Saturday, January 31, 2009

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Tenth Avenue North


I kept thinking all week I would get a post up but it never happened. So, here we are on Saturday again and it's time for Then Sings My Soul. It's one of my favorite parts of the week of blogging anyway so here's this week's selection.

I've been hearing "Love Is Here" by Tenth Avenue North on the radio a lot so I decided to look them up. I really like this band. I'm posting "Love is Here" and another song by them this week called "By Your Side". I hope you enjoy. There is also a video with a little information on them if you are interested. It's pretty cool.

Also, just an update... Spencer has had a great week. We are two weeks seizure free now and he is getting caught up in school. Thanks for all your prayers. They are working... keep praying!

Have a blessed weekend!

Amy


Introducing Tenth Avenue North

Love Is Here

By Your Side

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Bless the Lord


Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of his benefits;
Who pardons all our iniquities; Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with 
lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things, 
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Psalm 103:1-5 NASB




Don't forget to Bless the Lord this week for all He has done. 
Sweet Blessings,
Amy


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Open Our Eyes Lord - Writer Interrupted

midweek_motivation_button.jpg

I'm over at WI today for Midweek Motivation. Come join me and read the rest of this devotion by clicking here.

Recently, my son was hospitalized with subclinical status seizures. He was given medication to stop the seizures and put on a continuous EEG recording. His doctor asked me to press a button each time he appeared to be having a seizure so they could review that particular part of the EEG more closely. For almost an entire day of our hospital stay, my son had hallucinations. He saw cheese falling and fish flying and sinks moving. The doctors thought it could be seizures or a side effect from one of his medication levels being too high. One of the things my son kept asking me was, "Mom, who's that standing by my bed?" I would reply, "No one sweetie, there is no one here but us." Once he even said he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.


Click here to see whose hand I think it was.


Have a blessed day!
Amy

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Faithlifts - "Worry-itis"




I hate to admit it, but I come from a long line of "worriers." My grandmother is famous for worrying. When my husband and I went on our honeymoon, we left our car at her house. She asked for the keys so in case a storm came up and lightning hit the house and it caught on fire, she could move the car. She says "you never know what might happen." I know... it seems ridiculous. She lets her imagination run wild. She comes up with all sorts of worse case scenarios. But if we are honest, how many of us spend precious moments of our lives worrying about what might happen? We make up things in our minds that never come to pass.


To read the rest of this devotion, click here.


Have a blessed day!

Amy

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Footprints in the Sand


This has been a very difficult week. Some of you have kept up with me on Facebook, and I appreciate all of your prayers and emails. Several people have asked me for an update on what happened, so here goes. 

On Monday, Spencer had a neurologist appointment. I noticed his behavior was off when I picked him up from school. In the doctor's office waiting room, I called the nurse out because I felt he was having mini seizures. He had done this off and on all day last Saturday too. When we were examined by the doctor, he felt Spencer was in subclinical status and wanted us to go to the hospital to receive some meds by IV to try to stop the seizures. We agreed. When Spencer got the meds, he began to throw up and seize even more. They loaded even more meds and decided to admit us. 

On Tuesday morning, he had an EEG. It showed seizure activity still, so they wanted to keep us and run a 24 hour video EEG. Also, Spencer was still very drugged from all the meds. All day Tuesday, Spencer had hallucinations and seized off and on. On Wednesday, the doctors told us we could go home but that he was still having seizure activity.

We came home on two new medications in addition to the ones we are already on. Spencer was unable to even walk unassisted until today.  We are pretty sure he is still having lots of little seizures. We are hoping and praying that the new meds will kick in and work and that we can get the seizures under control. And we want him to get back to himself. He is still very drugged from all the medication.  Please continue to be in prayer for him and for us. We are trying to get back to normal. 

One of the ways we have tried to get back to normal was by watching American Idol. We recorded it while we were in the hospital and watched it with Spencer when we got home. He loves to watch the beginning auditions and thinks everyone is so funny.

I was watching the show with him and a girl sang this song. I had never heard it, but I went to look it up and loved it. It's been very appropriate for me this week.



The spelling on this video is not great, but the lyrics are. I've always loved this poem too.
I'm just continuing to remind myself that I am not alone. He is always with me and will carry me through.

