A CALL FOR PRAYER

For all of you who have continued to be such an amazing support to our family, we wanted to send along an update on Mom’s recovery and her progress.

While I was home in August, we found out that Mom was approved for a three week intensive aphasia therapy.

REMINDER: Definition of Aphasia

Prior to Mom’s three week therapy, a series of tests were completed to evaluate the severity of her aphasia. The test results were calculated and Mom was given a score on a scale from 1-100. 1-34 = Sever Aphasia, 35-74 = Moderate Aphasia and 75-100 = Mild Aphasia. Dad did a great job of explaining to me the testing process and what progress this three week therapy would yield based on where Mom ranks on the scale. Typically, the result of this intensive therapy is a 10% improvement on your initial score.

This didn’t seem like much of an improvement to me until Dad explained that continuing weekly therapy as Mom is scheduled now would result in a 10% improvement over an ENTIRE year. So now with things in perspective; I am VERY thankful for this therapy and this improvement.

We then waited for her score. Dad talked to the therapist and asked her (with her experience) if she thought Mom would rank in the 40/50’s? That was the number we were really hoping for. Mom’s score came back and she is at a 39. Reality set in a bit, but we are positive and on our knees in prayer! This is where we start…and we hope and pray for much more than a 3.9 (10%) improvement.

The doctors tell us we will see improvement up to a year after her stroke. Our one year mark will be March 28, 2012. It still seems unreal to think about the day Mom’s stroke occurred six months ago. The therapists tend to disagree with the docs. They have seen improvement beyond a year post-stroke and they reassure us that with continued therapy, we will see Mom improve beyond next March.

AND THEN, there is GOD. God knows if Mom will recover fully and we continue to ASK FOR MIRACLES. As difficult as it is to put this all into perspective, we are confident that God is in this storm. He didn’t take her from us, and we are SO THANKFUL for Mom’s joyful spirit and her diligent perseverance!

 I asked Courtney to send an update on Mom’s intensive therapy progress. Here is Court's update:

For the last two weeks Mom's schedule has changed a bit.  She was accepted into an Intensive Aphasia Program at North Memorial Medical center.  I like to call this "speech bootcamp".  The program is three weeks long, occurring three and a half hours a day, Monday through Friday. 

The therapy schedule consists of an hour of work on the computer, an hour of one-on-one speech therapy, and an hour of group therapy (during this time the group plays games/activities working on their speech) and 30 minutes of time to just talk with the other patients.  The days sure tire her out, but she truly enjoys the program. 

At this point, we are just over half way through the program and we are definitely seeing results. Mom is surprising us with new phrases all the time! While it still is difficult for her to communicate exactly what she wants, more and more words are coming out.

One day I observed her one-on-one speech therapy.  We cannot go in the room with her, but they have a camera in the room and we can observe on a monitor in a different location.  She was working on different places, one of which was "cabin." The speech therapist, Kellie, asked her if she ever went to a cabin this summer.  Mom said "yes" and they had a conversation of where it was located.  Kellie asked, "Is it in MN?" Mom said, "No" and drew a map of MN and WI and pointed to Wisconsin.  Then Kellie asked if it was by Eau Claire, and Mom said "No" and something to the effect of up or higher.

They did a good job of getting the approximate location.  Then Kellie asked her about what she likes about the cabin, Mom's face lit up and I knew what was coming.  She made an oval shape with her hands and tried so hard to say it, but all she got out was "Lo” which to Kellie meant nothing, BUT I knew she was so close to saying what she meant, the LOONS!!  Watching this made me realize how often Mom must be SO CLOSE to saying what she wants to and we just can't figure it out.

The other night at dinner mom broke our momentary silence by pointing out "it is dark out" to which we responded, "why yes it is, VERY GOOD!" then she said, "it is going to be cold” this was HUGE! Not only that she said two phrases PERFECTLY clear, but also that she brought up her own idea that she was thinking about!

Another story, on the way to speech today the traffic was slowing down and I hadn't noticed yet, Mom let me know by holding up her hand and saying "slow down!" followed by a look as to say "what are you doing?!"

I think it is fair to say she knows she is improving she says things like, "this is good" "it is good" referring to the class, but she also continues to point out that she wants to be better NOW, and asks why it is so SLOW...

Another update, this time from Dad! He has been tracking Mom’s new phrases this week and I had to share!

Lynn’s New Phrases:

Sunday, September 26, 2011

• Look at how dark it is
• Then it is really cold
• What happened?
• I don’t know what it was

Monday, September 26, 201

• I don’t know how to find it
• There it is

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

• In the bathroom
• What that
• Com’ on I’m watching these
• You got to buy some
• You go now

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

• Are you leaving?  (yes) What time?

