tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70994053479459299582024-02-23T17:22:21.640-05:00Spirit and WaterJoe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-19308964802069241062017-03-16T11:24:00.000-04:002017-03-16T11:33:27.851-04:00March 15 2017: Jayna is One Year Old!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A year ago today, we couldn’t see a happy 1 year old crawling, pulling up, and stuffing everything she found into her mouth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A year ago today, we couldn’t see her smile, hear her cry, and hold her in our arms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A year ago today, we couldn’t listen to the sound of her slow steady breathing as she slept peacefully in her crib.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We couldn’t change her diaper</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wipe her banana smeared face</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Play peek-a-boo</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">All of those things we couldn’t see a year ago</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But God saw all of those things</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And as long as we could see God - that was enough</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That’s always enough</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today Jayna is one, though developmentally she is still a 9 month old in many ways. Since we’ve had her home from the hospital, she’s had several appointments with the paediatrician and an appt’ with a preemi-specialist. We are so happy to report that she has been growing steadily along the doctor’s happy chart in a beautiful arc that puts her squarely in the 15th percentile for her adjusted age. For her actual age, she's in around the 1st or 2nd percentile! She’s no Jabba the Hut, but then none of our kids have been very chubby at this age. Since coming home she hasn’t had any breathing issues despite having had 2 or 3 colds. She has 6 teeth and drools like a St. Bernard, though thankfully she doesn’t eat like one! Candy might disagree with that assessment though, because Jayna still gets up several times a night and nurses each time. We are in the process of training her to get back to sleep on her own, a process we had forgotten about after 5 years of proper night’s sleeps, so we’ve had to relearn how to function on fumes and we are continually having to remind each-other that this too shall pass. :) I have told people about my response to her sleep deprivation ‘tactics’ (don’t babies sometimes appear to have an evil plan to wreck our carefully constructed comfortabilities?). This time around it seems much different than with our other kids. Where before I would get annoyed, now not so much. Don’t get me wrong; given the choice I would much prefer she sleep through the night and take two very easy-to-sleep naps each day! It’s just that now I’m much more inclined to approach the situation with something akin to gratitude for her existence rather than impatience at the inconvenience. Where the struggle with the other kids had been to get over myself and the interruption of my agenda, now I find the hard part is putting her down and not spoiling her too much. Most times I’d rather hold her in my arms and inundate her with bounces and hugs and kisses than do anything else. I think that being 5 years older and hopefully more mature,(although that is sometimes easily debatable) than I was the last time I was here has something to do with that, but mostly I think spending her first 3 months visiting her in the hospital makes me so grateful to have her home that I’m treading dangerously close to Can-Do-No-Wrong-Child territory. As an aside, you have my permission to slap me if you see me venturing down that road! </span></div>
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-35046439564501063952016-07-14T17:22:00.001-04:002016-07-14T17:22:07.853-04:00The Wisdom of Man vs. the Wisdom of God: Trust and Obey<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Stay tuned for another update on our precious Jayna… I know that’s what many of you are really interested in, not my various unrelated musings and reflections but please bear with me. This has been on my heart this week, and I find writing these reflections publicly helps me to process them, and also makes me somewhat accountable… a scary thing! Besides all that, I hope to encourage and bless someone, anyone….</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As Candy and I have been contemplating a new direction, and face a not so easy decision, we’ve weighed out human factors like finances, education, and family and have finally arrived at this one remaining question, the most important question: “Lord, what should we do?”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our family has been trying to maintain a morning devotion time in which we’ll read a portion of scripture and talk a bit about it, then pray as a family. We’re not bang on every day with this, but we do try to keep it a priority and it has been a blessing as the Lord has opened up His Word to us and we’ve had some meaningful times together. It’s an effort, but we find that when we start our days this way, our interactions together throughout the day are peppered with grace and we feel a greater sense of purpose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Along the course of our readings we’ve been going through the book of Acts and have just read the account of the life and martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 6 and 7 as well as the story of Philip in Samaria in Acts 8. We’ve seen a common thread through these two narratives that illustrates the importance of following God, (being led by the Spirit) over giving way to conventional human wisdom; of letting God in His wisdom direct us in the paths we take in life and trusting Him even though we don’t have all the answers at the outset. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">First we have Stephen. Luke tells us in Acts 6 that Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and that no one could resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. He was a powerful force for the kingdom of God. Bold. In Acts 7, Stephen is confronted by the Jewish leaders regarding his preaching and in response gives a long monologue taking them back in time, and following their unfaithfulness through history to the present day, concluding that they are stiff necked and always resisting the Holy Spirit, persecuting the prophets and ultimately murdering the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He finally accuses them of not keeping the law of God and then full of the Spirit, Stephen looks up to heaven and sees Jesus, sitting at God’s right hand. As he describes this awesome sight, the Jews plug their ears and as one man they rush him, drag him out of the city and stone him to death. While he is dying, he cries out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” There is a man present there, Saul of Tarsus, at whose feet the witnesses of this awful event lay their garments. Saul the Pharisee. This Saul approves of Stephen’s execution and that very day a great persecution arises against the church in Jerusalem, scattering Christians into the surrounding regions. This persecution sees Saul the Pharisee entering house after house and dragging men and women off to prison.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So I see here, through the lens of human wisdom, something that doesn’t quite make sense. Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, essentially throws his life away. When I read that no one could resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke, I thought here was a man who could accomplish much in ministry. If he had just played his cards right, kept his mouth shut and accepted their abuse, he could have been released, and then have continued to spread the gospel message, winning more souls and having a broader impact. Contrary to that though, he opens his mouth in witness against the authorities, seals his fate, and in a few short minutes is dead. Silenced. Right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It doesn’t compute, and surely had Stephen paused for thought long enough he might have arrived at the same conclusion, but he doesn’t pause for thought, does he? No, instead he follows the Spirit of the Living God right off a cliff. Did Stephen have a family? People who loved him? Friends who would miss him? Maybe. Probably. So why? Honestly, Stephen did not know why. But that didn’t matter to Stephen. All that mattered to him in that moment was that he follow God. Trust and obey. There, when the threat was greatest, he did not regard his life as precious, and he died because of it. What a waste of a great force for the Kingdom. Or was it? See, what Stephen couldn’t have known, and what makes his decision to be led by the Spirit that much more poignant to me, was that his decision would precipitate the greatest persecution the church had known to date, and that this persecution would send the gospel into all the surrounding regions, just as Jesus promised in Acts 1:8. It would result in the conversion of Saul the pharisee, who would become Paul the believer from whom we have much of our New Testament and through whom the gospel message would spread like wildfire far and wide. But what about Stephen? He went to be with Jesus. He’s with Him now. No regrets. Stephen couldn’t know the events his death would precipitate and I don’t think he cared. But God knew. And Stephen trusted Him. Have you ever been impacted by anything that Paul wrote? When you get to heaven, remember to thank Stephen for not consulting human wisdom when push came to shove. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Next we have a man named Philip. During this great persecution, Philip was one of the scattered believers who ended up in Samaria. Luke goes on to tell us in Acts 8 that Philip proclaimed to them the Christ - he told them about Jesus - and crowds of people paid attention. They saw him do mighty signs and wonders, casting out demons, healing the lame and the paralyzed, and they believed and were baptized. The bible says there was much joy in that city. Philip was in the midst of a powerful move of God. People were coming to Christ by the droves and being baptized, healed, set free. Philip was at the centre of it all. Then an angel of the Lord tells Philip to get up and go south into a desert place. Just like that, in the middle of all this outpouring, healing, revival - Philip is prescribed a desert wilderness. Again, human wisdom would beg Philip to ask, “What!? Why Lord? I need to stay and fan this flame You’ve ignited. These people need me. I can teach them all that You’ve shown me. I can disciple them and help them to grow in their walk with You”. But it doesn’t appear Philip asked these questions. He just got up and went. Trust and obey. Fast forward a bit and Philip meets someone along that desert road to Gaza. The man he meets is an Ethiopian eunuch, an official of the royal court of Queen Candace of Ethiopia. So trusted an official is he that he is in charge of all of the Queen’s treasure. Philip preaches the gospel to this powerful and influential man, who then believes and is baptized on the spot. A new believer in Jesus - now headed back to Ethiopia where he will no doubt start a fire there in the royal court - introducing Africa to Jesus! