Ambient Allegience and Dave update and Happy August!!

The combines have begun humming...

the harvest has begun and golden, waving vistas are about to disappear into the steel jaws of Past

We hailed the hold of budded boon

Of mossy trail with violets strewn

Where wooded grail restored the tune

Of maple-linnet bower

The color-wheel of nature bled

Beneath, around and overhead

As earth Her somber mantle shed

For fairer frocks of flower

The hills that wowed our gaze with green

Don shrouds ablaze with golden sheen

In days where thrill of May had been

We sense a soft undoing

Like innocence of youthful bride

Succumbing to time’s stringent stride

And currents in a wresting tide

Of elemental wooing

A curtain falls across the place

Where mothers call and children race

Through doors that cannot bar the chase

Of summer’s fading beauty

While farmers bear the harvest home

And dreamers stare across the loam

That hearkens to a metronome

Of adamant entreaty

…and then the halo of new morn

Silvers with frost stark stalks of corn

And what we thought was quite new-born

Is brittle, bent and weathered

The sweep of countryside is still

Stolid, the line twixt sky and hill

Where we bear witness to the will

Of breath by breath untethered

© Janet Martin 

On Sunday evening Jim and I visited with Dave and Karen for a little while. Although he is feeling much better in some areas, his arms above his elbow/shoulders are still not healing properly so they plan to do more x-rays to see what is going on. 

They deeply appreciate your continued prayers for healing and for much-needed patience for everyone! 

Dave, summer-lover!!! is watching it slip away and though I KNOW he counts his blessings(it could have been SO much worse) he struggles with bouts of restlessness as he thinks of things he wishes he would be able to do!

So, again, please keep praying!
p.s. I was glad to hear his hearty laughter is back and his deep love for the Toronto Blue Jays has not suffered a bit;-)

Homage to Home...and Welcome Home, Dave update!

Too, too many 'broken' homes...

 How do we make a happy home?
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Eph.4:2

Let's do all we can to make home a haven from life's storm, then...

Here the cares of life grow lighter

Here heart-hunger heals its groan

In the joy of the familiar

And the love of home, sweet home

Here the pull of give and taking

Fills a hull of wood-brick-stone

Here the memories we’re making

Turns a house into a home

Here a precious treasure; people

Here the grace by which they come

Makes us humbly, holy thankful

For this place that we call home

Here we gather, father, mother

Sister, brother, grab a seat

Happiness, a simple supper

In the peace of home so sweet

Here the bond of fond, fond laughter

Here the tenderness of tear

Here echoes that linger after

They have gone so far from here

Here the bud becomes a flower

Petals pressed into a poem

For here is life’s kindest hour

In the love of home, sweet home

© Janet Martin

Dave had one goal in mind as soon as the pain began to ease...to go home!

Tonight's first-day-at-home update from Karen Ropp-Martin
Hello everyone,

I would like to thank everyone who is praying and helping as we adjust to a new normal for a while! Yes, Dave came home around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Last night he slept in one recliner chair in our living room and I slept in the other. We had a good night. He seems able to rest comfortably in the recliner. This morning Janet(Dave’s sister) came by and did a little cleaning. Donna H dropped in with coffees. She hung out, as well as folded some laundry and also picked up a few groceries. Pam W dropped off some stew for us and some homemade cinnamon buns. YUM! It is so amazing to have so many family and friends helping us through this time of trusting. We appreciate it greatly. All these little things add up to SO much and lighten the load so that I can just look after Dave. Luanne from Church is bringing supper tonight for the whole family and Dave’s parents are bringing a different recliner for Dave to try; one that tilts forward to make getting out easier.

I do admit it is so nice to have him home. I’m able to put my feet up and rest when he rests and be here for him when he needs something (especially at night) and it is going more smoothly then I thought it would. Things will probably come up, but with family, friends and God we will make it through.

A lot of people wondered how Feebee (our/Dave’s dog) did with Dave coming home. She was excited but she did really well. Josh had her on her leash so at first she was just so excited because she thought she was going for a walk, then she noticed Dave and just went up to his chair. Joshua made sure she didn't jump on him. Feebee is now eating because everything is back to normal!

Thanks and please continue the prayers as I’ve said many times before. We sure do feel them!