I am so thankful for Courtney and Dad filling us in along with all of the work both of them continue to do with Mom! AND – most of all – for MOM’s HARD WORK! As tomorrow ends week two of her three week intensive program, I hope you will join us in praying for REALLY BIG THINGS!

I have two prayer requests I continue to shout to our God:

1.       Post test score = 50 out of 100! (I am praying for a 30% improvement!!) BIG ASK,I KNOW.

2.       Conversations at Christmas! All I want for Christmas is a conversation with Mom!

Thank you for being prayer warriors for Momma Besch! Court sent me this shot last week...she said, "I just couldn't let you miss Mom's hair sticking up this morning!" AND - I couldn't let YOU miss it either! We just LOVE this lady! (She may have my head for posting...but she's so stinkin' cute!)

Sidenote: Watching X Factor as I post this…and this song came on…I know Mom loves it! :o)...totally cheesy, but couldn't resist!

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?

I'VE HAD IT!

My beautious sister informed me of a series our church back home is in the middle of called I've Had It! I was able to watch the most recent one, but I'm sure they are all great:

• I've Had It with Busyness!
• I've Had It with People!
• I've Had It with Loneliness!

...AND stay tuned for next week's, I've Had It with Church!

Click here to WATCH NOW!:

May God fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you TRUST IN HIM so that you will OVERFLOW with HOPE. Romans 15:13

  

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

IN THE NEWS: GIVING THROUGH GROWING

As I opened the Saturday paper today, I found an wonderful little inspiring article about a midwestern woman overcoming a stroke and her love for giving & gardening. Needless to say, the topic hit close to home, and I had to dig in. After reading the touching article - I just HAD to clip and share with you!

A MUST READ:

...Then the unimaginable happened. In February 2009,   at 42, she suffered a stroke that left her unable to do her job.

   “I took a hard long look at my life and asked myself, ‘When was I the happiest?’ And it was during the time I was doing the Need to Feed full time.”

She also realized she needed the skills to transform the food she grew into “awesome dishes,” so she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Miramar to train as a chef.

  

When Christ Church offered her space to plant, she began hunting for sponsors who would donate $150 toward a box garden. Friends and family members volunteered, as did Danny Kannell, a former New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons quarterback she had met through her nonprofit work.

Gardening in Florida was a challenge for a Midwesterner.

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today??

ALIVE!

Living out of the center enables us to blend for a moment into a greater background than our own fears, to merely be still, and to know that God is God. It means that I don't figure out, I don't analyze. I simply lose myself in the experience of just being alive, of being in a community of believers, simply knowing that it's good to be there, even if I don't know where "there" is or why it's good. An inner stillness assures me that it is enough right now to be centered, to be in Christ Jesus, and that gratefulness is both the heart of living and the heart of prayer.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2

Such a breath of fresh air this morning.............

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

SUCCESS IN FAILURE

...Living out of the center has taught me that every failure succeeds in some way. It provides the opportunity not only to humble the self, but also to be with the failure of others. If your life or mine were an untarnished success story, an unbroken upward spiral towards holiness, we might never come to understand the human heart.

Better to be lowly in spirit among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. Proverbs 16:19

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER

Oh how I love life's little reminders. For a friends baby shower tomorrow, we are all supposed to bring our favorite childhood book. The first book that came to mind was, I"ll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Do you remember this one?

Dad used to read this book over and over again to my sister and I as children. It was one of Grams favorite's, too! Memories like these are wonderful with the family so many miles away!

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

PATIENT IN LOVE

Another beautiful morning in Delray Beach

Patient In Love? September 17, 2011

Suppose for a moment that in a flash of insight you discovered that all your motives for ministry were essentially egocentric, or suppose that last night you got drunk and committed adultery, or suppose that you failed to respond to a cry for help and the person committed suicide. What would you do?

Would guilt, self-condemnation, and self-hatred consume you, or would you jump into the water and swim a hundred yards at breakneck speed towards Jesus? Haunted by feelings of unworthiness, would you allow the darkness to overcome you, or would you let Jesus be who he is - a Savior of boundless compassion and infinite patience, a Lover who keeps no score of our wrongs?

John seems to be saying that the disciples of Jesus ran to him because they were crazy about him; or, in the more restrained prose of Raymond Brown, "Jesus was remembered as one who exhibited love in what he did and was loved deeply by those who followed him."

The beloved disciple sends a message both to the sinner covered with shame and to the local church tentative and slow to forgive for fear of appearing lax or liberal. The number of people who have fled the church because it is too patient or compassionate is negligible; the number who have fled because they find it too unforgiving is tragic.

Brennan Manning

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.~1 Corinthians 13: 4-5.

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS!

T.G.I.F. was greeted by a sweet little act of kindness.

