Visit from Sarah

Well, my 8 year old niece, Sarah, is visiting. I'm not married, and I live with my dad. So Sarah decided to visit with Uncle Roger and Granddaddy. I knew it'd be like this. We went to IHOP for breakfast, then to the brand new North Charleston Fire Museum.

The museum itself is pretty cool, and I found it interesting. It's normally $6.00 admission, but it's free for today. You see, 9 firefighters gave up their lives on Monday, June 18th while fighting a local fire.

It's important that we understand that job and those brave men.

However, the mistake was going with dad and Sarah. You see, they get along like Dad and my sister used to. Dad says jump, Sarah says no, dad gets mad. Sarah says jump, dad says no, Sarah gets mad.

I'm baby sitting both of them.

She wanted some sort of little toy from the musuem gift shop, we wouldn't get it for her. She got whiney and walked off. Dad gets scared if she's not within eyesight and went running after her. I say, leave her alone and when she sees that we won't indulge her crybaby spells, she comes out of it.

Oh well. What can I do? I mean I don't drink so getting drunk is out of the question, I can't find my DVD remote so a good movie is out of play. I look so forward to taking her to church tonight...Dad won't be there so I'll only have one child to deal with.

Heros: The Charleston 9

I live in North Charleston SC. I know that my blog is not highly read. In fact, I doubt that anyone but me reads this.

On June 18th 2007 a local furniture store caught fire. After battling the blaze for some time, 9 of these brave men went into the store. They rescued 2 people. Then, the roof fell in on them. All nine were killed.

I didn't have the blessing to know any of these men, but I do want to post a prayer for them:

Daddy God,
Love on the families of these men. Show them that You are there, in the midst of this tragedy. In Jesus Name, amen

.

Love at First Bite?

The very few---if any--of you that read this, know that I work with Special Needs kids at my church at the Saturday evening service every other week. I wasn't on this week, but I had to go into the room for a second.

Two TRUE stories:

One volunteer, Maggie, had her daughter, Grace, with her. Grace is about 6 years old I guess and has Down Syndrome. She is one of the sweetest, most open and loving children in the world. When I stuck my head in she invited me to play catch...so of course I had to do it. I also was blessed with a hug from her earlier.

She asked me about Nathan. Nathan is our oldest child and our youngest child. He'd 13 years old, but mentally/functionally he's about 1 - 2 years old. Grace wanted to know where he was, because it is so important to her to make sure that Nathan is included. What a wonderful thing that is. Grace truly epitomizes her very name.

On my way out the door and back to main church service, here comes Don [Nathan's dad] walking Nathan down the hall. He is a beautiful child. His eyes are always bright and alive. He loves to jump and rock back and forth and clap. He loves music, but if there's not any then I am thoroughly and totally convinced that God has put the very music of Heaven in Nathan's heart.

As I said, I wasn't working that night, but when I passed Nathan in the hallway, I stopped and gave him a hug and told him hello. I felt a sharp pain in my just below my cheek. I thought that Nathan had scratched me. Instead, he bit me.

Now remember, he is severely mentally retarded so he had no idea what he had done. Much like a teething 2 year old wouldn't understand.

When I looked in the mirror, there was no blood but there was a mark.

My first thought: I am 38 years old and my first hickey came from a 13 year old child that didn't know what he was even doing.

Need God more

I work with special needs kids at my church. One of my boys is Blake P. Blake is autistic. Blake has been out sick for several months now.

It's being cranked up.

Blake is 9 years old. He's been in and out of the local hospital lately. He's back in right now.

Apparntly he's been having trouble eating and now he can't eat at all. He's on a feeding tube.

Below, please read the news update, and my prayer response, and agree with me in prayer for this wonderful boy. I've attempted to remove all last names. I apologize for any I may have left on.

Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 8:06 PM> Subject: Update on
Blake

I wanted to send out a brief update on Blake for Laurie. Blake was
admitted on 6/4 to MUSC for 5 days of high-dose steroids in an effort to
clear up the inflammation in his brain resulting from an auto-immune
response brought on by an undiagnosed strep infection. It took the doctors at MUSC months to figure out what was wrong with him and even longer once they had a diagnosis to figure out how to treat it.

So starting on Tuesday the 5th he got 5 days of steroids. During this time he stopped eating and drinking completely. He was first placed on IV fluids, then
later on IV feeding when it was discovered that he had lost 5 pounds since
he had been admitted. Swallowing tests showed that he was completely
unable to swallow and that food or liquid introduced into his mouth was
draining into his lungs.

Since he would be at high risk of aspiration, today a gastrostomy tube was placed for feeding and medication purposes. He will be fed through this tube until his swallowing reflex hopefully comes back as the inflammation in his brain resolves, which the doctors say could be as long as a year until he is recovered from this. Laurie's husband is in Japan until 6/20. Her other 3 boys are in Anderson with
one of her sisters.

Another sister, Julie, came last night to be with her through the weekend. Hopefully Blake and Laurie can go home Sunday or Monday. I

t's a very rough time for her family. She is holding up pretty well so far. Please continue to pray for her and Blake and the rest of her family.

