A recent email I sent...

On September 20th, we "celebrated" five years with diabetes in our family.  On September 22nd, I quietly thanked God for sparing my other child during a very scary night five years ago but also shared it on my blog, so He could be praised for helping us throught that awful night.  Sam and I went to the Incredible Toy Company (instead of the usual Walmart) to pick out a gift from his mom and dad for being such a good patient and trying so hard to help take care of himself.  We had fun looking, and he declared it his new favorite store.  Andrew never wants anything anymore except maybe an occasional book off of Amazon.  It was a day/week to look back and be so thankful, so it was more thankfulness than sadness this year.  That first few weeks with diabetes, I just wanted to go back to the week before and not know about diabetes.  It was horrible.  But amazing things are in the works for diabetics - including contacts and nasal sprays.  We plan to walk in the JDRF Walk in Asheville on Sunday.  Last year, we did not go at the last minute as we did not want to miss Pete preaching!

Sam and I went to Sound to Sea last week with the fourth grade.  Our first night was rough - up every 2-3 hours checking high blood sugars.  He had felt so terrible when we first got there that he asked to come back home!  The next night was much better, and we both needed the rest for the trip home.  He had not felt well and rode with me.  We went on without the buses after lunch, and we drove in torrential rains almost the whole day.  It was hard to see, and we took a break in Durham where a lot of people were driving with their flashers on.  We ran through the rain into another of his favorite stores (and mine too!) and then got back to getting home.  He was so happy to see Lucy (his puppy), and she was doing back flips in the kitchen so happy to see Sam!  I am thankful to have had that special trip with him.

Andrew is running but has not been able to run a race with the team this fall.  It's been so hard to go this fall without watching my runners!  We hope he can run a race on the home course in a couple of weeks.  His knee feels much better, but he is still not where he should be.  But he just keeps plugging away.  He has had some encouraging things come his way, and we are thankful for those.  He continues to work so hard.  He has been a good listening ear for me and gives pretty sound advice when I am frustrated or disappointed in something or someone.

We just celebrated three birthdays at our house, and they were pretty big ones.  It's Sam's first year in double digits and Peter's last as a teenager!  We enjoy having Peter around a little more this year, but he is always busy at school and work and at friends' houses.  Will has gone from climbing trees to light poles - temporarily I hope.  He generates a lot of comments sometimes, so I just pray he is safe and responsible in all that he does.  When people feel so free to share their opinions (I am writing this to others who have less than perfect children!), it's comforting when God allows us to see our children's hearts and things that are important that others may not see.  It does not mean that good is not there just because others don't see it.  I appreciate his heart and how he helps others.  It's like the time I had to get down on the floor to see what one of my toddlers could see from his viewpoint to understand him better.  I will always be thankful to James Dobson for his advice, because it made me appreciate that little boy so much - who seemed so difficult at the time.  I am thankful to my friends who walk with me through those days that are difficult without adding to the burden but help carry it (or convince me to hand it over!).  And sometimes I hide from those who do add!  I appreciate the ones who can make me laugh on tough days or see what is good in a situation I think is far from good.  It's not always behavior.  We still deal with a lot of learning difficulties with Sam, and that alone can be discouraging.  Pile that on top of the medical stuff, and sometimes I am one very discouraged, overwhelmed, and tired mom.  But God does not want me to feel defeat.  He overcame every single thing for me.  He keeps showing me that over and over.  I have felt like a lot had been taken away this year in terms of support, but He keeps on supplying what I need.  It's happened before.  And sometimes in the loneliest times, He is so much more clearly right beside me.  I would not have seen Him if I had been in my comfort zone surrounded by my support system.  And then some of that support returns just when you think it's gone - but it had been there all along - just not front and center.

I am reading a book and am not too far into it.  But the thing that has jumped out is to pray.  Pray.  Pray.  Pray.  And I have started praying for my boys more fervently than ever.  Sam and I like to pray for everyone on our way to school, but we don't do it every single day.  And we need to do just that.  God knows it all, and He is the One who can guide me as a mom and them as their own persons.  The book is not on prayer - it's Karen Kingsbury's new fiction book.  But that is what stood out so clearly to me.

Thanks again to all of you who pray for us.  Pete goes to Israel again in October into November.  I keep a close eye on headlines some days.  I know that is not a peaceful place, and it always makes me feel nervous that he is so far away.  But he has gone enough that I know God takes care of him and of us when we are that far apart.  I know He will this time too.  He is doing a Bible study in the Yosef Room in Owens Field House on Monday nights at 8 (with free pizza!).  It's open to all students if you know anyone to send that way!

Thanks again!  Happy Fall!