PAY IT FORWARD WINNERS!!

I'm so very sorry it has taken an extra week to complete the drawing of the PAY IT FORWARD GIVE-AWAY. I hope you all understand the delay.

So, without further adieu, the two winners chosen today at random by my daughter, Bek, are:

PAIGE at Some Days You Gotta Dance

AND

STACY at Random Musings From A Single Gal

CONGRATULATIONS to both ladies!!! I will be contacting you very soon to get all of your information so that we may get your gift out to you this week. (Please be sure to reply with your information within the next 48 hours. If I do not hear from you, I will have to choose another winner.) I'm so excited for each of you to receive your gift and then to see your Pay It Forward Give-Away blog posts!!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my very first give-away. I really wish I could send everyone something because you ALL are very special to me. However, since that is not possible, I still want to encourage each of you to do something to Pay It Forward - whether it is a kind deed for a stranger or doing your own Pay It Forward Give-Away. It really is such a blessing - for the recipient and, in my opinion, even more so for the one doing the giving. I know it always has been for me. :0)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Teresa

ANOTHER DYSAUTONOMIA FLAIR AND SEPSISUpdate #4 - WE'RE HOME!!

Hello everyone. I'm going to try and make this short and sweet because it has been a very LONG and ARDUOUS day! We wanted you all to know that Teresa was FINALLY released to come home around 4:00 this afternoon. She is doing fairly well, all things considered. She is extremely weak and exhausted from the nasty bacterial bug she has, not to mention how difficult it is to get any real rest while in the hospital!

Teresa really hopes to be back posting soon and to be able to sharing more about this long ordeal with you. Until then, if you are one of her many prayer warriors, she would like to humbly ask that you specifically pray for her pain to be relieved. This is her third port placement but this has by far been the most painful one. It was placed in her left upper chest, near her 'collar bone' and it is really difficult for her to use that arm. She had a very significant injury to that area from an automobile accident back in 1999, so please pray that the surgery did not reaggravate that injury. Hopefully, it is just due to some of the manipulation they had to do of that area during surgery.

Other than that, things are looking good for now. As always, our whole family truly appreciates your countless phone calls, visits, cards, meals and so many other things you have been doing to help encourage us and to make our lives a little bit easier to bear right now. May the Lord bless you 10-fold for all you have done and are continuing to do.

Thanks so much for all your support,

D

P.S. As for the 'Pay It Forward Giveaway', the two winners will be chosen at random by our youngest daughter, Bek, on Saturday afternoon, January 30th. The two winners will be notified via email, plus Teresa will do a post letting those winners know. Good luck!

ANOTHER DYSAUTONOMIA FLAIR AND SEPSISUpdate #3

Just a short update to let you all know what has been going on with Teresa's progress over the last few days. She did have surgery on Saturday morning to have the infected port removed. Despite our repeated attempts to tell them that she is nearly impossible to get a peripheral IV line on, the Anesthesiologist hurriedly stuck a little tiny IV catheter in her wrist and said it should get her through until they could put in another port this week. We knew it wouldn't last more than a few hours, but he insisted it was the best he could do for the time. Unfortunately, we were correct and it only lasted about 2 hours after she came back from surgery Saturday morning. The nursing staff then spent the rest of Saturday afternoon and evening trying to obtain a new site. Ultimately, a surgeon who was in the hospital at the time, came in and found a site in her left foot. The problem with IV's in the feet is they have HUGE potential for causing blood clots, which she's already had about a year ago. So, on Sunday morning, they took her back to the OR and put in a central line (an IV in one of the large veins in her neck) in order for her to continue to receive all her meds and IV fluids. This was very painful for her but it worked well.

This morning, trip number 3 to the OR finally got her a new port and got that pesky tube out of the side of her neck. And, if all is well through the night, and the blood cultures show the infection to be gone, we should be able to go HOME tomorrow.

Again, we can't thank you all enough for your kind words, thoughts, and especially your prayers. And for your patience in the Giveaway drawing. We will do the drawing as soon as we can get home and get settled (and lasso Bek in long enough to draw the names!).

Oh, I almost forgot, several people asked about talking to T for further information. She will read those as soon as she's able and will respond/contact and gladly answer what she can. Thanks, too, to all the new followers. She looks forward to being back and actually doing this stuff herself!

