Spring is in full swing at our home and there is much to tell you.

In our last update, we mentioned that we were at a crossroads of sorts with Jake's recovery. It hard to believe that its been 8 months since Jake's Baclofen pump was taken out due to infection. The next step regarding the pump has been unclear. Like the many times before when answers were not clear, we have simply continued to put once foot in front of the other, day by day. And so we continue.

Though some things have not improved, other things have and so we are grateful for those gains. Notable improvemtns are in his sppech, as Mom and Dad now are doing all of his speech at home. The therapy is facilitated by an electro-muscle stimulator and we are starting to see some results from it. Basically, it stimulates muscles on the left side of Jake's face. The muscles then send a signal to the brain - kind of like the tail wagging the dog. Hopefully, the brain will eventually take over. Its been used extensively with stroke victims and we can only hope it will work with Jake. One other improvement of note is that Jake is able to "swim" on his own! Actually its more like bobbling and treading water, as the left side of his body is still weak and somewhat spastic, but hey, we'll take that!

We've mentioend before that there are two great obstacles to Jake's recovery. One is the spastic hemiparesis on the left side of his body that I just mentioned and the other is his mental state. His memory is very spotty and he has little control over his emotions and impulses. This means that he must constatntly be under supervision. His attention span is very short and so he requries constant cueing to stay on track. All of thest things are very common with traumatic brain injury as those parts of his brain have not healed yet. Though many believe his healing is complete, some say it is not and so we hope and pray accordingly.

All of these things greatly hamper his independence. Though at times we grieve over the possibility that he may never be independent, we continue to pray that these obstacles will eventually be removed.

The obvious prayer request here is for healing and eventual independence. The not-so-obvious one for all of us is for strength, encouragement, and patience in the meantime. Patience in waiting for the healing and patience in caring for a brain-injured child. It takes more than all of us have and at times, it is quite overwhelming!

As for the rest of our famliy, please pray for Mom as she will be having a long overdue surgery this month. She actually needed it way before Jake was hurt and though she has toughed it out much longer than thought possible, ..... it simply must be done now.

Hannah and Isabelle continue to be an example of His beauty through ashes, but we would ask for prayer for them as the road is vey difficult, especially at this very tiring and uncertain time.

Fortunately, this whole experience has not doused Hannah's desire for missions as, she will be going on her first short-term missions trip to Fiji this summer. How exciting is has been to see the Lord provide all of the funds in just a few weeks!

As for Isabelle, though she is simply a joy to be with, pray for her, as the memory of Jake's fall is still vivid in her mind and actions and we know she will need some additional professional support for that.

As for Dad, pray for him as the burden of all of this is sometimes simply overwhelming. He too was there that night and a day doesn't go by where those moments play over and over in his head. Thankfully, there is a "band of brothers" who are readily available for a shoulder to lean on when necessary. Another prayer request for Dad is for real estate and mortgage referrals as He has his license now and is excited about his work.

As always, we ask you to pray regarding our finances, which are at an all-time low.

Another burden that we all carry is for all of you. You are all daily in our thoughts and prayers. We consider it a privilege to share this journey with you. We have met so many people and have had many opportunities to share the love of Christ. You see, it is true that when we are weak, He is strong as He gets glorified through all of this - 2 Cor. 12:9. What a joy it is to share with many to "cast all of you cares upon Him, because He cares for you," I Peter 5:7.

Simply put, we cannot imagine surviving this journey without His steady hand to guide us, His power to strengthen us, His heart to comfort us, and His love to give us hope.

He is the God who shines His light into the darkest of places, giving live and hope to those who would see.

Our young man continues on his painfully slow recovery. Though we are always grateful for the improvements, the weight on all of us, including our little warrior, is sometimes almost too much to bear. We all feel like we're in the middle of a marathon. Bursts of energy are sandwiched between the walls that always unexpectedly come. We sometimes feel like the walls will come in around us, but somehow, we are always pulled through the debris by the loving hand of our faithful Savior. Conventional wisdom says we are strengthened by such experiences and though it is true, we never feel it at the time. As parents, we never feel like the heroes, those roles are well served by our three children, who have survived more in their few years that most experience in a lifetime.

As for progress, Jake has settled into somewhat of a routine as his therapy continues at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. We are impressed by and grateful for the loving hands and generous hearts of the staff who week by week pour their time and effort into Jake's recovery. We can remember praying that we would simply be able to hear his sweet voice again, that he could enjoy real food, sit up in a chair and watch his favorite shows. Now we see him in the early stages of running! Though the left side of his body is hampered by his injury and isn't yet fully cooperating with the other side, it hasn't stopped him from trying. Eighteen months ago, we didn't know whether or not he would make it through the night. Today, Mom watched as he tried to play catch outside with a neighbor friend. Yes he has such a long and challenging journey ahead of him, but he has come so far!

