He can stand and he can dance, but he can't do both at the same time.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Lily Dancer
Lily is now taking dance/gym at the Little Gym. We are trying it out to see if it is something she likes. So far, she has been thrilled.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Those cuties!
Just wanted to add some of our favorite new photos of the kids. Lily continues to do great with her diabetes. We are so proud of her. Most days she is looking for the best way to be a sweet girl. Our little monkey Owen is almost 9 months now and showing more personality all the time. His heart seems to be strong and healthy. We are in the process of a doctor's evaluation of his spine though as he is tilted 22 degrees to the left. An MRI is scheduled for next week.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Chester
Rosa has a friend. Her friend loves to play with her. He likes to chew on her ears the best.
His name is Chester, and I put the odds of him staying as quite a bit higher than Rosa's.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Rosa Rabbit
We have, for whatever time she can last, a rabbit. Our neighbor across the street raises Thriantas, and called LeAnn to say she wanted to give one to Lily. Lori Ann provided the rabbit, cage, and initial supplies.
Lily likes Rosa.
Monday, July 7, 2008
4th of July Movie Crew
This is the crew we took to see Wall-e. I think Owen liked it more than Lily - he took a nap part of the way through, but he seemed thoroughly engrossed the rest of the time. Lily enjoyed it, but said she would like it better on her TV at home. LeAnn and I think that if Wall-e had a princess or two she might have enjoyed it a bit more.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Too Long
I have to do better about blogging and not think of it as a chore. I have posts about churches I have been putting off; I will continue to put them off and put up sugary kid stuff for now.
Example above.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Biltmore Baptist Church
Big church. What did we think?
Walking in is like going to the mall or a concert. You drive up in a long line of cars all headed to the same place. You pull into a long driveway, greeted by nice landscaping and ultimately a sea of parking with the building off in the distance. Attendants in vests flag you into your parking aisle and parking space. Lugging Owen's carrier across the parking to the entrance was not a welcoming experience.
The lobby is a double height space. They have marble tile on the floors and fancy kiosks set up for various ministries. It feels like a Mariott or Sheraton conference center. We continued to follow the crowd (mooing occasionally) and entered the ... what do you call that thing? Not a sanctuary. It isn't a convention center, exactly. They have tried to dress it up, but it looks and feels exactly like what it is: a metal building. They have dressed up around the structural frame with sheetrock and hung banners around the room. They have a big platform for the performances, and a baptistry at the front. The proportions feel a little off as the width feels greater than the depth of the space.
Walking in is like going to the mall or a concert. You drive up in a long line of cars all headed to the same place. You pull into a long driveway, greeted by nice landscaping and ultimately a sea of parking with the building off in the distance. Attendants in vests flag you into your parking aisle and parking space. Lugging Owen's carrier across the parking to the entrance was not a welcoming experience.
The lobby is a double height space. They have marble tile on the floors and fancy kiosks set up for various ministries. It feels like a Mariott or Sheraton conference center. We continued to follow the crowd (mooing occasionally) and entered the ... what do you call that thing? Not a sanctuary. It isn't a convention center, exactly. They have tried to dress it up, but it looks and feels exactly like what it is: a metal building. They have dressed up around the structural frame with sheetrock and hung banners around the room. They have a big platform for the performances, and a baptistry at the front. The proportions feel a little off as the width feels greater than the depth of the space.
LeAnn and I keep comparing the service to a Gaither or Southern Gospel concert. It was big, well-produced, and entirely comfortable to us in content and style. I just kept getting the feeling that everyone in the room was comfortable with their lives and their church. I think that it would be difficult to convince the people of Biltmore that they ever needed to change to engage the community differently. They have a style and formula that has worked and they will stick to it.
We passed 3 classes dedicated solely to 4-year-olds on the way out. I have no doubt that they have tremendous programs for our family.
I started this post about a month ago, and never finished it. I am not quite sure why; I just don't have much to say about Biltmore. I guess that says a lot.
Bryan
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Covenant Community
We have been to a few churches, but I am finally getting around to my review of Covenant Community.
Worship: Grade A-. The music was good. Our first visit was a youth Sunday, so we have seen the youth band and the regular band. LeAnn thought it was a little loud, but overall ok.
The communication methods seem right to me. They mix in A/V, current topics, a casual speaking style that gets to the point. They don't beat you over the head by repeating the same thing 7 times. They don't bother to alliterate the points of the sermon. They are vulnerable, and they base everything they say on Scripture. The meeting time is great for us; service is at 9:45 and you are out before 11. The kids meet during worship, so we were headed home by 11.
Minus points on the facility. I understand having a space set up for multi-media, but it might as well have been a small auditorium/multi-purpose room in a hotel or conference center. I miss architectural cues that spell out a place of worship. I miss natural light. I didn't like staring at that huge black wall.
Nurture: Grade B? I noticed that they have an active prayer ministry. The youth group looks and sounds great. The only discipleship vehicle they have is the small group, which meets in various locations at different times of the week. I never heard them mentioned during the service. The kids class seemed fine to us; Lily remembered her class lesson fairly well. I would have to research this more for a better idea.
Evangelism: Grade A? Covenant has been doing the contemporary thing in Asheville for 15 years. They have sent people off to other churches. Their band pretty much left en masse to go to Seacoast. I had read about Covenant and their outreach and ministry in the paper prior to even thinking about visiting. They have a specific mission, and they are trying to make themselves into a church that is intentional in fulfilling the command of Christ in Matt. 28.