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">In light of these two powerful examples, how important is it that we be led by the Spirit of God? The Spirit will always lead us into the plans and purposes of God, but will so often not seem to make sense to the natural man. Remember, in both these men’s circumstances we the readers have the advantage of knowing the end of the story, but neither Philip nor Steven had that advantage. They trusted God and didn’t hold on tightly to their their status, reputation, or even their lives. We sometimes balk at the seeming outrageous things the Lord leads us to say or do because we can’t make sense of it in our minds. Earthly wisdom would dictate to us that we see the end of the story, and that that end be favourable to us personally before we make our decisions here on earth, but the wisdom of God doesn’t look like that. God has all ends in hand, and that apparently is all we who follow Him need to know. The path of wisdom, the path to God’s end, may include personal loss for us, even great persecution and death, as indeed it did for all of the apostles and countless others throughout history and in our own time. But should this possibility change our decision to follow Him? We might be tempted to turn away sad, like the rich young ruler in Mark 10, but we need to remember that following Jesus is impossible with man! But while we remember that, remember also that all things are possible to them that believe. It is only at the point of believing that the supernatural will take place. Factor on the power and the enabling of the Holy Spirit when once you choose to follow, but never before. </span></div>
Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-56214246889709412072016-06-07T12:13:00.001-04:002016-06-07T12:16:23.147-04:00Two Weeks In<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our youngest son and once youngest daughter are big brother and sister for the first time...</i></span></h2>
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Jayna is now 2 weeks old! Well, sort of. She's been a resident at the Boisvert household, united with the rest of her family for 2 weeks, she's actually almost 3 months old, and a whopping 6.5lbs! We've been loving almost every minute of life with her. Almost, I say, because it's hard to smile through those moments in the middle of the night when she's screeching because of a gas bubble, or a trapped, iron supplement-induced constipation class poo. Now the romantic among us might say, ahh but she's home, that makes it worth everything, and they would be right! But that does not make those moments any less exhausting. What it does do is help us to, on the brink of frustration, appreciate the gift of this baby so much the more. We will gladly endure night after night of gassy, screechy sleeplessness because she's home - with us - and not in a stuffy hospital environment where she is cared for but not loved, attended to but not nurtured. There is no price too high to pay for the chance to love and nurture her here at home. So bring it on!! I come from a long line of gassy french-men!<br />
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Jayna's fave position is curled up in a little ball on Candy's chest. It's no wonder since in all our skin to skin kangaroo care at the hospital, this was how we held her. It has not been unusual for me to wake up in the morning to find Candy sawing logs on her back beside me with this little precious ball of humanity curled up atop her. Sometimes it's the only way to quiet her, which of course is not ideal for mommy as it is not possible to sleep deeply like this. So as with any mom of a newborn, catnaps are the order of the day. I know that technically, at 3 months old, Jayna is not a newborn anymore, but we feel blessed that really we haven't missed that stage at all because she's still so small, and in all respects still behaves as a newborn would. </div>
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We had our first appointment yesterday with the paediatrician as well as another head ultra-sound last week, and both went well. Jayna is healthy and strong, and there are no issues to report! We are giving her an iron supplement as I alluded to above, to build up her iron stores. An infant will build iron stores during the last trimester of pregnancy in the womb, which Jayna of course inconveniently missed, and as there is apparently no iron in breast milk, Jayna is anemic (which explains why she sleeps so much) and will require this supplement for the first year.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Our first family ride in the van with Jayna<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></b></span></td></tr>
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To speak to that briefly, a friend was recently ruminating with me about how we are so fearfully and wonderfully made that it takes a team of doctors and nurses and round-the-clock care in NICU to provide for the infant a poor, (acceptable - but poor), substitute for what she would otherwise receive from a single umbilical cord in the environment of the womb. How awesome is our God in wisdom and power to create such a perfect environment for an infant to thrive in! Yet so many will not believe, but credit such a complex, intelligently designed system to chance and millions of years of evolution. I know who my God is: Faithful, Wonderful, Almighty, mirrored and expressed perfectly in the person of Jesus Christ, King of all Kings, my saviour and my friend! It is God who Candy and I credit with the birth, and the life of all of our children. Make no mistake, we do thank God for the medical professionals He had in place to assist in their care and are so very grateful for their knowledge and it's application in each situation, but it is God alone who we will glorify. After all, medical science comes from the mind of God, and it is the honour and glory of mankind to search it out. </div>
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So we continue, and thank you all again for your prayers and support, and the love shown to all of us over the course of the last few months. Never thought I would pray for dirty diapers, but fatherhood does strange things to a man!</div>
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-8992475185183581002016-05-22T08:48:00.000-04:002016-05-22T19:34:12.991-04:00May 22 Update: Homecoming! <b><u>Part 1: The Anticipation...</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTWapM5AjGVvCibbrde1_Hd7qcKMVeZSopSyFW8qLUWFxz2gDPb4kSb9yDh0e9CRPPOx4KnO5VH6UcEjgY_0LrVTMqN6PuCVK-k39L9U6QuhY-dEb-nyJRmV3aAywBPJgVnSjK8piC4KI/s1600/20160519_105303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTWapM5AjGVvCibbrde1_Hd7qcKMVeZSopSyFW8qLUWFxz2gDPb4kSb9yDh0e9CRPPOx4KnO5VH6UcEjgY_0LrVTMqN6PuCVK-k39L9U6QuhY-dEb-nyJRmV3aAywBPJgVnSjK8piC4KI/s320/20160519_105303.jpg" width="320" /></a>Praise be to God, the day has finally dawned! Our little Jayna will be discharged this very afternoon, and will brighten our home with her arrival. In the hope that I can in some small way convey to you all both the anticipation and the thrill of her arrival, I've decided to write this entry in two parts; a pre and a post homecoming. Jayna has been off oxygen since Wednesday, May 11 (notice that lovely "0") and off caffeine since Saturday May 14. She has gone 7 days without incident since the caffeine was removed. We took everyone to visit Jayna in the hospital one last time on Thursday and brought in her carseat at the doctor's request. Neither of us had been aware before, but preemies must pass a carseat test before they can be discharged. This test consists of seating the sleeping child in their carseat and monitoring them for any breathing/heart/oxygen issues for 30 minutes. She failed the first test on Thursday, but passsed with flying colours in the re-test 24 hours later. That was the last hurdle. Now only the finish line remains!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAOY5cn9QOL6HbSJ-ODWgNO5t4uqUzOd8Pb7PfPV-XNt5UKhvShyphenhyphen6x24Wz-WhyphenhyphenOWGPa1UxX2mzEZd5un7bTyEPHfjBnMrGeCMBKlAv9wJVViNXmvUjpd8k-mQUtzmdiPYDyZLpq1b4hzu/s1600/20160519_143824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAOY5cn9QOL6HbSJ-ODWgNO5t4uqUzOd8Pb7PfPV-XNt5UKhvShyphenhyphen6x24Wz-WhyphenhyphenOWGPa1UxX2mzEZd5un7bTyEPHfjBnMrGeCMBKlAv9wJVViNXmvUjpd8k-mQUtzmdiPYDyZLpq1b4hzu/s200/20160519_143824.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTeTgZXS0pTlHx5Zzfrx9bN4GPhXZfFruM7BaGZQpQYoE9kVQlgJWi0h4FZ5c_jWCcFD2erLU39aXJ-_bJHD-d4jjfjDljkScx4qo1qzeT-YdI3aTQluFdfy2JHtWn4ODXgUuFpx6UxXr/s1600/20160519_105434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTeTgZXS0pTlHx5Zzfrx9bN4GPhXZfFruM7BaGZQpQYoE9kVQlgJWi0h4FZ5c_jWCcFD2erLU39aXJ-_bJHD-d4jjfjDljkScx4qo1qzeT-YdI3aTQluFdfy2JHtWn4ODXgUuFpx6UxXr/s200/20160519_105434.jpg" width="200" /></a>Everyone here is so excited, but none so apparently as our youngest two; 6 and 7 years old. They, with all of us, have prayed and thanked God each day for Jayna's safe arrival. They are up early with me, eagerly discussing between them what life will be like here with their new baby sister. On Friday our 13 year old son and I worked energetically on our bedroom, rearranging it to accommodate Jayna's crib and change station while the rest of the kids broke into teams, each taking a section of the house to tidy. Below is a picture of the part of our bedroom I've obtained security clearance to post on the internet. Candy and I have been surveying this scene with expectancy since Friday. I'll drop my dear wife off at the hospital this morning, come home to see the kids off to church for 3pm, then head back to the hospital to pick up our little peanut for the maiden voyage in our luxuriously silver and rust coloured 2002 Elantra GT. I feel like renting a Cadillac! But lets keep what's important, important.<br />
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<b><u>Part 2: The Thrill...</u></b><br />
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Slight change of plans - we were late getting to the hospital, so rather than drop Candy and return for her and Jayna later, we just stayed together, received a flurry of last minute instruction from the Doc and nurses, and left the hospital at 2:00, WITH JAYNA!!!<br />
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She's home, and rather than run on at the mouth trying to put words to the incredible feeling, I've strung together a little v-log, accessible below, for you all to see. I'll apologize in advance for the lack of polish, and the fact that it ends rather abruptly. My eyes were beginning to cross towards the end there...<br />
