The Most Important Day of Their Lives

Today is Wesley's birthday. And what better gift could he receive than to baptize both of his children.

For years we thought that even if our children wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and surrender to His Kingship over their lives, we would encourage them to hold off on baptism for a while. This was because we wanted to make sure it was 1. a genuine conversion with true understanding, not something just to please others and 2. so they could remember it well and celebrate it as it should be.

Josie actually approached us when she was in second grade and shared with us that she wanted to know Jesus and have all of her sins taken away. She was actually ok with waiting for baptism because she was kind of afraid to go in front of the church and have all that attention.

A few months later Caleb initiated some spiritual conversation with me and the result of that conversation was understanding that sin had made him dead and he needed Jesus to rescue him. However, he was adamant that he be baptized the very next Sunday.

We thought he would "chill out" on the topic, but he was relentless. When Josie saw this, she said it would make her brave to be baptized with her brother. So Wesley and I prayed and talked and felt like they were ready and could be baptized after they took the class required by our church. (Of course, I was thrilled because Wesley and I taught the class!)

We had always told them that baptism was the most important day of their lives--more than birthdays, more than graduation, and even more than marriage. So, it was time to put our money where our mouth was.

Since our church meets in an old theatre, they had to bring in a tub. The water was icy!

The first two minutes of this video shows both kids sharing a brief story of their decision to be baptized.

Downtown // 10:00 // Baptism Videos from Harris Creek on Vimeo.

We bought them both new clothes to wear after the baptism. This was to represent: 

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Ephesians 4:24, "...put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

We reserved the whole restaurant upstairs, and with help from our family, catered the whole meal. The kids invited a few of their friends, and we invited our family and friends as well. Many of our beloved college students who have watched Josie and Caleb grow up came and participated. 

Each of the kids picked a special song and our friends Lily and Trey sang them.

Wesley and I anointed the kids' foreheads with oil. Although it is not common in our tradition, we adopted this from other, more liturgical traditions. It represents: 

1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

2 Corinthians 1:20-22, "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

Wesley, both of our dads, and our friend Miles prayed a blessing over Caleb.

My mom, my Mother-in-law, our friend Mary Margaret and I prayed over Josie.

 

And we celebrated! 

We also hired a photographer to take professional pictures. (I'm telling you, we wanted our kids to understand that this event is WORTH every penny spent and second of time planning.)

I had to throw this picture in. The are just a few of "my girls". They mean the world to me, have been truly impactful in Josie's life, and beautiful examples of the kind of young woman I hope my son will someday marry.

Nerdy Birthday

Just in case you haven't realized this, we are a family of nerds. Big ones. In fact, I'm a little worried about how proudly my son owns his nerdiness.

I'm not sure if you remember that our kids' birthdays are back to back and we typically have family parties like the Star Wars party we had a few years ago. Well this year we decided to have another theme. Are you ready for this?

Doctor Who.

Yup. If there was ever any doubt about what nerds we are, we have now forever marked ourselves.

I have corrupted inspired my kids who are proud little Whovians. (Of course, we are very selective in which episodes we allow them to watch!) I must admit, Wesley isn't really a fan but is a very good sport and puts up with all of our antics--probably because he's just as nerdy in other ways (I mean CPA, um hello!)

If you are one of the many who may read this and ask, "What is that? Doctor Who?" I am sorry. I am so, so sorry. You will either enjoy laughing at this post and the weirdness of our family or you will never come back here again.

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television show that has been on for 50 years. It is one of the most popular shows in the UK, arguably more so than Downton Abbey! In a nutshell, it's about a man (Time Lord) who travels in time and space saving the universe in his blue police box. He has a particular interest in the UK and always has a friend or companion traveling with him--often getting him out of scrapes...oh and he has two hearts.

These are Doctors 9, 10, 11, and 12. Yes, they're all the same person. No, I will not explain how regeneration works.

There's honestly too much to say and I'm sure I've lost most of you by this point, but if you're really curious you can waste invest your time learning more here.

But I will give you this quote about this unlikely superhero from the show's current head writer, Steven Moffat (who also writes the BBC's Sherlock):

“It's hard to talk about the importance of an imaginary hero. But heroes ARE important: Heroes tell us something about ourselves. History tells us who we used to be, documentaries tell us who we are now; but heroes tell us who we WANT to be. And a lot of our heroes depress me. 