Overall? They are located roughly 14 miles from our house. We go through two high school districts to get to them (from Enka, across Roberson, to Reynolds.) They are a Methodist church. While they are probably on the conservative end of the Methodist spectrum, that makes them moderate to me. I have a few hangups (see below) that I would have to get past.
I think if they were closer I would investigate further; LeAnn and I agreed that if they were Baptist we would probably make the drive. As it is, we will keep looking for now.
Back in Business
I have been wrapped up in home/work/etc. and have not had the mental space for blogging.
Back to it now.
Bryan
Back to it now.
Bryan
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Methodist and Baptist
I left my first review of Covenant Community unfinished, primarily because I wanted to digest the experience more. I also wanted explain why I am not currently comfortable with the idea of attending a Methodist Church.
The United Methodist Church does a lot of things well. Mama grew up as a Methodist. My boss is a Methodist. I am currently working with and for good and godly Methodist men and women as we work out a master plan for Lake Junaluska. Methodists have always been active in the community (refer to this). I believe that Methodists and Baptists would agree on major doctrine (the character and nature of God, the deity of Christ, justification by faith in Christ, etc.)
My current understanding of Methodist belief and tradition is that Methodists (as a faith) do not believe in the doctrine of biblical inerrancy (refer to this). The Methodist Book of Discipline says that the Bible contains everything necessary for salvation. I agree with that statement. I would go quite a bit further and say that the original autographs of the books of the Bible were divinely inspired and inerrant. (Go here for a better treatment of the subject.) I am in agreement with Augustine, who states, "If we are perplexed by an apparent contradiction in Scripture, it is not allowable to say, 'The author of this book is mistaken'; but either the manuscript is faulty, or the translation is wrong, or you have not understood". (Book XII, Reply to Faustus the Manichean)
Contrast that statement with this, from Bishop Kenneth Carder: "What is the Bible's authority? As I understand it, the Bible's authority does not lie in its verbal inerrancy or even its factual accuracy. " (source) Or this from Rev. H. Neill McFarland: "Ascribing inerrancy to the Bible is actually the ultimate gesture in subverting its real importance. If the function of the Bible is to define and freeze some status quo ante as a divinely prescribed human norm, the Bible is essentially obsolete and irrelevant in certain details." (source)
There is no need to beat this subject to death; there are a variety of books and sermons on the topic, not to mention a host of blogs and forums where people argue the subject. I know where I am, and I am not comfortable with a a denomination that tries to distance itself from the authority of Scripture. I know that I don't live out everything commanded in Scripture. I will agree that I should.
The United Methodist Church does a lot of things well. Mama grew up as a Methodist. My boss is a Methodist. I am currently working with and for good and godly Methodist men and women as we work out a master plan for Lake Junaluska. Methodists have always been active in the community (refer to this). I believe that Methodists and Baptists would agree on major doctrine (the character and nature of God, the deity of Christ, justification by faith in Christ, etc.)
My current understanding of Methodist belief and tradition is that Methodists (as a faith) do not believe in the doctrine of biblical inerrancy (refer to this). The Methodist Book of Discipline says that the Bible contains everything necessary for salvation. I agree with that statement. I would go quite a bit further and say that the original autographs of the books of the Bible were divinely inspired and inerrant. (Go here for a better treatment of the subject.) I am in agreement with Augustine, who states, "If we are perplexed by an apparent contradiction in Scripture, it is not allowable to say, 'The author of this book is mistaken'; but either the manuscript is faulty, or the translation is wrong, or you have not understood". (Book XII, Reply to Faustus the Manichean)
Contrast that statement with this, from Bishop Kenneth Carder: "What is the Bible's authority? As I understand it, the Bible's authority does not lie in its verbal inerrancy or even its factual accuracy. " (source) Or this from Rev. H. Neill McFarland: "Ascribing inerrancy to the Bible is actually the ultimate gesture in subverting its real importance. If the function of the Bible is to define and freeze some status quo ante as a divinely prescribed human norm, the Bible is essentially obsolete and irrelevant in certain details." (source)
There is no need to beat this subject to death; there are a variety of books and sermons on the topic, not to mention a host of blogs and forums where people argue the subject. I know where I am, and I am not comfortable with a a denomination that tries to distance itself from the authority of Scripture. I know that I don't live out everything commanded in Scripture. I will agree that I should.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Covenant Community - First Review
LeAnn and I visited Covenant Community this past Sunday. Covenant is a United Methodist Church located off of Rocket Drive at Reynolds High. We had heard good things about it from Carleton and Lisa Metcalf, so we decided to head on over.
They have three services; an 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00. They don't really have adult classes; they push small groups that meet at various times during the week. The kids' classes meet at 9:45 and 11:00. The typical schedule would be to go to worship while your kids were in class and then to go home.
We went to the 9:45 service. This past Sunday was lead by the Youth Group and Youth Pastor, so it wasn't exactly a typical service. We will probably go back next week to get a sense of how the main pastor (Claude Kayler, who has a blog) leads the congregation. I will probably do a full review after seeing a "normal" service.
My initial reactions are mixed. The youth did a great job. I can't remember the last time I saw teenagers that comfortable with themselves and Christ. The church obviously does a lot of things well. I didn't hear anything that I disagreed with theologically (even though they used a Rob Bell clip! just for you, Jon). The youth service had a harder musical edge than a "typical" service. Lily thoroughly enjoyed the music and danced the whole time.