One of my favorite co-workers, Sandy, who welcomes me to work each morning as I step off the elevator with a hello and a friendly smile, knows how much I love cinnamon! As usual, she had a big welcoming hello this morning and as I walked into my office, this is what I was greeted by:

After a long week and feeling home sick for Momma and the fam...it was such a wonderful surprise :o)

I had a great tune on in the car as I drove into work,too! Had to share:

Happy Friday!

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

WEARING MASKS

In the struggle with self-hatred, we obviously do not like what we see. It is uncomfortable, if not intolerable, to confront our true selves, and so, like runaway slaves, we either flee our own reality or manufacture a false self, which  is mostly admirable, mildly prepossessing, and superficially happy.

Defense mechanisms become useful allies here. These unconscious ploys warp our perception of reality and protect us from fear, loss, and emotional pain. Through the smoke screen of rationalization, projection, displacement, insulation, intellectualization, and generalization, we remain on the merry-go-round of denial and dishonesty. Those of us who have played the game wear a thousand masks to disguise the face of fear.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Brennan Manning, Reflections for Ragamuffins.

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

911

GOD Bless America! I walked with a friend to a memorial on FAU's campus today. A somber reflection on a day that forever changed our nation and world.

We had an amazing message at church today. Pastor Bob has been doing a series on words. This weeks word is MEMORIAL. An inspirational message on 911. A must watch. (The message starts at 34:00 minutes into the video link)

CLICK HERE to watch

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

IT STARTS WITH ME

Ahhh...nothing like the weekend! A very productive morning about to be topped off with an afternoon at the beach!

God continues to feed me such truth and challenge me more everyday. Here's what he "wrecked me afresh" with this morning!

Right Relationship

The promised peace that the world CAN NOT give is located in being in right relationship with God. (Wow...had to read that over a few times...so good!) Self-acceptance becomes possible ONLY through the radical trust in Jesus' acceptance of me AS I AM. (...another great reminder...) Befriending the impostor and the Pharisee within marks the beginning of reconciliation with myself...

In the Rabbi's embrace our evil impulses are converted and transformed into good. Just as the unbridled lust of the sinful woman in Luke's Gospel was transformed into a passion for intimacy with Jesus, so our possessiveness about money metastasizes into greed for the treasure in the field. Our inner murderer becomes capable of murdering homophobia, bigotry, and prejudice. Our vindictiveness and hatred are transformed into intolerance and rage at the caricatures of God as a petty accountant. Our chronic niceness is converted into heartfelt compassion for those who have lost their way.

And the meaning of the Rabbi's words, "Behold, I make ALL things new," becomes luminously clear.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

A WEIGHTY MATTER

Thank Goodness It's Friday! :o)

Happy Friday to all of you! After a busy few days in the office I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. On my way home last night I was excited for another great Godly reminder...

I just never get sick of these beautiful rainbows. It is difficult to tell from the photo, but each color was so vivid!

AND - what a great night for a PACKER WIN to kick of the NFL season!!!

Here's something to chew on for today:

A Weighty Matter

Brennan Manning writes, "I suspect I am not alone here. The narcissistic obsession with weight watching in North America is a formidable ploy of the impostor. Despite the valid and important health factor, the amount of time and energy devoted to acquiring and maintaining a slender figure is staggering. No snack is unforeseen, no nibble spontaneous, no calorie uncharted, no strawberry left uncounted. Professional guidance is procured, books and periodicals scrutinized, health spas subsidized, and the merits of the protein diet debated on national television. What is spiritual ecstasy compared to the exquisite pleasure of looking like a model? To paraphrase Cardinal Wolsey, "Would that I had served my God the way I have watched my waistline!"

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23


Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

MOVED BY THE SPIRIT?

What's not to love about jumping into a short work week?

I completed a great little project this weekend that I must share with you! I took a wall unit that my boss gave to me and sanded and repainted! Check it out:

Original

Sanded

Painted

Complete!

I am so thankful for the home God has provided for me! I definitely started this week on the right foot after a great weekend of friends, beach time, and a little hard work. :o) As I sat down to breakfast and cracked open a little Manning, I was thankful for a great reminder:

Moved By The Spirit?

So often we become self-moved and -motivated rather than moved and motivated by the Spirit. Is the security center operating in this decision in order to win approval, avoid criticism, or escape rejection? Are my cuteness and coyness in this personal relationship signs of entrapment in the sensation center? Am I role-playing King Baby through a subtle power ploy in the office or in the prayer community? Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Satan's desire is to turn me in on myself to the extent that I become enslaved and become a destructive force in the community. The thrust from Jesus Christ is the opposite - to enhance freedom so that I can become a creative force of love. It is the spirit of self-centeredness and selfishness versus the spirit of openness and self-sacrifice for the good of others." Again, the goal is a continually discerning heart.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

What a GREAT fit for today. I am so thankful for my home and take such joy in working on it, but am continually reminded that I can't take the things of this world with me. Therefore, I must always be challenged to the authenticity of my transparency and challenged to find true identity in what is eternal.

