Saturday, October 18, 2008

October 18, 2008


We have had a busy couple of weeks here, but I think things are finally settling down and I’m trying to keep the outside commitments to a minimum for the rest of the year…or at least until Christmas gets here! Jonathan is on schedule in school and doing very well. He seems to be understanding the concepts he is studying very well. He is such a diligent worker. He never puts off his schoolwork. He is always ready to get started before I am. He is also doing very well on the drums. He is practicing a lot and he sounds really good when he plays.


At the beginning of the month, we took our annual trip to the State Fair of Texas. This is one event that we look forward to every year. As always, we had a fabulous time. We spent the day walking around the Fair together, just enjoying our time together. We’ve been doing this for so many years and we are so blessed to have so many precious memories at this place.



Jonathan is also about a month into his fall session of horse therapy. It has been another season of change for Jonathan. We found out that our beloved instructor, Mrs. Julie, was not going to be able to come back this session, so we started out the session with a new instructor. One of the most amazing things about Jonathan is his flexibility with change. Me? Not so flexible. It’s amazing to watch him take change with such stride. He seems un-phased by it and embraces whatever comes next without hesitation. I, on the other hand, am always quick to tell people that God has always, faithfully handpicked each person that was part of Jonathan’s life, and this time would be no different. I truly believe that and know that to be true. However, sometimes what I know in my head and believe to be true doesn’t make it to my heart. So needless to say, I was skeptical when we went for the first lesson. Our new instructor is Mrs. Julie…not the old Mrs. Julie, but a new Mrs. Julie. She was very sweet and Jonathan was perfectly fine with her from the beginning. He ended up riding one of his old faithful friends, Gracie, because his horse, Ella, had just had some surgery and was recovering. So we were told she couldn’t be ridden for about a month. Jonathan began showing the new Mrs. Julie what he could do and in a couple of weeks, she had him moving right along in his therapy. She taught him how to turn his horse with just the movement of his wrists instead of using his whole arms. Jonathan was amazed by that and instantly took to it. She was amazed by his ability to catch on to that, as she had not had any other students able to do that. He was very proud of that! I can already see improvement in his ability to control the horse on his own. The more he works at that, the more independent he gets and the less he relies on others to help him finish what he should be doing himself. After the first couple of weeks on Gracie, it was determined that Jonathan had outgrown this horse and so they were going to give him a new horse, Houston. He is a much bigger horse, but he is beautiful. Jonathan commented to me that week that he wondered when he would be able to ride Ella again. I reminded him that it would be about a month and that she was still recovering. We actually saw Ella that day, talked to her and pet her for a few minutes before he rode. By the time we returned the following week, we found out that Ella had take and turn for the worse and died. Jonathan has watched several of his horses pass away and it was sad to know that another was gone. We were so glad that we had gotten the chance to love on her for a few minutes the week before. So, here’s another change to deal with. But Jonathan has fully embraced his new horse Houston, and has done a great job of riding him as well. Again, another change handled well.


Overall, Jonathan is doing really well. Thank you for your continued prayers for him. Please continue to pray for his progress physically, mentally and emotionally. He is doing well at church in this new area of youth. He is embracing all that comes with that and enjoying everything about it. Please continue to pray that God will send him a close friend to hang with and to grow up in the youth with. Continue to pray that he will grow in his independence and ability to do things without us with him. Continue to pray for his physical activity to increase and for his body to handle the diabetes appropriately and all the effects of that, and that his blood sugars will remain in a good place. He has another endocrine appointment on November 5, so you can begin now to pray for that. I believe there are still more changes that Jonathan may be facing in the near future, so pray for him and for me as well, that we will trust God for all that comes his way, knowing that He is truly in charge and we can trust Him with every detail, standing on the promise that He will work it all for good in Jonathan’s life. Your love for Jonathan and our family is overwhelming and we thank God for you all today.


Isaiah 45:5-7- I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.