D

ANOTHER DYSAUTONOMIA FLAIR AND SEPSISUpdate #2

Another quick update...first, T wanted me to tell everyone Thank you for all your kind words and prayers. You guys are AWESOME.

Also, the Giveaway contest is rapidly coming to a close...like tonight!! She says that nothing about it has changed, except that it will take a little extra time to do the drawing.

As for her hospital stay...the Infectious Diseases Specialist came again today. The bacteria was very difficult for them to identify, and even more difficult for us to remember how to say. She did say it was a very aggressive one this time, and the initial round of antibiotics had done little more than make it mad. So they have rotated two or three types of IV antibiotics around the clock. They scheduled her for surgery for tomorrow morning (a Saturday!) to remove her port. She will then have to get 2 to 4 additional weeks of IV antibiotics to totally eradicate the little varmint. They will reassess from there.

Thanks for keeping her in your prayers. She's tired & sleepy again, now, and without her guiding me every step on how to do this posting stuff, it won't get done. Again, your support is so awesome and so much appreciated by us all.

D

ANOTHER DYSAUTONOMIA FLAIR & SEPSIS

Just a quick update to let you all know Teresa is back in the Hospital again. Tuesday was a really bad day, and when we called the Doctor, she said go straight to the ER. They admitted her for sepsis, and are treating her with round-the-clock antibiotics through her IV. They think her IV port will have to come out for a while and give her body time to get rid of the infection. She remains in great amounts of pain, severe nausea, and of course the obstacle of medical staff NOT knowing how to handle the Dysautonomia. Admittedly, though, a few of the staff are somewhat listening to our input about it, and trying to learn how to incorporate POTS into their assessment & treatment plans.

We again covet your prayers for quick healing, short hospital stay, and most of all the Divine guidance over the doctors treating her. Teresa will hopefully be back on here soon to update you and continue with the Giveaway process. Pay It Forward will still end tomorrow night at Midnight. She will hold the drawing as soon as she's home and able. More information to follow. Thanks for your patience and understanding!!!

D

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAYS:HAITI ~ Pray and Give

I'm doing an update on this post. I hope you will read the whole thing. I know it is long but I hope you will read it all. I have tried to include a lot of good info. Oh, and my fever is gone and I'm feeling better but still definitely not back to my 'normal'. Please keep up those prayers. Thanks!


Watching the devastation in Haiti on the news leaves us with such a deep, helpless feeling. It brings back so many awful memories from other horrible tragedies and their aftermath we've seen in our lifetime. Some have been other natural disasters, some have been really horrific accidents and others were purposefully caused by man. Regardless of how they occur, they are all extremely painful to watch and all we want to know is what we can possibly do to help! Then we wonder, in the grand scheme of things, will our prayers really matter? Will our few dollars actually make an impact in this catastrophe? Can the Lord use me?

The answer is YES!

Do you remember the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with just 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread?

“Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”… “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” So when they had their fill, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that REMAIN, so that nothing is lost" Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. John 5:6-13

When Jesus fed the multitudes with those two little fish and five barley loaves, every single person there had as much as they wanted and more than they could possibly eat. When all was said and done, there were twelve baskets FULL of bread crumbs, which I believe is symbolic of how God can multiply our faith when we give Him the little mustard seed that we have. When Jesus fed the 5,000 it was only one meal. It was one meal that pointed to who the Bread of Life is. It was one meal that demonstrated God’s provision, His love for His children, His ability to meet needs far beyond just today.

Whenever I've started to doubt God's provision or His ability to handle a situation, He has ALWAYS shown Himself faithful, no matter how big or how minute the circumstance. I just have to show a little faith because our God is a Great God!

If you have been trying to figure out a good place to donate money for the people who are suffering in Haiti, I can recommend an excellent organization. It is one that you can trust 100%. Operation Mobilization (OM) is an organization my husband and I donate to monthly and we will definitely be sending extra for the efforts in Haiti.