But when they made this particular hero, they didn't give him a gun--they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn't give him a tank or a warship or an x-wing fighter--they gave him a box from which you can call for help. And they didn't give him a superpower or pointy ears or a heat-ray--they gave him an extra HEART. They gave him two hearts! And that's an extraordinary thing. There will never come a time when we don't need a hero like the Doctor.” 


So without further ado, here are the pictures from that very special day.

Biological meta-crisis Doctors (i.e. clone)

Writing Blog Tour

Howdy! If this is the first time you've visited my blog, welcome! My name is Paige Brooks. I am privileged to be a wife to Wesley, mom to a pair of amazing kiddos, and part-time Physical Therapist Assistant. I am a lifelong learner and I am passionate about sharing what I learn through writing or teaching.

I am very  thankful to my dear friend Elizabeth Oates for tagging me in this Blog Tour. Because our children are very close in age, we have spent many hours together laughing, crying, encouraging and praying for one another--especially during those early years of motherhood. She has been a huge encouragement to me in many ways, but particularly as a writer.

A gifted author and speaker, Elizabeth is serious  about seeing marriages and  families thrive. You can check out what she’s working on here: www.elizabethoates.com

What are you working on?

• www.barefootbiblestudy.com  :: My new website, currently under construction. I’d love to tell you that I immediately thought of this name for my website after reading the passage about Moses removing his shoes as he approached the burning bush or the story of how Jesus told Peter he had to allow Him to wash his feet, but, alas, no. It is nothing so spiritual. If you are really dying to know where the name came from you’ll just have to come back for the launch!

The whole purpose of the site is to provide people—but particularly women—with resources and tips to study Scripture. It will also be a place for us to process through the whole concept of loving God with our whole being—with special emphasis on loving Him with our minds.

• Immeasurable Life: A Study of the Letter to the Ephesians :: I had the great joy of writing this Bible study a couple of years ago—but it only continues to grow! This fruit of God’s faithfulness  blossomed out of a wilderness season in my life. He has allowed me to teach it three times—twice for women in my own church community and once in my own home. Currently, a modified version is being used by a college ministry (for young women and men) in Houston, Texas under the name Rooted: A Study of the Letter to the Ephesians.

• Investig8 Life with Jesus :: When my husband and I offered to teach the “New Believer’s Class” for children at our home church, we never imagined we’d have so much trouble finding material that truly addressed what we believed to be so crucial to a child’s understanding of the Gospel and the Christian life. So, we wrote our own! We have now taught the class using the material three times and are constantly trying to clarify and nail down what the kids really need to understand about a relationship with Jesus—all without compromise or watering down the Truth.

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

I’ve loved writing since I was a child. Whether it was creating picture books or even writing papers in English class, I could easily be found happily hiding in my room under a pile of loose leaf paper or college ruled spiral notebooks.  

Over the years I’ve begun to see a few themes appear in my writing no matter the topic. One of these themes is learning to use Genesis (particularly chapters 1-3) as the primary lens through which to study Scripture. This perspective has not only had a huge impact on the way I read and study the Bible, but it has also facilitated and fueled a greater passion for God.

Why do you write what you do?

I believe lives are changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and although women’s Bible studies are a dime a dozen these days, many of them seem to lack depth and sound theology. I hope the writing God allows me to produce will teach and challenge women, but more than this, I want them to know they (through the Holy Spirit) are fully capable of studying Scripture for themselves. And how do I know they are capable? Because God enabled me to as well!

I haven’t been to seminary (although it is a dream!). I’m an ordinary girl—a full-time wife and mom with a part-time day job—but I’m an ordinary girl who is hungry to learn about and fall more in love with the God of the universe! I dream of equipping other ordinary women to find satisfaction for their soul in the Word.

How does your writing process work?

It is not unusual for inspiration to slap me in the face at any time—10:48 a.m., 8:24 p.m., or even 2:39 a.m. (This one seems to be God’s favorite time to inspire me…usually by waking me from a sound sleep.) I can’t always spend time on the ideas right away since I might be at work or taking care of my family.  I have multiple notebooks in which I scribble thoughts,  I use the Notes app on my phone, or I type them in my “Idea Folder” on the computer.  I jot ideas down with at least some context and detail so when I do revisit the idea I am less likely to wonder what in the world I was thinking.

My husband  and I have agreed that it is important for me to have uninterrupted writing time and the best time right now for our family is Sunday nights and Thursday nights after everyone goes to bed. Since I have set this time aside—and especially with my husband’s support—I have been more productive and focused than I have ever been before.

So, who’s next?