Matthew 28:20 And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

I hope you have a blessed week.

Amy

PS. There seems to be  problem with Mr. Linky . I have received several emails saying it is not showing up. It is showing up on my site for me though. I think the server is down at Mr. Linky. Please keep checking back to try to link up for this week! Hopefully it will show up soon.
Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience.

PSS. I just looked at the blog at Mr. Linky and they are moving servers which is why they are down. It doesn't say when they will be back up. In the meantime, you can leave your url in your comment and hopefully people can find you that way.


Saturday, January 10, 2009

Bride Wars

So, a bunch of you on Facebook asked me to let you know what I thought about Bride Wars and if it would be appropriate to take your daughters to see it. Just so you know, I'm probably not the best reviewer of movies. But I will give it a shot. Also, just so you know what types of shows I like, I'll tell you what I watch on a regular basis. This might give you a little insight into my TV personality. 

I never miss LOST, Heroes, House, American Idol, Eli Stone and that's about it. I loved Jericho and October Road when they were on and was very bummed when they were cancelled. I sort of like the Starter Wife but mostly because I like Debra Messing. I used to love her in Ned and Stacey and Will and Grace... but I had to stop watching Will and Grace because I felt convicted. But that's just me. Other shows I used to watch but had to stop (personally) were Desperate Housewives (like 4 or 5 seasons ago seasons ago), Grey's Anatomy, and Boston Legal. I might have to stop watching Heroes because it's becoming like a horror show but I'm holding out because Greg Grunberg is my buddy.  But I digress...

Back to Bride Wars. I thought it was cute but predictable. Not sure if I would take my teenage daughter to see it if I had a teenage daughter (never mind that my five year old thinks she is a teenager already :-) ) There were at least two scenes with bad language that I remember, (although I might be desensitized to the rest) One used the B word and the other another word for donkey :)

There is a good bit of drinking in it and the brides to be are already living with their boyfriends. The movie shows them both in their bedrooms. There is a scene in a bar for the bachelorette party where they "dirty dance" and there are guy strippers. They don't really show anything but the suggestions are there.

There are some funny moments and I did laugh out loud a few times. It is definitely a chick flick and I enjoyed it but mostly because I like Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. I guess it depends on how old your daughter is whether you take her or not. The movie is rated PG. Here is a link to the review on Plugged In. I'd give it a B-.

Blessings,
Amy

Friday, January 9, 2009

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Mandisa

This is one of those songs that always makes me want to turn up the radio and sing along. I have to remind myself of this very true statement lots of days - "It's only the world."
Have a great weekend!
Amy




Monday, January 5, 2009

Faith Book

Have you joined yet? Do you have a Facebook account? Over the holidays, I finally gave in and created one. It seemed everywhere I turned, people were talking about their friends on Facebook. I guess I succumbed to the peer pressure. I must admit it is pretty addicting, even more so than blogging. The first few days, I spent hours searching for names of old friends I hadn't seen in years. 

Click here to read the rest of this devotion.

Have a blessed day,
Amy

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - You Are Good

I know I haven't been around much over the past few months, but November and December seem like a complete blur to me. Life just seemed to get out of control. Spencer's seizures and hospital visits increased. We all got a terrible virus that was going around and it took almost three weeks to run it's course through the entire family. I teased my family that instead of the 12 days of Christmas, we had the 21 days of throw-up. (Sorry if that's TMI) The holidays and all of the busyness that surrounds them came. Somehow, blogging just got pushed to the back burner. I hope to do better in the New Year. We won't call it a resolution, but maybe a goal.
I've been thinking about goals over the past few days. I haven't really had time to sit down and write out what I would like my goals for 2009 to be, but a few things are rattling around up in my head. I started reading the Bible through again yesterday, of course beginning in Genesis. The thing that stood out to me most is Satan hasn't changed his method in all the time that has passed since he tricked Eve in the garden. He made her focus on something she didn't have rather than being thankful for what she did have. Oh how he does that still.
This year I want to focus on what God has already blessed me with. I want to take time to enjoy the great things he has placed in my life and thank Him for them. I want to remember with every breath I take, just how good He is.


"Lord, thank you for blessings my life with so many good things. Help me to seek You and your will first in everything in the coming year. Help me remember that You are good."