Dax

Baby Dax minus the feeding tube!  YEA!

(He kind of looks like his Pops here--sleeping with his mouth open and all! ha!)

Isn't he precious?   I hate that ol' feeding tube in his nose!  (He hates it, too---he keeps trying to take it out!)  But...he may get to go home tomorrow!!  We're so excited!  He has to eat 60 cc's at a feeding to be able to leave the NICU and the hospital altogether.   For a while, they thought he was lactose intolerant because he wasn't digesting well.  So they took him off of breast milk and slowly added it back to his diet.  Thankfully, he wasn't.  And he's now digesting well.
His collar bone is healing nicely.  In fact, Zach told me that he's lifting his left arm on his own and isn't in pain.  They'd told us that by the time he was a week old, it would be healed enough that he wouldn't be in pain.  (Isn't it amazing how God has created us?)  And it actually happened sooner.  This little guy has had a rough start!
We're so grateful for all that God has done.  I know Mommy & Daddy are anxious to get their little bundle of joy home---and start being a family.  Thanks to everyone who has prayed!

WE'RE PRAISING GOD!!

Photos of Dax

These are the photos of Dax's delivery.  Zach took my camera into the delivery room and got the first two photos.

Shanna taking it easy during delivery.  (Not really.)

The monitor of Dax's activity.

And here's that boy!

Daddy's first photos with Dax.

Aunt Amanda

The Bishops getting a first glimpse of Dax.

Aunt Amanda & Dax---with Dad sharing the good news in the background.

Daddy & Dax

Little boy---next to dad's big hand.

Close-up of Dax

Kay & Amanda & Dax

The new little family

Mommy, Dax & Daddy

Dax peeking at Dad

We'd found out Dax's clavicle was fractured during delivery.  His reaction to the pain was causing his oxygen level to drop.  He'd been on oxygen most of the night.  They brought him to the room before they moved him to NICU.

Mommy & Daddy talking to him.

He was taking it easy. 

Talking to Dax

The move to NICU

Is that boy sucking his thumb??

We were on the elevator and Mommy was talking to Dax and his oxygen level started going up!  (A good thing!)  It made for one happy Mommy!!  So sweet to see how a baby responds to his mommy. 

I think we have a keeper!!

This is a photo from my phone of Dax in NICU. 

Zach texted me and said they've taken Dax off of oxygen in NICU.  Zach & Shanna got to go back and change his diaper tonight.  They'll keep him in NICU and see how he does tonight---hopefully off of oxygen!  They say his clavicle should be healed enough in a week that he won't have much pain.  Amazing!!

Dax Chandler Dietz

He's HERE!  And he's perfect!!  Dax Chandler Dietz--in full color.  (He has red hair!)  He was born Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. and weighed in at 7 lbs. and 7 oz. and was 19 inches long.  The first thing we all saw were those fat, kissable cheeks! 

Shanna did a great job.  I got the call at 3 a.m. that they were on their way to the hospital.  She was actually in labor for 9 hours.  Shanna's so tiny that it became a difficult time for her.  In fact, Dax was very swollen and we later discovered he had a fractured clavicle because of the birth.  That makes me so sad.  Poor little guy!!  But he had healthy lungs!!!  ha!  Zach was texting us from the delivery room and the first text was, "HERE!!!!!!"  The second text was, "He's got lungs!"  I immediately asked him who he looked like and he said, "Both!  Shanna's lips for sure!" 

I see so much "Dietz" in him---I saw my babies and other grandbabies when I met him the first time.  I definitely think he has Isaac's cheeks!  But then he also has Shanna's lips and her dad's dimple in the chin.  He's perfect.  Did I mention he has red hair??  (Shanna's mom is a redhead, too--he had a great chance for that!)  That was the first thing the doctor announced as Dax began coming.

Can you believe I got to Lubbock without my cord to upload photos from my camera?  Get ready!  When I get home, there's a full blog of photos coming!

It's so fun seeing Zach as a dad.  He's so careful with Dax---and I know they'll be a little bit nervous now that they know he has a fractured clavicle.  Shanna is going to have a bit of a time recovering.  Bless her heart!  She did an amazing job--but it was tough.  Please pray for her and Dax to recover fully--quickly!!

Grandbaby #8 in the Dietz household.  And we're perfectly balanced at the moment--4 girls and 4 boys.

Meddling?