Kristen Bennett is a senior public relations major at Baylor University. This chick is hilarious and brilliant! I first met her when she was a freshman at Baylor. In her very own words, she “enjoys music, reading, writing, traveling, people-watching, and eating. She loves Jesus and every day is a new lesson in taming her sass so she can better love her neighbor. Her happy places include bookstores, New York City, and airports, and she aspires to work in the performing arts industry upon graduation.” I know you will enjoy her blog. http://kristengracebennett.wordpress.com

Pam Watts a friend and fellow author is a  busy mother of four active children. According to her own testimony she “can't help but write about adventures in parenting--her life and family provide a constant source of material!  Pam loves viewing everyday life through the lens of God’s extraordinary truth on her blog ‘God is My Compass.’" I’m confident you will find wisdom and joy! www.pamrichardswatts.wordpress.com.

Health Update

Well, we are just a wee bit shy of the two month mark since I went into the hospital. Several of you have asked how I'm feeling and what the recovery has been like since surgery. 

First off, thank you! Thank you for asking and checking on me. Thank you for your continued prayers and your encouragement--even this far out from the event itself. We were so blessed by those of you who called, texted, prayed, brought yummy meals and gifts. (The girls at work all pitched in and even gave my kiddos gift cards to Build A Bear!) I'm still getting prayer cards from my parents' church (shout out to Meadowbrook BC!)...making me feel so loved.

Since I posted about our adventure, much of our time has been directed toward doctors' appointments, trips to the pharmacy, a follow up surgery, more appointments, more medicine--and oh, don't forget the sexy compression stockings!

One of our first nights back to Life Group after everything happened, someone asked how long I have to wear my stockings. I smiled and looked at my friend/surgeon (Dr. T.) across the room who answered for me, "everyday...for-ever." It was actually really funny.

I wear them ALL most of the time (just being honest). I only have one pair at the moment and they do need to washed occasionally. I haven't felt like dropping a fortune on another pair just quite yet, although my days are numbered.

Don't let the "sheer and soft" deceive you. They are NOT SHEER, nor are they soft. I look like I bought a bad can of self tanner at a garage sale and decided to put it ONLY on my legs.

But believe it or not, I actually feel better at the end of the day if I wear them than I do when I don't wear them. It's also given me an excuse to buy some new clothes. As much as I know the stockings are helping, those suckers are H.O.T. especially here in our Texas summer. I've decided that Maxi skirts and dresses are my new best friends...especially right now.  I bought a couple of Maxi skirts and I've found some DIY patterns on Pintrest that I might try. We shall see.

Mid May I had a follow up surgery to remove my IVC filter (an umbrella skeleton looking thingy they put in the main vein that goes to my heart in case a blood clot breaks through). During the original surgery in Dallas they put it in through a vein in my leg (which led to other issues, i.e. The Clamp).  Our friend, Dr. T. was doing the surgery (Hallelujah!) and we all knew I was in great hands.

Because of the way it's shaped it had to be removed by inserting a wire/hook into my neck, through my HEART, into the IVC  then pulling it out. Yuck. Yes, I was awake. To say it feels really WEIRD when something goes through your heart is an understatement. Dr. T. let us keep the filter. I really didn't know it was that big. And when we looked closely, we noticed that it did it's job very well--PRAISE GOD! 

(SPOILER: If you get grossed out easily, don't look below!)

(That's Wesley's hand.)

I have another new doctor, a Hemotologist (Dr. H.). He is in charge of my blood. He oversees my medication and makes sure that it's working the way it should. He was able to finally get me to the point I could get off Lovenox shots 2x day to a single, teensy-weensy pill. So. much. better.

Wesley and I actually met Dr. H. and his wife at a dinner party exactly one week before everything happened and I went to the hospital. I even told Wesley that night on the drive home, "If I ever need to go back to a hemotologist, I want to see him." And guess who Dr. T. recommended? Yup. God is so good!

As lightly as I'm making some of this sound, I'll be truthful, I haven't had the best attitude the whole way. When I would complain about my shots, how expensive the meds or my stockings were, how much work I missed, how tired I was, how big the hospital bills would be or how itchy the stockings are my husband has been the one to remind me of truth.

He holds my face in his gentle hands, looks me in the eye and reminds me that if this had happened fifty years ago I might not be alive.

He reminds me the money doesn't matter.

He reminds me of those of you who have constantly been there for us.

He reminds me that GOD'S GRACE IS ENOUGH.

He reminds me to REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.

I love that man.

And I love all of you.

Again, thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support.

