Sonderella's update on Sophia

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Update on Sophie- Praise

Thanks to any of you who has read about Sophie and prayed for her and my family. While this is a terrible, life altering event we still have many things to be thankful for. She is still alive. They did have to put in a feeding tube, but they are trying to get her to eat. Her fevers have diminished. She took a few tentative steps with her special booties on. She has "foot scrubbings" twice daily and is heavily medicated for this.

My sister is staying with her 24/7 and is very much a part of her care even though she is still a ward of the state. We found out this evening that my other sister Donna will be awarded custody upon discharge so praise God for that!! Donna is very busy and has not been able to go back to work as she is adjusting to being a 50 year old taking care of a disabled, mildly demented mother, a 5 year old including school drop off and pick up about 30 minutes away, and a 10 month old who has been very attached to her mom and used to being held. Rose will more than likely be moving in to help once she and Sophie leave Columbus.

My nephew Ben has prayed to receive Christ for the first time in his life!! Big praise for that.

Next items up for prayer in this journey:

The next phase is skin grafts...they are trying to save toes and feet.

Continued prayers for strength for my family who is still grieving my dad's death and already struggling emotionally. Although all of us have said a prayer of thanks that dad is in heaven and not here to see this-it would have done him in.

Prayers for a floor. My parents home has been deemed safe except for the kitchen and hallway floors which are a bit heaved in some places and sagging in others. The linoleum has been ravaged by these floor shifts. This has to be fixed before Sophie can live there which is expected to be in about 3 weeks. Mom thinks she, Tina (my dear, dear loving, giving niece) and Donna just may be able to do this....hmmm. Dad was the carpenter who always figured this stuff out (remember he planned and designed his own room to die in) so this will be our first building project without him to tell everyone what to do.

We still don't know what will happen to Ben's wife, Sarah, but have heard the state will prosecute to the full extent of the law. She is 19, uneducated, and from a terrible background. She was negligent by being outside on cell phone with the children inside the house, but she is not abusive. She just never considered that such a thing could happen. I don't think she even understands what all of this means or how serious her punishment may be...that she will lose her children.

That's everything as I know it. Thank you for continued prayer. God is good in the worst of storms.


Posted by Sondie at 8:23 PM 0 Footprints

Sonderella had a great entry so I just copied it here! Thanks Sonderella!

Unexpected Snow Storm

Have you ever experienced a snow storm in the spring? It used to amaze me how spring had hit full blown and then 2 feet of snow would fall. Inevitably on Easter! Well that is what I feel like this weekend has been. A snow storm in the middle of my spring! My heart is still in spring. I can tell by the occurrences of this weekend that we are at Easter in my hearts calendar! Why you may ask? Well, the saving Grace that Jesus offered us when he rose from the grave was seen last night. My nephew Ben, Sophia's dad, gave his heart to Jesus.

After leaving the hospital he could not run from God any longer. My mom has being instrumental in helping him answer the call of the Lord. He was bawling and had turned around to find someone to pray with him. Then suddenly, my mom happen to ring his phone. At that moment, he asked her to help him find a preacher! The heavens are rejoicing! He said God has been dealing with him since my Dad passed away. Praise the Lord!

Update on Sophia-the family is starting to get a little more information from the staff in Columbus. The surgeons team will re-examine Sophia again today, but they think she still has good skin on the bottoms of her feet! Please continue to pray. I appreciate all you prayer warriors out there!

God is Good even in the unexpected snow storms of spring! I knew God was going to use this for Good. Romans 8:28!

Update on Sophia

Here is a picture of Sophia sleeping last night.

Thank you again for your prayers. They are on the way to Columbus right now. Sophia is still a ward of the state of WV. There will be a court hearing tomorrow. Even though the detective believes the mom's story we are concerned about other charges. The parents were allowed to see her within the last 24 hours. I am irritated because they had to wait for Child protective services to allow her to go to the pediatric burn center. It postponed her getting there for several hours. She is going by ambulance and not health net which is also irritating. BUT GOD has been so faithful. The state could have kept all family from seeing her all weekend and I know God's hand was involved to clear family to be with her. The nurse told CPS (child protective services) that Sophia was doing much better since her family was allowed to see her. She has been eating and alert. We are praying for the mother to be cleared and custody to be returned to a family member (if not her mother someone else in the family). We are also praying for favor for the family in Columbus. The nurse in WV really worked with CPS to help clear the family. Peace for the family. Strength for the sister with custody of the other two girls, Healing for Sophia (that she won't lose her toes which is one of the concerns right now), no infection and finally God to restore this young family and hold them together! I can not tell the percentage of burn because the family is being excluded because she is a ward of the state. It is so hard to be left in the dark because we love Sophia very much.