God took us on a journey this morning in our prayer time.  (He usually does!)  We moved through...
 II Timothy 3:1-7, Matthew 7:13, II Corinthians 12:9, Malachi 3:16, James 1:26-27, Isaiah 66:8-13, James 4:9-10, James 4:7-12, Luke 9:62 and I Thessalonians 4:1-28. 
I've even linked with the version of the Bible we looked it up in.  Whew!

But the verse that stood out in my mind was this one:

"Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?" 
James 4:11-12  The Message

Is that not a graphic way of saying it?  What a good word.  It hasn't left my mind all day...

Grandbaby #9

Grandbaby #9 is on her way!! 

You can read all about it here---in Amy's own words.

And she's from here:

Please begin praying with us for this process. 

WE'RE EXCITED!!!

(And by the way...girls will outnumber the boys again!)

Mission's Conference at First Baptist Church

Poster created by Brock Plumley



Would you stop right now and pray for this conference?  This  is something Andy & his committee have been working on for over a year.  We're all so excited about it.  And boy!  Has there been a battle for it.  Which only makes me know God wants to do something amazing.

Andy & his committee are bringing in 8 missionaries who have gone out from our church or who are supported by our church.  On Saturday, February 26, we will meet at the church to BLESS our missionaries.  We'll pray over them, encourage them, and share scripture with them and let them know how they've blessed us.  This will be life-changing for them I think.

On Sunday morning, these missionaries will be speaking in our Sunday School classes.  That afternoon, they will set up "booths" where you can meet them and see and hear about their work.  We'll have a dinner with them before our big service that night.

Sunday night is the highlight.  The service starts at 6:30 and will include video testimonies of each missionary, music by our choir and Don Wallace, testimonies of people who have been converted (we're so sad our Asian girls didn't get a visa to come!!)....and so much more.

The main focus of the weekend is to BLESS OUR MISSIONARIES and to give our people a vision for missions.  So much work and prayer have gone into the weekend and it's going to be amazing.  Please don't miss this if you're in our area.  I believe God has an incredible plan in all of it.

And please...keep praying...and spread the word!

Kay Arthur on Egypt

I found this to be exciting and powerful!!



Kay Arthur discusses Egypt in the Bible from Broadmoor Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Tonight

Andy on his birthday...when our friends gave him this guitar.

Andy & I made a hurried trip to Amarillo tonight.  It really wasn't planned for Valentine's Day.  Actually, a man from our church (whom we love) was admitted to the hospital, so we headed over as soon as I got off work.  We also intended to do some shopping at Hobby Lobby for the Mission Conference Andy is planning for our church.  (We're really excited about it, too!)  Of course, while we were there, we did go out to eat and planned it perfectly--beating the crowd by going early.

On the way home, Andy was practicing a song he may sing at the conference.  And the thought went through my mind, "I still love hearing him sing."  I do.  And...he's still got it.

Seasons of Love

Andy & I were asked to speak at a Valentine's banquet last night and we ended up speaking on the Seasons of Love.  We just talked about the things God has taught us in each season of our lives.  So I thought I'd share.  Andy started each season by singing a song (in bold).

DREAM
Dating season.  I was taught to pray that God would prepare me for my spouse...and to prepare my spouse for me. When I began praying that at 12 years of age, Andy was 18!  Andy & I met on a blind date--six years later.  (Thanks, Dennis & Donna!)  We thought the other person was perfect.  We had stars in our eyes and couldn't wait to marry.  All I can say is you're pretty unrealistic about marriage--before you marry. 

WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN
Marriage.  We learned the other person wasn't perfect.  There were struggles over things like toilet paper and toothpaste.  But we'd been counseled well to never use the word "divorce."  (Plus, my Momma & Daddy told me I could never come back home--this was a forever deal!)  We were also taught to "receive" one another.  It was good groundwork for our marriage.

BABY, BABY
This was a season we thought would never end--because--having 4 children in 6 years, we stayed in the diaper/sleepless/foggy stage for years.  We were taught to give our children to God and to point them from day one to the target of God's will---not what we wanted them to become.  And we were told that our goal was to teach them to love God and to prepare them to leave home as responsible adults.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
This season was filled with going to our children's sporting and school events.  One of the most important things I think we did as a family was to sit down each evening and eat dinner together.  We were also told to take advantage of "teachable moments" to guide our children.  We learned about the differences in our children's personalities and to guide and discipline them accordingly.