Please pray his continued progress and pray for a new clear plan for his recovery. There are so many things to work on. There is never enough time in the day for all of them, so we trust God's leading and focus on what can be done in any given day. Pray for renewed strength and rest for all of us. Pray that we will have enough stamina and will continue to reach out to those whom God sends our way. Pray for the front page article that is in the process of preparation by the Press Enterprise. We want God to use that article for many reasons and are truly grateful for the concern that they have shown for our family. Pray for our finances as we continue to live week by week. Your generosity has only been exceeded by your prayers for us. It still amazes us! Pray for Dad as he prepares to take his real estate license exam later this month - something that is needed in order to do mortgages. Pray for referrals, which are the core of his business. Pray for Mom as she balances her many responsibilities with a budding home business as an Arbonne consultant. Pray also for our daughters. Pray that beauty will continue to rise from the ashes that would normally consume such vivacity. Yes, there are scars, but with your prayers and God's gentle hand, they will see more of the bright future they have than the darkness that has been.

Pray and know that we will continue to pray for all of you that "the God of all hope would fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you also may abound with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Between learning the mortgage business, taking care of my family, and managing Jake's care, this writer has had little time to reflect lately and it feels good to sit down at the computer again!

Our little man's miracle comeback continues! Though he still has so long to go, Jake is a living miracle. He was recently was recently seen by his doctor, our family pediatrician (who we would recommend). In her 20+ years of treating kids, she has never seen a recovery like Jake's. Dr. Hurwitz was well aware of the gravity of Jake's injuries as we consulted with her numerous times when he was in a coma, so we can take her words for the truth! We also went to visit we doctors and nurses at the San Diego Children's ICU and Rehab units on Thanksgiving. There were many smiles hugs all around as they got to see Jake walking and talking.

As for his current condition, mentally he is still moving forward. His mind like a grand puzzle, is being assembled piece by piece. Memories that were once buried in the recesses of his mind are reappearing at random. Having been suppressed by his once nearly fatal injuries, they are unshackled and float to the surface like little messages in a bottle. What a joy it is for those who witness it, to open and read those messages. What hope, encouragement, and joy they bring and we thank the Great Miracle Maker, the God of all creation, for his handiwork here.

As for his physical condition, there are still significant challenges ahead. The injury to the right stem of his brain is evident as you see the muscle weakness and spasticity in the left of his body, literally from his head to his toes. It is also very evident in his poor left wrist, hand, and fingers. For these two reasons, Jake will be having two surgeries simultaneously sometime in December. The first will be to lengthen contracted tendons in his left wrist, hand, and fingers. The second will be to re-install the baclofen pump that was taken out in August due to infection. While it was in, we saw a noticeable improvement. Pray for God's plan and timing here as the holidays approach.

As for our girls, it is more evident to us as time goes on that they too are living miracles. Though the mosaics of their young lives have really just begun, the panes that have been added over the past fifteen months show a depth of hue that has enriched their lives for all to see. Though wrought in pain and suffering, their character reflects the beauty of simple faith in their Creator as He etches out the time of their lives. You could say that is true for all of us, though it is always hard to see. You see, we only have a snapshot, but the Lord has the movie, for as it says in His word in I Cor. 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." So with this perspective in mind, we can ultimately see our trials as ".. momentary, light afflictions producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,." 2 Corinthians 4:17.

As for our needs, our hearts are full of gratitude for the Marino Foundation. Between their direct grant and the funds they collected from some of you, two months of our living expenses were covered - thanks everyone! We will face yet another challenge as the year ends and for months beyond, so if any of you missed a chance to help in this last drive, please let us know as we have already made arrangements with another organization for your gifts to be tax-deductible. The mortgage business opportunity was a total Godsend, but it will take months before it is fruitful. Your help has a direct connection to Jake's recovery and we thank God for each and every sacrificial gift we have received!

We recently celebrated Isabelle's 5th birthday. Though she received lots of wonderful, thoughtful gifts, her favorite by far was, as she describes it, a "green fire car" - really it is a replica of the #18 NASCAR car that was once driven by Bobby Labonte. You see, she wants to drive a green race car when she grows up (you go girl!). Mr. Smith, Dad's friend, boss, and fellow sports fanatic (come see our office - its like a west coast Cooperstown) gave that to her. She loves it so much, she sleeps with it. One day, our older daughter Hannah asked her about it. She said, "Mr. Smith is my friend, he is a superhero, Mr. Incredible. He's going to watch me race cars when I grow up." You see, inside all of us is a special, secret place that holds the full contents of all of our hopes and dreams. That gift, seemingly insignificant to outsiders, touched my little girl's heart like nothing else could.

What about you? What are your hopes and dreams? Don't you know that the God of all creation has a special place in his heart for you and He know exactly what your hopes are, as it says in Psalm 139:1-3 "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart."

Don't ever think that the little things don't matter. He knows and He sees. They matter much more than you could ever know. Give Him your heart. Wait no longer. He is your friend. He is truly incredible!

The past month has been a blur! There is so much going on, I hardly know where to begin.

Let's start with our little hero. Truthfully, I have never meant it more than I mean it now. This boy is truly amazing! It's almost incredible to be around someone like Jake who has been through so much adversity and yet is such a joy to be around. What is even more unbelievable is that it is happening more as time goes on.

