last several days, and it is something that I have thirsted for so long.

We all get so caught up in the busyness of this life - it's inevitable really, since the world runs a million miles an hour (or so it seems).  We get so busy that we forget to take care of ourselves, or maybe we truly just don't have the time or resources to do so.  We run until we can't run anymore,  sometimes that means our bodies are affected and become sick because of the overload.  Our Souls, our Spirits become dry and cracked.  Not only do our Spirits need life, they need a healing balm, because being Spirit-dried and cracked hurts physically, spiritually and emotionally.  This is where I have been.  Spiritually, I will never be dead because I have a new life in Jesus Christ which started the moment I gave my life over to Him.  However, I have been dry and cracked in a desert, longing for water, longing for new life.

My little family made huge sacrifices to send me to  my Auntie Cheryl in Destin, Florida.  I've grown up going to this area and I find immeasurable peace from simply laying eyes on the blue-green water of the Emerald Coast.  Mike and I have taken the children to this spot several times as well; all four of them have experienced the sugar-sand beach that calls my name. Getting away - stepping back from the regular pace of life for a while; even just being in new surroundings can be so refreshing, and each breath I took seemed to slow my heart-rate down and call me to The Word of God.  God drew me to the book of Isaiah; He told me to read it.  And so I began, there on that beach, diving into the Old Testament with great expectation.  I knew in my heart that this time away would be an Ebenezer for me -a markable moment in my life, both physical and spiritual.  God was going to speak to me during my time away. He was saying, "It's time to be well".

Me and Auntie Cheryl

The gorgeous water!

Spending time with our Florida NKH Family, whom I love (don't Aubree and Lucy look alike?)! 

Isaiah - it's "Our Book" as a family, so to speak.  Mike and I believe that God called our family to ministry through Isaiah 43, which has been confirmed to us in so many beautiful ways. This is the book where the Spirit spoke to us about having Henry, with the promise that He would do something new and miraculous, which He so graciously did.  Henry's middle name is Isaiah.  This is a very special book to me, and I knew that God wanted to speak to me this past week, in deep ways and that He had a treasure chest that He wanted to take me through. He HAS been healing me, and it is time for me to allow Him to complete some of that healing; to allow Him to speak to my heart about things that I've been carrying with me, things I don't need to carry anymore and to breathe life into my Soul. 

God spoke to His people through His prophet Isaiah, who wrote this beautiful book.  A good portion of the book is full of God calling out to His Beloved people.  He yearns for them to be close again, but His people have rebelled and run away from Him over and over.  God created them to be in an intimate, loving, living, two-way relationship - He formed us this way, Friends.  And yet the people weren't able to live it out or experience it, because of their own actions.

In Isaiah we see that the people of God have made idols and not only have they made them, they also treasure them above God. In fact, they don't even hide the fact that they are worshiping other gods.  That is the level of disrespect they are showing their God:  even though they have literally seen the works of God on their behalf, in front of their eyes, they STILL choose idols.  God is physically weary of carrying the burden that the idols bring over His Children.  The Lord is calling on His people to repent, to turn away from these idols that do not satisfy.  He is calling them refocus on Him and on Him alone.

I was cut to the core.  I have idols.  I have idols that I put before God.  I have idols that I blatantly put before God - I don't even hide them.  I make excuses for them.  God is jealous for me.  His grace and mercy are unending, and He has outstretched them to me time and time again, and yet I still kept some of those idols.  Some of my personal healing has been blocked by the fact that I've sought healing in the balm of my idols.   NOT ANYMORE.  Let me be clear, separation from God, or feeling separated from God doesn't always come because of something we do or don't do.  Healing isn't based always based on what we do or don't do because God oversees it, in His infinite wisdom.  It's different for everyone; the mysteries of God are deeper than the sea!  God isn't fickle, but our feelings sure are.  If you feel far from the Lord, press in and ask Him why.  Ask Him to show you what is standing in the way.  It may or may not be an idol.  There are many other things that can cause this, but for me at this particular time, I believe the Spirit is telling me that my idols, and those of my family, have caused my relationship with God to be more fuzzy than it was made to be.  