WILD THING
Parenting teenagers is a wild ride!!  We knew it was so important to parent our children---and not to be their best friends.  Children are looking for boundaries which will make them feel secure and loved.  We also began to learn to let the Holy Spirit reveal things we needed to know about them--and what they were doing!

WTSU
(Andy's college fight song--you can tell his age--this school name no longer exists! ha!)  It honestly wasn't difficult to let our kids go.  I think it was because we'd purposed from the beginning to point them to the target of God's will and prepare them to be responsible adults--and they loved God!!  (Not that we'd done all this perfectly, mind you!)  In fact, what we learned through this season was to not bail our children out of difficulties.  They needed to grow through their difficulties and become independent.  (That was hard.)  Our prayer life became stronger, too.  But the benefit was that we began to become friends during this season with our children.  

WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN
When we were having babies, we didn't consider the cost of college and weddings of children so close together!  Our first two children were married within 4 months of one another.  And our third child was married only 11 months later.  It was during this season we were hit with how much we hadn't taught our children---and how poorly we had prepared them for life.  I think every parent faces this at some point.  But God was faithful to point out to us that we hadn't learned everything by the time we married--and He considered it His privilege to continue their education.  In fact...our job of teaching was over.  We were only there to pray and offer advice if asked.

DREAM
An empty nest...and a new opportunity to dream!  It's almost like starting over.  The good news is, everyone is off of your payroll and it's like you have a pay increase.  So not only do you have opportunity to do new things, you also probably have the money to do it!  It's a chance to do ministry together, travel, and find things you mutually enjoy.  Of course, it's important that you've invested in your marriage--or you'll find yourself living with a total stranger!  That's why you see divorces among people who've been married for 35 years.  But of course, the greatest reward in this season of love is having those beautiful grandchildren!!

Andy & I determined early on to enjoy each season of our lives.  And I can say we honestly have.  (Some seasons were enjoyed "louder" than others, mind you!)  I'm so grateful for people who poured into us---some people didn't even know they were teaching us, but they did.  Is there anything we'd change if we could? Absolutely!!   Unfortunately, you learn the most about parenting as your job is ending.  But I'm so grateful that God is a redeeming God.  I'm grateful for the children God gave me.  I'm grateful for their spouses.  I'm grateful for 8 grandchildren--who are perfect!  And I'm grateful that I've gotten to enjoy the seasons of love with Andy--and I believe the best is yet to come.  God sure knew what He was doing.

I love you, Andy Dietz!  What a great ride.

Beef Gumbo

There are all kinds of gumbo, but I found this recipe a couple of years ago and have fallen in love with it.  In fact, I was craving it this week with the cold weather.  I thought someone else might like it!

Beef Gumbo
2 Tb. Shortening
1 Onion chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper chopped
1 cup Sliced Okra (I used frozen)
2-16 oz. Cans Tomatoes
1 Tb. & 1 tsp. Chili Powder
10 Drops Tobasco Sauce (I was out, so I used Cayenne Pepper)
2 Tb. Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups Stew Meat or Leftover Roast
Salt to taste
Beef Broth, if necessary (I always use a can)
Saute onion and bell pepper in shortening.  Add okra and continue to saute.  Add tomatoes, beef and seasonings.  If needed, add beef broth.  Cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours.
260 calories per serving

Revelation

I had a friend tell me today that she'd had a revelation.  She said she got involved in helping plan a wedding shower for a friend's daughter and it became pressure and manipulation from the bride's mother.  In fact, the manipulation became so strong that my friend started backtracking.  She went to God over the issue and questioned whether she was rebelling against the manipulation.  God revealed that she wasn't rebelling...but resisting.  Even God resists.  He resists the proud. 
So, we have to humble our hearts; but we don't have to give in to manipulation, pressure, or control.  It's ok to resist.  Even God resists.
This was freeing for me today!

SNOW!!!

I ran outside when I got home from church and took pictures of our snow.  I was so excited--and felt like the snow was a gift straight from God just for me!  But when I came inside to download my photos, I had another surprise--photos on my camera I hadn't taken.  So enjoy!

Did you know Dash can play basketball?  He can!

And while a basketball game was going on, Addie collected things from nature and brought it to us.

Good layup, Mr. Incredible.  (Dash's dad)

 Keep away?  No fair!

Miss Nature

Playing with the new MacBook Pro.

Guh

Pops getting in on the action.  (Look at Ryan--you can't help but laugh!)

The result.

While Ryan was playing around, his tooth fell out!

Yep---there it is!

