We're Home!

Well, James got released from the hospital yesterday around 5:00 pm. He is doing much better. Last night both Kristal and I realized how much more comfortable our bed is than the pseudo-beds at the hospital.

They are still not exactly sure why James was throwing up so violently. They pretty much sent us home saying, "There is nothing else that we can do here. James no longer needs an IV, he is holding his food down, and he seems like he is back to normal."

James still has extreme vomiting in the morning. We are going to be working with his Primary Care and Gastroenterologist doctors to come to further conclusion.

I do have a number of prayer requests regarding James.

1. They gave him medicine to stop his wild saliva-making abilities. Apparently, James cannot handle the large volume of saliva he creates. The downside of this medicine is that it causes him to overheat. Yesterday on the car ride home James looked like he took a 24 hour nap in the desert--he was about as red as a cracker can get! Kristal and I decided to not give him his next dose of this medicine because of the dangers of heat stroke. Well, he has been struggling with his saliva all morning this morning. He has been throwing up, gagging, and choking as much as he was before we brought him into the hospital. Because of this we gave him another dose of his medicine this morning. Pray that the Lord would give us discernment regarding the pros and cons of each medicine. We are sort of "between a rock and a hard place" (props to my Mom for this phrase) on this one. We don't want to take him off of it because his vomiting comes back when we do. We don't want to keep him on it because if we take him out (to his doctor visits, chiropractic visits, etc.) he will over heat (and we have no AC in our car).

2. Pray for us and the doctors as we continue to get at the root of James' issues. Pray for healing. Pray that the Lord would show us how to stop James' vomiting.

3. Praise the Lord for his goodness. It is so nice to be home. Although hospitals are a blessing from the Lord, they are hard to live in.

4. The Lord has been very gracious to me in regard to school. This past Sunday was the first time I have ever fell behind in a class as a seminarian. I was super nervous about it. However, on Monday the Lord helped me accomplish twice as much as I usually do. I feel that I am "up to speed" again.

4. Continue to pray for sleep for both Kristal and I.

5. Thank you all for your persistent prayers for us. I know that so many people have been pleading with the Lord on our behalf. We cannot thank you enough. Doctors are only effective as the Lord allows them to be. God is the mover and shaker behind "Operation Heal James." This is why prayer is so essential--more essential than pills, iv's, and smart, geeky doctors.

6. I just want to stress again how great Jesus is. He is such a kind savior. He is not a petty little fairy in the sky. No! He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and yet, he is full of compassion. We do not serve a God who is easily manipulated. But we do serve a God who is passionately in love with his children. God does not answer our prayers because he wants a friend. God answers our prayers because of his great love. He doesn't need you or I. He doesn't even need your prayers. But he loves you and I. He does take your prayers seriously. He is no genie in a bottle. He is the King. He is my King. He is a good King. Don't for one moment question the fact that he is in absolute control of everything that is going on with James. Don't for one moment question the fact that everything that he is initiating and allowing comes from a hand of infinite goodness. If you lose either one of these, your outlook will only lead to despair. We pray to him because he is in complete control (he can do something about it) and because he is merciful (he wants to do something about it).