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Praise the Lord!! Thank you all so much for your continued prayer. It has been a long journey, and one that has only just begun, but we are so grateful to have her finally home. As I write this, the children have yet to see her home - but they will be returning from church soon and then the party will begin in earnest. Soooo exciting. <br />
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<br />Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-72445210661890770802016-05-13T10:48:00.003-04:002016-05-13T10:48:34.735-04:00May 13 Update: Who Needs Oxygen Anyway?!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Our little beauty was taken off of oxygen on Wednesday! Now, they will only be giving her supplemental oxygen during her feedings. Jayna is behaving more and more like a newborn: her wakeful times are lengthening in duration, she’s fussing more when she’s uncomfortable, and she’s really chunking out! Her feeds are more frequently by bottle now rather than gavage tube, though the nurses still have a difficult time keeping her awake long enough for her to complete a bottle feed. Candy was able to nurse her for 20 minutes the other day, a breakthrough for sure. She is till having apneic spells where she will stop breathing altogether causing her oxygen sats to plummet. We’re being told that if she can go five straight days without a spell, they will remove the caffeine. After that, she’ll need to go another five days without a spell before they will feel comfortable discharging her. So at the very least, she will be in hospital for another ten days. Interestingly, we’re finding this period a bit more difficult in a way because now that Jayna is behaving as a newborn, her need for extra care is not so apparent to us, making it harder to leave her there each day. Our other children are feeling the strain as well. Just the other day, our seven year old daughter came to us and said, “Daddy, it’s sad when a member of your family is in the hospital, and they’re taking so long to come home. You just want them to come home.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Though it is sometimes sad, there is also hope. I was reminded last week that hope, the hope we have in Jesus, does not disappoint. So we press through, in hope believing, and know that it is simply a matter of time before the peanut joins her family at home. Thank you all again for your prayers and support. I've added a little video below, isn't she sweet!</span></div>
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<br />Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-11228287475033016532016-05-06T16:38:00.000-04:002016-05-06T16:52:35.546-04:00May 06 Update: Of Flu's and School and the Little Dipper<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhvAlBmUds1RcU0nLABoyNgqxBKDv0qczai0JiNJuVLnBdSqmXpvOnzTySA0wcyctDPTYtrbsJ-nW3Q6_qjfiQRdtRiC6bE2S3h3rF6lYEs5rA0b1D3-reWL5Yk1p7B-UmLZcS2neGDX-/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhvAlBmUds1RcU0nLABoyNgqxBKDv0qczai0JiNJuVLnBdSqmXpvOnzTySA0wcyctDPTYtrbsJ-nW3Q6_qjfiQRdtRiC6bE2S3h3rF6lYEs5rA0b1D3-reWL5Yk1p7B-UmLZcS2neGDX-/s320/IMG_2167.JPG" width="240" /></a>Jayna is today 5.005 pounds of pure baby. Apparently Mommy's got the goods! She's due for another echo of her heart today, as well as an eye test; both routine. I mentioned last week that she had been put back on caffeine, and that has not changed. Up until today, she had not had a brady (heart) dip for an entire week, however this morning her heart rate dipped to 65 for 15 seconds. She did bounce back from that without intervention though, which is a good sign. Candy spoke with the doctor yesterday and she explained how the caffeine, Jayna's heart rate, and the oxygen saturation in her blood are all interconnected. She said the reason they had kept the caffeine going despite no brady dips was that Jayna had still been having O2 desaturations, (O2 level dipping below 88 for a prolonged period). They had thought to remove the caffeine again today since she hadn't had a brady dip for so long and has been averaging only one O2 dip per day, but that may not happen now given this morning's episode; we shall see. You may be wondering what the big deal is about the caffeine - basically it's one of those milestones we need to see before she can come home. I guess sometimes you just have to quit the coffee before anything good can happen in your life. Other things that need to happen are the successful withdrawal of additional O2, and a demonstration that she can stay awake long enough to get all her feeds in by bottle or breast. Our little dipper is incorrigibly snoozy. With all our other kids, it was possible to wake them when they'd fallen asleep feeding, but Jayna is just too interested in the back of her eyelids, which necessitates any remaining feeding being given by gavage tube. Our oldest son, born at 35 weeks, was also a pretty sleepy baby. It is quite normal for pre-mature or pre-term babies to be sleepy. I think I might be a preemie in disguise.<br />
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So flu kinda' rhymes with school but that's about as good as it gets. Last Saturday, we had a scary episode here as our middle son abruptly came into the living room from bed announcing with tears and a panicked look on his face that he could not breathe. One of our other children had had a flu earlier in the week, and he had apparently caught it with a vengeance. We prayed, then immediately administered an asthma puffer, threw him in the car and were off to CHEO. It was 10:20pm. At 4:20am we crawled up the steps and collapsed into bed after blood work, a dual shot of antibiotics, and a steroid for his breathing. I finally succumbed to the bloomin' bug yesterday, and I've been wandering around the house uselessly ever since; school's out!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep us in prayer. We're struggling to push through, </span><i>"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place"(2 Cor 2:14).</i> I say this from a place of need and trust, because I don't feel very triumphant at the moment. Here's a verse I read this morning, that I hadn't noticed before, <i>"...if you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all" (Isa. 7:9b).</i> We need to live our life by faith, losing ourselves and embracing Christ. If we cannot be firm in that most fundamental of places, the rest will not work right, consigning us to frustration and rendering us unfruitful. Please pray for us, that we will exercise mountain moving faith, and trust the Lord with all our hearts!<br />
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<br />Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-21434836031755873002016-04-28T22:19:00.001-04:002016-04-28T22:47:30.484-04:00April 28 Update: Of Spilt Milk and Caffeine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>What? Caffeine? Addictive?!</b><br />
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Today Jayna would have been 35 weeks in the womb. She is 6 weeks old and weighs 4.3 pounds. Since our last update we've discovered that caffeine really <i>is</i> addictive. Who would'a thunk it! Jayna was put back on caffeine this past Saturday when it became apparent she was not yet able to sustain an acceptable respiratory and heart rate without it. It seems she wasn't ready to quit her morning coffee cold turkey. Little munchkin!<br />
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The past week has been rather uneventful as we continue to wait for Jayna to gain the strength she needs to be discharged from hospital and start her life at home. When either of us show up at the unit, the nurses back off and we're in charge - we change her, bathe her, hold her, and Candy has had ever increasing success at nursing her (exciting!), all of which has has been encouraging, priming us for the impending hand-off. So although we've had our fair share of language issues with the staff at NICU here, and are still trying to get used to the somewhat looser approach they take in the care of our little dipper, all in all I'd say we've been able to communicate with them at an acceptable level. We've just had to exercise a little assertiveness, something which Candy is loathe to do (yes, you heard it here first!), and I have a hard time doing without being rude, towering over people, and appearing maniacal. I now prefer to sit clean shaven (sort of), and bespectacled when I assert myself. People seem to respond better to me that way. Imagine!<br />
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<b>No More Bleed!</b><br />
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Great news! This morning Jayna had another head ultrasound taken, and it came back clear; the brain bleed is gone! Praise the Lord!<br />
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<b>Spilt Milk</b><br />
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On the home front things are continuing to move forward, as in - I am approaching <i>'crazy'</i> at an incredible rate of speed. You see, I know school needs to happen; I decide when I wake up in the morning that it's going to happen; and then it's dinner time and it hasn't happened! At least not to the level I envisioned it should. I've slowly been discovering that the kids don't <i>want</i> to do school. They'd much rather play. I know it should have been obvious, but more often than not I need to learn obvious things by experience before they become truly obvious to me. Maybe I'm not alone. At any rate, our kids need to be motivated to do school and I need to be the motivator. The problem is that I have a hard enough time motivating myself! I was ranting to Candy about all of this earlier today in the car as we drove to the hospital and she just smiled knowingly and said, "Really?" then went on to explain to me how important it is to make a plan at the <b>beginning</b> of each week, deciding which days we'll be doing school, and how each day will look. So, rather than lament the lost time this week, in essence crying over spilt milk, I'm going to suck it up and push through. All with the help and grace of my Lord, Jesus! Guess what I'll be doing Sunday evening? Enjoy the video!<br />
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<br />Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-16724209134135358812016-04-21T16:40:00.002-04:002016-04-21T16:56:56.182-04:00April 21 Update: Getting Schooled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today Jayna was bottle-fed for the first time! We arrived at the hospital while they were prepping for feeding time and were told that they had planned to try the bottle for one feeding today, just to see how she would do with it. So Candy nursed Jayna for a brief period until it was apparent she was too tired to continue, (breastfeeding and bottle feeding are like exercise for preemies), and then we transferred her allotted milk to a bottle and Candy was able to feed her that way. What a blessing it was! She sputtered, she coughed, she burped (my kinda girl!) and all of this was so precious - driving home (to me at least) that we actually have a real baby on our hands here! Sounds weird I know, but that's me. All she didn't do for me today was fart, but I'm sure that will come.<br />