The mixed part comes from not being quite comfortable with Methodist beliefs. I asked LeAnn as we drove away what she would think if it was a Baptist church, and she said it would be very different. I will try to summarize what that means in a fuller post later this week. The distance may play a part as well.
More later, Bryan
They have three services; an 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00. They don't really have adult classes; they push small groups that meet at various times during the week. The kids' classes meet at 9:45 and 11:00. The typical schedule would be to go to worship while your kids were in class and then to go home.
We went to the 9:45 service. This past Sunday was lead by the Youth Group and Youth Pastor, so it wasn't exactly a typical service. We will probably go back next week to get a sense of how the main pastor (Claude Kayler, who has a blog) leads the congregation. I will probably do a full review after seeing a "normal" service.
My initial reactions are mixed. The youth did a great job. I can't remember the last time I saw teenagers that comfortable with themselves and Christ. The church obviously does a lot of things well. I didn't hear anything that I disagreed with theologically (even though they used a Rob Bell clip! just for you, Jon). The youth service had a harder musical edge than a "typical" service. Lily thoroughly enjoyed the music and danced the whole time.
The mixed part comes from not being quite comfortable with Methodist beliefs. I asked LeAnn as we drove away what she would think if it was a Baptist church, and she said it would be very different. I will try to summarize what that means in a fuller post later this week. The distance may play a part as well.
More later, Bryan
Saturday, February 16, 2008
How are we? Pretty Good
LeAnn sent the following out in an email, and I thought it made a good post:
Something I have discovered about having a November baby...the holidays make baby announcements near impossible to get into the mail. I did finally get some into the mail, but then other distractions prevented me from ever finishing. So now I have given up and decided to send it all by e-mail. And many people now need updates on what they received in the mail as a lot has happened recently to our family...
On February 1, Lily was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. She had been drinking excessively and slowly losing weight. I scheduled an appointment with her pediatrician before we got to any danger zones, but a four day hospital stay was still required to bring her blood sugar levels down and to educate Bryan and I on how to care for her at home. Bryan and I had no idea this was a possibility for her as we did not know the symptoms for diabetes and there is no one on either side of our families with type 1. She is doing much much better now, looking and acting more like our little Lily again. She was even still able to have her Princess Birthday Cake when she turned four this week! So now through proper daily insulin treatments and carbohydrate counting, we will be able to keep her well. But as several have asked, she will never outgrow this disease, but she will grow more and more used to managing the disease. Right now we are required a minimum of four "checks" and three "pointies" each day, but as she gets older, insulin pumps and other devices may make it even simpler for her. Bryan and I are just so thankful that we live in a day and age when this health condition can be minimized with proper medical care. And Lily has been a trooper throughout everything.
By now, many also know about Owen's heart murmur. He has a bicuspid valve instead of the normal tricuspid valve. As Granddad so simply explained, this means he should play basketball instead of football. Bicuspid patients are simply encouraged to watch any heavy isometric activities. Owen has a pediatric cardiologist who will monitor him annually to be sure this valve continues to work properly. Occasionally bicuspid patients need these valves replaced in their 50's or 60's if they begin to leak. If Owen were likely to have any problems earlier in life he would have already exhibited symptons. Instead, he is a happy, healthy baby and his doctor still considers his heart to be very healthy. Just watch him scream and turn red all over during bath time and you will know his heart is pumping just fine.
I will not pretend like the last few weeks have been easy. Bryan and I have felt shock, fear, tears, and a new form of exhaustion all at once, but we are still doing OKAY. It just takes awhile to absorb all the changes and to feel confident that you won't ever let your daughter get into any danger zones. God has answered most of our questions best by simply reminding us that it is better for Lily and Owen to have us as parents than another couple who might be unable or unwilling to give their kids proper care. I am a very protective mother anyway, so now I tell myself I have medical excuses. I have realized since losing Mom that the 32 years I had with her were far greater than most daughters get in a lifetime. And now, even though I wish neither of my kids had this to deal with, I feel more than ever that they are the most precious two kids God could have ever given Bryan and me.
We honestly look forward to some days ahead when our family won't have to report so much on how we are doing. We feel our family and friends should have stock in Hallmark by now after all the cards we have received. We thank you so much for caring about us. And many of you have expressed praying for us before you even knew the details of what was happening with Lily-those were deeply felt and kept us going.
Trusting in Him like never before,
Bryan & LeAnn
Something I have discovered about having a November baby...the holidays make baby announcements near impossible to get into the mail. I did finally get some into the mail, but then other distractions prevented me from ever finishing. So now I have given up and decided to send it all by e-mail. And many people now need updates on what they received in the mail as a lot has happened recently to our family...On February 1, Lily was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. She had been drinking excessively and slowly losing weight. I scheduled an appointment with her pediatrician before we got to any danger zones, but a four day hospital stay was still required to bring her blood sugar levels down and to educate Bryan and I on how to care for her at home. Bryan and I had no idea this was a possibility for her as we did not know the symptoms for diabetes and there is no one on either side of our families with type 1. She is doing much much better now, looking and acting more like our little Lily again. She was even still able to have her Princess Birthday Cake when she turned four this week! So now through proper daily insulin treatments and carbohydrate counting, we will be able to keep her well. But as several have asked, she will never outgrow this disease, but she will grow more and more used to managing the disease. Right now we are required a minimum of four "checks" and three "pointies" each day, but as she gets older, insulin pumps and other devices may make it even simpler for her. Bryan and I are just so thankful that we live in a day and age when this health condition can be minimized with proper medical care. And Lily has been a trooper throughout everything.
