Friends and family,

Day 2:

At 6:25 last night I was having dinner at a BBQ restaurant in Katy, Texas with my daughter, parents and sister. At 6:26 I received a text message that at first I thought was a terrible joke, until I realized it wasn’t. I saw words my heart could not digest after I read my son’s name…badly injured, serious, air lifted, intubated. The words hit me hollow and numb for a moment, and then left me heavy and overwhelmed with shock and grief. I wept, and I wept a lot. I am still weeping as I write this today. All I can think about is getting to my child.

I am boarding a flight this morning from Houston to Portland, OR where Carter is at The Oregon Health Science Center Trauma ICU Unit. I cannot express my thanks for all of your messages, texts, phone calls, prayers, and even a few of you wept with me in person and on the phone. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I even had a dear friend call and offer to fly to Houston in his plane and fly me to OR last night. What a servant! We still covet your prayers and encouragement.

The latest update is that Carter has a possible separated shoulder, lacerations, a small brain bleed above his cerebellum and a possible cervical spine fracture. As of this morning the brain CT is unchanged which is a praise. The bleed is small and has not gotten bigger. We do not yet have the new cervical spine results, but feel it may come back clear. They tried to wean him off the ventilator last night but that attempt was unsuccessful. Our prayer is he will wake up a little more today and they can begin turning the vent settings down and carter will begin breathing for himself. They have been trying to wake him up some.

Last night I got to be on speaker phone and tell him I loved him, and I would be there soon. I know he heard me! The Lord is near and I feel Him. I don’t know what He is doing, and I often do not like his methods, but what I do know is HE is always good, faithful and always working on our behalf.

I have been fervently praying for intercession for a couple of things the last two months for Carter. Maybe this is what that intercession looks like? I’m going to use this pain as the great tutor it is, and I will wait expectantly for what The Lord is teaching us. It is so sweet how HE works. Of all the verses HE could of laid on my heart since 6:26 last night, it has been…and Jesus wept.~John 11:35

It is as if he keeps whispering in my ear, I am weeping with you my daughter, and I, too carry your pain. This is the day The Lord has made for me, I don’t understand it, but I will find peace in my weeping for I feel His presence with me. From a place of such gratitude, thank you all so much! Please continue to pray for healing for Carter and many others who have been injured in Birmingham this week. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus! I have read each and every message. Although I cannot respond, my heart thanks you. They are little rays of sunshine that are shining joy into my soul!