Thankful forJesus

Dear Prayer Warriors,

One morning this week Simon caught me reading the Bible before anyone else was up. I looked up at him with delight and he sat down next to me and waited quietly. As I was finishing reading, Simon asked “what do you do with Jesus other than read the Bible?” As I searched for my critical thinking cap, I repeated the question to myself aloud. He wasn’t dogging on reading the Bible, I think he wanted to do more stuff with Jesus. How would you answer that?

 

Its easy for me to think of the things I do for Jesus, and even easier to think of the things Jesus done for me, but that wasn’t his question. I looked my son in the eye, complimented him on the question and asked for a little time. “what do we (Jesus and I) do together?” That was three days ago. The question has been a helpful inventory of my faith life. Simon and I have talked about it since.

 

One of the fruits of this question came in my spontaneous prayer life. I have since been asking Jesus throughout my days if He will go and do this or that with me. “Can you lead with me at work today Jesus?” or “I hear Renee crying mid sleep let’s calm her together Jesus.” Out of all this came so much thanksgiving.

 

I am so thankful for another year with Jesus. 15 years with, 28 years on my own. My life has more of Him and less of me.

Simon stormed off to his room this morning as soon as our visitors came because he was surprised by how they looked. He was in a moody state. I talked to him about how his feelings were getting the best of him as he rolled around on the ground not wanting to hear me out. 

Simon didn't want to move. So I told him that we should pray for Jesus to go with Him upstairs to apologize to our guests, and serve them drinks, because if it was just up to him he would stay in his room.  

This situation helped me see that perhaps its better to do things with Jesus instead of doing things for Jesus. Both are honorable in humility. Simon might have mustered a change of heart for Jesus because his father asked him or because he knows God sees him. Calling on Jesus to go with him to encourage and face the people he offended brought a more tangible thing to do with Jesus.

Please Praise the Lord with me:

*In December we will be receiving the chair we ordered post surgery. Anna has been in a stroller for 6 months that offers no spinal support. 

*Our night nurse and our Homemaker/Respite provider continue to work full time for Anna and us! They are meeting all the regulations imposed on them. They continue to ease our daily living with great grace. 

*Anna’s surgery bill appears to have gone through processing after numerous follow-ups with insurance. 

*With great favor from God and man we purchased another car with our savings. This allows us to look for ways to turn our gold minivan into a blessing for someone.

*the Lord continues to sustain us through a few minor viruses. Thank you for praying for our continued health.

*We continue to have all our needs exceedingly met. We are blessed and favored from friends, prayer warriors, strangers, and family with gifts that humble and affirm us in Jesus. Some for the arrival of Victor, some for Anna’s comfort and some for the family as a whole. 

*With Anna’s bike trailer we have gone on family bike rides in this unseasonable warm weather. That has been fun!

*We have been able to attend church and have been encouraged by the saints, fed in the Word, and filled with worship.

 please pray for: 

-The continued joy and understanding that comes when doing things with Jesus. May He be our confidence. May we be yielded in heart to the Holy Spirit’s lead.

-Anna to grow and regain ability in her legs. We are putting her in the gait trainer more, and hope to start hippo therapy soon. 

-her new AFO’s (ankle braces) to be approved and arrive soon, we ordered them three weeks ago. she has outgrown her old ones and develops irritation when we put them on her.

-God to correct her left foot rotation, she is so inwardly rotated post surgery it has become hard to simulat

My Portion, Daily

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

 

"Hallelujah, He's my portion." What it's telling me is that all I'm gonna’ get is Jesus. My inheritance is wrapped up in the unchanging person of Jesus Christ. God the Giver has apportioned me His Son from here on out. I am not a self-made man, or a product of my surroundings; my life and all the intentionality I try to bring to it remains dependent on the inheritance I received on November 10th 2006. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" Matthew 13:44.

