Sorrow in the Midst of Life

                                       "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth

                                       them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is nigh unto them

                                       that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a

                                       contrite spirit."

                                                                      Psalms 34:17, 18

The other day I was standing on our deck and noticed the little neighbor girl swinging on her swing set.  She is the same age that Alana would be if she were still here.  I was imagining Alana swinging on a swing, laughing with each push of her swing.  The little girl soon got off the swing and started skipping and running around her yard.  How I wish that could have been Alana.  My mind was just filling with all of these, "what could have been."  Then that all familiar feeling started welling back into my heart, "Why God, how could you take my sweet Alana.  Why couldn't you make her better."

Just as quickly as those feelings welled up in my heart and mind, they were quickly replaced by God's sweet love for me and Alana.  In my heart I knew that Alana would probably never walk or skip about like your typical three year old.  Nor would Alana have the speech of your typical three year old.  Then in God's kindness, He reminded me that our sweet girl, though not your "typical" three year old was made just right.  God had a plan for her, the "perfect" plan.  She had a job to do here on earth.  God calls some to do a job for many years, others a few years and some maybe just hours, but all just as important as the other.

I have to keep in my heart and mind that Alana was a gift to our family and many others.  I have to remember that she was the tool that God used to bring me closer to Him.  I have to remember that she touched so many lives, known and unknown.  I have to remember that she brought a joy to our lives like none other.  I have to remember that infectious smile she had that just warmed your heart.  I have to remember how she has inspired people to do something they thought they could never do, including myself.  I have to remember how Alana was an example of God's love.  God knows, God knows.

                                         ________________________________


If you haven't heard, Ashlee our oldest daughter was excepted into the music program at Southeastern University.  She did receive a music scholarship.  Praise God.  The next event coming up for her is the Detroit, MI trip.  She will be competing for nationals the first week in August.  If you go on www.youtube.com and put in Ashlee Feliciano you can see her sing the song that she will be singing for nationals.  I have to remember that Alana has helped to inspire Ashlee to use her beautiful gift for the Lord.

God is good.


















                 

All is Well!

Praise the Lord, Antonio's surgery went well. Both doctors involved were quite pleased.  Antonio's subglottic stenosis has improved.  This is the narrowing in his airway that I have mentioned before.  Instead of being more than 30% narrow, it is now only about 15% narrow.  What an answer to prayer!!  As far as his gallbladder, that is now gone.  The gallbladder did show inflammation and of course "stones".

Antonio is now recovering nicely at home. He is in some discomfort, but is handling the pain well.  The one thing about my little guy is that he always has a smile on his face, no matter how bad he is feeling.  What a brave little boy he was!

When the nurse came to tell us it was time for Antonio to go to the OR my heart sank.  My little man was all smiles and I was in turmoil.  I kept repeating over and over in my mind the verse in 2Timothy 1:7 " For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  By God's grace I was able to keep it together.  I kissed my "boy" and then watched him drive away in a motorized car to the OR along side his daddy and the nurse, still with a smile on his face.

During the three hour wait for Antonio to come out of surgery my husband and I prayed and tried to keep ourselves busy.  It was a long three hours, but God is good and kept our hearts and minds stayed on Him.  When we were finally able to see him I did have a great sense of relief.

My husband and I want to thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement.

On a different note, my husbands graphic novel is now out on the "stands".  It is called "Female Forces - Sonja Sotomayor".  The graphic novel can be purchased in comic book shops, Barnes and Nobles, Borders and through Amazon.com  The book is now in the Supreme Court Library in Washington.  My husband was quite honored by this gesture.

God is good.










 

 

Busy, Busy!!

   What a wild and crazy last two months.  Sometimes I feel like I can hardly breath.  At least it is a good busy.

   Like I mentioned in my last post, Ashlee competed in another vocal solo on April 23rd.  She did quite well and will be going to Nationals on Aug.1-7.  Nationals will be held in Detroit, MI.  My husband and me and the two little one's will be accompanying Ashlee to the competition.  We are looking forward to the trip.  It will be a very intense week for Ashlee.  This competition has hundreds of contestants.

   After she competed on April 23rd, she and I caught a plane out to FL that evening.  We flew to FL because she had a vocal audition at 10:07am on the 24th at the college see will be attending in the fall.  This audition is for a scholarship towards her college.  I do have to say, the music professors were impressed with Ashlee.  I heard her sing her opera piece through the door and it was beautiful.  God gave her the grace to do all the singing that she has had to do in the last two months.  We are still waiting to hear if she was awarded scholarship money.  We are hoping and praying!!!

   Right now Ash is on her senior high class trip.  She left last Fri. and will be back this Sat.  Yes, it is hard to believe we have a third child graduating from high school.  Ashlee graduates on June 6, 2010 from Emmanuel Christian Academy.

   The trip to FL with my daughter, Ashlee was a wonderful trip.  We were able to stay with a friend of mine from junior high.  She and her family live in Lakeland, FL, the same town that the college is located in.  It puts my mind at ease knowing that Ash has people that she knows in town.  Well anyways, like I said we had a wonderful time staying in their home.  We were able to visit a the church that the family goes to.  Ashlee and I loved it.  It is called First Baptist at the Mall.  This is the biggest church she and I have ever seen.  It has over 8,000 members.  The church holds three Sunday morning services.  Ashlee also will have a job at the church, working with special needs children.  My friends husband got Ash the job.  It has been such a blessing how God has been working everything out regarding Ashlee's college choice.  She and I can see that Lord's hand in all things regarding her schooling.

   We also went to the beach, Anna Marie Island.  It was overcast and extremely windy, but was had a wonderful time.  The bad thing is Ashlee, my friends twin girls and I got sunburned, especially Ash.  We didn't realize that overcast days cause sunburns quicker and more sever.  On another day, Ash and I spent the day at Southeastern University.  We got a tour of the campus and she was able to sit in on a private vocal lesson.  The campus is absolutely beautiful.  The dorms are pristine, the cafeteria looks like a restaurant and the food is amazing.  The professors and the students were very friendly and helpful.  The most important thing my daughter and I loved about the college was the love for the Lord that was evident on the campus.  What a blessing that was.  Directly in the middle of the campus is a very large bronze statue of Jesus washing Peter's feet.  Our tour guide was telling us that the statue is the heart beat of the college.  He said we strive to have the students graduate from this college with a servant's heart.  He said you cannot serve and love God like you should if you do not have a servants heart.  How right he is.

   Here are some pictures of our trip to FL.

    Next Wednesday May 12th, Antonio, our 8 year old will be having his surgery.  His gallbladder will be removed.  Yes, he has gallstones.  Before the surgeon begins his surgery, ENT(ear, nose, and throat) will be doing a bronchoscopy to check his airway status.  Antonio has mild subglottic stenosis(a narrowing in the airway).  Because he has to be intubated for the surgery, the surgeon wants to make sure there is not going to be any problems.  He also needs to know what size tubing to use to intubate him.  This is the part that I am a little nervous about.  Antonio has a very sensitive airway.  I am also having a hard time with another one of my children being in the hospital.  Everyday I ask the Lord to help me with the doubts that I have regarding his surgery and the fears that I have.  Please pray for Antonio and our family next Wed.

  Thank you for all your prayers.  Please continue to pray for the start of the foundation we will be starting.  God is good.