God spoke to me so crystal clearly, there near the water.  You see, I am Jacob.  You are too, if you've given your life to Christ.  He is jealous for us and calls to us lovingly and then sometimes, He calls us aggressively, like a Father calling out to his child who is about to run into the busy street.  He has given us life and formed us for His purpose and to live an abundant life, but when we are so far away from Him, putting idols above Him, we aren't able to experience that full and abundant relationship that we were designed for.  When I put an idol before the Lord, I am not experiencing life the way it was designed for me.  Why would I do that to myself and to those around me (no doubt, your idols affect everyone you are in community with, especially your family)?  I want to live the life I was designed for - I don't want the cheap version; I want the real thing in it's entirety!

Do you feel it, Believer?  Do you feel like there is something more to your life and to your relationship with Christ - a deeper connection that you are longing for?  The idols you have set up in your life, the things you have allowed to take the sacred high place in your heart, the place that belongs to God . . . will you lay them down? 

You see, the Lord has so much more for us; more than what the idols can offer that's for sure, although I know it doesn't always feel that way.  The pull of the idols and the comfort that they bring can be strong, but Oh! The freedom that Christ brings is worth so much more, Friends! And that is what the rest of Isaiah is about . . . the Father wooing His children back.

God tells them of the wondrous, miraculous, tangible, and intangible things He is going to do IN and THROUGH them.  He tells them that He has beautiful plans to unfold for their descendants, for their children.  See, the time of wandering, the times of calling out to God and not hearing Him - those times are coming to an end.  God is about to be closer to them than He has ever been - even better than before they set up those stupid idols.  God is going to defeat Jacob's enemies.  He is going to make Israel a great people and extend their land, giving them more than they thought possible.  THE DESERT TIME IS OVER and the NEW ABUNDANT LIFE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. 

 He's listening and is actively speaking again, but even more so and also providing above and beyond the needs of the people.  They are obeying and He is moving on their behalf.  Side-note: Let me make it clear, God's movements aren't always based whether or not we are obeying.  Thank the Lord, His love AND His blessings are NOT based on what we do or don't do.  His ways are not our ways - they are mysterious.  But here in the book of Isaiah, God's ear has turned back to His people, and as I see it, His heart has softened . . .  He is communicating like crazy and is tangibly blessing them.  They are refreshed and renewed.  Life where there once was death.  Water for the dry, cracked Souls of the people of Israel.  REVIVAL.

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness

 and rivers in the desert." 

Isaiah 43:18-19

This week, through reading through Isaiah, God confirmed what He has shown me and spoken so sweetly to my Spirit.  God IS doing something new in our family - something that seems impossible to others; something that once seemed impossible to us! We have been in a dry and broken place - a desert.  Like a mirror to my own spiritual walk, we've been waiting and calling out to God.  He has never left us and we haven't been abandoned.  He's been there the entire time, although it hasn't always felt like it.  In fact, most of the time, He has felt far off.  But, God is about to do something new in MY life and that started with me laying down my idols.  And He is doing something new in MY FAMILY'S life!  He is sweeping in even now, and causing new life to grow.  He is breathing life on our mission, our lives, on our future.  New life, abundant life, fresh and renewed life - He is bringing it all to us right now, FOR HIS GLORY.  I believe He is doing something big IN us and also FOR us, which is incredibly exciting - especially when you've been crying out to your Father for new life for so long.

I don't know what the Lord is going to do, although He has given me glimpses through my Spirit.  He is so good to do that.  If you want to see him move right in front of you, in nature or even in your dreams, ask Him, Sweet Friend!  He WILL do it as He has done for me.  I can tell you that I feel completely safe and secure in what God will do.  I can trust Him as I know He has created me and formed me, and He knows our needs and the desires of our hearts.  He is going to fulfill some of those in this upcoming season of life for the McLaughlins and I cannot wait to share with you what He has done!  