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Jayna still requires some additional oxygen to keep her levels acceptable, but she has been having fewer dips and spells and has also been tolerating her feedings very well, with fewer spells at the tail end of her feedings than she had been having. They took her off of caffeine 2 days ago and are closely monitoring her heart to see how she will respond. The caffeine was to treat AOP (Apnea of Prematurity) which are spells where Jayna would stop breathing and her heart rate would drop below 80 bpm (normal heart rate for her should be 140-180 bpm). This little shot of morning joe would stimulate her breathing and keep her alert as well as regulate her heart rate. After 7 days off of caffeine, and a clear demonstration that she can handle these dips without it, she will have to go another 5 straight days without an apneic spell, and without requiring additional O2, before the docs will release her into the big wide world. Jayna will be 35 weeks next Thursday. So the earliest we could see her home would be two Wednesdays from now. Praise the Lord!! Please keep praying for her that all of these things will line up at the right time for her to be able to come home.<br />
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On the home front, this week has not been as successful school-wise as last week, but the kids are all still alive, well-fed, and happy AND I am happy to report that all of the winter stuff has been gathered, washed, and put away for the season! I can imagine someone might say, "ooh - that's an accomplishment?!", but let me tell you, this is no small task in our home. Seven kids and two adults worth of winter coats, boots, hats, scarves, mitts, neck warmers, snow pants... honestly, it actually feels like you've just won an award when you've completed a task like this! But I digress...<br />
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Last night, we took our first family trip somewhere since Jayna was born; a drive to a local park for some fun in the evening sun (and ice cream bars, yah!). We all needed that. It felt great to go out together and do something as a family. The pics you see here at are of Candy schooling her hubby on the court. She is definitely recovering well from that c-section!<br />
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-67766331705654767682016-04-15T09:27:00.000-04:002016-04-15T19:05:11.121-04:00April 15 Update: On Marriage, Hospital Transfers and Oatmeal<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5pqFaR_mu2IOpdTHEWO3ZU55yqY82DBMikVnzEa1_zTy1E5byLAcEYF55344hxsPtocV6kSrlZHrJdfobjY-TgYOakykO0SZX101gzdvH0wOviiqpvW2_QNuDzR_Ok3mfW5e3b_1bod7/s1600/IMG_2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5pqFaR_mu2IOpdTHEWO3ZU55yqY82DBMikVnzEa1_zTy1E5byLAcEYF55344hxsPtocV6kSrlZHrJdfobjY-TgYOakykO0SZX101gzdvH0wOviiqpvW2_QNuDzR_Ok3mfW5e3b_1bod7/s320/IMG_2021.JPG" width="240"></a>Yesterday our precious peanut was finally transferred to a hospital closer to home and in our own Belle Province. We had about 2 hours notice of the transfer, but thankfully Candy was already at the hospital when we found out so she was able to travel in the Transport vehicle with Jayna. Once they arrived, and I was able to leave the fracas at home to join her, we were orientated (in quite broken English) as to the policies and procedures for Jayna's new digs. We were very impressed at the effort everyone at the new hospital made to communicate with us in English. They were gentle and patient with us as we asked for clarification on different things. This makes all the difference, I think, to whether our experience there will be a good or a bad one.<br>
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Jayna is growing! I was amazed when I saw her yesterday at how much she'd grown in the 4 days since I'd last seen her. She's now 3.5 lbs and showing some definite chunk!! Her oxygen levels are improving as well, which has been very encouraging. We were told before she was transferred that in the move from one hospital to another, she was essentially going from one of the healthiest babies at the one hospital, to one of the 'sickest' babies at the other, so we could expect the staff at the new hospital to be on edge until they were confident Jayna's condition was stable and improving. In keeping with that estimation, Jayna is back in an isollette (incubator) for at least 48hrs. Also, if we want to handle her, we must wear a gown and latex gloves. Not sure whether that is a 48hr thing as well, but that could end up a point of contention with us as we have been enjoying skin to skin care with her for some time now. To not be able to touch her without gloves seems a little over cautious and even detrimental to Jayna's overall development. So pray for us that we will be gentle in our communication, and that this new NICU will lighten up a bit and let us hold our child without a latex barrier. Overall, though, we are excited to have her closer to home, and impressed with what we've seen of the staff here in Quebec.<br>
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On the home front, we had decided this past week-end to try to establish some semblance of a routine in our lives for sanity's sake. We decided to treat the visits to the hospital as we would a job, where Candy leaves early-(ish) for the hospital each day, and I stay home and do school with the kids (along with meals, laundry, cleaning - whatever). After week one, I have re-discovered that I absolutely love teaching the kids, but before anyone goes and gets the idea that I am a super-dad, let it be known that laundry and housework did not really get done this week. The kids are all still alive, and not TOO hungry, so I believe overall the week was a success here at the house, but I have a lot to learn about managing a home. It seems that we are in an either/or situation here. <b>Either</b> the housework and school get done and the kids go hungry, <b>OR</b> school and meals get done but the house goes to pot. Thank God for week-ends!! All you homeschooling moms - God bless you. You have my utmost respect and admiration.<br>
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Today Candy and I celebrate our 16th anniversary. Sixteen years ago today, at this very moment, 08:50, I was scarfing down my step-mom's amazing oatmeal; my last breakfast as a single man. Today we celebrate our glorious union and guess what's for breakfast? I was told before we got married that I should think long and hard before having kids, that they would "suck the life right out of me". Now, at one child every two years since we said the words, "I Do", I can truly agree with the thinking part of that admonition, but nothing would 'suck' more than life without these precious kids. We're better for having had them, they truly are a blessing from the Lord, and my amazing wife is truly a fruitful vine at the heart of our home.Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-10023357550282493822016-04-09T16:34:00.001-04:002016-04-09T16:36:12.280-04:00April 09 Update: To Fret or Not to Fret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Moving... moving... moving...<br />
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Yesterday we were told that Jayna will be transferred sometime soon to a hospital in our own province, (we live in Quebec but she is presently at an Ottawa hospital). I will admit that when I first heard this, my heart sank. I began worrying over language issues, quality of care for Jayna, parking issues, and the list goes on. I started to panic and think of ways we could possibly persuade the medical team in Ottawa to let her remain there and forego the transfer. The issue was fast becoming a mountain in my mind until a bit later in the day after a conversation with my wise wife. Simply put, my response had been one of fear and not of faith and was an indicator that I had begun to put my trust in man. Over the course of the evening, and into this morning, I was able to work through this and come to a place again where I realize that wherever Jayna goes, whatever her care, at the risk of sounding cliche, God is in control. He knows where she will be, and He will be with her there as He's been with her everywhere else. Her Great Physician is a travelling doctor who will not leave her side. Considering that this travelling Doctor is the One who formed her inward parts and knit her together in her mother's womb, I'd say she's in pretty safe hands! My worrying won't accomplish anything but a little loss of hair pigment.<br />
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Around 2 months before this whole affair began Candy had been reading through the book of James in the Bible and the Holy Spirit impressed on her heart how important it was going to be for us to be patient and endure. That whole principal of patient endurance kept coming back to her and as she shared it with me I could really see that the Lord was speaking to us, though at the time we had no idea what was coming. Up to this point I've been sort of coasting along, but it has finally begun to sink in (I'm a little of a hard-boiled egg when it comes to learning life lessons), how much I need to rest in Jesus, and through prayer and quiet rest, allow Him to bear this burden rather than try to figure everything out and tackle it all on my own. In this way, I can be patient and endure this thing with joy and peace rather than anxiety.<br />
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So fast forward to this morning... Candy and I got up early, scarfed down a quick breakfast and left for the hospital as soon as we could, picking up my mom and sister along the way. We wanted to be there for Jayna's 11:00 handling time so Candy could hold her and try to introduce Jayna to nursing. When we arrived, we learned that the doctors had not done their rounds yet. This was great news for me as it meant we would be there for rounds, (our first time since she was born), and having the entire team there to answer our questions is an ideal situation. When the team of doctors arrived for rounds, who would be the Neonatologist on staff but a man we knew from a church we used to attend in Ottawa. In fact, I had taught his eldest son in children's church there! Though it had been 10 years since we'd seen him, he recognized us right away and we had a great update on Jayna's condition and detailed replies to our questions complete with video animation (he showed us on his iPad what Jayna's heart looks like). I felt so blessed to know that he was there, a Christian doctor taking care of my daughter. I was so encouraged by these things and knew that all of this had been orchestrated by the Lord. It's like the Lord was just putting an exclamation point on all that I'd been meditating on.<br />