 

Some days I wake up and forget to collect my inheritance. Perhaps I’m a touch lazy or a bit busy, or the world tries to tell me I don’t have one. so instead of receiving my inheritance newly, I go with what I already received. Yesterday’s portion. So when the worries of today come, I can act like I got no portion in Jesus. But He died to make sure I would be taken care of. By giving up His life for me I inherited many things.

 

Contentment abounds

Hope remains

Thanksgiving and worship surface 

Trust is validated

 

Great grace was lavished on us during Victor's birth, he was born on September 10th 2021. I was in attendance thanks to a few servant-hearted sisters in Christ. Victor flipped a week before! Lindsey endured a viral illness in that final week of pregnancy which was a challenge for sure.

 

Even with all the good things in place, our faith felt wavering during the labor, we were tempted to recall the difficulties of the past more than the faithfulness of God. The firm portion I boast in seemed to have vanished for a moment. But God didn’t leave me in a state of despair. Suddenly prayers were answered, joy filled the room, strength came (a c-section was not needed) and Victor Ebenezer arrived. Healthy, peaceful, and vigorous. 8LBS, 20.5” Lindsey endured a hemorrhage after giving birth, that was closely monitored and managed without surgery. This day was another story of victory and healing.  

 

We are all at home and bonding well. My leave of absence was approved for another two weeks. Simon, Renee, and Anna continuously delight in their new baby brother. Lindsey joined a bible study group but hasn’t attended yet, and still they have been bringing us meals without ever meeting us. That really spoke strongly to us. only Jesus can do that.  I have been taking Simon and Anna to the home school co-op. It has been a neat experience to see them treat adults with respect and show love to their peers. Another praise is that we got approved for a special needs bike trailer for Anna to go on bike rides with us!!

 

Please Pray for:

-Nurse Lillianna to grow in knowledge of caring for Anna and her needs through the night. Each patient is different, we are doing our best to cheer her on. she has been a blessed addition at just the right time.

-Respite provider Billie Jo to continue working for us. She has been such a help but there are some complications around vaccine requirements for home health care workers. She is trying to work things out. May the Lord lead her.

-The Lord to direct my steps in getting our minivan repaired, our AC unit fixed and our stair lift working again. Good thing I got some time off of work.

- Anna’s surgery bill to be resolved as my insurance is persisting to not pay.

-Leslie and Cindy (our newest therapists) to continue to compel Anna. They are so excited to work with Anna and they engage her so lovingly. Just another great fit.  

-Anna to receive her new wheel chair. That I would make the follow-up calls since its been two months with no update.

-A new Bi-pap machine. Ours is on a recall for causing cancer, the company says “don’t use it.” Yet Anna needs it. It is an enormous recall impacting many people and we just have a number in line. Pray we can still order parts for the old one to keep it clean and working.

-continued protection from illnesses, renewed strength, and joy for us all.

-our hearts to be kindled by our church. we have been away with all these things and have had very little time with them or communication. Perhaps it’s our fault, but we feel that “anonymous” big church feeling right now. We miss fellowshipping, worshiping Jesus with them.

-Grace for these new family dynamics. Being home so much tempts me to feel inadequate, less joy filled. But God has His victories through me: I’m husband and a four-baby daddy! That is the Calling on my life for the rest of it for sure!!

 

Victor: Victorious

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ! John 5:4-5

Ebenezer: Stone of Help

“ Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”” 1 Samuel 7:12

 

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Currats

Thanking God and Calling on Him

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

 

Our summer remains covered by grace and filled with the joy of raising children. That is why I have found it hard to stop and write. Here's a little slice of our life: 

 

The homeschool co-op starts in early September so we are eager to plan out Simon's first month of schooling as it coincides with Victor's birth. Simon is starting Kindergarten. For Anna we are still trying to teach her to grab and hold things in her hand and utilizing the eye-gaze device. Lindsey also serves as her Paraprofessional during class time at the co-op. One thing I love about homeschooling is that the curiosity switch is always on, and a lesson often instantly spun from one random question. You don't go to a building to "learn"; teaching is as fluid as our dad jokes around here. 