Oh, Father!  Thank you for this precious time away with you!  My heart is full of gladness because you have come to me and applied the precious balm of your Word to my dry and broken Spirit.  Thank you for my family and bless them a thousand fold for the many sacrifices they made so that I could get away and focus on my relationship with you.  Thank you for my family who opened their home and hearts and showered me with love while I was away and for allowing me to feel safe, secure and at peace.  I do not take those feelings for granted, Father.  

YOU are so good, God.  Thank you for allowing me to enjoy your beautiful creation and for giving me the time to sit and listen to you.  Continue to speak to my heart, Lord.  I will continue to lay down my idols before your throne because I want YOU and all of the many things you have designed for me.  I want what is best for me and for my family.  I WANT TO BE WELL and I want my family to be well.  Thank you for bringing us safely through to this point, for your endless forgiveness and for your gracious and continuous healing of our hearts.  

Such a warm welcome home!

"But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, whom I have chosen.  For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessings on your descendants.  They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.  This one will say, 'I am the Lord's', another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, 'The Lord's', and name himself by the name of Israel."  

Isaiah 44:1-5

Happy Updates!

I was hoping that this post would be from me on the beach somewhere, or maybe from my home AFTER I had been to the beach. I can get-away to any type of place and enjoy myself, but to me, BEACH=PEACE.  I am still hoping to get out of town for a couple of days to recharge.  I think it's super important for everyone to take time to recharge, although I know it can't always look like a physical get-away.  I've never done anything like this before, so I'm a littler nervous . . . but WAY excited.


Folks, I am happy to say that Henry has joyfully completed his testing at the school!!  Last weekend we were able to tweak some meds and since then, we've seen more and more of OUR Henry coming out.  It's beautiful to watch your child transform so quickly, right before your eyes, especially when they are changing in ways that you've been praying for!  Your prayers, texts and messages concerning Henry have encouraged us in ways that I cannot fully put into words.  Please, please pray that the Father would continue to allow the real Henry to be here with us, and not a Henry consumed with rage and violence.


Mike and I have been praying so intently concerning moving - especially moving before the next school year begins.  We can comfortably stay in our home right now, without a doubt, and we love our home.  But, we would also love for Henry to be at Wayland Bonds, where begs me to place him next year.  I do think that his equates it to stability because he attended there in pre-k.  Even today, Henry was talking so much about Ellie's death and how he really wants a fresh start with "new friends and new teachers and new schools".  I cannot promise this to Henry because I don't know what the Father has planned.  I do admit that the Dream House is still in the back of my mind (okay, it's actually in the front, or maybe the middle).  The back yard I've always dreamed of looks a lot like the back yard of the Dream House, and today we drove by a hammock and I immediately thought of how lovely that hammock would be out under the shade trees in that gorgeous backyard.

This is what I DO know and why I DO have peace:  God owns a cattle on a thousand hills and He is certainly able to work things to where we can afford that house, if He wants us to be in it!  He will move mountains, if that's His plan.  But if it's not, He still has amazing plan for us here in this house!  It will be beautiful to watch His plan unfold, whatever that might be.  In the meantime, we will start fixing things that need to be fixed in order for us to sell our house - whether it's for this school year or for next, we WOULD like to move over to the area I've mentioned (It just may not be to the Dream House).  SO much to do . . .

We've had several folks come in and help us with things in our home to make it more accessible for the Girls.  I have no problems in telling you that although it was donated, suggested and given to us without our initiative, our shower WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY!!  It is an absolute mess, people.  We knew they left it unfinished, that much is quite obvious.  We called many, many times, but they never came back to do it, not even to clean it up.  NOW, we have a shower that is leaking into our closet.  EEK!!  And on the other side of the closet is Lucy's room, and she doesn't need to be exposed to mold - none of us do!  I guess I am saying that we need a contractor or builder to step in (I'm guessing NOT a plumber bc that's who came in to build the shower for us in the first place).  Mike plans on making a few calls in hopes of  hiring some very talented friends to do the work.