Before I became ill, I volunteered for OM. In May of 2006, I participated in an OM Medical Mission Outreach to Peru with a small team of other medical professionals and other volunteers. It was truly a life-changing experience for me and for many others who went on the trip. Soon after we returned, I became OM's Short-term Medical Ministries Coordinator and began helping to process and approve applicants to go on each new outreach as they were confirmed. Unfortunately, a few months ago, I had to step down due to the rapid progression of my illness. I am really praying that one day I'll be able to volunteer again.

The team and me in Peru

For now, I encourage each of you to visit Operation Mobilization's website. They have a HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF site open now. OM has already sent out an emergency response team to Haiti. Their immediate focus is on getting food, water and medical attention to a few orphanages there that they were already working with before the earthquake. They will also be searching the rubble of a school that collapsed on about 2,000 students to look for any signs of life. So far, no other help has reached that particular suburb of Port au Prince.

A few of the children and me in Peru

OM's FINANCIAL POLICY is always available online, so you can be positive you know exactly where your money is going should you decide you want to donate through this organization.

And, of course, we all need to be in prayer for the Haitian people and all their loved ones awaiting news. Also, pray for the Lord's hedge of protection and provision for those who are in Haiti helping with the rescue efforts and those who are traveling there as well.

Thanks for your time. I hope you have a wonderfully blessed day!

Teresa

P.S. Please pray for me. I have a fever this evening (Friday) and chills. I seem to be getting sick again. I'll keep you posted.

For more inspiring and uplifting songs, please go

visit Amy at Signs, Miracle and Wonders!

CHANGES

As you can tell, I am currently working on making changes to my blog. It will probably be a little crazy for a a day or two (or longer depending on how I feel), but I hope you will like it once I get it all figured out! In the meantime, I hope you will take a minute to check out my Pay It Forward Give-Away while you're here!

Have a fabulous day!

Blessings,

Teresa

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY

But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk,
AND NOT FAINT.

Isaiah 40:31

As I was searching for just the right scripture for this week's Word-Filled Wednesday, I came upon this scripture in Isaiah. I have read it countless times in my life but not recently. Today, it nearly jolted me out of my chair.

I have been trying and trying to figure out what 'I' can do to feel better, what 'I' can do to be well again. I've been trying to figure out which direction to go from here, which new doctor would be right to see, what new medications I should consider, which current meds I should stop, how I'm going to lose ALL this weight I've gained and so on. During all this time, I've grown more and more depressed and sad. Because of this, my quiet time and prayer time have become virtually non-existent and I've felt distant from the Lord.

Doing the Word-Filled Wednesdays has helped me to get back into God's Word and I'm really thankful for that. Today's scripture made me remember that, often, I just have to WAIT upon Him when I'm in need. Sometimes that is SO incredibly hard to do! But, it is ALWAYS worth it. I know that in His time, He can help me to be strong again, to walk again.....and to not pass out anymore.

What a GLORIOUS DAY that will be!



Please be sure to check out my PAY IT FORWARD GIVE-AWAY! I'd love for you to be a part of it!

The purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God's word (no famous quotes or other literature, only the beautiful Word of our Heavenly Father) through scripture and pictures. If you would like to participate in Word-Filled Wednesday, please join Lori over at her blog and link up.

PAY IT FORWARD GIVE-AWAY

Right before Christmas, I was very blessed to be one of the winners in Mikki's Pay It Forward Give-Away!! A few days after I was notified that I'd won, I received this wonderful package~

...a sampler of Boca Java Gourmet Coffee! I had never heard of this awesome coffee before but it has truly been some of THE best coffee I've ever tasted! It arrived just in time to try out my brand new Cuisinart Coffee Maker I received for Christmas! :0) It truly is YUMMY!

Now, I get to Pay It Forward by having a give-away of my own! If you are interested in receiving a gift** from me of a few of my favorite things and you are willing to pay forward a gift of some of your favorite things, then comment here on this post to let me know you that you are interested.

Of course, first you need to know all the rules, right?

In order to win, you need to be willing to......

• Give me your mailing address so I can send a small gift your way.
• Once you receive your gift, write your own Pay It Forward post telling about it and the give-away, including a link back to my blog in that post.
• Come up with gifts to send out to YOUR two (2) winners.

If you feel able to follow these specific rules, then leave me a comment letting me know and you will be entered! TWO (2) winners will be chosen randomly out of a basket by my youngest daughter, Bek, on Saturday, January 23rd.