And my prayer response

Daddy God

We know that You are the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow, the God of Abraham, Issaic and Jacob. You are still in the healing businesstoday.Lord, we don't fully know or understand what's going on with ourfriend Blake, but we know this. Won by One needs our pianoist back.Lord come against that inflamation in his brain, and against thatswallowing problem.God show David, Lorie and the other boys Your mighty love and thatpeace which passes all understaning.God, show us what we can do to love on them and to love on Blake.Thank you LordIn Jesus Name---Amen

New Law

Praise God...Ryan's Law has passed

Ryan's law will help the parents of autistic kids with the expense of raising them. Normally, I a libertarian of sorts and I don't like my tax dollars helping out illegals, and welfare weenies and poverty pimps. But, impoverished or not, parents of autistic kids have it tough financially.

SC Governor Mark Sanford actually vetoed this law apparently. I like Gov. Sanford, and I don't understand why he'd veto this law. However, the SC legislator overrode the veto.

That's good. Usually those chuckleheads would argue about making murder a crime.

So this is overall a good thing

What a good boy am I

Ok I was going to go out today and grab a steak, or a burger or something else that's not good for me. Instead I stayed in and ate fish. Grilled fish. Nothing fried.

I'm a good boy.

Now, get that look off of your face. It's not like I made you read my blog.

Ryan's Law

Here is an email that I sent Mark Sanford, Governer of SC:

Gov. Sanford.
I have been a supporter of yours since your days as in Congress. And like you, I want to see a smaller government.
I am asking that you sign Ryan's Law.
Ryan's parents do not know me, but I know Ryan. His cousin brings him to Seacoast Church. I have been a member of that church for about 10 years now. I never thought about working with kids until 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to work in Won by One--a ministry for special needs kids. Ryan is one of them. I've not seen Ryan for some time now because his cousin has had to move for about a year on business. I will tell that Ryan comes alive in this class, as do the others.
My reason for telling you this is that Autistic kids come alive, when we learn how to reach them. Ryan's Law will give us that chance.
Please, pass this law.
Thank you
Roger A. Redford

My God is soooo good

Ok, last week I posted that my friend Pat had discovered that her husband had spinal cancer. Pat was at work today and I asked how Ray was doing. She looked annoyed [but not at me] and said that the hospital had screwed up.



Apparently, the doctor had looked at the MRI and said "Yep, that's spinal cancer...I'll call the oncologis. Well...see ya.





The oncologist FINALLY got the call from the knucklehead that offered the diagnosis. He said that there is no spinal cancer and then double checked.



THERE'S NO SPINAL CANCER!!!!!



Also, my future sweetie girl, Coleman K is home. She's 6 months old and was born with Downes Syndrome. She was taken to MUSC Children's Hospital. This resulted in some sort of heart defect. But, she's had her surgery and she's home with Mommy, Daddy and her two big brothers.



Also, my friend Adam is home from his surgery.



Our God is good.

Can't Believe I Really Did It

I did it. I really did it. I went back to my home church.

I grew up in North Charleston SC. Still live here. I grew up in a church called Dorchester Waylen, or as we called it...DorWay [door way].

They moved about 3 years ago, and have opened up a new property. I went to that church this morning. Mostly to be with family. But at the end, it was very fascinating. The pastor, said that he had not delivered a good sermon. I knew that already, but he admitted it. It wasn't that it wasn't a theologically correct sermon, it was indeed. But, man it was boring. Now, that's looking at it from the point of view of someone who loves public speaking, however it was nonetheless boring.

After the sermon, and the final hymn, he confessed that it wasn't a great sermon. He said that the church is in a spiritual battle and he's right. I wish I had the DVD or the CD from my church about two weeks ago, spiritual warfare was the subject. I'd love to have that and go back tonight and take it to him. He asked us not to go out and talk about it, yeah fat chance that won't happen. My opinion is that the same thing that's wrong today is the same thing that was wrong with I was there----

E.R. That's the guy's intials, but not his name. He's a self-important jerk that thinks that somehow all votes, sermons etc need to go his way. If they can get him to change, or to leave then that's 1/2 the battle right there. The pastor also mentioned that he didn't want to offend anyone. Well why not. Sometimes a sermon needs to comfort the offended, and sometimes it needs to offend the comfortable. So go ahead and offend them. Maybe they'll leave.

I know that's harsh, but you don't pat cancer cells on the head and welcome them into your body and ask them to stay for coffee, you get rid of them. MAYBE that's what needs to happen at Doorway.

I know that I'm not there now, so it's not really my problem. I've still an opinion, and what's above is it.

Ok now I'll just pray:

Daddy God, move throughout Doorway and put on them only the kind of spiritual heaviness that only the Holy Spirit can bring. The type that won't let up, until they come to the undserstanding that only You are the reason for that church and that it's not for an agenda, or a country club without the golf course.

In Jesus Name---so be it.

Lord thank you for Josh's message at church tonight and thank You for continuing to heal Coleman K

Now, Lord Adam F needs Your healing. Give him his appittie back and heal his dizzy spells. Give Lori and the boys the peace they need to deal with Adam's hospital stay.


In Jesus name....so be it

My God is Good ALL THE TIME

Lord, thank you for healing Coleman K
And that's all that need be said.