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So Jayna is in a cot now, no more incubator or heated bed. Her O2 needs are still higher than they should be but they were able to reduce that again this morning after suctioning more goop out of her nasal passage. I guess she's still fighting this cold. Not surprising when you consider most of us take around 2 weeks to fight through a cold and <i>WE</i> have fully developed immune systems. She has a slight heart murmur, but nothing of any concern. There's no plan for a repeat brain ultrasound until she's ready for discharge, and another x-ray of her chest yesterday turned up no sign of any lung issues. They will hold off transferring her to this other hospital until her oxygen needs stabilize. As of now it's day to day - they will decide each morning based on her condition whether or not the transfer will happen. This is fine with us. Again, we know who holds tomorrow!Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-45606721056366207882016-04-06T17:36:00.000-04:002016-04-06T17:36:51.064-04:00April 06 Update<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mommy and Daddy's foreheads feed baby Jayna!</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Sound asleep....</b></i></td></tr>
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As some of you may know, we were waiting to hear the results of Jayna's repeat brain ultrasound yesterday. Good news - the brain bleed has not grown, and is showing some resolution! Praise the Lord! Jayna is still on O2 at varying levels, and everyone is still in the dark as to the cause of that - though the prevailing theory is that she's still getting over a cold. Apart from that, she is growing as she should. She is still under 3lbs, but should have that benchmark broken by week's end if she keeps gaining weight at the rate she has been.<br />
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As a family we are all looking forward to the day when we can get back into some semblance of a workable routine. Housework, homeschooling, groceries - all of these things are kind of in throw together mode right now as we've added daily rides to and from hospital and recovery time for Mommy, who I'm afraid feels her only raison d'être at this moment is to pump, eat and sleep. She has been staying positive though and with a little help from the rest of us is allowing herself the time she needs to regain her strength. Life will be changing all over again once Jayna begins breastfeeding (right now, she's still only being tube fed), and then again when we finally get the little pink bundle home to her family!<br />
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On a different note, I want to convey our thanks to all who have helped us in some way over the past 4 weeks, and who continue to help by way of prayer, encouraging notes and other material things. We received dinner every day between March 11-31 as well as frozen meals that we've been able to pull out in a pinch since then. We've been given grocery gift cards, monetary gifts from church, friends, and family, restaurant gift cards from family, baby clothes, crib and other items in such a shower of blessing that all I can do is shake my head. People have come by to help us clean our house, bless the kids with McDonald's lunch and visits from family and friends, and a fresh supply of deadly (ouch, my foot!) lego to keep them occupied, and just to say hi, and this has all been greatly appreciated. We do intend to do up individual thank-you's for everyone, but we'd like to also give this sort of 'blanket-thanks' to you all! God bless each one of you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The view out our window on April 06</b></i></td></tr>
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Right now as I look out my window at the blizzard taking place outside (cue the laughter from all you Arctic dwellers), it's hard to believe that gardening season is just around the corner. Not that any of us here have a green thumb, I'd say muddy-brown at best, but we do intend to do our best to stick something in the ground this year that we might be able to dig up later on and eat. It offsets ever so slightly the cost of feeding the ravenous teenagers in our midst. But for now I just sit and watch the snow fall.<br />
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-13867284723155287522016-04-02T15:19:00.000-04:002016-04-02T15:19:14.909-04:00April 02 Update: Moving to a New Unit!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since our last update we learned that baby Jayna had caught a cold. Most likely the same one all of us were fighting when she was first born (her first gift from Mommy and Daddy!!). After some blood work it was determined that it was a viral rather than a bacterial infection so she would not need anti-biotics. The doctors were quite sure her need for O2 was due to this cold she was fighting and this has turned out to be the case as they have been able to steadily ween her from the O2 so that now, with the cold on it's way out, she is on a very minimal amount. Hopefully she'll be off it altogether within a day or two! Jayna's also been moved from her incubator to an open air bed which means easier access to her during our visits.<br />
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The great news for us this morning is that Jayna was moved to the newborn observation unit within NICU. She's no longer in the super intensive care section of the unit, which tells us that the level of concern over her ability to thrive has diminished considerably.<br />
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More good news is that Candy's been producing more than enough milk so Jayna has been on a steady supply of the best milk money can buy. On top of all this, Candy's blood pressure has been coming down so she's been able to cut back on the meds significantly. Praise the Lord!<br />
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So we continue to watch Jayna's condition grow stronger and stronger and are so excited for the day she'll finally be able to come home to us. Our youngest daughter keeps praying, "that Jayna will be able to come home from the hospital but not too soon so she won't have to go back to the hospital". It's just a reminder to us to be patient and trust the Lord's timing as His timing is always best; never too late, never too early!<br />
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Next hurdle will be Tuesday's brain ultrasound!<br />
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Thanks again for all your prayers - God is good!<br />
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<br />Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-29429158540093709422016-03-30T21:46:00.001-04:002016-03-30T21:46:43.965-04:00March 30 Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tonight we discovered that a brain ultrasound has turned up a grade 1 bleed on the right side of Jayna's brain. While this sounds big and terrible, apparently the Grade 1 is the smallest bleed there can be, and is not unusual for premies. Over time the brain should absorb the bleed. They've scheduled another u/s for April 05 to see if there has been any change. Please pray with us that this thing will resolve and we'll see an improvement at that u/s on Apr. 05. </div>
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God bless you all and thank you for continuing to pray!</div>
Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-33542625067892100792016-03-28T22:55:00.000-04:002016-03-28T22:55:34.400-04:00March 28 Update <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFDFwKiXGWaAcGId-7nSc2Y3ThOaudczthAiA-d_twhyQagdHQZRll_HaW9txuhfiBDFLd69tCGQUoxnnH7Q_SbO1z1bVztVc5yqx1FfQch-66FpUdv5lXY90SlbIl6V6ZYhwsZz78oAL/s1600/IMG_1911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFDFwKiXGWaAcGId-7nSc2Y3ThOaudczthAiA-d_twhyQagdHQZRll_HaW9txuhfiBDFLd69tCGQUoxnnH7Q_SbO1z1bVztVc5yqx1FfQch-66FpUdv5lXY90SlbIl6V6ZYhwsZz78oAL/s320/IMG_1911.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDb4UxQvkdJmLh6S_NHyWRmiCthDQBxmOia6u1tu7V8OCsocmW2-LBjTv1CbJ1YaJlgb_NkWMZ3SubbBkHilLOwo5f_pKQKonLiiN-UT3T2gqU_vgYz76ZQVDQ9QrTdd3RSw-Y-b3ugvM/s1600/IMG_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDb4UxQvkdJmLh6S_NHyWRmiCthDQBxmOia6u1tu7V8OCsocmW2-LBjTv1CbJ1YaJlgb_NkWMZ3SubbBkHilLOwo5f_pKQKonLiiN-UT3T2gqU_vgYz76ZQVDQ9QrTdd3RSw-Y-b3ugvM/s320/IMG_1343.JPG" /></a><br />
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So we were finally able to hold Jayna for the first time on March 24! It was such a blessing to hold her to our chest and feel her warm little body breathing. We have been been able to handle her during her major handling times which occur every 4 hours. On March 26 Jayna’s oxygen levels fell below acceptable levels, so she was placed on a small amount of oxygen to keep her levels up. As of today, March 28, she is still on O2 and her body temperature has risen (not quite to fever level, but borderline), to the point where they have had to consistently be lowering the temperature in Jayna's incubator in order to regulate her body temperature. That, coupled with her increased need for O2, had prompted a chest x-ray and a blood work up to determine if there was some factor, perhaps an infection, causing these anomalies. The blood work came back normal in every respect, and the chest x-ray turned up nothing. Praise the Lord! The nurse is saying it could be that she just runs a little hot. In fact, they’ve discovered that she’s not happy unless she’s only half covered while she’s sleeping, which I can attest is something in which she definitely takes after Mommy! The nurse also told us that once we get Jayna home, we will have to be careful not to overdress her, and it’s funny, but just that little bit of talk about getting her home was a tremendous encouragement to me. Finally, tomorrow should be the day Jayna regains her birth weight of 1170 grams, just a little larger than a package of pasta! At this point they will begin to adjust the quantity of milk they give her beyond the 12 ml/2hrs which she is currently receiving. This presents a new challenge for us as Candy’s milk production will have to pick up in order for us to keep up with Jayna’s feeding requirements. </div>
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On the home front, we continue to enjoy meals from many of our friends and fellow believers in Jesus and have been blessed by all the encouragement we’ve received from everyone. We really feel like our burden has been lightened because so many of you have borne it with us. Candy’s health has been improving markedly as she heals from the surgery. Her blood pressure has improved to the point where her meds are slowly dropping off, and it is our prayer she will eventually be able to come off all blood pressure medication.<br />
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Just this past week-end we enjoyed a lovely visit with Candy’s parents. It has become tradition now that every time they visit, Grandma Acheson organizes the kids games in the family room (no small task indeed) during which time there is also the customary lecture regarding how easy it is to put a game away after you play with it so that "Grandma won’t have to do this EVERY TIME SHE COMES TO VISIT!”. :) It’s wonderful to have our family room back, so thank you so much Grandma! Between Grandma's talent for organizing games, puzzles, cards and various other pieces, and Grandpa’s superb broom wielding we can finally walk through the house without sneezing OR mangling the underside of our feet on some deadly bit of lego. Also, on March 26, all the other children as well as Grandma and Grandpa Acheson were able to meet Jayna for the first time! I’ve attached a pic of our tin-grinning oldest child with Daddy and Jayna.<br />
