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Starring: a dad, a mom, a son & daughter-in-law, a daughter & son-in-law, another daughter & son-in-law, 1 teen, 1 grandson, 3 granddaughters, 4 dogs, and a whole lot of love.






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Monday, January 17, 2011

Praying for Joanne


I recently became aware of a fellow blogger named Joanne Heim. Joanne is 38 years old and just celebrated her 19th anniversary with her husband, Toben. They have 2 daughters, Audrey (12) and Emma (9). She and her family recently moved back to their home town of Denver where Joanne spends her day homeschooling their daughters, authoring Christian Bible Studies, going to Seminary, running, and from the looks of her blog, enjoying life in general.

On Tuesday January 11th, Joanne built a fire in their fireplace at 5am....and subsequently discovered that her smoke alarms work. That was Joanne's final tweet. Shortly thereafter, one of her daughters found her convulsing in their basement from a stroke.

They removed a large part of her skull and she's in a very deep medically induced coma to try to control the swelling. They have no idea what the future holds. They don't know if she'll wake up. They have no idea what condition she'll be in if/when she does.

To say that this family's life has come to a screeching halt is an understatement. I've spent the past couple of days scouring her blog and quietly peeking into the daily life of a woman who clearly had no idea everything was about to change. How could she?

This isn't the first sad blogger story I've read and it certainly won't be my last, unfortunately. But this one grabbed me. She could be me. No, I don't home school. I'm not in Seminary. I'm not the author of Christian Bible Studies and I certainly don't run for sport. But she's my age! She's head over heels in love with her husband of 19 years! She's got children she loves and who depend on her! She blogs! She tweets! And she sets off the smoke alarms when she's trying to start a fire for her family in the morning.....right before she has a stroke. She could be me. And like it or not, she could be you.

Please pray for Joanne and her family. And please don't take one minute with yours for granted.

Feel free to click on Joanne's picture at the very top of my page to go visit her blog. Her husband and close friend have been updating on her condition there. But once you get past that you'll find entries from a young mom. A mom who was enjoying life and living it to the fullest. A mom who has plans. A mom whose dining room table is cluttered with Christmas decorations and a tree she decided to leave up and decorate for Valentine's Day. And of a family who got unexpectedly swept onto a different path and who are claiming Psalm 46 because despite everything, they still cling to their Savior.

I want to be that kind of mom.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.c]">[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shieldsd]">[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

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