 

 Simon hopes to learn to play chess and the piano this year as well. Have you ever noticed the closeness of music to the heart of the Lord in Scripture? Speaking tongues may be the angelic language but the saint's language is singing! O what pleasure it must bring to God a hymn of praise. All the while washing out the cobwebs of fear and sin in our hearts, adding an arsenal of melodious Truth to the mind. I find it more pressing to teach my kids music and singing unto the Lord.

 

Renee delights in her ways. She stops at nothing to receive undivided attention. Renee is confirming her role as a brazen, fearless two year old. Her continuous testing of boundaries paired with ceaseless energy can turn any amount of sugar into an opportunity for discipline. She is working on potty skills and her words are increasing daily. I remind her that she needs to be more aware of the world around her and not just do as she pleases. I have to repeat myself so much with her it's tempting to raise my voice. All in all Renee can be tiring but she is so lovely.

 

God has given us so much grace through the saints who have loved, cared, and encouraged us. This makes me think of the rich blessing of having an army of prayer warriors to intercede on our behalf. Thank you. Our summer has been filled with good things. We knocked out home improvement projects with the help of a handy couple from church who bring excellent work with the love of Christ. Grandma from Washington visited, we hosted grandma French's 82 birthday. Our summer has been filled with good things from big (like 11 years of marriage) to small (homemade Greek Gyros). We even squeezed in bumper boats and go carts. None of this would have been possible if Anna’s surgery hadn’t gone so well. 

 

 

 

Before I get into Anna's update. I wanted to share with you a special event we had at our house this summer. For about a year Simon has been planning to open a cafe in our house called Best Cafe. We could think of no better way to inaugurate Best Cafe then when we hosted Kevan Chandler and the We Carry Kevan team. You may remember years ago we bought a backpack that had customizations for carrying our cerebral palsy daughter on hikes. This is that company, it meant so much to us that they wanted to meet Anna. In essence they go where wheelchairs can't, carrying their 30-something year old team leader on their back. With a mission to bless families like us with possibilities we thought impossible. In case it isn't clear, Jesus is at the foundation of this team. So praise God for such heroics, and now they call us friends! They have over 500 backpacks in 100+ countries for people like Anna.  They have a bold book and two documentaries to spread their message. As a dad, I'm inspired to dream how God will continue to use Anna to draw people to him like He used the Chandler family. 

 

 

We've had our share of surprises stemming from Anna's surgery now 3 months ago. Two of Anna's most hard fought milestones have been wiped out without any warning. She can no longer roll from her back to her belly. Nor can she sit criss-cross-applesauce and plant her hands on the mat to sit independently anymore. As parents we were a bit heartbroken over these developments especially as we inquired with the surgeon for accountability and they told us she may never be able to do that again, or that "it was possibly her dislocated hips that were allowing her to do that." Another surprise was that Anna’s surgery widened her hips by two inches preventing her from fitting in her wheelchair anymore. We were not prepared for this hurdle. We finally removed the leg braces and the wedge but we were still stuck at home with no suitable chair. God provided before it became a request I came to you all with. A family in the Springs had an extra chair just the right size for us, they gave it to us. So we have been running ever since, praise God. We also ordered another chair custom fit for Anna. We are waiting on insurance and the medical equipment company to follow through on this. 

 

On Tuesday of last week we found out that a night nurse named Lilliana is taking our case!! After 7 months of praying, right before baby number four, God provided! Thank you for asking God for us, for so long, He knows our needs! She is not the only new person joining Anna's care community. We have a new PT named Leslie who started today and a new Speech therapist named Sandy. All showing much eagerness and hope for Anna's abilities. We are going to try and get those milestones back! Another huge difference maker has been Billie-Jo. She joined us about a month ago as a housekeeper and respite provider. What excellent care she brings with a joyful attitude! We are in a place of thanksgiving for all these positions being filled. It is humbling to know how our every need is still being met as we wait on the Lord. Plus God is using Anna to bless these workers, may the fragrance of the Gospel be pleasant to all who enter our home to help us!!

