Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 10:49 a.m., D.S.T., Nashville, TN~

Dear Journal~

Louie here.  Hope this finds you well and happy (preferably both!).  I am doing well; just have been very busy at work.

Had a bad one come in early this morning; had to stay later because of it.  The man's been in surgery now going on four hours; he fell through a plate glass window, severely injuring himself. 

If he survives (the surgery or afterwards), it will be nothing short of a miracle.  I will have to pray hard for him!

Ronee' was up early; she's probably now in bed, snoring her butt off.  Saw that she was already on the computer; she wrote in her journal.  (I check the kids' journal entries, to make sure there's no funny stuff going on that I don't know about.)  She was writing about her learning to drive in the fall, and worrying about boys.  Typical teenage angst.  She worries about the least little thing; she's going to be grey by the time she's twenty if she doesn't watch it! LOL

Ronee' is going to be singing at church come Sunday:  she will be singing during the offeratory/tithe.  She will be doing one of my favorite gospel songs, "What A Beautiful Day (For The Lord To Come Again)", by the legendary Happy Goodman Family.  If I know Ronee', she will do a bang up job; she absolutely loves that song and has been singing it for a while now. 

God's gifted her with a beautiful high soprano singing voice; whenever people hear her sing or hear her testimony, they are always blessed.  God's been using Ronee' in an incredible way, and it's exciting to think what He has in store for her!

God's been using all of my children in ways that are nothing short of miraculous.  He's let my son Johnathon live nearly eleven years longer than what they first thought (his doctors) first predicted; they didn't think he'd make it to the age of five.

 Johnathon's also been gifted with a beautiful singing voice, and whenever he shares his story, people are often left in tears.

God's allowed several more children live past critical illness or surgery, and He's allowed Bill and myself to have sixteen happy years of married bliss. 

He's gotten us through incredible financial hardship, the deaths of four of our children, the trauma of the removal of several of our children from our care, the uncertainties faced from a teenaged runaway, and so much more. 

Some of the things we have faced as a family would curl your hair; no person should ever have to endure what we've had to go through as a family!

God's been faithful to us in so many ways.  He's given us the family we've always wanted, and He's allowed us to see the beauty in disability or illness, to see the potential in all of our children.  We are living, walking testimonies to the power of the human spirit and through God's grace, people can get through anything, whatever life may throw their way.

God's given some of the family members a gift for words.  I and several of our children have had books or works published in magazines, and we've shared the spirit of adoption with others, helping other families obtain the children they've always dreamed of having.

It's incredible what God's done in our lives throughout the years.  I only hope that God is pleased with what we've been doing.  We've tried to show His love through our actions, our servitude, our faith in Him.  We want to spread the Good News through our actions; I can only hope that we are doing what He requires us to do. 

Well, the man I alluded to earlier is out of surgery; have to go to him, to make sure all is well.  I will be praying hard for him!  I will write in here again soon; take care, and may God bless you as much as He's blessed me, my family, over the years!

~With much love, your friend and sister in Christ Jesus, Louie May. :D