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I know I’m rambling on, but one last little thing - the most important thing actually. We had been so consumed with all that was going on here that Thursday we looked at each other and realized we’d almost forgotten that Easter week-end was upon us! Now on the other side of the week-end, despite that realization I feel as though this Easter has been the most meaningful for me in a long time. We were able to sit together as a family around the Word on Friday and talk about the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus and what His death accomplished for us, then on Sunday we gathered together again to look at the glorious victory of His resurrection and what that means for us now. I was so overwhelmed this week-end at the beauty of His sacrifice, and the power and majesty of His resurrection - it’s hard to really put it into words. I want to thank You Father for Your great love, for Your sweet mercy, and for Your gift of eternal life freely bestowed on us when we first believed. You are!<br />
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More updates to follow….<br />
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-40992388567823340652013-10-28T09:11:00.000-04:002013-10-28T09:11:02.503-04:00The King's Arrows<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Psalm 127:3-4</i></b><i>Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A wise King has entrusted to me a beautiful gift. A quiver He’s given me, and there are seven arrows inside. He tells me to see that the arrows are well tended; one day I will return them to Him to use as He will. If I am faithful in this, He promises they will not miss their mark. I hold them with reverence, for though drab in appearance, with splintered wooden shafts and dull, uneven tips, I glimpse in them the glory of the One who fashioned them. With care these arrows may be wrought straight and true; a perfect fit to whatever purpose they are aimed. Treasuring them, I always consult the wise King in order to better understand their makeup and the skills necessary to their keeping. Being their Maker, He alone knows what is needed to ensure their great success. Keeping my whetstone close at hand, I sharpen the arrowheads and oil the shafts each day, cutting and grinding them to remove even the slightest degree of curve. An imperceptibly curved shaft, though it begin its journey from the bow with promise, will slowly leave the intended path over the course of flight and so never find the target. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There comes a day when I awake tired. The diligent keeping of the arrows has become a drudgery as day after day I tend them with no thought to my own comfort. My neighbours have also been given arrows by the King. Observing them, I compare their many comforts to my own meagre supply. It is a wonder they have time to so look to their own desires. Curious, I enquire of them what method they employ in the tending of their arrows. It is then that I learn of the Keepers, a noble group who hire themselves out to the tending of the King’s arrows. The Keepers claim that arrows in their care will turn out truer than could ever be attained without their aid. Insisting that their help is necessary to the arrows’ proper development, they say they care for each arrow as though it was their own. The thought excites me; perhaps with the Keepers I can continue to shape my arrows yet still have time to devote to my own pursuits. I would gladly hand over my arrows to their willing hands but one thing stops me</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">; almost have I forgotten to consult the wise King. At His prompting I gather my arrows, journeying to the land where the Keepers’ arrows are made ready for release. Here I might observe the fruit of all their labour.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I see here arrows beyond number, drawn by hired bowmen. Beautifully formed they are straight and true, with tips razor sharp. I rejoice at the sight but the joyful shout dies upon my lips as I see their dreadful target! Running from bowman to bowman I shout for them to lower their bows. Unheeding, they await the signal to release the terrible arrows and send them swiftly to their mark. I rush to the Keepers, imploring them to stay this madness, but they perceive not the arrows’ true goal, believing them to be aimed at noble targets. My eyes, however, are not so unseeing - they are aimed at the wise King Himself! Clearly these arrows have been fashioned for a single purpose which even the Keepers have not understood. Here I can see a force of evil, hidden and undetected, which drives Keeper and bowman alke. It is plain the Keepers have not consulted with the wise King in the keeping of the arrows. Denying His very existence they have preferred instead to consult their own wisdom. Thus they have created arrows whose sole purpose is to pierce the heart of the One who first formed them. This I know brings great sorrow to the King for He knows that once released the arrows will perish and be lost forever. This fact alone grieves Him most.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I begin to weep as a Keeper turns to me. Espying my seven arrows he asks if I will give them over to him. I hold tightly to that which only moments before I had been ready to release into hostile hands. With great resolve I determine never to allow any hand save mine, and that under the King’s great guidance, to prepare my arrows for their ultimate release. Their goal, too, will be the heart of the King, but their purpose lies with Him and none other. In that great purpose my precious arrows will never perish.</span></div>
Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-30551541810005460402013-10-24T09:41:00.002-04:002013-10-24T10:15:59.833-04:00Under My Thumb!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<b>Ephesians 6:4</b><i>Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.<br /><br /><b>Psalm 127:4</b> Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had a dream about my son Evan, who is rapidly expanding his boundaries as our most social child. He's an extrovert to be sure. In my dream I was at a house party with some other people from Awana, a Bible club we bring our kids to each week, and there were a whole lot of kids there. It was late, around midnight, and Evan wanted to go outside with a friend to play for a bit. The atmosphere was quite free and there wouldn't be any danger, but I didn't want to allow him outdoors at that hour of the night so I said no. When he asked why, (he does this often), I could only tell him it was too late. An Awana leader who’s walk with God I admire was there and sort of pulled me aside to let me know there was no harm in allowing him and his friend to hang out at the front of the house for bit. I wasn't convinced, but couldn't think of a good reason to stick to my decision, so I told Evan to go ahead, but only for a half-hour. I woke up and after the spider webs cleared, I found myself with an object lesson to depict what can happen when we try to hold our children back beyond what is reasonable. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Picture yourself with a little Risk™ soldier under your thumb on a table. As you push harder on the Soldier, one or more of three things will likely happen: 1.) The Risk™ piece will slip out from under your thumb and skitter away from you, 2) The Risk™ piece will be crushed under your thumb and be unfit for use with the game anymore, or 3) The Risk™ piece will withstand the pressure until it punctures your skin and injures you.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our children are like that Risk™ piece. As they get older, they want - they need - to branch out and spread their wings a bit, enjoy some freedoms and be allowed to make mistakes. We can tend to put our thumb down on them to keep them under our control, thinking that we're helping them by saving them from making bad decisions. If we’re honest, sometimes we’re just saying ‘no’ out of sheer laziness, not wanting to deal with the possible fall out of a ‘yes’ answer. If we're not careful though, we can push too hard. At that point our children can be like that Risk™ piece, doing one or more of those three things: 1.) Slip out from under our control and distance themselves from us, 2.) Have their wills crushed thereby injuring them and hampering their emotional and spiritual health, or 3.) Totally rebel, resulting in much emotional pain both for themselves and for us as their parents.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In looking back over my upbringing I realize that I was one whose father pushed too hard. The thumb came down and this Risk™piece had all 3 reactions. I shudder to think of where I'd be were it not for God's grace and mercy! Now decades later, I’m finding the same pattern wanting to repeat itself in my own parenting. The two big differences are that my heart is soft toward God, and I’m happily, no - <i>ecstatically</i> married. I adore and respect this woman. I know God has given her wisdom, and I try to listen to her, sometimes unsuccessfully. I’m not saying she’s always right and, thankfully, she’s not the sort of woman who would say that about herself. What I am saying is that this parenting thing sure becomes easier in the context of a loving marriage where both spouses are looking in the same direction. Where I falter, she excels and vice versa. In addition, where we both falter God is there to pick up the pieces, brush off our clothes, and set us upright again. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s a noble thing to want to shield your children from pain; we have been called to protect, nurture and equip our children under God. But there is a point where that God-built program in us can cross over into fear. When fear takes over, wisdom is out the window, and faith is only a memory. That’s when our children reap an ill harvest. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So I will pray. Pray for my kids, and pray for my wife. I will ask God for wisdom to navigate parenthood as he designed it to be navigated and when all is said and done I’ll have seven straight Risk™soldiers, sharp arrows that will fly true and hit the mark.</span></div>
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-33634566600775540552013-10-11T09:57:00.000-04:002013-10-11T09:57:10.306-04:00He-Man, Sin, and Temptation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i> 1Corinthians 10:13</i></div>