 

Lastly please know that we are less than a month away from Victor's due date. We are confident that this unfolding of events will bring glory to God. Though uncertain with the "how" on our end, we are eager to see exactly how the Lord will lead us through this mountain top of new birth. We can't wait to marvel at how God will put His signature on this event and place in our hands such a beloved gift from Him. 

 

Please pray for:

 

• Our new Physical therapist and a Speech Therapist for Anna. Pray for wisdom. May God challenge them to bring excellence in engaging and pushing Anna, people with strategy for gains in her abilities, not just people doing preventative “maintenance” care.
• Praise the Lord for night nurse Lilliana, she just got her nursing license so pray that God would build her up, and that she would love her first patient Anna and remain teachable. 
• Can we ask for a second night nurse? We have 4 nights covered.  May the Lord bring the right person to ease our nights as Victor will require our night attention too. 
• Continued bone bonding and muscle strengthening. Post surgery Anna continues to be doing great! May God bring the cut pieces together without interference from her spasticity. 
• Insurance to pay for the surgery and for a larger size wheelchair. Through the years We have volleyed so much with insurance that these processes don’t get us worked up very much anymore. they are “making sure this wasn’t an accident” that caused Anna's dislocated hips. In truth they are trying to make Anna’s secondary insurance Medicaid pick up the bill. But they sound so immoral along the way. Remember they denied her wheelchair calling it "unnecessary."
•  baby Victor to flip. Victor has been in the breech position for two months now making natural birth impossible unless he switches to head first position, we are 3 weeks from the due date. It is Lindsey’s aim to avoid a c-section if possible. Pray that the Lord would bless the day of his birth.
• preparedness before school starts, for lesson planning and worksheets for Simon's start of Kindergarten and for Anna's engagement in schoolwork. May the Lord guide us and open doors as we lean on some of the other homeschool families. 
• Guidance on planning paternal leave. My work will provide as much time as we need for Victor's birth. But I recently learned that the paternity leave pay was from the same allotment as the family medical leave that I took for Anna's surgery. Pray for wisdom and direction to determine how much time we need off, we have saved up some vacation time and also have saved funds in anticipation of this time. By God's grace and provision we will be good.
  
• Lindsey to hear the Lord's peace and live in the strength He provides, she still has to lift Anna, run after Renee, reason with Simon, and birth Victor.

Too busy not to pray,

Nic for the Currats

God's Bountiful Plunder

 

Dear Prayer Warriors.

 

Thanks to the worship time at church, the chorus of that Michael W. Smith song is in my head “This is how I fight my battles x3/ it may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You.” What a jam. The Lord has redeemed my writing for Himself, what was once used for mocking God for selfish gain He has redeemed. If I’m walking in the light, depending on prayer, why hide anything? Honesty in trials keeps my heart soft and teachable as His love ministers and the circumstance unfolds. The prayer warriors become Jesus’ tangible surrounding of us, while He Himself is navigating from inside me. This is how I fight my battles!   

 

This surgery was a battle, thanks for surrounding us. Let’s take time to reflect on the bountiful plunder of His victory. The battle started about 3 years ago when our Physiatrist (rehab/cp doc) noticed that Anna’s femur bone wasn’t at a good angle and was about ten degrees dislodged out of the ball and socket joint. she referred us discretely to the orthopedic surgeon. She had seen enough cases that she could have given us a full-blown picture of the ordeal far off on the horizon, but she didn’t and that was a mercy to us. Praise the Lord. This is when I first asked for prayer for this far off battle.

 

The orthopedic surgeon said “let’s meet every 6 months to reevaluate Anna’s hips” because he noticed that her spasticity was intermittent enough to perhaps prevent the femur from dislodging further. He introduced me to the surgery in that meeting. Instead of fearing, God gave me courage there to believe Him for a miracle, praise God. We prayed, hoping for the most immediate miracle because He is able. 