By now, many also know about Owen's heart murmur. He has a bicuspid valve instead of the normal tricuspid valve. As Granddad so simply explained, this means he should play basketball instead of football. Bicuspid patients are simply encouraged to watch any heavy isometric activities. Owen has a pediatric cardiologist who will monitor him annually to be sure this valve continues to work properly. Occasionally bicuspid patients need these valves replaced in their 50's or 60's if they begin to leak. If Owen were likely to have any problems earlier in life he would have already exhibited symptons. Instead, he is a happy, healthy baby and his doctor still considers his heart to be very healthy. Just watch him scream and turn red all over during bath time and you will know his heart is pumping just fine.I will not pretend like the last few weeks have been easy. Bryan and I have felt shock, fear, tears, and a new form of exhaustion all at once, but we are still doing OKAY. It just takes awhile to absorb all the changes and to feel confident that you won't ever let your daughter get into any danger zones. God has answered most of our questions best by simply reminding us that it is better for Lily and Owen to have us as parents than another couple who might be unable or unwilling to give their kids proper care. I am a very protective mother anyway, so now I tell myself I have medical excuses. I have realized since losing Mom that the 32 years I had with her were far greater than most daughters get in a lifetime. And now, even though I wish neither of my kids had this to deal with, I feel more than ever that they are the most precious two kids God could have ever given Bryan and me.
We honestly look forward to some days ahead when our family won't have to report so much on how we are doing. We feel our family and friends should have stock in Hallmark by now after all the cards we have received. We thank you so much for caring about us. And many of you have expressed praying for us before you even knew the details of what was happening with Lily-those were deeply felt and kept us going.
Trusting in Him like never before,
Bryan & LeAnn
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Sugar Lily
I cannot begin to write all the life we have lived in the past week.
First off, if you don't know what Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes is, go to:
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes.jsp
or
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103438
LeAnn and I noticed a change in Lily that started shortly after Christmas. At first it seemed that she was moody and pouty. We attributed that to a couple of causes, namely the new baby in the house and the fact that she hadn't seen her "kids" at church in over a month. Then mealtime became a battle as Lily wanted to drink constantly. She would get us up five or six times a night to use the bathroom.
LeAnn and I were in the process of trying to figure out what was going on when I came down with a stomach "bug", which I still haven't gotten rid of after two weeks. We thought at the time Lily had something similar. Lily had started to look and feel a little thin to us, and we thought she was just flushing out all her nutrients with constant drinking.
Owen had his appointment with the pediatrician on January 22, and LeAnn asked the doctor if she should be worried about Lily. As Lily was still in the healthy range (barely) for height and weight, Dr. Hamel said it was probably a stage and not to worry about it.
Lily became more and more listless. Her appetite would vary from ravenous to none. She lost two or three more pounds, and LeAnn was getting upset trying to figure out what was happening. Lily's tongue was coated and dry, and she would talk with a lisp. LeAnn made an appointment with the pediatrician for Friday, Feb. 1st. I promised to go to an urgent care or my doctor that afternoon to try to figure out my stuff.
As soon as the doctor examined Lily and performed the urine test, she took LeAnn in the next room. Dr. Hamel told LeAnn that Lily had Type 1 diabetes and would need a stay of several days in the hospital. LeAnn said they essentially shut down the office as they got Lily and LeAnn ready to go to the hospital. LeAnn called me (roughly 11:45 AM) and told me what was going on. I was already in the exam room of the urgent care, getting ready to have blood tests done. LeAnn, Lily and Owen went on to Mission Hospital.
By the time I got out of the stupid urgent care, it was a little after 2:00. They already had Lily on the pediatric care floor, hooked up to an IV. Her blood sugar was over 800, and she was far along into ketoacidosis.
I pray you will never have to walk into a hospital room to see your three (almost four) year old lying in the bed, hollow eyed, sunken face, white, listless, hooked up to an IV.
The good news is that diabetes is a manageable disease. I can't speak highly enough of the staff of Mission Hospital and Asheville Endocrinology. They took care of Lily quickly, and began to educate LeAnn and I on our new responsibilities. 95% of the care for a child with diabetes lies with the family. We are her pancreas now, and we have to teach her how to take care of herself as she grows older. Mary Beth, our diabetes educator, got us pointed on the path of how to feed and care for our little girl.
As I write this on Wednesday, Feb. 6th, I can hear Lily upstairs dancing and playing as her Mommy washes dishes. God gave our Lily back to us, and has provided us with the means, technology, and professionals to keep her.
We will stay in constant contact with Dr. Speed over the next few weeks as we all try to find Lily's balance of diet and insulin. We are on a current regimen of roughly three shots a day (quite a bit more right now until we get her glucose into the proper range). We call the glucose tests "checks" and the shots "pointy's". We told Lily that we either had to take the pole (IV) or the pointy's home with us to get the medicine into Lily, and she chose the pointy's.
Lily is doing ok with her treatment. She cries every time. But she also will hold out the finger to be pricked as she cries. She dislikes the pointy the most. I am sure she will grow more resistant before she finally accepts things.
LeAnn and I have so much to be thankful for right now. We are thankful that she is well, that they caught it in time. We are thankful that we live in a time and with technology that will help us give her a full and mostly normal life. We are thankful for the medical professionals who have cared for us. We are thankful for our families who love and support us. We are thankful that we are in the position to provide the care Lily needs.
