Feb. 26, '09 Six weeks later

Well it's been six weeks since I stood over the hospital bed in Richland, Washington praying that God would spare Krissy's life; seeing her there with tubes in almost every opening in her face and the steady sound of the breathing machine that kept the oxygen inflating her lungs, I really didn't know if she would ever be able to look at me again, let alone say "Hi daddy". I realize now that there were thousands of prayers going up from all over the world, nonstop for hours, days and weeks and that our "Dad" heard ALL of them and answered them as well.

Last Saturday, Gwen and I went to see Kris at home where she is resting and recovering very well. She sat on the couch, blanket over her lap and slowly eating lunch. She has to eat with her left hand because of the splint on her right hand and thumb - she did quite well being right- handed. She got up and walked to the bathroom and around in the room without any problem or difficulty. She still has the neck brace on which will have to stay on for another several weeks. I didn't realize that she had two of her vertebrae fused. She has been going to physical therapy three days a week and seems to be regaining her mobility quite well. She is able to speak very clearly and able to carry on a normal conversation which was questionable on her arrival and admission at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland some weeks ago.

Clearly, God has plans for Kris and all the family after this "accident" and I pray that we will take this opportunity to walk it out in the future.

I mentioned before in a previous blog that I want to be more deliberate in expressing my love for my family; saying words like, "I love you", "Have a good day" or "drive careful", words with real meaning and devotion. I realize more than ever now that we don't know if we'll have another opportunity to express our love and care for those we love. Many of us didn't know that the next time we saw Kris she would be hooked up to machines and unable to talk back to us, look at us or even squeeze our hand. I didn't like learning this lesson the way I did but if that's the way God wanted to teach me; teach us all, then so beit for His love to abound more and more.

There will be more trips, visits and phone calls; more than how we've let "time" influence all of those. That's something for all of us to think about when we get "to busy", "have other things to do" or whatever real excuse we can come up with.

I Corinthians 13:13 says, "But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Show love to someone today.

Dad, Dennis