 

After skipping two meetings due to the coronavirus I met again with the surgeon and he showed me the blunt unraveling of Anna’s hip socket. I said “my heart dropped” at the contrasting X-rays 16 months apart. He kindly said “mine did too when I saw.” I wept and apologized to Anna as he showed us what was needed if repairing her hip was the way to go. Soon after we got other medical opinions confirming this plan to walk through this valley. The promise of Jesus being my Good Shepherd helped me trust Him with these developments. In faith, we prayed then for a merciful, supernatural reversal of the bone’s positioning. 

 

Then came the emotional days of tension between knowing that God is able to heal immediately and believing that; while scheduling a surgery date and requesting a medical leave at work. We took Anna to pastors and elders of the church to anoint her with oil and pray for her healing at this time. I know there were many answers to prayer as God quickly comforted me with the memory of walking with Him through Anna’s shunt surgery when she was 6 weeks old. God used medicine and surgery as a provision of faith, not a destruction of it. This was the merciful miracle Anna was to receive for her hip dislocation.  In my own prayers I was hoping more for the type of miracle that would have landed us on the evening news, but our trust in God meant that whatever He chooses is good with us.   

 

The next stage we prayed for further confirmation through our circumstances. Did God want us to walk through the OR doors, or was He putting closed door after closed door in front of us? We felt loved by our Heavenly Father because after that email, the body of Christ, His children came to our help in meeting practical needs and in spiritual encouragement. We got everything ready both at home and at work. Glory to God for such an orderly unfolding that could only give us peace as we approached surgery. 

 

Then, at the appointed time, Simon and Renee went to our friend’s house and the day of battle came. I didn’t feel in the best of places leading up, I couldn’t help but get worked up, earing restless sleep, and repeating complaints about the circumstances in my mind. A bit shaky in the knees we went. We sang songs on the way to the hospital, we got those 4am texts from those who were thinking overtime about Anna.  I always dress up for these days because I want to give the impression that God holds us together, that we are trusting in His unfolding. God cared for us during that time when Anna was “under” by bringing people to pray with us, quiet places to read the Word and think upon Him. I started reading the second half of Isaiah that day and have been continuing with Anna since, what a comfort!

 

Let us remember the goodness of God through answered prayer: A perfect surgery, not needing a blood transfusion, respiratory healing post-surgery, strengthening, pain management, rest, songs of comfort, health before and after, meals, caretaking for our younger two, time off work, and many more I’m forgetting.

 

Let us remember God’s grace for things we received that we didn’t know we needed. Like friends in the hospital cafeteria that I haven’t seen in years, formula given to us when we needed it, a hotel room across the street, kind and loving staff caring for us, eye to eye time with my bride to share our hearts and plans, gift cards, gift baskets, gift stuffies, flowers, encouraging replies and faithful people praying.

 

I hope you know that you share in this plunder! Anna’s life is marked by people going to God in prayer for her regularly, she is bringing people to the Lord through her needs. Thanks for being one of them!!!

 

Our trip this past Friday for the 3-week checkup showed us that the X-ray, and Anna’s scars were all excellent and begun healing. Our doctor kept on saying how great everything looked. Praise the Lord. Seeing Anna’s legs outside of the braces reminded me a bit of Bambi like when he tried to stand on the ice, knobby at the knee, thin and wobbly. May God be Anna’s strength as she continues to recover. Anna needs to keep the wedge in for at least another 3 weeks. But with the stitches out, our sweet daughter enjoyed her first bath in a long while. Indeed, a celebration. 

 

Praying is a factor that holds infinite possibilities, and overrides human possibilities by the hand of the Almighty. In my desire for happiness, I asked for a supernatural immediate healing; in my desire for His holiness, I received this testimony. blessed be the Lord.

 

May I take the liberty to extend this update to include another prayer request? Or perhaps more accurately a praise request to the Lord on our behalf.  On Christmas Day we received the gift of anticipating the birth of our 4th child. We are eager to meet Victor Currat due in God’s perfect timing sometime near September 4. Lindsey has had no complications with the pregnancy and now that Anna’s big surgery is over, we feel more giddy than ever about little Victor entrusted to us. Attached is a picture pre surgery with little Victor’s bump.