We have always been proud that God trusted us with Lily. We still are.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21
First off, if you don't know what Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes is, go to:
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes.jsp
or
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103438
LeAnn and I noticed a change in Lily that started shortly after Christmas. At first it seemed that she was moody and pouty. We attributed that to a couple of causes, namely the new baby in the house and the fact that she hadn't seen her "kids" at church in over a month. Then mealtime became a battle as Lily wanted to drink constantly. She would get us up five or six times a night to use the bathroom.
LeAnn and I were in the process of trying to figure out what was going on when I came down with a stomach "bug", which I still haven't gotten rid of after two weeks. We thought at the time Lily had something similar. Lily had started to look and feel a little thin to us, and we thought she was just flushing out all her nutrients with constant drinking.
Owen had his appointment with the pediatrician on January 22, and LeAnn asked the doctor if she should be worried about Lily. As Lily was still in the healthy range (barely) for height and weight, Dr. Hamel said it was probably a stage and not to worry about it.
Lily became more and more listless. Her appetite would vary from ravenous to none. She lost two or three more pounds, and LeAnn was getting upset trying to figure out what was happening. Lily's tongue was coated and dry, and she would talk with a lisp. LeAnn made an appointment with the pediatrician for Friday, Feb. 1st. I promised to go to an urgent care or my doctor that afternoon to try to figure out my stuff.
As soon as the doctor examined Lily and performed the urine test, she took LeAnn in the next room. Dr. Hamel told LeAnn that Lily had Type 1 diabetes and would need a stay of several days in the hospital. LeAnn said they essentially shut down the office as they got Lily and LeAnn ready to go to the hospital. LeAnn called me (roughly 11:45 AM) and told me what was going on. I was already in the exam room of the urgent care, getting ready to have blood tests done. LeAnn, Lily and Owen went on to Mission Hospital.
By the time I got out of the stupid urgent care, it was a little after 2:00. They already had Lily on the pediatric care floor, hooked up to an IV. Her blood sugar was over 800, and she was far along into ketoacidosis.
I pray you will never have to walk into a hospital room to see your three (almost four) year old lying in the bed, hollow eyed, sunken face, white, listless, hooked up to an IV.
The good news is that diabetes is a manageable disease. I can't speak highly enough of the staff of Mission Hospital and Asheville Endocrinology. They took care of Lily quickly, and began to educate LeAnn and I on our new responsibilities. 95% of the care for a child with diabetes lies with the family. We are her pancreas now, and we have to teach her how to take care of herself as she grows older. Mary Beth, our diabetes educator, got us pointed on the path of how to feed and care for our little girl.
As I write this on Wednesday, Feb. 6th, I can hear Lily upstairs dancing and playing as her Mommy washes dishes. God gave our Lily back to us, and has provided us with the means, technology, and professionals to keep her.
We will stay in constant contact with Dr. Speed over the next few weeks as we all try to find Lily's balance of diet and insulin. We are on a current regimen of roughly three shots a day (quite a bit more right now until we get her glucose into the proper range). We call the glucose tests "checks" and the shots "pointy's". We told Lily that we either had to take the pole (IV) or the pointy's home with us to get the medicine into Lily, and she chose the pointy's.
Lily is doing ok with her treatment. She cries every time. But she also will hold out the finger to be pricked as she cries. She dislikes the pointy the most. I am sure she will grow more resistant before she finally accepts things.
LeAnn and I have so much to be thankful for right now. We are thankful that she is well, that they caught it in time. We are thankful that we live in a time and with technology that will help us give her a full and mostly normal life. We are thankful for the medical professionals who have cared for us. We are thankful for our families who love and support us. We are thankful that we are in the position to provide the care Lily needs.
We have always been proud that God trusted us with Lily. We still are.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Grace Biltmore, Take Two
I have been under the weather this week (more about that later), so we haven't been posting as much.
LeAnn and I took all the kids for our first foray to a church this morning. We arrived at Grace Biltmore around 9:55, service started about 10:10. We took the kids inside, were greeted at the door, navigated through the slim crowd and found a place to sit. Less people than last time, and none came to talk to us.
I had told LeAnn before that one of my major questions was how they handled salvation and baptism. We got the answer this morning, as two kids, a brother a sister, were sprinkled during service. LeAnn and I shared a look and said we would discuss it later.
We really enjoyed the music, but LeAnn and I both said that we seemed to be the only ones. Most folks stood there and didn't sing at all, they just waited for the music to end to sit down again. During the greeting time, the couple in front of us said hello, but no one introduced themselves, and that was it. The sermon was fine again, although LeAnn didn't get to hear much as she had to take care of Owen once and Lily once during the sermon.
After the sermon and before the final song was finished, we noticed a couple of guys pulling out the chair carts. As soon as they had the final blessing, people picked up their chairs, took them to the carts, and left. We took a little longer than most because we had to get Owen bundled back into his carrier. While I took the chairs up LeAnn said one lady introduced herself and talked about the kids. Then we gathered them up and left.
I was deeply disappointed. Maybe it was because we sat on the side closest to the door (I was on the opposite side last time), but the people were no where near as friendly this time around. LeAnn and I said that for a start up church they could do a better job receiving people. I was also disappointed in the worship atmosphere, as it seemed like the people were just waiting to sit down again instead of enjoying what I thought was a good worship experience.
We could get past both of those things; LeAnn and I could be the people singing and making sure to make a beeline to visitors. But we both had trouble with sprinkling, and we both had trouble with a brother and sister being "saved" at the same time. I know it happens, but it felt formulaic to me.