Whew!  I need a vacation from writing all of this tonight!  Be blessed tonight, Dear Ones.  You are so loved by the McLaughlins.  You are so appreciated and so needed.  We could not and CAN NOT get through this roller-coaster without your constant assistance and encouragement.  I mean that with all of my heart, so thank you for keeping us going.

Much Love,

Ryan

Get Outta' Town!

My eyes burn as if I have been crying the day away.  But today, I haven't shed any outward tears; I've just had cries from my heart, and those emotions affect your body in strange ways.  I feel like I've been hit by a truck . . . again . . . as if I were hit by one yesterday and got up, back at it today and then . . . BAM.  Struck.  Knocked to my knees; knocked on my face, really.


Henry had an even harder time today than he did the past few days.  His testing and time at school  did not go well.  No amount of encouragement or bribery will help him settle down and focus on testing.  Taking things away and disciplining him doesn't cause him to focus either.  He says, "I just don't care", and really and truly, he does NOT care.  PANDAS, ODD, OCD, Tics . . . whatever Henry has; whatever is going on in his little brain, is preventing him from doing the right thing.  Worse than that, these things prevent Henry from enjoying life.  Mike and I are determined to make things better for our son, IMMEDIATELY.


Please pray for better communication with our new doctor, as I've been trying to get a hold of him since last Friday, when Henry's issues really dangerously escalated.   Mike and I have done everything we know to do and we still haven't spoken to a doctor.  We still don't have a plan.  We still don't know what to do to help Henry in the immediate and in the long-term.  It is infuriating.  On a side note, Henry busted my phone (for the sixth time, bless his heart), and it is still out of commission.  We hope to get it fixed tomorrow, but in the meantime, I am unable to answer calls or texts, and I'm not close to email or social media either.  


We are at a loss. As Henry's mother, I have a peace that God is taking care of him - that He knows what is going on in Henry's little mind and body.  However, I also hurt terribly for him because I want to see him happy instead of miserable.  The only thing I know to do is, #1 keep fighting and pressing for better treatment, and #2 get up again tomorrow and try again.  I can do that for Henry, even if I don't feel like it.  


I am incredibly grateful that my family has helped so much this week, as they have seen first-hand how badly Henry is suffering.  They've relieved me when they've been able to and have encouraged me throughout the day.  Tonight my parents, along with Mike, have decided that it's time for me to get away and have a break.  I'm not sure what that will look like, but it will happen soon.  I would love to possibly go with a girlfriend, but as for where to go . . . it's still a mystery.  Lord, will you make a way?  Will you show us what to do and when to go?   It is SO important for special-needs parents to be surrounded by people who are willing to step up and speak up, letting you know that you must take a break.  And gratefully, my "people" aren't just all talk - they will be helping to make this break happen for me.  Family at work.  The Body of Christ at work.

Is there someone in your life that needs a break?  How can you make that happen for them?  It doesn't have to be a get-away - it could be a night out, a day at the nail salon, a meal for their family, babysitting, etc.  

God's Living Word has been speaking to me and comforting me this evening.  Looking back on the promises of God - the promises He gave us as a family for a life of ministry (little did we know what He was calling us into!).  I'm reading the promises that He gave us for Henry, the healthy baby boy God told me that we would have.  

Isaiah 44:1-5

44 

“But now hear, O Jacob my servant,

    Israel whom I have chosen!

2 

Thus says the Lord who made you,

    who formed you from the womb and will help you:

Fear not, O Jacob my servant,

    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

3 

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

    and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,

    and my blessing on your descendants.

4 

They shall spring up among the grass

    like willows by flowing streams.

5 

This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's,’

    another will call on the name of Jacob,

and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,’

    and name himself by the name of Israel.”