 

What a Good Shepherd,

The Currats

God's Good Plans

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We had an impromptu Memorial Day parade down our street, complete with throwing candy and waving to the neighbors, it’s so much fun to dress up. We’ve had warm breakfasts, naps, wrestling, bubbles and much more since I have been home so much. Thanks for praying for our fishing trip, Simon and Renee were both thrilled to catch 2 fish each! I credit answered prayer, because I am not a good fisherman. I’m thankful my knots held up. Last night I watched a full playoff basketball game while scrubbing the upholstery, I can’t remember the last time I have done either. Also new to me was finding greater family devotional success one on one at bedtime than as a group. We are memorizing parts of Psalm 139 and praying it back to the Lord.

 

The blessing of being home so long illuminated the dynamics of my parenting. I don’t know how military families do it after a tour of duty. I noticed being home has turned me into a nag if the contributing factors are in place. I even found myself raising my voice with Renee when historically I am a creative, cool cucumber at discipline. I remember many times coming home from work and glossing over my bride’s reports of our youngest’s behavior. Well, that has come full circle and dear Lindsey has that “I told you so” expression when I tell her the latest story of Renee’s defiance. Being aware of all this means I can turn it into prayer, thank God we are all a work in progress. To paint a fuller picture, Renee is lovely and fun so much of the time!!

 

This coming Friday Anna has her 3-week post-surgery evaluation. They will take an x-ray and remove the zip-tie stitches. After that, Anna can have baths. We have had success this week with medication management, except one night we forgot a dose causing Anna to stay up till 5am. All in all things are moving in the right direction. 

 

Anna’s therapists have all been seeing her and encouraging her onward. We continue to challenge Anna to use the eye-gaze communication device. She enjoys being in front of it, making us do things for her. She really loves her pink flamingo. We are now up to 6 images on one screen at a time. This device has been such a gift for her recovery since we can’t take Anna out of the house. It was another special needs family that gave this device to us after the passing of their child who was learning to use it. That machine is very expensive and would have taken us many months and hoops to jump through for our insurance to pay for one. But by God’s grace we received it a month or two before her surgery. What gives me wonder is that in spite of her optic nerve atrophy and cortical visual impairment diagnosis' she can see enough to make the machine work.  She can’t track objects with her eye but she can use the device. It’s between her and God how much she can actually see. 

 

The Lord revealed something to me regarding the night nurse coverage we have been in need of for the last 3 months. In our Special Needs parent group on Facebook there was a lady sharing in a heartbreaking manner about being a single mom to a child of special needs and not having a night nurse to help. All the supporting comments were like “welcome to the club” or telling her how the nurse shortage has every home health care company on a wait list.  I paused, and said to the Lord. “I hope this lady gets a night nurse before we do.” I remember dreading the surgery time without a night nurse, but the Lord has seen us through it. So, who am I to get frustrated when there are others that have less support than we do? 

 

Please pray for:

• the entire Colorado Springs area to be flooded with skilled nurses needing jobs and willing to work overnight. 
• Anna and us to speak the communicative device language effectively. That the Lord would continue to bless her eyesight so she can share herself with others more.
• God’s grace to be apparent to the surgeon through us and through the medical evaluation Friday. 
• winsome shepherding of my children’s heart, seasoned with obedience, love and patience.
• Guidance and wisdom as we transition and plan ahead for my return to work on June 10th. 

 

Thank you for praying,

Nic for the Currats

180 a Change in Trajectory

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

 

I don’t know many people who can say they went to the ER for a blister but that is our story. Our nurse supervisor recommended we go. It was worthwhile as the “wound care” team created a better protection around the blister. They stocked us up on the right pads to use to further protect her skin. We were also able to get the Valium we ran out of that day. Since the ER, Anna has been doing much better during the day but still up half the night. 