I have seen God's hand in this situation! Thank you again for your prayers.

Sophia Rose Swiney

Here is a picture of my great niece that needs prayer. My sister got to spend the night with her and she is in pain. Her mother passed the polygraph test!

Please continue to pray for this beautiful little girl. Her family hangs in the balance as well as her life.

God is in control. I don't say that in weakness, but in faith, strength and power.

We has christians say, "Praying is all we can do.". But how is that a small thing? Prayer is the most powerful tool we have as a christian.

To all of you who prayed....THANK YOU! I see God's hand moving on behalf of this precious little girl.

Urgent prayer request!

My family needs prayer. My great niece, Sophia is 22 months old. She was injured today. She has 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her lower legs and feet. She was life flighted to the only burn center in WV. She is in critical condition and no one has been allowed to see her from the family. Her sisters have been removed from their parents and her mother is being questioned and given a lie detector test. My sister, her grandmother, is working hard to gain entrance to see her. My other sister is filing for custody of the two sisters. She is the only one in WV cleared by a criminal back ground check right now. It will take time for the others in the family to have the necessary back ground check run. The hospital is attempting to life flight her to a Boston Shriners hospital. However, no information is being given to the family because of the suspected abuse. The state does not have to have permission to move her, nor do they have to tell us she has been moved for up to 14 hours following her move.

I can think of several prayer needs. Strength, peace, angles to surround Sophia as she can not be surrounded by her family. Pray for TRUTH to be known and for Sophia to be in the palm of God's hand. Pray for God's perfect will. Pray for healing. Statistics are not on our side. Statistics are bleak for Sophia's survival.

My heart is broken. My sister is fragile. We are barely 4 months from my fathers death. The thought of the possibility of the death of precious Sophia is unbearable.

I know God is faithful. I know God knows best. I know God has good plans for my family. I KNOW HE IS THE GREAT I AM!!!

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Have we forgotten?

September 11, 2001 was a day I hope our nation doesn't forget. I think some of us have forgotten. I liked this picture. Freedom is definitely not free! It was bought with blood. Kind of like the blood our savior paid for our freedom from eternity in Hell!

Offers everywhere!

We got an offer on our house! I am so excited! I have not been stressed about having two houses. I just told God the bills were his anyway, so he could provide the money to pay for two houses or he could sell one. We are in the early process of the sell.

I know the title of this post is Offers everywhere so let me explain. I know you are reading this and wondering if we have more than one offer. We do. But not on the house. One offer on the house and one offer for some change at work. I will post more later about that. I am praying for God to close the door if it is not what I am supposed to do. I am excited, but reserved.

I am still basking in the warm SON! God has been blessing me. I have joy in my heart. I actually used the term "loving life" the other day and Joel said he hasn't heard me say that for so long.

Don't get me wrong I still have my moments of Grief. I miss my dad. I haven't written about him in awhile. Mostly because I am choosing to write about the good things in life.

Tonight during worship I was reminded of something. Let me share it with you. We were singing a song about the Lord wrapping his arms around us and telling us he loves us. Well, it reminded me of a time when Elisabeth was small. I was standing in church and she looked up at me and said "HOLD YOU". God spoke to my heart that day. I love my children. But God loves us so much more than we can possibly love our own children. When Elisabeth said, " HOLD YOU". It made me feel so loved and content. So needed. Well, God wants us to ask him to "HOLD YOU". He wants to feel loved and needed. God reminded me of that tonight. I do need him! I do want him. I need him to "HOLD ME". To erase my grief. To be my redeemer.

I recently posted about my small group and I referred to them as "Daughters of the King". I call them that because until we grasp that we are daughters of the most high God we don't live in VICTORY! I want those girls to know WHO they belong to and live victoriously. I think of a princess. She lives a certain way. Wears certain clothes. Eats wonderful food. WELL, we need to think of ourselves the same way. We need to live a certain way. HOLY! NOT perfect, but forgiven. We need to wear certain clothes. I think of a couple things. In our flesh we need to dress modestly. In our spirit we need to put on the full armor of God. And we need to eat wonderful food from the Lords table! We need to feast on his word. I am so humbled to be working with the "daughters of the King". I want them to understand in their spirits what that term means! I want them to live PURE and HOLY lives for our father the KING!