Isaiah 47:8-11

“Remember this and stand firm,
    recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9     remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
11 calling a bird of prey from the east,
    the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
    I have purposed, and I will do it.

Thank you, Father for comforting me with Your Word.  It is living and breathing and it comes to me at just the right time, Lord!  Thank you for the relief I've felt from even the idea of getting away.  Would you make that happen, God?  I want to be the best mommy, wife and advocate that I can be, and right now, I am unable to do just that.  Most importantly Lord, hear our cries for Henry!  Capture his heart even now, Lord!  Capture each thought of his and flood his heart and mind with things of you - things that are good and pure.  Give him supernatural peace and supernatural sense of security.  Heal our son, Father!  Please step in and save the day.  We need you, Lord! Protect Lucy and Conner as they too are so affected by what is going on right now.  Let them both feel that security and peace alongside of Henry.  Orchestrate the testing the way you want it to be done for Henry.  May he walk into school tomorrow feeling at peace, sensing your angels and may your presence be thick in those rooms.  I am CHOOSING once again to trust you with my child.  I give Henry to you because He is yours.  

--Ryan

A Huge Need for a Little Heart

My first draft for tonight's blog had to do with what God is showing me and reminding me as He is doing so in some very sweet ways.  However, this evening brought on some extremely hard things.  Henry had a melt-down - a blow-up like we haven't seen for months.  It took a few hours for things to settle down in our hearts and in our home, and we are finally all fed and bathed.  I have Sweet Henry laying here beside me in bed as I type.  This little boy who is sleeping so peacefully next to me - you would never know the turmoil going on in his precious head.

Oh, ya'll!  Behavior special-needs and mental special-needs can be so much more intense than that of "mere" physical special-needs!  I've said this so many times, but I am still convinced that parenting the Girls and managing their illnesses, is so much easier than trying to figure all of this out with Henry.  My heart breaks over and over again, not that it doesn't or hasn't with Ellie Kate and Lucy's health.  This is just different because Henry looks so healthy, so typical.   I don't have a doctor serving as our team-leader, helping us navigate through all of this, like we do with the Girls.  There is so much pressure on me and on Mike, when all we really want to do is help his little heart heal.  

Since meeting with the new psychologist, we've tapered down on several of Henry's meds.  We wanted to see where he was physically and emotionally without those strong medications,  with the hope that we could stay off of them for good (not that we are against medicine in any way, shape or form - we just want to simplify things for Henry).  We were hoping that the outbursts were gone for good - that maybe they were somehow induced or triggered by the medications.  Tonight we feel defeated in knowing that he still is  having major trouble, even off of these meds.  What do we do now?  What do we change?  Where do we go from here?  Which doctor is supposed to help us?  I just don't know.  WE just don't know.

We need your prayers.  We need the Lord to move on Henry's behalf.  We will start testing up at the school this week as we prepare Henry's IEP for next fall.  I am incredibly nervous to take Henry to school in the morning.  He has been out of school for so long because of PANDAS and that it entails.  It scares me to think about taking Henry in the morning, although I know that this must be done.  It has to be done for Henry's education and it needs to be done for the supplemental insurance we are applying for through the state.  There are so many "what if's" that I can't even go there right now!

Thank you in advance for praying for us and specifically for Henry.  We need the Lord to move in a mighty, mighty way - to show Himself strong; to show Himself as Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals.  We need God to show Himself as Jehovah Jireh, the God Who Provides.  We need Him to be Jehovah Shalom, Our Peace.  Father, we need you!  We are so desperate.  Step in and relieve my son from this affliction.  Heal Henry, Lord!  Give him supernatural peace as he goes to school tomorrow - even as he wakes up and gets ready for the day.  We need the peace that only you can give.  Protect Conner and Lucy as we go through these transitions with Henry.  It is so hard hard on them too, Father.  Truly, Lord - we are so very desperate to see you bring relief; to see you move on our behalf in a miraculous way.  

--Ryan