 

These last few nights, I’ve been giving a foothold to complaining. Maybe it’s the comfort foods with no exercise or the numerous visits to Anna’s room. The bottom line is that I am no longer thinking about Anna’s discomfort but mine. After 5 or 6 times of getting up to care for Anna I start to grumble out loud. A couple of moments later Lindsey pops in to make sure everything’s ok (because my complaining woke her up), now nobody’s sleeping.

 

I have confessed this in prayer and asked that before my feet touch the ground to help Anna -no matter how many times in the night, that my hands and words would be that of Christ. Gentle and loving to that which has been entrusted to me. The Lord is helping me keep my eyes on the prize, which is life in Him. My great reward is knowing Jesus and having a Good Good Father. 

 

In taking a step back, Anna had a worsening condition that one day was abruptly repaired. Now healing is her trajectory not worsening. Anna had a total hip 180. I know Anna’s surgery is a provision for her good future. The x-rays show the soon-to-be benefits so well. The sockets were once vacated and the femurs straight; now the socket has a ball in it and the femur bones are correctly bent. The doctor said that the grafting takes place and the bones fuse back together because it is such a blood-rich part of the body. A year from now, Lord willing, the bolts will be removed and this 180 will be complete. 

 

Comparatively I had a heart 180. My life degenerated from birth, being fatherless drove my rebellion. I grew diseased by my choices, deceived in my thoughts, whittled down in addiction to the bottom at 28. I was spiritually dead in my sins until November 10th 2006 when Jesus revealed Himself to me as absolute Truth. On that day I was abruptly repaired. Now healing is my trajectory not worsening. I became spiritually alive; the Bible showed these soon-to-be-benefits so well. Jesus vacated the despair and operated on my sin and deposited His Spirit into my heart victoriously. My Doctor says I was grafted into the family of God and fused to Jesus by the richness of His blood over me. Transformation came, a heart 180 just ask my momma.

 

 

Please Pray For:

-our nights to be filled with Angelic support and the Holy Spirit’s healing.

-the best timing to dispense medication for Anna to maximize rest. 

-no more skin sores.

-encouragement when waking to care for Anna.

-Thursday’s fishing trip with Simon, Renee and I that we would bond in love and catch a fish:)

-Refreshing from the Word of God and from the treasuries of  hymns, songs and spiritual songs the Spirit puts on our hearts.

-us to pray confessionally, casting our cares, laying our burdens down and beholding our reward in exchange! 

-us to know more fully what it means to have the Lord as our helper.

 the x-rays shows the hip with ball in socket and the pieces of femur wedged in place to be grafted in to lower the socket.

With Love,

The Currats

Looking for Prayer Help

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We planned the hospital days so well as the Lord confirmed His authorship and we were united with you all through prayer and amazed at the surgery results. Looking back, we didn’t plan our return so well, ok we were winging it there for a while. But God brought us a mailbox full of encouragement, we got a stovetop crowded with other people’s baked goods, spring flowers on the table, and well wishes filling up Anna’s walls. There are still many people eager to serve Anna and us. Praise God. 

 

As the lord would have it, we find ourselves again at the receiving end of generosity. It is always humbling; we have learned to ask for the help we need. The life of special needs parenting is best lived out with a large stack of “thank you” notes. We are coming to find that our church and friends have lined up many meals (that resemble feasts) for us. Our homeschool co-op has arranged many play dates for Simon and Renee. God even equipped us with next door neighbors eager to lend a hand at a moment’s notice. All this shifted us into rest mode and being able to focus on Anna. Mostly God has given us rhythm in the days since the hospital. With rhythm comes time to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and time in sharing the Scriptures with Anna. 

 

“...For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.” Isaiah 49:13. 

 

After a strong first week post-surgery where the medicine has kept the pain manageable, Anna's joyous personality was most often on display. Last night marked a turn in her care. Since 3AM Friday night Anna has been suffering through tears and feet twitches which we assumed were further muscle spasms. That smile went away and things became hard. she has been going through spikes of pain every 15 minutes or so crying in discomfort. Her heart rate would shoot up 20+ beats with each spike. We tried every position possible. A couple of hours ago we gave her a bed bath, removed the braces and found a blister the size of a penny at the base of where the brace meets her ankle. There was a gauze pad there but it had lost its stick. We covered the blister, and cut a hole in the brace at the spot of the blister. 