First Day of Summer 2014

Well, ready or not, it's here. Summer.

Here's how my babies spent their first day of summer 2014:

Joy in Pain

Well, our family has had one crazy adventure the last two weeks.

The Saturday before Easter was supposed to be beautiful. The day promised to pour forth perfect spring weather and we were going to be meeting friends from our Life Group for a family picnic/Easter egg hunt.

But the moment I rolled out of bed and my feet hit the floor, dread flooded my heart.

A feeling I hadn't felt in eleven years was shooting up my left leg, and with every step, a memory and a fear pounded through my veins. Over a decade ago I was admitted into the hospital for 8 days with several blood clots (DVTs) in my right leg--only three weeks from my wedding.

The same pain, swelling, and signs that hospitalized me then reappeared this April morning. I refused to believe this was happening again. Wesley knew I was in pain that morning and he tried to care for me, but we chose to go on to the picnic anyway.

It was a beautiful day...just as glorious as we had expected it to be. We took the typical Texas Bluebonnet pictures with our kids in a field covered with Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes. The picnic baskets were broken open and eggs were hidden. The kids were running through the trees pretending to go on some sort of quest. Like I said, it was glorious.

However, despite the beauty of the day, the pain continued to increase. I couldn't bear it anymore. Wesley and I decided to ask our friend David (a doctor) his opinion. David and his family are dear friends and are in our Life Group. Right there at the park he checked my leg and strongly encouraged us to go the local ER.

We took his advice. So here's a run down of the week:

Day 1, Saturday: ER and admittance to the hospital.

Once we were finally taken back to the Emergency Room, interviewed and examined, the ER doctor (a great guy!) ordered an ultrasound to confirm whether or not I had another DVT (blood clot). The test was conclusive. I had a single DVT in my left leg that stretched from my abdomen to the vein behind my knee.

Although the ER doctor had wanted to admit me to the hospital right away, the hospitalist physician (whom I never saw) wanted to send me home with an oral medication. Don't get me wrong, the idea of going home was tempting, but to go home with a clot that size freaked me out. We immediately called another friend in our life group who is a vascular surgeon. He wanted to speak to the ER doctor as soon as possible and then he absolutely forbid us from going home.

Our friend Dr. T told the ER doctor about a procedure to remove the clot from my leg. Well, bless his heart, the ER doctor had never heard of the procedure, but when he got off the phone with Dr. T he said, "Yep, this is what you need. You're going to be admitted right away."

The tricky thing was, this surgery (called a Thrombolysis) was considered "new" at least to our small town. Unfortunately,  Dr. T was out of town for a week and unable to be with us, but he was amazing in arranging for some of the partners from his surgical group to take care of me.

Day 2, Sunday:

Easter, rest and celebration of Jesus's victory over death from our little room in the hospital. I had ideas of what the week might look like but nothing for certain. As we had plenty of quiet in those early morning hours of Easter, Wesley and I listened to a sermon online, Wesley read to me from the book of Ephesians (one of my favorites) and we prayed.

One of my prayers was that this time would not be wasted. I wanted Him to show up. To reveal Himself in all His glory. I didn't want to waste one moment of the entire experience because I wanted to come out of this stronger, with greater wisdom and a deeper faith.

Our family brought the kids up to us. They both seemed to handle everything well, but Josie who is older, did take things harder. At this point in her life, she frequently demonstrates great maturity and perception; therefore, she needed a little more reassurance. 

Day 3, Monday:

Monday was the first attempt at Thrombolysis. Dr. T said the surgeon who would be doing the procedure is the best surgeon in our town and he had complete confidence that he would do his best to help me. The wonderful doctor explained that he would do everything in his power to remove the clot but if he believed the situation to be over his head he would stop immediately and send me to a hospital in Dallas where they performed this procedure on a regular basis.  Just before he left he prayed with us--holding my hand in both of his and asking that our Great and Glorious Physician would lead and guide him to do what was best and that Jesus would receive all glory from the outcome.

As surgery began, one problem after another presented itself, the final one being now that he was able to see inside my veins he saw the clot was actually larger than he had anticipated. He approached my head (I was awake) and very gently said, "Sweetheart, we're going to have to stop. I believe the best thing for you right now is to send you to Dallas." And that was that. This great surgeon didn't allow his ego to stand in the way of doing what was best. I was transported to Dallas that night by ambulance.

Day 4, Tuesday: Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital in Dallas.

