A Blessed Dad

I asked Jennifer to allow me to post this note of appreciation to all her “blogging friends” for your prayers and words of encouragement during the last 11 days. I have read your comments and it is a blessing to me, dad, to know Jennifer has friends to call upon and who care for her family in Texas and in North Carolina. We witness daily the answers to prayers by you and we hope to be able to share more down the road the blessings of this experience.

Linda had a very, very good night last night with some good rest and sleep. She wasn’t at all “loopy” (as her dear daughter would say) during the night and when she awoke this morning. The PEG procedure has been postponed until tomorrow due to her blood being too thin. We expect her stay in the hospital to extend through Wednesday or Thursday. I will be surprised if she is discharged earlier. Then after discharge, there will be weeks, perhaps months of therapy, both physical and speech. The worse is over yet there are unknown waters ahead that we haven’t been before. Continue to pray!

I also want to let you know we do have a great support group of people in our supporting churches. Our pastor of Grace and his wife sat with me in the hospital for almost 9 hours the day of the surgery. Our supporting churches here in Goldsboro, Grace and Freedom Baptist Churches, have given us $300 plus to cover expenses for travel (58 miles each way to the hospital), eating and other un-planned necessities. Six pastors from other churches in the Raleigh area have visited the hospital to express their concern and offer to help any way they can. We are thankful for those who have helped out, and we know others who have offered to help would be just as willing to step up when called upon. So, we are thankful to be in such a wonderful family, God’s family, and to be surrounded by some precious saints of God.

Jennifer was a great blessing, help and encouragement to us while she was here and I want to thank Brian for his willingness to step up and be Mr. Mom for the week. Thank each of you that minister to our “Texas Family” in person there in WF and those of you on the “blog network.”

A Dad Who Is So Blessed,

Joe