Journey of Blessings

Summer has been great- not long enough!!! We have been so busy having fun, swimming, SLEEPING-IN (my favorite part), and going on youth trips! 2 weeks ago Connor, Blake and Morgan went with Randy and I to Miami for our middle school mission trip. It was a great week and such a blessing to see our kids sharing the love of Christ.
Last week, we received the results from Connor's genetic testing: "No disease-causing mutation was detected". As our cardiologist told us, "This is good news for you, bad news for me." This does not mean the boys do not have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, but it does affirm that this is not a "classic case" of it. From the start, Dr. McKenna has said that he has never seen this particular kind of HCM. Which makes it more difficult for our doctor to suggest treatment and assess prognosis. Both of the boys had echocardiograms done last week and their hearts have not changed in appearance or functionality. That is GREAT news: the enlarged portion of the left ventricle has not grown any larger over the past few months. So as things stand right now, there is no need for medication/treatment at this point. Dr. McKenna wants to run a few more blood tests on Connor to rule out any other HCM causing diseases. Results should take several weeks. But, other than that we will follow up every 4-6 months to keep an eye on their hearts and monitor progression. Our next appointment is in mid- December. The best part of our visit was that Dr. McKenna is going to allow "moderate activity" for Connor as he starts 2nd grade which means he can participate in P.E. and best of all, KICK BALL! Connor is so excited about that! Still no competitive sports at this point. We will have to wait on that.
Our prayer continues to be for complete healing. We are so thankful for the provisions the Lord has already made. The past 6 months have been a journey of blessings. God has graciously guided us through our questions and fears and used this opportunity to draw us closer to Him. We have been forced to re-examine many things in our lives and make some tough changes and choices. God speaks the loudest when our hearts are truly open to hear from Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take". Over and over in our lives, God has proven this to be true. When Randy and I seek His will for our lives, He is faithful to show it to us. Sometimes it takes a while longer than we think it should and sometimes it is through extraordinary circumstances. But He is faithful. Trusting in God is a choice. He doesn't force it on us or try to convince us it is what we should do. When we do trust Him, it doesn't mean things get easier or that we get a free-pass into a life of no worry or heartache. But when we do choose to trust Him with our lives He promises to guide us, love us and deliver us. Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is GOOD, a refuge in times of trouble. He CARES for those who trust in Him."

Blessings to all of you!!
Jilanna