I was taken to the OR and prepped by some amazing nurses. The Doctor performing the surgery spoke very highly of our friend Dr. T and affirmed his decision to remove the clot as soon as possible. By God's grace, this doctor was able to do everything that had seemed so difficult before. Following surgery, I was sent to a room in the ICU where I would be for the next 48 hours.

The surgeon shared that there was a lot of old damage with lots of scarring in my veins. So much that my body had already started to compensate for getting the blood back to my heart by creating new, smaller veins around the scarred tissue. The idea of "old damage" and not knowing how long it's been there is quite disconcerting. But it still amazes me of God's handiwork in how resilient the human body can be.

Day 5, Wednesday: Phase two of the surgery.

Everything was looking good except now I had developed a hematoma near my right hip. The doctor believed that if this hematoma grew it would interfere with the progress being made by the TPA (clot buster meds) in my blocked veins.

Naturally, there's a way to deal with it--manual compression. But if that doesn't work then you get "The Clamp". If the clamp sounds like a medieval torture device, well, then you'd be just about right. Here's a picture:

NOT. FUN.

I can honestly say without hesitation that that was the worst pain I have EVER experienced in my life. And of course, I couldn't get any additional pain medication because my blood pressure was too low.

I'll be totally honest. Tears and yells burst out of me freely. I almost broke Wesley's hand. I was in so much pain I almost threw up and prayed to pass out. I wanted to give up. The nurses (who were INCREDIBLE) would encourage me and remind me that this pain was worth it because it would let the surgery and medication have its full effect on the other leg.

As they gently and lovingly reminded me of this, the Holy Spirit flooded my memory with a passage from James chapter 1.

" 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."  NIV

Years ago I had done a Bible study on the book of James and heard a teacher explain this passage. (I even blogged about it in 2011.) If you have time, I highly recommend you watching this message.

Joy in Pain // James 1:1-12 from Breakaway Ministries on Vimeo.

Finally, as the nurses finished applying the clamp,  I laid flat and motionless for the next 3.5 hours. While being pressed under a great weight, I tried to replay this message in my head. I fought to trust the Holy Spirit that this pain would be worth it because not only would it allow the medication to have it's full effect, but the pain would also give me strength to trust God and rejoice in Him through all the difficulty I was going through. That through this, He would answer the prayer I had prayed on Easter--that it would not be wasted. He would generously give me wisdom--the sanctifying and refining wisdom that only comes through trial.

Day 6, Thursday: 

Day three of surgery was to check the overall progress and wrap things up. Despite a few small/painful hiccups during surgery, everything went very well. I was still slated to receive an ultrasound on my hematoma but ultimately, I was downgraded from the ICU to a regular room and given permission to go home the next day.

Day 7, Friday: 

There was some discussion of keeping me one more day to monitor my hematoma and possibly give me a blood transfusion, but it was decided I was clear to go home. 

Since we've been home, we've relished in the kisses and snuggles from our kids who have kept us smiling. We've all rested and eaten yummy food brought by family and friends. I've also tried to get used to my new routine of medication, recovery and doctors' appointments. I'm also going to get fitted for some really sexy compression stockings that will aid in further recovery. (Be jealous, you know you want some too.)

I have HUGE bruises, mostly from the clamp. I also still walk with some pain. These reminders of the week's trauma will fade, but today and always I will rejoice.

So, what do I rejoice in from this (very painful) week?

I rejoice in God's provision and faithfulness. I saw God arrange for me to be in the right place at the right time with the right people to address this quickly. I rejoice that He has made the human body in such a way that it has the ability to make new veins when others become blocked. He absolutely blows my mind!

I rejoice in the absolutely brilliant, caring, and gifted medical care I was given by every nurse and doctor I came in contact with. I want to boast in the Lord and give great thanks for nurses. I am still amazed at their hearts, their passion, and their tireless efforts to care for and advocate for me.

I rejoice in all the friends and family that stepped forward to love on us through taking care of our kids, cleaning our house, coming to visit, bringing flowers, painting my nails and dry washing my hair, texting, calling, and praying for us. 

I rejoice and praise God for my husband who without hesitation stayed by my side through the entire ordeal even though he had one of the busiest weeks of the year approaching him at work. He was a servant and comforter. He never complained or made me feel guilty for causing him to be behind at work. He was my steadfast companion and friend. My pastor and spiritual leader. What an absolutely beautiful man.

This is how we have joy in pain. We praise God and rejoice in the ways He provides for us in the dark places. Knowing He wants us to be made perfect in sanctification and that His faith is steadfast to complete the work He has begun in us.