Baptism by immersion is an important ordinance to me. I think it is funny that Baptists insist on full immersion by pointing to the example of Christ and the disciples, but then turn their noses up to wine and bread for the Lord's Supper and say it is only a symbol anyway. I do think that baptism by immersion is important. I understand that I could insist on having my kids baptized, but LeAnn and I don't want to be "the Baptists" in the congregation. The pastor even said after the baptism that he used a lot of water "for our Baptist friends with us today".
Grace Biltmore isn't out of the picture yet. If I were serious about the church I would make a point of introducing myself, and if I were serious about the church I would expect God to show us places where we could plug in and make it better. LeAnn and I said that the crowd probably varied from week to week, and it would be difficult to know who was a visitor and who was not. However, introducing yourself and welcoming someone has nothing to do with whether or not they are a visitor, and everything to do with intentionally wanting to engage people for Christ.
We are looking at our options for next week; stay tuned.
You know, I just had a thought. At some point we will probably join one of these churches, and my brutally honest evaluations will at some point be read by a member or staff. If and when that happens, I just hope and pray they can take criticism in a constructive manner.
Bryan
LeAnn and I took all the kids for our first foray to a church this morning. We arrived at Grace Biltmore around 9:55, service started about 10:10. We took the kids inside, were greeted at the door, navigated through the slim crowd and found a place to sit. Less people than last time, and none came to talk to us.
I had told LeAnn before that one of my major questions was how they handled salvation and baptism. We got the answer this morning, as two kids, a brother a sister, were sprinkled during service. LeAnn and I shared a look and said we would discuss it later.
We really enjoyed the music, but LeAnn and I both said that we seemed to be the only ones. Most folks stood there and didn't sing at all, they just waited for the music to end to sit down again. During the greeting time, the couple in front of us said hello, but no one introduced themselves, and that was it. The sermon was fine again, although LeAnn didn't get to hear much as she had to take care of Owen once and Lily once during the sermon.
After the sermon and before the final song was finished, we noticed a couple of guys pulling out the chair carts. As soon as they had the final blessing, people picked up their chairs, took them to the carts, and left. We took a little longer than most because we had to get Owen bundled back into his carrier. While I took the chairs up LeAnn said one lady introduced herself and talked about the kids. Then we gathered them up and left.
I was deeply disappointed. Maybe it was because we sat on the side closest to the door (I was on the opposite side last time), but the people were no where near as friendly this time around. LeAnn and I said that for a start up church they could do a better job receiving people. I was also disappointed in the worship atmosphere, as it seemed like the people were just waiting to sit down again instead of enjoying what I thought was a good worship experience.
We could get past both of those things; LeAnn and I could be the people singing and making sure to make a beeline to visitors. But we both had trouble with sprinkling, and we both had trouble with a brother and sister being "saved" at the same time. I know it happens, but it felt formulaic to me.
Baptism by immersion is an important ordinance to me. I think it is funny that Baptists insist on full immersion by pointing to the example of Christ and the disciples, but then turn their noses up to wine and bread for the Lord's Supper and say it is only a symbol anyway. I do think that baptism by immersion is important. I understand that I could insist on having my kids baptized, but LeAnn and I don't want to be "the Baptists" in the congregation. The pastor even said after the baptism that he used a lot of water "for our Baptist friends with us today".
Grace Biltmore isn't out of the picture yet. If I were serious about the church I would make a point of introducing myself, and if I were serious about the church I would expect God to show us places where we could plug in and make it better. LeAnn and I said that the crowd probably varied from week to week, and it would be difficult to know who was a visitor and who was not. However, introducing yourself and welcoming someone has nothing to do with whether or not they are a visitor, and everything to do with intentionally wanting to engage people for Christ.
We are looking at our options for next week; stay tuned.
You know, I just had a thought. At some point we will probably join one of these churches, and my brutally honest evaluations will at some point be read by a member or staff. If and when that happens, I just hope and pray they can take criticism in a constructive manner.
Bryan
Friday, January 18, 2008
Bicuspid Valve
Background: When Owen was born, one of his nurses picked up a slight heart murmur. The pedetrician from Mountain Area Pediatrics checked him out and ordered a visit from the pediatric cardiologist, an EKG and an ultrasound of his heart. Dr. McGovern, his cardiologist, told us after all the tests that he had a small hole in his heart, leakage on the low pressure side, and an aortic bicuspid valve. He said the small hole and leakage would probably go away, but that we would have to monitor the bicuspid valve and scheduled an appointment for two months. They said everything looked ok, that his pressure, rate, etc. were fine.
We went to Dr. McGovern, the pediatric cardiologist today. They weighed him (12 lbs, 4 oz.), took blood pressure, listened, did an EKG. Dr. McGovern said that the murmur is so slight now that he wouldn't find it unless he was looking. He said he looked great, was very healthy, and Dr. McGovern wasn't worried about him.
Now for the rest of the story. He has the bicuspid valve, and always will.
http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/bicuspid-aortic-valve-symptoms.php
http://www.med.yale.edu/intmed/cardio/chd/e_as/index.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=991
Dr. McGovern said it was a condition we would monitor over the years. We will go back next year, do an ultrasound, and see where we stand. If there is little to no leakage, we will come back in 2-3 years at a time. Dr. McGovern said that these conditions don't ever surprise you, and he said that Owen's condition is such that it shouldn't cause much of a problem. He probably won't ever need surgery, even into his 70's and 80's.
