June 6, 2007 4:12 PM
Lady Lovas needs our prayers
This is a picture of Lady Lovas's new baby - and third son - Aaron who was born a month ago. Many of you are familiar with LL- she comments here frequently and her comments are sometimes so important that I move them to guest blogger status. When I've asked her if she would rather get her own blog, she says "Not now - too busy raising my kids."
But we've known each other through MommyLife for almost two years and for reasons you'll understand later, though we've never met face to face, I feel very close to Nilda.
I received this email today:
Hello friends!Just a quick note to let you know of a few medical issues our family is facing this week.
Last Thursday I woke up with a lump on my throat; I went to the doctor and, after a blood test and an ultrasound, it turns out I have a cyst on the thyroid gland; the cyst has liquid in it, so a specialist is needed; I have an appointment with the specialist tomorrow morning and within the next few days I will have a biopsy done so the liquid can be extracted and analyzed.
Also, little Aaron’s newborn screen test came back abnormal in regards with one of the genetic diseases they check for; the first thing is to repeat the test and see if it comes back abnormal again, so I will be taking him to Children’s Hospital tomorrow or Friday to have more blood drawn. The disease they are talking about is a very rare one, in fact my doctor hasn’t seen a case of it in thirty five years of practice; it has to do with the inability of the body to turn fatty-acids into energy.
Please keep us in your prayers as we move forward thru these medical issues this week. We know God has a purpose and a plan for everything so we trust He will carry us thru whatever lies ahead.
I’ll keep you all updated as more information comes in.
Thank you in advance for your prayers; it is very comforting to know I have a group of friends who can come along side me and join with me in prayer. God hears.
Love ya!
Nilda
A couple weeks ago Nilda had written something to me which I wanted to share here - but I was concnerned it might give the wrong impression. I'd like to share it now - with the caution that it is not at all about tooting my own horn. It is really because I think it shows how important each of us can be in the lives of others.
One of my mottoes has come from Helen Keller:
When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.
~~~~Helen Keller
I thought of that quote on my birthday this year when I found this email from Nilda:
Hello Barbara, good morning!I just wanted to let you know that I received your books yesterday, thank you so much! The books are even more beautiful when you are holding them in your hands than what they look like in the computer; the covers are just vibrant with color and the kids in the pictures are just beautiful. Everything is beautiful!
Needless to say I couldn’t put the first one down; MTM is so easy to read; your words just flow page after page, it’s almost as if you were here in my living room reading it to me. I have been inspired already and the book has been highlighted a couple of times when an “aha!” moment has hit me.
Last night I was challenged to examine my heart and ask God for help in dealing with attitudes that I know are not healthy nor godly; I’ve known for a long time that I would do a great disservice to my kids if I don’t deal with them and there’s great risk I would pass them unto them, as some of my attitudes and actions are impossible to hide; things like criticism (border line with gossip), negativism and even perfectionism are to be dealt with; I know a certain measure of perfectionism is good, but mine is not; my perfectionism is the one that breaks my day if something doesn’t go as planned, the one that makes me grumpy if things don’t turn out the way I want them. Change doesn’t come easily to me either, but last night your words “as a mother and teacher I must always stand ready to change” humbled me to the point where I begun to ask God to give me a more flexible and teachable heart and attitude.
So, a great start if you ask me, and I’m only in page 36!!!
Anyway, after reading I realized one more thing. Every time I’ve heard Oprah talk about her mentor Maya Angelou I felt a little bit of jealousy; I felt like I had missed a whole lot in life by not having someone whom to call “my mentor”, someone I could call when I came across a fork in my life road. Last night I realized that’s not the case anymore, I’ve got YOU!
So, do you mind if I refer to you as “my mentor” form now on? I really feel like you have occupied that place in my life; every time I have a question I do some research in your website and look for an answer; sometimes I e-mail you and ask your opinion; countless times you have answered my questions before I’ve even asked (which is proof that God is directing your words all the time, as he knows that there are many of us looking to you for guidance) and, as it happened last night, I’ve been challenged by you several times in areas I never even thought of asking.