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<i> No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.</i></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was a boy, I loved He-Man. I may be dating myself here, so if you haven’t heard of He-Man, get with it man! Just kidding - you can find him on YouTube of course, where you can find anything. But what boy wouldn’t like He-Man? I mean, this guy had a magic sword that could transform him into a muscle bound bundle of invincibility! I would get chills every time he made that transformation and would hold up his sword and proclaim, “I have the power!” I wanted to be able to say that, I wanted that sword, that power, and that cool tiger to ride! When I thought no one was looking, I’d transform my backyard into that mystical landscape and pretend I was him, with a real live apple tree branch for a sword. Yep! I was all-powerful until my mother called me in for lunch. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, I was chatting with a co-worker who is going through a hard time. She told me that to encourage herself, she wanted to find the bible verse that explains that God will not allow us to go through a trial that is too much for us to bear. The verse she was thinking about is 1Corinthians 10:13. When she found it she wasn’t sure it applied to her situation because it says that God will not allow us to be <i>tempted</i> beyond what we can bear, not that God will not allow us to face a <i>trial</i> that is beyond what we can bear. To further confuse the issue, a friend had also told her that God does allow trials in our lives that are too great for us to bear so that we will lean on Him to make it through them. So what had been a potentially encouraging passage of scripture to her was rendered not so because she was interpreting the word ‘<i>temptation’ </i>too narrowly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was a bit surprised at her conclusion that this verse did not really apply to her situation, and wondered if there may be other believers out there who might come to the same conclusion and pass over that scripture when going through a trial. So here’s my attempt at a cursory definition of terms, namely - what is tempation and what is sin? The bible tells us in <b>James 1:14-15,</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death”</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also tells us in <b>Romans 14:23</b>, </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So maybe we’ll start with sin, and use a classic example: alcohol consumption. I’d say that Christians are quite fairly divided on this issue. Some believe drinking in moderation is okay, others believe any consumption of alcohol is wrong. The Word clearly tells us not to become drunk. If you’re one who believes any consumption of alcohol is wrong and find yourself in the company of others who have no problem with having an occasional drink and a drink is offered you which you take against your better judgement, it is sin to you. It doesn’t matter if the people drinking around you are the most spiritual people around. It doesn’t matter if you’re the only one who doesn’t think this is okay; if you drink it, you’ve sinned. This is the essence of what Paul teaches in Romans 14. It is sin to you because you defile your conscience in the drinking of it; your drinking of it is not done in faith, and since whatever is not of faith is sin, your drinking of it is sin to you. Paul further teaches in this passage that enjoying your liberty in the things you allow is also secondary to loving your brother. So, in the same situation, if you are one of those who has no problem with an occasional drink, and you’re in the company of one whom you know does, then for that person’s sake, so as not to put a stumbling block in their path, don’t take the drink. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now you could go to extremes and apply this teaching to drugs, drunkenness, sexual immorality and the like, saying that if you engage in these activities in faith, then it’s okay - you’re not in sin, but that would be a mistake. First, the Word is very clear about these things, that those who practice them will by no means inherit the kingdom of heaven. Secondly, (and this is something we don’t always consider), the Holy Spirit alive on the inside of us is constantly guiding us into all truth <i>(John 16:13)</i>. He won’t be silent when we’re in error, but will reveal God’s perfect will for us so we can know when we’re about to engage in anything that doesn’t please God and which goes contrary to the new nature we’ve been given in Christ. At that point we’ll have a clear choice either to ignore the Spirit of God and suppress the truth in unrighteousness, or to obey and find the blessing of His presence. So sin is anything that is not of faith. Good rule of thumb, if you’re not sure, don’t do it, pray about it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Temptation therefore would be an enticement to us to follow our natural desires and make a decision that is not of faith. I explained to my co-worker that in this trial she’s facing, she could be tempted to worry, tempted not to trust God, tempted to act in fear, or to despair and give up or any number of things that don’t proceed from faith. These are real temptations that hit us every time we face a trial in life. So God’s promise to us to not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear most definitely applies to trials in our lives. The trials can be huge, and the temptations that come with them equally so, but never more than we can bear. God will provide for us the way out. This is a promise we can hold on to, and know that God will help us to stand up under whatever temptation, during whatever trial. Thank God for His great and precious promises! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in the words of my childhood hero, He-Man, “I HAVE THE POWERRRR!” and I’ll add a little subscript “IN CHRIST!” Thanks for lunch, mom! Now, where’s my sword? </span></span></div>
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-7334275555308216362013-10-03T13:23:00.001-04:002013-10-03T13:23:55.494-04:00How Worship Leaders Can Fight Against Pride (or anyone for that matter)<a href="http://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2013/10/worship-leaders-fight-pride/">How Worship Leaders Can Fight Against Pride</a>Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-50118693033580249492013-09-24T09:30:00.000-04:002013-09-24T09:30:09.667-04:00Eh-Eh-Eh-Endure<br />
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<i><b>2 Corinthians 11:23-28 </b></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches</span></i></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I was in high school I absolutely hated long-distance running. Football, basketball, soccer, bring it on! But long distance running... ugh. If I had to, I could run the track during football or basketball training; once or twice around was doable, but it was long distance running that I avoided like the plague. Why was that? Truth be told, I couldn’t get into the prize. The goal just didn’t warrant the pain. The end did not justify the means. A ribbon? A medal? Bragging rights? Come on. “Not worth the pain”, I reasoned, and besides, I wasn't very good at it anyway. At some point along the run, every runner experiences the sense that if they continue for much longer, they just might die. That's the point where those who endure would push through and find their second or third wind and those who don't, like me, would give up. It was an attitude that coursed throughout every vein in my life at that time and one which, if I'm going to be honest, I still fight with now. Since I hated to be pushed beyond my limitations, hated to have to work at anything in order to gain mastery of it, it shouldn't come as a surprise that my life was characterized by the path of least resistance. I eventually dropped out of college and became the quintessential prodigal. At this point I think it expedient to make the observation that endurance is a character trait; it both produces and is a product of good character. I thank God He arrested me when He did.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In 1998 I made a commitment to Jesus Christ, asking him to be Lord of my life. Embracing again the God of my youth, I gave my life to Him and told Him He could use me as He would. Little did I know then, (I thought I knew, but I really didn’t and likely still don’t), how much of a long-distance run the Christian life really is. In 1999 I met my wife, Candice, and in 2000 we were married. Again, though I thought I knew, I really had no idea what a long-distance run it is to commit to love someone for the rest of your life. So we were married and began to have children right away. In fact, 9 months later our first child came along. We had made the decision not to use birth-control, but to trust God even with our family size. A noble decision to be sure, but again - not a clue how much endurance that decision would require of me. Now, seven children later and physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually exhausted, I wonder what on earth I was thinking!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well do I remember the words of a friend, a man with seven children who I met when I only had one, “Get into the Word now Joe”, he said, “Fill yourself with the Word while you can, because the day is coming when you won’t have time and you’ll need what you’ve stored up just to get you through.” So did I heed his warning? Perhaps not as well as I could have, but I’m so glad for what I hid in my heart during those early years with God. Though I can’t be sure, God's grace is supernatural, I don’t think I would be standing today were it not for that time. In Proverbs 24:16 we read that "a righteous man stumbles seven times and rises again..." Thank God. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Several times in the Bible, God tells us to stand. He tells us in Hebrews 12:1 to run with endurance the race that is set before us and for someone who hates long-distance running, this is a challenge of epic proportions. We're told to consider Jesus, who suffered and resisted and stood firm, and didn’t give up, but allowed Himself, God in the flesh, who had at his disposal more than 12 legions of angels just waiting to rescue Him should he have but spoken the word, to be brutally tortured and murdered by godless people in a Satanic display of hatred. Why? He had His eyes on the prize, the "joy that was set before him."</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So when my children are sick, or I’m tired, or my wife is emotional (come on men), or I have to repair drywall, paint a room, stain a deck, sell a house, buy a car, pay my bills, lead worship, minister to children, wear wrinkled clothes, deal with nasty neighbours and unbelieving family members, talk to someone I don’t like, deal with conflict among church members, take a stand for Christ at work or any number of other lovely, real life quarter-miles, will I endure in God? As long as my life is my own, I won’t. I’ll throw in the towel and say, “this is too hard Lord, I need to think about me here!” This is why Jesus says in Mark 8:35, "For whoever would save his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." It's the glorious second and third wind. Then there's Paul’s list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; did he go through all that for a gold medal? No medal in all the world could motivate someone to endure what he endured. His second and third wind came from the Holy Spirit, which is a whole other topic - the all-sufficiency of Christ in us. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, I’m somewhere along the 5th mile in a 100 mile run. Only God can bring me through, and only if my eyes are fixed on Jesus. This I know, and though I still hate long-distance running - I'm in good company and I can see the prize, and that makes all the difference. </span></div>