I asked about athletics, and Dr. McGovern said that he (Dr. McGovern) would be fine with things like basketball or track, but not football or wrestling. He said those types of isometric activities, like weighlifting, would spike your blood pressure and put high stress on the valve. While it might not be a problem, it also might cause a higher rate of leakage.
To be honest, I am a little concerned. I know that we have a long way to go, and that he can do pretty much anything he will want to be able to do, but I still hate to hear he already has limits. I wonder if the "no weightlifting" restriction applies to hauling firewood, or moving furniture, or pretty much any kind of physical labor.
We will just take it a day at a time, and wait and see how things turn out. What we do know is that he is strong and big for his age, and that God is in control.
Bryan
We went to Dr. McGovern, the pediatric cardiologist today. They weighed him (12 lbs, 4 oz.), took blood pressure, listened, did an EKG. Dr. McGovern said that the murmur is so slight now that he wouldn't find it unless he was looking. He said he looked great, was very healthy, and Dr. McGovern wasn't worried about him.
Now for the rest of the story. He has the bicuspid valve, and always will.
http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/bicuspid-aortic-valve-symptoms.php
http://www.med.yale.edu/intmed/cardio/chd/e_as/index.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=991
Dr. McGovern said it was a condition we would monitor over the years. We will go back next year, do an ultrasound, and see where we stand. If there is little to no leakage, we will come back in 2-3 years at a time. Dr. McGovern said that these conditions don't ever surprise you, and he said that Owen's condition is such that it shouldn't cause much of a problem. He probably won't ever need surgery, even into his 70's and 80's.
I asked about athletics, and Dr. McGovern said that he (Dr. McGovern) would be fine with things like basketball or track, but not football or wrestling. He said those types of isometric activities, like weighlifting, would spike your blood pressure and put high stress on the valve. While it might not be a problem, it also might cause a higher rate of leakage.
To be honest, I am a little concerned. I know that we have a long way to go, and that he can do pretty much anything he will want to be able to do, but I still hate to hear he already has limits. I wonder if the "no weightlifting" restriction applies to hauling firewood, or moving furniture, or pretty much any kind of physical labor.
We will just take it a day at a time, and wait and see how things turn out. What we do know is that he is strong and big for his age, and that God is in control.
Bryan
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Snow Day
We had about 5 inches when I woke up this morning. It is doing the icy/freezing rain thing now, so I don't know how much playing we will be able to do.
My first thought when I woke up at 4:00 - We don't have a sled!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Home Rendering
I have been working (very slowly, unfortunately for Matt) on a house design over the last few weeks. We are fairly close to having the plan completed.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Bent Creek Baptist Church
Bent Creek is located across from the Arboretum entrance, south of Biltmore Square Mall. They have an older facility with a slightly newer auditorium that had to be built in the early 80's (apricot colored cushions on the pews, green carpet, brutalist architecture). As I drove up around 10:40 for a 10:45 start of worship, the parking lot was maybe 1/3 full. The auditorium was built of split-face fluted CMU, which gives a very rough and jagged appearance. They had that as well as smooth face CMU on the interior of the auditorium. No windows in the auditorium - it is set up with the pews in a fan shape facing the stage with a raked floor and balcony seating. They had movable walls pulled across three of the seating sections under the balcony to keep the people in a tighter seating pattern.
I was given a welcome type packet as I came in, then I went on and sat down. No one spoke to me as I entered the auditorium and found a seat. There were somewhere around 170-180 people attending (they listed their attendance last week at 197, which probably included kids.) The crowd was 40's to 60's, with some teenagers. Very few smaller children around.
Worship: Grade B- to C. The music was satisfactory. They had a lady on a keyboard, a kid on drums, and about 17-18 other folks singing. The crowd stood, but few in the audience sang along. They sang "contemporary" praise songs. The pastor started a few minutes after 11, and finished up around 11:40. They sang more, had a prayer, and started into a budget discussion, so I left before they released the crowd. The pastor's sermon was expository, scripture based (Mark 13) and had present day application.
Nurture: Hard to say. They have a lot of programs listed in the bulletin.
Evangelism: They are at least making a pass at the culture around them with the music. The pastor had on khaki's, button up shirt, and a sport coat. He was fairly young (mid to late 40's) and spoke in a contemporary language. But the overall thrust of everything they seem to be doing is preaching to the choir.
They had a short greeting session after the first song and prayer, and a grand total of two folks introduced themselves and asked my names. Two or three others shook my hand, and that was it.
I think it is probably a satisfactory church in most respects, but I won't be going back. The whole operation speaks of better times in the past and a struggle in the future.
I was given a welcome type packet as I came in, then I went on and sat down. No one spoke to me as I entered the auditorium and found a seat. There were somewhere around 170-180 people attending (they listed their attendance last week at 197, which probably included kids.) The crowd was 40's to 60's, with some teenagers. Very few smaller children around.
Worship: Grade B- to C. The music was satisfactory. They had a lady on a keyboard, a kid on drums, and about 17-18 other folks singing. The crowd stood, but few in the audience sang along. They sang "contemporary" praise songs. The pastor started a few minutes after 11, and finished up around 11:40. They sang more, had a prayer, and started into a budget discussion, so I left before they released the crowd. The pastor's sermon was expository, scripture based (Mark 13) and had present day application.
Nurture: Hard to say. They have a lot of programs listed in the bulletin.
Evangelism: They are at least making a pass at the culture around them with the music. The pastor had on khaki's, button up shirt, and a sport coat. He was fairly young (mid to late 40's) and spoke in a contemporary language. But the overall thrust of everything they seem to be doing is preaching to the choir.
