1 Corinthians 15:50-55
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory."
55"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.
Dr. Gupta, the chief of pediatric neuro-surgery here at UCSF came to speak with us today. He spent a good amount of time with us learning about James' history, and our observations over the last couple of years -- actually, James' whole life...
Dr. Gupta, like Dr. Ciricillo, does not see a clear-cut cause for James' recent function loss. He spoke with Dr. Ciricillo on the phone yesterday (Friday) about James, and he has also poured over all of James' prior MRIs and medical records this morning, consulting with a neurologist, and trying to find a reason on the MRI for James' symptoms. There just is not a clear one.
Although there is an enlargement of one area of fluid inside James' spinal cord, it is not in the area of the spinal cord that would be causing arm weakness. It is lower than that.
Basically, he explained to us that James' spinal cord is essentially being "chronically injured" for several reasons -- the cysts, the scar tissue, the fact that spinal fluid has never been able to move freely in there the way it should -- all of this puts chronic strain on James' spinal cord in multiple areas. He said that people with Spina Bifida are born with vulnerable cords, and all of these factors just accumulate the vulnerability of the spinal cord over time.
He said that he is going to pour over James' scans again with the help of the other pediatric neurosurgeon and another radiologist, to see if any of them can find anything on the scans that would explain James' symptoms, and they will decide together whether they can offer us a surgical solution. - but he is doubtful.
He didn't give our nurse a time frame, but she was guessing that it would be Monday before he comes back with an answer, because that is when everyone he needs to collaborate with will most likely be available.
Seth and I have been a great comfort for each other in the last several hours. This is no anniversary trip to San Diego, but it is sure moving us into a deeper strengthening of our marriage and our dependence together on the Lord. We have had broken hearts together in the last two days at the possibility of bringing James home in this condition, knowing that he may never crawl again, that he may not be able to feed himself anymore, that he may not be able to propel himself in his wheel chair anymore, that he may need a new wheel-chair that supports his body better.... and all of those terrifying thoughts.....
James is asking to "go pick up Josiah and go home" over and over again. I told him that the doctors don't know how to help his arms to start working again, or how to help him be able to crawl again, and that they are talking together about a way to fix his body. I told him that when doctors don't know what to do, they need God's help, and that we can pray for the doctors.
so we did.
I prayed first, and then James prayed - in his simple, child-like faith sort of way.
Dear God, thank you for mommy and daddy and josiah. please help the doctors to figure out a way to fix my body. In Jesus' name, amen.
He is our only hope.
-Lynae
Philippians 3:20-21
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory."
55"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.
Is 35:3-5 (NKJV)
Dr. Gupta, the chief of pediatric neuro-surgery here at UCSF came to speak with us today. He spent a good amount of time with us learning about James' history, and our observations over the last couple of years -- actually, James' whole life...
Dr. Gupta, like Dr. Ciricillo, does not see a clear-cut cause for James' recent function loss. He spoke with Dr. Ciricillo on the phone yesterday (Friday) about James, and he has also poured over all of James' prior MRIs and medical records this morning, consulting with a neurologist, and trying to find a reason on the MRI for James' symptoms. There just is not a clear one.
Although there is an enlargement of one area of fluid inside James' spinal cord, it is not in the area of the spinal cord that would be causing arm weakness. It is lower than that.
Basically, he explained to us that James' spinal cord is essentially being "chronically injured" for several reasons -- the cysts, the scar tissue, the fact that spinal fluid has never been able to move freely in there the way it should -- all of this puts chronic strain on James' spinal cord in multiple areas. He said that people with Spina Bifida are born with vulnerable cords, and all of these factors just accumulate the vulnerability of the spinal cord over time.
He said that he is going to pour over James' scans again with the help of the other pediatric neurosurgeon and another radiologist, to see if any of them can find anything on the scans that would explain James' symptoms, and they will decide together whether they can offer us a surgical solution. - but he is doubtful.
He didn't give our nurse a time frame, but she was guessing that it would be Monday before he comes back with an answer, because that is when everyone he needs to collaborate with will most likely be available.
Seth and I have been a great comfort for each other in the last several hours. This is no anniversary trip to San Diego, but it is sure moving us into a deeper strengthening of our marriage and our dependence together on the Lord. We have had broken hearts together in the last two days at the possibility of bringing James home in this condition, knowing that he may never crawl again, that he may not be able to feed himself anymore, that he may not be able to propel himself in his wheel chair anymore, that he may need a new wheel-chair that supports his body better.... and all of those terrifying thoughts.....
James is asking to "go pick up Josiah and go home" over and over again. I told him that the doctors don't know how to help his arms to start working again, or how to help him be able to crawl again, and that they are talking together about a way to fix his body. I told him that when doctors don't know what to do, they need God's help, and that we can pray for the doctors.
so we did.
I prayed first, and then James prayed - in his simple, child-like faith sort of way.
Dear God, thank you for mommy and daddy and josiah. please help the doctors to figure out a way to fix my body. In Jesus' name, amen.
He is our only hope.
-Lynae
2 Corinthians 5
Our Heavenly Dwelling
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.Philippians 3:20-21
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
1 comment:
Dear Sweet Seth and Lynae,
May heart is full of love for you and your precious boys! I am praying in agreement with James in his prayer to our Creator and Healer! Jeff and I are praying. May our Lord fill your hearts with His peace and give wisdom to the team of doctors looking to find a way to help James! All my love! Lord bless! Susan Check
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