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We have been gone almost a week.
For Jack it has been a week of learning, of being excited about new endeavors, meeting new friends and eating fabulous meals. They have wined and dined us well.
For me it has been some R & R, meeting new friends, dressing up for great dinners, reading blogs, catching up on some paper work, sleeping until noon everyday, watching Jack be so excited about a new job BUT it has also been a week away from some little people.
The weather has not been great for much sightseeing. We will come back in the summer. I love meeting new people and I think I can count ten new friends when leaving Chicago. The kind you keep in touch with.
Our flight out is tomorrow afternoon and the weather forecast is not too great. 90% chance of snow possibly accumulating to 5 inches. Right now the weather app on my ipad says 8 degrees
feeling like –6!
I want to get home but and I am not a scary flier, but I am not interested in flying with ice on the wings. AT ALL!!!
Our driver just called and said we needed to leave 2 hours earlier than we had planned to because of the roads. And he lives here so I guess he knows.
We watched another good movie last night George Clooney in The Descendants!
So we are two for two this week since earlier we saw Courageous.
You know I have a heart for babies. I need you to pray for a new little man named Crew. His family lived in Shreveport our earlier years here and we have always kept in contact.
My heart is hurting for them this week. As I got on the plane last week Marie had arrived at the hospital in Arkansas, looking like a model, ready to deliver her second baby. As I got on the plane this was the picture that I saw. Is Marie gorgeous or what?
then with her Mom and my sweet friend Rhonda, who is her sister….
I checked my phone all day for the arrival of Crew. Then this came up on my Facebook…
Crew is here and has been rushed to Arkansas Children's Hospital. There are problems. It's called bladder extrophy.
It's extremely rare, but as a result of his lower abdomen not closing up his little boy part did not fully develop and close up. Very complex situation and he will be facing many surgeries.
Marie had to have a section and was not able to travel with him and then I saw this picture.
Her beautiful Mom traveled with him….The picture of a grandmother loving on a sick baby. Here is Crew with both grandparents.
.
Then Rhonda posted this…..which in my thinking is a miracle
“We got awesome news! It turns out that if Crew had been born 6 months ago, he would have been transferred to Seattle for this surgery. BUT God knew that and 6 months ago the surgeon who can perform this surgery moved from Seattle to Little Rock!! Crew will have surgery in 7 days!”
So precious……and finally Mom and Crew reunited. Please put this entire family on your prayer list. They have a long road ahead of them.
LIFE CAN CHANGE IN A MOMENT!
Never do I post everyday. If you missed my Chicago post go back and read it here.
I am not that kind of blogger. I wish I was but life does not permit.
This week I have some extra hotel time so I had to share what “encouragement” looks like. What a hug in words looks like.
You will remember Mike from the times he has guest posted on my blog here, here! He is the Marine.
Last week I sent him a note asking him to pray for Jack as he begins this new venture. I have to share his letter to Jack.
Hey Coach,
Ms. Teresa said in passing you'd be heading up to Chicago for some training for a new employment opportunity. I think that's just an incredible prospect for you. I wanted to drop you a note and let you know I’d be praying for you, and really just to encourage you to go for it. As I consider new job prospects myself, I know as men we can feel uneasy about doing something completely new and really outside our comfort zone.
I know how much God has done in your life since the stroke, and how like every competitive football player, you dug down deep and refused to let that one beat you—as you did with heart bypass surgery.
Truly the Lord sustains us and gives us the grace and strength to overcome.
I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing you before your Evangel days, but I know the coaching cloth from which you are cut.
Most people don’t know the seeds of football greats were spawned in Arkansas: Jerry Jones, Ken Hatfield, Barry Switzer, Tommy Tuberville, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Charles McClendon, “Rip” Powell, just to name a few. Fans just don’t get to see what coaches really go through.
Your wife and kids lived with it. I got to see it for a year. I’m pretty sure that year there weren’t many other coaches in Louisiana putting that much work into what needed to be done on a daily basis, much less at Evangel. And I have no doubt that your tenacity at mastering this job will be just as great.
I often talk to my Marines with a football in my hand because it’s a language I know and one most people understand.
So with talk of a former coach starting over, I’d like to share something with you I know you can appreciate. Fans of yesteryear will recall these facts, but most who can appreciate them have silver in their hair.
My uncle, Charles McClendon, didn’t play a down of high school football. He used to say when he got to Magnolia A&M (Southern State later) they had to show him how to put the pads in his pants—since he was there to play basketball.
A few years under Bear Bryant in Kentucky; defensive coordinator for LSU’s 1958 National Championship Team; 18 years as the most successful LSU head football coach—and one too many losses to Bryant at Bama--he was out the door to start something new: Executive Director of the Tangerine Bowl (later the Citrus Bowl).
His first year as director they had their first sell out. When asked how he had succeeded in doing so, he responded, “They’d never hired a scared football coach before.”
I’m sure you feel that you may be facing the same daunting task, but I have every confidence you’ll succeed.
Otherwise, the Lord wouldn’t have given you this opportunity to show himself strong on your behalf.
I’ve attached a link to a story I think you’d enjoy about moving on. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
http://www.coachmac.org/html/CoachMac_Stories/JohnEd.html
You continue to be in my prayers and I hope to see you this summer as we pass through.
Love,
Mike
That friend is what encouragement looks like….and if you have time to read the article, it is GREAT.
Now grab your computer or a pen and paper and encourage someone that needs it.
You don’t have to write eloquent words like Mike does and can…
just say “You can do it” or “You are going to make it”
It just might change someone's day.
Now for your laugh of the day this is what I woke up to today on my phone!
This is JACK, SPONGE BOB, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, ALL in ONE PACKAGE. HE just appeared in the living room like this…
It is snowing again in Chicago
Short post but so many of you wrote the sweetest comments and emails saying you were praying for our trip.
Saturday was travel day. Jack did great. I don’t know why I ever worried about it. We arrived in Chicago about 5 to lots of snow.
We went to dinner at a great place and wanted to eat in the bar to watch the games.
We ended up at a table with total strangers and two hours later, they were friends.
I love those kind of meetings.
We had kids the same age, they had been married almost as long as us, knew every restaurant in Chicago and shared places that were a must see.
By the time we left she was ready to start a tree decorating business…and wanted to know every detail.
It was such a fun night meeting new friends.
You would be proud of me. I waited until the man showed me pictures of his kids before I pulled out my IPad and showed off the little's.
Yesterday we rested and watched football.
I guess I am pulling for ELI now.
I like the Manning boys.
We ordered the famous Giordano's pizza and it was delish..
After the games we watched a movie we had missed at the theater, Courageous. A great movie.
You have no idea how weird it feels not having at least one little along. One is always with us.
Today training started and Jack was as excited as I have seen him in a long time. That in itself was a good thing.
I joined the group for the afternoon session, taking my IPad and planning to play Words With Friends in my lap.
BUT the presentation was so interesting that I took notes.
They took us to dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant tonight, Capri.
The food was wonderful.
Tomorrow is another full day of training so I may do a little shopping.
They have another fine restaurant on the agenda for tomorrow evening.
I will try and make some pictures in the next few days. We are here for the rest of the week.
ONE great plus is I am having time to catch up on reading blogs…plus up my Pinterest boards to 940.
Would you call that an ADDICTION? I think so.
Thanks for all your encouragement. Guess the post wasn’t so short.
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