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

...GOOD MORNING

Good morning and Happy Labor Day.

I woke up bright and early this morning and felt like heading down to the beach to watch the sunrise. One thankful girl to be able to have access to something so beautiful every morning! Note to self; take advantage of this much more often.

I must invite you all to see what an amazing experience I had. It has something to do with another chair… for those of you who haven’t read my initial blog…feel free to click here to indulge in what inspired me to start my blog in the first place: INSPIRED (or if you just want a reminder :o)

I know it's not a coincidence, but He sure does continue to surprise me with how much He loves me!

I have my story today in photos:


Through the mangroves to watch the sunrise...

Where to sit to watch the sunrise? ...What do I see? ...



Another chair… left just for ME :o) …

A fantastic backdrop for morning devo…

Taking in a brand new day…

Thank you, God.



Absolutely thankful for God’s special reminders in our lives! He wants me here…in my chair…and I just can’t argue with that!

Where have you seen God’s grace in your life today?



Our BIG God!

Happy Sunday to all! I am truly blessed to see God's beautiful gifts every single day. Our God is just SO good! After a great service this morning, my neighbor reminded me of Psalm 104.

As I get ready to spend this beautiful day outside...I really am thankful for the beauty!

Psalm 104
¹ Praise the LORD, my soul.

   LORD my God, you are very great;
   you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

 ² The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment;
   he stretches out the heavens like a tent
 ³ and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
   and rides on the wings of the wind.
⁴ He makes winds his messengers,^[a]
   flames of fire his servants.

 ⁵ He set the earth on its foundations;
   it can never be moved.
⁶ You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
   the waters stood above the mountains.
⁷ But at your rebuke the waters fled,
   at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
⁸ they flowed over the mountains,
   they went down into the valleys,
   to the place you assigned for them.
⁹ You set a boundary they cannot cross;
   never again will they cover the earth.

 ¹⁰ He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
   it flows between the mountains.
¹¹ They give water to all the beasts of the field;
   the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
¹² The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
   they sing among the branches.
¹³ He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
   the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
¹⁴ He makes grass grow for the cattle,
   and plants for people to cultivate—
   bringing forth food from the earth:
¹⁵ wine that gladdens human hearts,
   oil to make their faces shine,
   and bread that sustains their hearts.
¹⁶ The trees of the LORD are well watered,
   the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
¹⁷ There the birds make their nests;
   the stork has its home in the junipers.
¹⁸ The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
   the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

 ¹⁹ He made the moon to mark the seasons,
   and the sun knows when to go down.
²⁰ You bring darkness, it becomes night,
   and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
²¹ The lions roar for their prey
   and seek their food from God.
²² The sun rises, and they steal away;
   they return and lie down in their dens.
²³ Then people go out to their work,
   to their labor until evening.

 ²⁴ How many are your works, LORD!
   In wisdom you made them all;
   the earth is full of your creatures.
²⁵ There is the sea, vast and spacious,
   teeming with creatures beyond number—
   living things both large and small.
²⁶ There the ships go to and fro,
   and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

 ²⁷ All creatures look to you
   to give them their food at the proper time.
²⁸ When you give it to them,
   they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
   they are satisfied with good things.
²⁹ When you hide your face,
   they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
   they die and return to the dust.
³⁰ When you send your Spirit,
   they are created,
   and you renew the face of the ground.

 ³¹ May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
   may the LORD rejoice in his works—
³² he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
   who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

 ³³ I will sing to the LORD all my life;
   I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
³⁴ May my meditation be pleasing to him,
   as I rejoice in the LORD.
³⁵ But may sinners vanish from the earth
   and the wicked be no more.

   Praise the LORD, my soul.

   Praise the LORD.^[b]

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

KNOWING WHO WE ARE

I am SO very thankful for this beautiful day and a wonderful labor day weekend. I have some great projects to complete over this long weekend and am excited to get started...but was happy to start the day on the right foot with another great devo. I never get sick of these delicious reminders every morning.

Knowing Who We Are:

"Blessed are those who know that they are poor". We must know who we are. How difficult it is to be honest - to accept that I am unacceptable, to renounce self-justification, to give up my preposterous pretending that my paltry prayers, spiritual insights, knowledge of Scripture, and blustering successes in ministry have made me pleasing to God. No antecedent beauty enamors me in his eyes. I am lovable because he loves me. Period. The first step in liberation from self-hatred is to move from the darkness of self-delusion into the daylight of God's truth.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7.

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?

LAY 'EM DOWN

LOVING this tune this week...

Where have you seen God's grace in your life today?