Extra entries may be obtained by doing any of the following (be sure to leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for EACH thing you do):

• Follow my blog via Google Friends
• Subscribe to my blog via email.
• Follow my blog on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You may tweet once a day for an extra entry every day. You can copy and paste: Pay It Forward Giveaway by @2ManyHeartbeats. http://bit.ly/7ZRwd0 #giveaway #payitforward PLS RT!
• Blog about paying it forward and ways to 'Pay it Forward'. Be sure to mention this give-away and include a link to my blog (THREE entries, be sure to leave three comments for each!)

Contest ends at 11:59 EST on Friday, January 22nd. I will draw TWO (2) winners at random and announce them on Saturday, January 23rd. PLEASE be sure to leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify both winners via email and they will have 48 hours to respond.

I'm really excited and I hope you are, too!

Blessings,

Teresa

** NOTE: There has been some confusion about the gift I will be sending. It will not be coffee, at least not all of it. I have not really decided yet but it will be a gift of SEVERAL of my favorite things. My daughters will be helping me shop but I can tell you that you will not be disappointed! :0)

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10a

Things have been so hectic and crazy lately, especially with the holidays and all. I have also had a very hard time over the last couple of months dealing with the reality that I am completely bedridden and that my physical pain keeps getting worse and worse. It is very frustrating for me and I just don't understand why all this is happening to me. There are a lot of things in my life that have happened that I just don't understand. However, I can sense the Holy Spirit speaking to me, filling my heart with these words from the scriptures....'Be still and know that I am God.'

When I meditate on that scripture, I know that He is God Almighty, Lord of the Universe, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, My Savior and My Redeemer!! He came to this world to give His life so the I might LIVE! So, I need to be still.....and remember that He IS God! He is in control and He will not let anything happen that He and I can't handle together.

AMEN!

The purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God's word (no famous quotes or other literature, only the beautiful Word of our Heavenly Father) through scripture and pictures. If you would like to participate in Word-Filled Wednesday, please join Penny over at her blog and link up.

95 YEARS AND COUNTING.....

Today is an incredibly special day! Oh, I know what you are probably thinking. It is New Years Day - of course it is special. However, today means something much more special to my family and me. It is the 95th birthday of our family's Matriarch. Yes, on January 1, 1915, my grandmother, Jewell Mae O'Neal, was born! Isn't that amazing?!?

My grandmother has had such a huge impact on my life. She and Papa lived next door to our family while I was growing up. When my brother, sister and I were young, my parents were not really involved in church like they are now. Therefore, our grandparents made sure we went with them almost every single Sunday. This is something I will always be grateful to them for. I'm really not sure I would have the same relationship with the Lord that I do today if it wasn't for them.

I can still remember riding in the backseat of their car on the way to church and back each Sunday. Then nearly every Sunday afternoon, one of my siblings or I would get to go with them to Morrison's Cafeteria, near the airport in Atlanta, to eat lunch after church. Oh, this was such a treat for a young child who did not get to go out to eat very often!

My siblings and I spent lots of time with our Granny. She was always sewing, cooking or telling us a story about her childhood. We used to watch her do all kinds of things like hanging her yummy smelling clothes out on the line, cleaning her already spotless house or making some of her awesome apple jelly. We were always thrilled when she'd let us help her pick strawberries or beans out of the garden, get fresh water out of their well, help her make fresh squeezed lemonade or shell peas with her out on the screened porch. There was ALWAYS something to do with Granny Jewell! Even though she lived right next door, we absolutely loved to spend the night with her and Papa! We thought it was SO hysterical when Granny would come to tuck us in after she'd already 'taken her teeth out' and put her hair net on. LOL!

I have so many fond memories of time spent with my Granny and I thank the Lord for them all. She is such an amazing lady and we are so blessed to still have her with us. I pray she is having an absolute wonderful birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

GRANNY JEWELL!

WE LOVE YOU!

Granny's 90th Birthday Party 1-1-2005
My Mom, Mo, My Dad, Granny, Bek & Me
Wow, how things change in 5 years, especially kids! :0(

Blessings,

Teresa