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-31704580911909472572013-08-12T09:43:00.000-04:002013-08-12T15:11:26.092-04:00Conversations on the After-Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSjvpQbhl64mxm7dTPZi5LLrI8oHMVn3GA4ftSA_MyR6PUbUMRsBRJNFh0k4GBFjoh_iO5wiAWhNjsMGv6WzqYR3CCFuskdVqLwSKPcWsl4Il8aXQeAuPNnNAelAZa1EpILFyHAzoDXCL/s1600/PuffyClouds1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSjvpQbhl64mxm7dTPZi5LLrI8oHMVn3GA4ftSA_MyR6PUbUMRsBRJNFh0k4GBFjoh_iO5wiAWhNjsMGv6WzqYR3CCFuskdVqLwSKPcWsl4Il8aXQeAuPNnNAelAZa1EpILFyHAzoDXCL/s320/PuffyClouds1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles, to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.</i></div>
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Here's a snippet of conversation from around the table as our family had lunch the other day:<br />
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"Dad, I know exactly what I want to do for my birthday party". <i>(Our eldest son goes on to explain his plans. His birthday is in January... it's the beginning of August.)</i> </div>
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<i>So I say...</i> "What if we go to be with Jesus tomorrow, and never make it to your birthday?"</div>
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<i><b>Child</b></i>: Well then I will try to convince God to let me have my birthday party in heaven.</div>
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<b><i>Another Child:</i></b> I don't think that you'll be able to watch The Hobbit in heaven. (This apparently is part of the birthday party plan)</div>
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<b><i>My Wife, Candy:</i></b> I don't think you'll really want to.</div>
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<b><i>Still Another Child:</i></b> Will I be able to run really fast in Heaven?</div>
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<b><i>Yet Another Child:</i></b> Why would you want to run when you're going to be able to fly?!</div>
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<b><i>And Still Another, eyes gleaming with excitement:</i></b> When I get to heaven, I'm going to the store to buy turbo boosters! <br />
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<i>Lots of laughter around the table </i></div>
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<i>Then, finally...</i></div>
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"Daddy, what's on top of outer space?"</div>
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I love children! There's nothing quite so endearing to me as a conversation with a 6 year old about God. But as hilarious as that episode around the table was for us, I noticed something in all that talk that concerned me just a little; the substance of heaven, the draw and the hope of it, revolved around temporal things. We had movies, parties, and turbo boosters along with the ability to fly... but no God. Now I understand that we're talking about children here, children with the full package of unbridled imagination and innocent wonder and as such I don't expect a theological exposition on the heaven revealed to us in scripture after which, with hands folded smartly in his lap, our 3 year old would bow his head and say, "Now, let us pray", but this whole exchange begs the question, what are we teaching our children about God and the after-life? What kind of hope are our children carrying? Better yet, what kind of hope are our children seeing us hold out for? If it remains turbo boosters and space flight, then I think we're missing the point. Are we as parents seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, or are we zeroed in on material things and the cares of this life?</div>
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Almost daily I'm faced with the reality that my kids are going to value the same things I do, and that only a small fraction of that will be communicated to them with words. The better part of it they'll learn simply by watching what I spend my time doing. Now, I like a good movie as much as the next guy, and if I'm going to be honest I think attaching turbo boosters to an immortal, invincible body would be super cool! I just think that if Candy and I can communicate through our lives more than our words that God's Kingdom and righteousness are our primary pursuit, then we will have given our kids something to which The Hobbit pales in comparison; a real hope that will follow them through life, and finally find it's fulfillment when they meet Jesus face to face.<br />
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-25832333558328180372013-07-25T09:01:00.000-04:002013-07-25T09:01:34.087-04:00Nobody's Heart Has a PhD<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The other day my wife and I were having a conversation with a friend who was telling us how amazed and thankful they were that the Lord has been using them to minister to people in places of influence. Despite the fact this friend doesn’t boast a high level of education, still they find themselves in the company of and able to minister spiritual things to people with very high degrees of education. During the course of the conversation the thought came out that wherever you go, people are people. Though someone may have attained high levels of education, still the needs of the heart are the same. Nobody’s heart has a PhD!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Acts 17:26-27 says, <i>“</i><i>And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us”.</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I read this I see that people are people, each one created and set in their place with the express purpose of seeking God and finding Him. With this universal purpose for each individual, God has placed the desire in our hearts to know Him. When I cross paths with an individual who does not yet know Him, I can be certain that this desire to know God is hidden in their heart, regardless of social status. Not only this, but the Holy Spirit in me is calling out to this person’s heart and if I’m sensitive to that, I may just find myself with an opportunity to share Christ with them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">John 16:8 says,<i> “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Holy Spirit does the same thing in everyone’s heart. Though the path He takes will vary with each individual, His ministry is the same. If I am allowing Him to use me as He wills, my very presence in the life of an unbeliever will be a source of conviction. This is one reason why He tells us that all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, (2 Timothy 3:12). Some people don’t respond too favorably to conviction! But maybe that’s a topic for another day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I think the main thing I came away with in our conversation that day was that I shouldn’t be intimidated by a person’s attainments in life. I should simply be available - and understand that God can use the most unlikely people to be the catalyst that changes a person’s heart and leads them to Life. </span></span></div>
</span>Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7099405347945929958.post-47722114317815965802013-07-23T09:34:00.000-04:002013-07-23T09:34:26.866-04:00Building Lethal Attachments<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8BgUcs9JexH7kOUDv3o5LIR0GFNqXwwnHm2pitTaZRusxz1d2QwCWDUbxbUaR4C0OF5g6c1-RpbUesQxOWdYXJENm0fFFNbEuDRwBKsn1ATNj9iRfOH_D1BK-6BcalbAzxkjGaVHhaJp/s1600/MOUNTAIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8BgUcs9JexH7kOUDv3o5LIR0GFNqXwwnHm2pitTaZRusxz1d2QwCWDUbxbUaR4C0OF5g6c1-RpbUesQxOWdYXJENm0fFFNbEuDRwBKsn1ATNj9iRfOH_D1BK-6BcalbAzxkjGaVHhaJp/s320/MOUNTAIN.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The thought struck me as I sat around our backyard firepit after roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with our kids. My wife and I watched as our children went from racing eachother across the acre that is our property, to playing soccer, to having a badminton game. The day’s earlier activities boasted a bike ride, a swim in the pool, shooting hoops in our driveway, and just all around enjoying eachother’s company (for the most part), and the freedom that characterizes our lives. We are truly blessed. Who <i>doesn’t</i> want to provide these comforts and freedoms for their children? I heard somewhere that people like us, people in North America, are among the most affluent people in the world; that we make up the richest 2% of the world’s population in terms of material wealth. But this wasn’t the question that struck me as I sat there.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What kind of attachments am I building in my children? In encouraging them to enjoy these things, am I unwittingly tying their heartstrings to the comforts and pleasures of this life? In so doing, might I be contributing to the formation of a generation “whose god is their belly... who set their minds on earthly things”*, so to speak? I might be able (and that is a BIG <i>“might”</i>), to look at these things as temporal - here today gone tomorrow, but what about my children? Can they so easily make that distinction? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the comforts of this life. I’m not wanting to bring condemnation or judgement on anyone. God created all things to be enjoyed by us, stewarded by us. The problem comes when we as believers forget about His kingdom and make the end our comfort, rather than God’s glory. Can we take the context of our little country paradise, and within that serve God faithfully, giving of ourselves and through hospitality spread the love of God? Can we hold the comforts and pleasures of this life at arms length, and teach our children to do the same, so that we can remain sensitive to God’s purposes and plans for each day of our lives? Can we avoid the plague of comfort that brought Israel of old to their knees, as it turned their hearts from their God? The world is waiting - are we willing? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">*Portion of Scripture taken from the Bible, Philippians 3:19</span></div>
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Joe Boisverthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15491354210641710326noreply@blogger.com2