I am feeling mighty old (and a pit poorer) this morning.... Why? Because I now have 3 children who are driving! Sam just passed his permit test and actually drove the kids and I to school. Just another reason for the gray hairs I am seeing on my head.

Just when I think that my faith is doing ok, God seems to stretch me a little more. It is always difficult for me when my children are sick, but this season, with all the scares of the swine flu, my faith is being put to the test. The swine flu is here, in our little town... and in my little world of friends. Pray for a little boy who has it right now. He tends to get things very intensely and, unfortunately, his doctor did not put him on tamaflu because of the foreseeable "shortage" of it. The doctors, at least here, are beginning to only prescribe it for kids with severe health problems. So.. I figure that it is only a matter of time before it hits our home. That's where my faith comes in. Elizabeth's lungs are not the best. SHe suffered pneumonia 3 times in her first 2 years with us. She tends to immediately get bronchitis or something as soon as she gets a runny nose. And.... she has been known to have feveral seizures. .. AND... she has thalessemia. I am not sure if thalessemia makes her more at risk, but I read that sickle cell anemia does. Thalessemia is "asian sickle cell" (or at least that is what I have read). So, I am very concerned about her getting the swine flu. And Ri? Well, another high risk child is one with a heart disease. You all know the complications with Ri and his heart condition. I just don't know if he is safe since the major conditions were repaired or if he is at risk because he still has ongoing issues. And... Sam? Well, Sam has asthma. It is not bad and he never has required an inhaler; but he does have it. He also tends to get sick easier then the others and harder. And me? Well, I have leukapenia and asthma; two conditions that put me at high risk as well. Then there is Emily... I DO NOT KNOW what is going on with her health; so I am not sure if she is at higher risk as well. That makes 4, maybe 5, of us who are at high risk. This is where my faith is waivering at times. I know we serve a mighty God who is IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS!!! Nothing will happen outside of His plan for our life. Which puts me in the question of: Do we get the swine flu vaccination? My answer? Right now, NO. There is so much uncertainty about many, many things that I/we are just not comfortable having it given to our children. Am I risking their health? I just can't answer that right now. I would rather know that my God is almighty and all powerful. I am not one who denies the gifts that God has given man to be able to produce medicines/vacines/surgery/etc.... but I am not at peace over this particular vacine. Thus... my faith is being stretched!!

The spritual battle I mentioned yesterday is still ongoing. At 11:30 today, I will be in a position that will require me to be a witness to something. I need to go in with the full armor of God! Please pray for me that I may be a vessle that glorifies God despite any other circumstance.