So, with your permission: “Oprah, you’ve got nothing on me! I have a mentor too, and a very good one at that too!
Have a great day Barbara! I know I will, for many good things await me in the pages of this book, even if I can only read one paragraph at a time.
Much love,
Nilda
Mentors do matter - and I'm honored that someone considers me one. I started my blog just wanting a place to communicate more quickly than I could in books and magazine articles. But God has done something more - he's given me a group of moms I now consider spiritual daughters. This is something that seems so sacred that I feel weird even mentioning it. But Nilda said I could, and I think there is a message here for everyone.
Many moms need someone they can depend on for comfort, prayer, and wisdom. It just makes things so much more doable. If you are in that boat and there is someone in your life that you trust and depend on, why not covenant with that person with words to seal the relationship. It may be someone at church. It may be someone you know online. If you're specially blessed, it may be your own sister or your mom. But one way or another, make sure there is someone you can turn to when you when times are tough and make sure you care.
Let's be praying for Nilda and her family - I will keep you updated. And now you know why I care so much!
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Comments
I WILL pray for Nilda and her family. A scary time. I love that she considers you a mentor. That is very biblical!
Posted by: Janet T. | June 6, 2007 4:48 PM
Beautiful Barbara, beautiful. I can see why you are her mentor! I also wish her and her son the best in the upcoming weeks! Please, if you have a moment, stop by and read my petition to try and get the Prenatally Diagnosed Condition Act passed. This is an issue I will continue to focus my energy on, until It the doctors change!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/prenataldiagnosis/
http://jadensjournal.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much. Your support will help us all.
Posted by: Noelle | June 6, 2007 5:09 PM
I will be praying for Nilda and her precious little baby. I just received your Mommy, Teach Me! book recently and am even more eager to start it after reading the e-mail you shared!
Blessings!
Posted by: Diane | June 7, 2007 12:45 AM
Being a mentor is a big responsibility and a huge blessing as well. It is an opportunity to truly rely on the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say, and to experience the joy of giving as unto the Lord. My mentor ended up being my oldest daughter's mother-in-law: an added bonus! :-)
Posted by: Susan in Elk Grove CA | June 7, 2007 2:12 AM
Hello Barbara, Again,
I wrote to you last summer about our travels across country and my becoming acquainted with one of your books.
Well, a year later, I am finally unpacking our things in our new home. The other nite I was up late working. I took a break and started reading an article in a magazine my boys left in the kitchen.
I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the end and found your name. I believe it was in World regarding a same sex custody issue.
Well, it made me look you up again.
In the process, I came across this prayer request. I will be praying for this mother and her child. I have a friend that has a child with a fat metabolizing problem.
I enjoyed all your pictures.
Milissa
Posted by: Milissa Richardson | June 7, 2007 4:40 AM
Barbara, will you please give Nilda my email address, I hadn't heard from her in awhile, and I can't find her address.
As a mother of a chronically ill child, I can certainly related to the fears of the unknown.
Please be sure to let her know her family is in my thoughts.
Posted by: Rebecca P | June 7, 2007 10:45 PM
How terrifying for this mother! I do pray for health for her and her precious son.
I have to say, Barbara, that I, too, consider you a mentor. Your books (and this website) have so affected my parenting and my relationship with my children that I could never begin to thank you. I have also emailed you occasionally with questions and you have always responded gracefully and with wisdom. In fact, I almost always have an email to you simmering in the back of my mind, but I know how busy you are, so I rarely actually send them! But I always appreciate the things you write and have implemented many things into my family's life.
And I think it's great that Nilda has you (and therefore all of us) praying for her. Thank you for letting us know!
Posted by: Lucy | June 10, 2007 7:54 PM