They had a short greeting session after the first song and prayer, and a grand total of two folks introduced themselves and asked my names. Two or three others shook my hand, and that was it.
I think it is probably a satisfactory church in most respects, but I won't be going back. The whole operation speaks of better times in the past and a struggle in the future.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
That was painful
After a full week at work, I was looking forward to enjoying an afternoon of competitive basketball.
Oh, well.
Oh, well.
Light Posting, Long Week
I have had a long week at work, so posting has been light. Not a bad week, just lots to cram into small time periods.
LeAnn's doctor appointment went well on Monday, and she had the crown in her tooth repaired on Tuesday.
I am still planning on visiting another church tomorrow; probably Bent Creek Baptist. http://www.bentcreekbaptist.org/
LeAnn's doctor appointment went well on Monday, and she had the crown in her tooth repaired on Tuesday.
I am still planning on visiting another church tomorrow; probably Bent Creek Baptist. http://www.bentcreekbaptist.org/
Monday, January 7, 2008
Grace Biltmore
I visited worship at Grace Biltmore yesterday morning http://www.gracebiltmore.org/ for their 10:00 service. LeAnn and I decided that I would go and visit some of these churches by myself; I don't want to take Lily quite yet. She is ready for some kids, and I don't want her to get excited about a place LeAnn and I might not like.
I thought I would post my evaluations of each church in three areas: Worship (ministry to God), Nurture (ministry to believers), and Evangelism and Mercy (ministry to world.)
Grace Biltmore
Worship: Grade B, so far. The worship is pretty much what I wanted to see from Merrimon. The music was two folks playing guitars and singing with one guy on the drums. The songs were a good mix of contemporary with modern versions of hymns (Standing on the Promises, Blessed Assurance). The volume and style is great for Asheville - not quite folk acoustic, but not real loud hard edge either. They had a nice upbeat sound, and nice reverent quite styles as well. The people seemed to enjoy the music and join in appropriately. The pastor's sermon was low-key, doctrinally sound, biblically based (Joshua 3-4) and expository. He drew in references that a younger generation would identify (football playoffs, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.)
The only points that detract from the grade is that they are a start-up church (3 years old) and are meeting in the fellowship hall (gym) of a 7th day Adventist church. So the facility detracts from the overall experience, at least for me. Not as bad as Seacoast (movie theater), and probably about as good as Merrimon's facility, which was not well designed to start with.
I also liked the times: 9:00 for Bible study, 10:00 worship, out at 11:15. The kids (all of them) are pretty much in the service until around 10:30 or so, when they go out for children's church.
Nurture: Grade: Undetermined. The people were friendly, and they had probably 150-180 folks there. The large (very large) majority was young couples (30's to 40's) with just a raft of kids. Lily would have gone nuts. We would have to get into their Bible study/small group settings to really see what kind of discipleship they have. I do know that they are looking for an adult teacher, as they only have one adult class presently.
Evangelism/Mercy: Grade: A, so far. They meet every second Sunday to serve meals at the rescure mission. The bulletin showed several activities that show they reach out to the community. The style of worship and overall thrust of the church seems very evangelistic.
Overall, I enjoyed it and would want to investigate further. They are a PCA church, and I need to understand how they make it clear that choosing Christ is a personal decision.
I am planning on going to either Bent Creek Baptist Church or Biltmore Baptist next week.
I thought I would post my evaluations of each church in three areas: Worship (ministry to God), Nurture (ministry to believers), and Evangelism and Mercy (ministry to world.)
Grace Biltmore
Worship: Grade B, so far. The worship is pretty much what I wanted to see from Merrimon. The music was two folks playing guitars and singing with one guy on the drums. The songs were a good mix of contemporary with modern versions of hymns (Standing on the Promises, Blessed Assurance). The volume and style is great for Asheville - not quite folk acoustic, but not real loud hard edge either. They had a nice upbeat sound, and nice reverent quite styles as well. The people seemed to enjoy the music and join in appropriately. The pastor's sermon was low-key, doctrinally sound, biblically based (Joshua 3-4) and expository. He drew in references that a younger generation would identify (football playoffs, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.)
The only points that detract from the grade is that they are a start-up church (3 years old) and are meeting in the fellowship hall (gym) of a 7th day Adventist church. So the facility detracts from the overall experience, at least for me. Not as bad as Seacoast (movie theater), and probably about as good as Merrimon's facility, which was not well designed to start with.
I also liked the times: 9:00 for Bible study, 10:00 worship, out at 11:15. The kids (all of them) are pretty much in the service until around 10:30 or so, when they go out for children's church.
Nurture: Grade: Undetermined. The people were friendly, and they had probably 150-180 folks there. The large (very large) majority was young couples (30's to 40's) with just a raft of kids. Lily would have gone nuts. We would have to get into their Bible study/small group settings to really see what kind of discipleship they have. I do know that they are looking for an adult teacher, as they only have one adult class presently.
Evangelism/Mercy: Grade: A, so far. They meet every second Sunday to serve meals at the rescure mission. The bulletin showed several activities that show they reach out to the community. The style of worship and overall thrust of the church seems very evangelistic.
Overall, I enjoyed it and would want to investigate further. They are a PCA church, and I need to understand how they make it clear that choosing Christ is a personal decision.
I am planning on going to either Bent Creek Baptist Church or Biltmore Baptist next week.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Photographic little ones
Just sharing more good photos of our babies, who would rather pose together than alone.
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