 

Can you imagine the discomfort, almost a days’ worth of acute pain on top of all the surgery stuff? It’s times like these that make me grieve her inability to speak, or to point, certainly we would have found it sooner. Add to that, my pride/flesh is trying to twist my thinking into “you should have found it sooner. Isn’t she having a hard enough time?” Why can’t I be the one with the blister?

 

But in faith I trust God is maturing me in this, “I (God) have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.” Isaiah 48:10

 

“It’s been a hard day”, I told Simon as we watched the rain fall at our front door tonight. We have heavy hearts for Anna right now, thanks for praying and helping us talk to God about these things. 

 

 

Please join us in praying. We will most likely be heading over to the ER tomorrow to see if there is another way to ease her pain. Because even our fixes have only done little to comfort her. May God bring Anna comfort, healing through the night, and rest for us.

Thanks for interceding,

The Currats

Healing at Home

 

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Sunday afternoon we were discharged and it has been an increased challenge ever since. Suddenly there is no nurse helping us with Anna, no cleaning crew, no free breakfasts, no more restaurant food, or endless supply of coffee. God seems to be our only constant. He brought us back to our little life on Dye street. I was overjoyed being reunited with Simon and Renee. We got a glowing report of how they did in their days apart from us. Talk about an answer to prayer! They even came home with a suitcase of clean, folded clothes. Praise God for such a loving brother and sister in Christ serving us in this way.  

I must have misplaced that supernatural peace we had been living with for the last 5 days because that first night back was bananas. Getting backing into the pace of disciplining and guiding the children was hard, I don’t recommend taking 5 days off of that. I forgot how our little toddler wants to call all the shots (like who gets to read her books). Her boundary pushing made for a noisy, tiring night. Simon encouraged our hearts though, he wanted to counter Renee’s behavior. He put some soft calming music on while he waited for us to tuck him in. 

Regarding Anna’s care, biggest struggle was going from hospital medication management by a computer program to homecare. Anna is taking 5 different muscle and pain medications at scheduled times on top of her 4 regular prescriptions. She was in noticeable pain a couple of times. Amid the layers of things going on, I had misunderstood my bride which caused conflict as she was wrangling in a medication plan that will work for us. Frustrations abounded, at one point I stopped in my tracks, mid-hallway and prayed “Lord help!”

But that was yesterday. Today Renee remembered that boundary-pushing comes at a cost. Simon, Renee and I played in the back for hours. Renee was busy making dandelion bouquets while Simon was the bull and I the matador. Anna joined us outside while I cut the grass. Lindsey has been incredible in focusing on Anna, being with her, getting questions answered, resuming services. Lindsey championed the medication planning for sure. I hold the caregiving torch during the night, by God’s grace it hasn’t been too hard without a nurse. Praise the Lord Anna is sleeping well at night through this. 

It’s a good thing we got half of the Sam’s Club frozen food catalog. I wanted to be brave and slam-dunk the cooking. But certainly it would be more comforting and restful if we could take up those offering a meal for us. I’m going to put together a meal train tomorrow reply to me if you would like to serve us in this way and we can find a day the works. 

Please Pray for:
-Continued healing and comfort for Anna.
-the right night nurse, We are on the list at 3 companies who recruit nurses.
-us to find home care, respite, and hippotherapy services  
-rest and renewal in Christ as He brings us through this with much mercy and grace
-Angels upholding us, the Holy Spirit anchoring us as we learn to conform to the mind of Christ in moments of feeling overwhelmed. I get a bit too emotional and reactionary when things go bananas.
-God’s strength, miracles and love imparted to us.

Thankful with an outstanding debt of love towards you,

Nic for the Currats