Saturday

Ashley is truly having a day of rest and recovery.  The last couple of months have been hard, the last couple of weeks have been intense and the last couple of days have been exhausting...I'm soo glad that she is finally able to get some rest today and not have to endure any medical treatments! She is still very uncomfortable from the scopes and if any of you have had them done, you can understand. She is sore in her throat and uncomfortable in her belly, which is to be expected. The nurse just told me that even though the dtrs try to be delicate with the scope, they aren't really nice to your insides to see and get what they're looking for. Thus, we're not doing great on intake today. Until we get the labs back, know that this is our number one prayer request...eating and drinking! We have told Ashley that we will no longer feed her, if you didn't know, that's what we had to do the week before we came to keep her going. It has to be her decision whether to leave this hospital on a feeding tube or feeding herself. That's why praying for her "mind" to be filled with the TRUTH and not lies is soo important! Food has legitimately hurt her in the past and we have to show her that it is no longer her enemy...but will restore her strength!

Lots of reflecting going on for me as I finally have a little space to breathe. A friend recently told me, be careful what you pray for...well, for months going into this fall and thru the fall, I had been intensely praying these 3 things for our family and YLives...1-that we would love one another DEEPLY, 2- that we would HUNGER for His Word, 3- that our lives/ministry would give Him GLORY! As I sit here, watching my precious baby sleep, I realize that the first two have certainly been fulfilled in all of this, as well as number 3...but I'm still waiting on the Lord to fully bring that to fruition with Ashley's restoration of health!  God's ways are not always our ways, but He is ALWAYS carrying out His perfect plan for our lives!

Thanks for many of you who prayed through her scoping yesterday. We felt it! Mike and I walked the halls outside the procedure room and prayed and quoted His promises in His Word. Not to embarrass him, but my Dad said that he prayed for the entire hour...brings tears to my eyes Dad, for He is doing a work in all of us and your precious Ashley will be healed!

A verse from Beth Cramer that we will stand on...Jer. 30:17 "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord."

Thanks for continuing to battle for Ashley Mae Catherine:)