This is Feebee when I left Dave and Karen's house the other night.
I dropped some things off and was expecting the usual

jump-wag-knock-me-over greeting

but that night she just followed me with a question-mark on her face...

Greater Still...and Exciting 'Dave-Update'

 Deuteronomy 31:8
"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; 

He will be with you. 

He will not fail you or forsake you. 

Do not fear or be dismayed."

So great the prayer-pleas

We lift to God’s throne

Sickness and sorrow

Faith for the Unknown

Strength for our labor

Provision for need

Love for our neighbor

No matter their creed

Safety for travel

Wherever we go

Around the corner

Or across the globe

Prayer for the hungry

The homeless, the poor

Suffering among us

Pray we love them more

For ears to hear

The Good News and receive

Salvation’s promise

To all who believe

In this world of warring

Lord, we pray for peace

Kind words and loving

Lest conflicts increase

For teacher and preacher

For father and mother

For citizens, leaders, the imprisoned,

Each other

For workers and warriors

For farmers and fields

For trust and not worry

For what harvest yields

So great the prayer-pleas

On this mortal sod

But oh, sweet, sweet mercies

Still much greater, God

© Janet Martin

 Today's exciting/a little scary update!

Hi everyone,

Well, today was an exciting and emotional day all in one. It began with my arriving at 8 and Dave sleeping. He didn't want to wake up this morning. He did wake up long enough to eat breakfast and then went back to sleep until the physiotherapist came to take him for a walk. ( I thought this was gonna be one of those down days) He went for a long walk, went to the end of the hall and when they came back he decided he wanted to go longer so they did and then he sat up in his chair until lunch came. He was too tired to eat lunch in his chair so he went back to bed. After lunch he decided to go for another walk. The physiotherapist said that Dave improved so much over the weekend that instead of transferring him to Rehab we will set up a Rehab program at home. Someone will come to our house and work with him there instead. We agreed to go with that.

About 2 hrs later, a lady came in and said she thinks she can get everything in place so that maybe he can come home tomorrow. Dave said the look on my face- my eyes almost popped out. I said right away I don’t think so. He hasn’t even taken a shower yet, or did stairs or anything. I was just so overwhelmed!! She said she will leave us to talk for a bit and then come back to see what we decided to do.
My parents were there and we talked things over for a while and decided to go ahead with the plan. When the lady come back we told her we are OK with it once I know he can do the personal thing and stairs. He is also to have an ultrasound on his right shoulder to find out why he can’t use it. So he is not able to go home until he has the results from the ultrasound which is booked for tomorrow. He also needs to be able to do the steps at our house. She said, maybe tomorrow, if not then closer to the end of the week.
The nurses and the physiotherapist were so impressed in the improvement from last Friday when they saw him last.
I am so excited to have him home again but so scared also-- at the hospital everything is at the right height and the nurses are there if help is needed. It will be so different the first few days at home- and probably some difficult situations when he comes home.
So please pray that they will not send him home before he is ready. Pray for the strength for me to be able to take care of him when he gets home.
Thank- you for all the prayers so far and I know they will continue when we get him home.

Beneath Blue Skies...and latest update on Dave

 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
            For His compassions never fail.

      They are new every morning;
            Great is Your faithfulness.

      “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
            “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

      The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
            To the person who seeks Him.

... For if He causes grief,
            Then He will have compassion
            According to His abundant lovingkindness.

      For He does not afflict willingly
            Or grieve the sons of men.

 Lam.3:22-25&32-33

Beneath blue skies and green-swept rise

And fall of all we have to bear

Of care and such, the touch of much

Ado becomes the sum of where

We were to where we are; the jar

Of starry deep and mist-kissed morn

On well-worn Way pours out New Day

...a tray heaped with Mercies reborn

As smiles and sighs, hellos, goodbyes

And second tries fill love’s lament

Beneath blue skies, green summer's rise

Will fall to fall, and Season spent

© Janet Martin

 This morning's update from Karen;

Hi everyone,

I am glad to report another awesome day. He walked again and sat up in his chair, They also took him down for x-rays today to see if we can find out why he can't move his right arm. Ultrasound later in the week.

Also the Dr said that he can have the oxygen mask off. They will keep an eye on him tonight to make sure his level stay high enough when he is sleeping. 

Please keep praying!

and thank-you.