I mentioned last time that we would most likely be making a major change in his outpatient therapy routine. Through alot of work and prayer, Jake is now getting all of his speech, physical, and occupational therapy at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. Though we were sad to leave Rancho Physical Therapy as we have made many friends there, it was clear that what would benefit Jake the most is the interdisciplinary approach that Palomar would take. What is even better is they were able to group his therapies back to back so we will only have go there twice a week. This will be much easier on Jake and will allow more time for Dad to work.

Things to pray about for Jake are:

• Left hand/wrist/fingers may be contracted and may require surgery
• Right eye is still not aligning with the left and may require surgery
• Continued weakness in left leg which now requires him to wear a supportive splint.
• Muscle weakness in torso which may be causing speech to be somewhat slow and breathy

As for his mental condition he is sharper than ever, but he still has a ways to go. He will undergo a neuropsychological evaluation later this month which will be able to determine the impact of the brain injury on his cognitive, behavioral, and emotional state.

As for the lawsuit, it has been filed, but we need to take our time and thus it will be a long time before it is resolved. We are greatly concerned that it have been over one year now and no effective safety improvements have been made to the play area where Jake fell. We would feel terrible if someone else got hurt there and we didn't do everything we could to persuade others to fix the problem. The Press Enterprise has taken an interest in Jake and will soon be doing an extensive article on him. One of the aspects of the article will focus on the need for play equipment safety.

Back to our boy, the other day, out of the blue, Jake said "I feel like my old self again!" Knowing Jake, he doesn't say what he doesn't mean. Though still saddled with serious physical impairments, on the inside he is starting to feel like his old self again. This is not to say that things will ever be the same again, as all of us have been forever changed by all of this. But to be able to go back to being able to experience that joy again is a priceless gift! The storm may be raging on the outside, but inside he is happy and content and we can see it every day!

The question is, what about us and what about you? Have our trials literally sapped the joy out of our lives? Are we so worn out from the battles that we have lost sight of the victory that it is simply to be alive? Have we traveled so far, but cannot see how far He has taken us? Somewhere underneath the rubble lies a heart that is beating, still yearning for a life worth living. That old heart may need medicine, but what is needs even more is the presence of the Living God who breathes life and purpose into all living things, especially the crown of all his creation, the human race. If you know Him, but His joy escapes you, ask Him to "restore the joy of your salvation." (Psalm 51) If you don't know Him, don't ask him to fix your heart. Ask Him to replace it and receive Him into your life. "For as many as have received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12) While your heart is still beating, use your next breath to pray those words He has been longing to hear from you. Don't delay!

April 5, 2006

Yesterday marks eight months since Jake fell and all of our lives took a brand new direction. It is truly amazing to see how far our boy has come since last August 4.

Just to give you perspective on how far he has come, what follows is a "before" and "after." comparison.

Before, when this all began, the damage from the fall caused most of his brain's functions to cease. At the beginning, most of his organs, except for his lungs, were intact, but there was little other activity. No movement of any kind, no breathing. Though the coma was induced, he would have eventually gone into one on his own. So, for over six weeks, he lay mostly motionless, except for slight eye movements and an occasional limb movement. His breathing returned about five weeks into the coma.

Now we see a much different picture. Here is what Jake has regained in the last eight months (not in order of importance, just written down as I can remember): Breathing, eyesight, purposeful movement, long and short term memory, speaking, eating, drinking, sitting, standing, transferring from bed to standing on the floor, taking steps, sitting up and standing and stepping from one couch to the other, propelling his wheelchair, using a computer and player computer/video games, standing at the kitchen counter and helping Mom with a meal, catching and throwing a ball, singing, dancing, and rolling over from lying on his back to sitting up on his knees and pumping both fists in the air. These are just some of the main ones, time won't allow me to list everything.

But more than these physical things, the best things to come back are intangible. His exuberance is contagious. His laughter is infectious. His sense of humor makes you smile. He muses on eternal things with wisdom beyond his years. His smile and laugh vaporizes tension. His joy for life simply overwhelms anything in its way and we just love being around him. Yes he has many difficult moments and doubtless many more to come, but it is so easy to move him through those times. alot easier than for me or anyone else I know. His trials have been many and the Lord has made him resilient as he has been brought them all. We've always known this about him, but it is a joy to see it manifest in him now, when it is needed the most.

How about you? Have your trials made you more resilient, more humble, more patient, more joyful, and more hopeful? Julie and I ran across this verse recently: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all." Psalm 34:19. The "righteous" one is the one who has been saved by grace and is considered righteous only because Christ's righteousness has been imputed, or given, to him or her at the moment of salvation (Rom. 4:20-25). It is not self-righteousness or based on anything the saved person does. It is simply Christ's righteousness now dwelling in them. And so God the Father considers the saved person righteous because of this work of Christ in them. So take heart if you are in the faith. God the Father considers you righteous and will, one way or another, deliver you out of all your troubles. What tremendous hope and joy this truth brings. It is our prayer that everyone who reads this would experience this same joy. For those of you whose back is breaking from the troubles you carry every day, lay them down at the foot of the cross. Are you not yet convinced that your own best efforts cannot remove these burdens? Give your troubles, your heart, your very self to the One who made you and put you on this earth for His glory. Don't wait another minute!