Dash...er, Mr. Snaggletooth!

Ok...this may be out of order.  I still see that tooth.

Got milk?  Nope...yogurt.  (Isn't she beautiful?)

AND HERE IT IS---THE SNOW!!!!!

Ok...not a lot of snow, I admit.  But it's still snow!

An Amish Love

An Amish Love is a compilation of three novellas written by three different authors; A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long, What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller and Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman.  The three novellas share the same location of Lancaster County, Paradise, Pennsylvania.  Each story also includes the restaurant named Yoder's Pantry.

I enjoyed each of these short stories.  They are a light read and take you to a simpler way of life...although each of the stories includes situations you don't imagine the Amish dealing with.  I think the stories were well-written, but I don't imagine the Amish would consider them highly accurate.  But they are sweet love stories.

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long is a story about a young man who left the Amish community and comes back having been an addict.  He meets Abby Kauffman who tricks him into marriage.  But unwilling to risk his entrance back into the Amish community, he marries Abby who then helps him face his demons.

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller is a story about Ellie Chupp, a girl who lost her sight in an accident.  A young man who has been shunned by the Amish community returns, hoping to come back and restore relationships.  But he had no idea what it would cost him.  Ellie becomes his reason to stay.  I did have a bone to pick with Kathleen Fuller.  I felt she abruptly ended her novella.  It's like she ran out of time or space and hurriedly concluded her story.

The last story, Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman is the story of empty nesters, Naaman & Nevina Lapp.  Naaman left his family for a year "to find himself" and returns hoping to restore the relationships with his family. Of course, Nevina has fears and questions about his return, but soon finds a renewed and restored relationship with her husband.  That is, until a sheriff comes from Ohio where Naaman had spent his year away.

I highly recommend this book if you want a light read of three short love stories.  I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Light

I had a very interesting morning.   Since we'd already decided to close Living Water for the day, I got to sleep in late.  But I'd also agreed to meet with my prayer partners later this morning--come snow or high winds! So I watched a little Christian TV before I went to prayer time.  I heard a man say that we shouldn't talk about the darkness.  When we look into the darkness and speak about the darkness, we're blind and deceived.   He said we're talking about things we don't even know about when we speak about the darkness.  We're giving our opinion in pride when we have no clue what we're talking about.

So I went to prayer time with that on my mind.  And when I got there, J told me that God had been leading her to confess her sins, her faults, to us so that she could be healed.  So the three of us got on with business.  Just to give you a hint, I started out confessing my pride.  And we all agreed that we couldn't say, "Yeah, me too, God."  We each needed to confess our own sin ourselves.  And confess we did.  I think it went on for about 45 minutes.  And at the end, I was confessing pride again---that I didn't think I'd have that much to confess.  Shwew!  How awful is that??  God also directed us to James 3 where it says that if we're walking in jealousy and contention, we have superficial wisdom that is demoniacal.  (Now you know something else we confessed.)

Confessing our sins and faults to one another and then praying for each other's healing is something I believe has to be done in a safe place.  To someone you know loves you.  Why?  Because love covers a multitude of sins.  I know these friends aren't going to expose me.  They're not going to throw me under the bus when my name comes up in a crowd.  They love me and they're going to cover me.   They know me probably better than anyone---they've heard my faults and confessions.  They know I sin, but they also know I'm willing to come clean with them.  And if I don't?  They're willing to challenge me and point out my blindspots.  And vice versa.

After we confessed our faults and failures to one another and prayed for one another, Light came in.  In fact, the man on TV this morning said we should look into the Light.  If we want more light, we must be looking into the Light and speaking about the Light for more Light to be revealed.  We don't look into darkness to find the Light.  Our eyes fell on I John 1:5-10.  If we're walking in the Light, He restores our fellowship with one another.

Wow!  Some of the very things we were praying for and desiring was restored fellowship with family and church family.  We were so excited!!  God's Spirit does that---He excites us over revealed Truth!!    Do you remember the rest of the verse in James 5:16?   It says, "...The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (dynamic in its working)."  And then it goes on to tell us to check out the life of Elijah when he asked for rain.  I can tell you that our prayer time after this spiritual exercise was powerful.  We were agreeing with God!

I highly encourage you to ask God for a prayer partner.  Someone who will encourage you in the Lord.  Someone who will seek Truth with you.  Someone who will speak Truth into your life.  Someone who will hold you accountable.  And someone who will cover your sins with their love.  Amen.