Dear Friends,
As some of you know in this last week may have known,  I have established a personal contact with my heart donor family. I have had some tell me "how exciting" or congratulations. I know these are well intended comments, and I have taken them as such. But it has been anything but exciting. The other day as I read the first personal letter from my donor's mother I was overwhelmed, and a emotion of grief and tears came over me as though I had just lost someone very close and dear to me. And have found myself in the last few days in a deep spirit of grief for this family. This contact has now taken on a more personal reality than I ever thought it would, and has affected me and my family in a profound way. I know in a lot of ways this is new territory that we are dealing with. I do not say that in anyway to make myself sound special because I am certainly not, but not very many people know a transplant patient on a personal basis or the emotions that come with this donor/recipient contact. So that is why I say this is new territory. I know and sense there are a lot of trials that my brothers and sisters are dealing with everyday and I pray for you every day. I am in no way shape or form even coming close to saying what I am dealing with is more severe that what you may be facing. All I am asking is that you pray for me and my family, as we grieve for this young man and the void in which his family feels everyday and especially for this family. As his mother told me yesterday the pain of her loss “indescribable, I miss him with every breath I take". Please pray that my grief would not be self-indulgent but that my grief as strange as it sounds would be balanced by the Lord and his word. I would be willing to privately share with any of you the name of this 23 yr old young man whose heart now beats in me, and for the amazing things he was doing with his life. He had accomplished more in his short time here on Earth than most could do in 2 life-times. I have always known that on the other side of what I was the recipient off, was a family who had suffered a great loss. But since this has become more personal with a name and a picture if was as I have already said something more than my family and I were ready to take in. We can convictions in how the Lord works and orders all events in our lives and we can take hope in those things, but it still doesn’t take away the pain and hurt this family feels everyday.
Thanks for indulging me in this post.
Steve

Well it’s been a while since I posted and thought I would just mention a few things. As some of you know that read my blog, my last post was to speak of my one year anniversary of my heart transplant. Part of moving forward this year has been being able to do some things I haven’t been able to do in years. One of those things has been getting out with the Big Red Machine of Edgewood Baptist Church (Softball Team) and trying to participate.( and I use that term loosely ). In the last game I played in I pitched, and even though I have a 2-0 record I give up too many walks, but behind me is a great defensive team. As I ran to first base I felt a slight pain in both my big toes on the right and left foot. I didn’t think much of it at the time but by the time I got home I was in incredible amount of pain. When I took my shoes and sock off my wife and I were shocked at what we saw. One toe was all bruised up and the other was red and swollen around the nail bed. They are both severely sprained, so for the last couple weeks I have been hobbling around and haven’t been able to get my shoes on very many days. The only concern there is at the moment is that I don’t develop any type of infection. My transplant nurse told me I may have the heart of a 23 year old but I still have the body of a 51 year old, but i told her I feel like a 23 yr old
At the beginning of the summer we (the Family) built a raised tomato garden, we are still working on it and hopeful to have it finished this weekend. I guess he did this at the right time since this Salmonella outbreak of tomatoes last week.
One thing that I have been thinking about is this term that we sometimes say to one another is that “I have been praying for you” or that I will pray for you”, when we say that what do we mean? Are we offering a “generic” prayer for our brothers and sisters, or are they specific in nature. One of the ways that we can be specific in our prayers is to know my brothers and sisters better than what I do. Now I am not saying we stick our noses where they don’t belong but I am suggesting that we become more transparent with each other, And that can be a hard thing to do because sometimes maybe a lot of the time we don’t want to show our weaknesses’ to one another. But we are told that no man is an island to himself, and that we need each other and the prayers of one another. Outside of the Bible, Pilgrims Progress is probably my favorite book, and in this we see this illustrated. No matter who Christian was with whether is was Faithful or Hopeful they knew each other more than just in a surface way. Are we really sensing and knowing the burdens of our brothers and sisters and putting as it were our shoulders under their burden with them and helping them and making them sense we are wanting to help carry this burden with them. And as the Holy Spirit comes along side us in time of trials are we doing the same for one another? There are times where we can come along side and say nothing, but the sympathetic presence can mean a lot of sometime a gentle word of encouragement and prayer can help soothe an aching heart. Remember that  "Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring, for His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much”. Let we strive to be more transparent with one another, and to remember who it is that we are coming too. May we encourage each other better than what we sometimes do, in our pursuit of the Christ.

 I hope you have a much blessed rest of the week.

And remember Sunday is Father’s Day (That public service announcement is for my kids)

Well, lets see its been a while since I posted and and it seems like there have been a couple big events that have happened but I just cant seem to remember…oh yeah One big event was that the results of all my heart test a few weeks ago came back with a excellent report. No blockages and NO rejection. But lets see I know there is something else, let me think ummmmmmm……

Oh yeah now I remember Melissa got married on Saturday.

It was a great time and we are happy for both her and Adam. As far as the ceremony I felt for me anyway (and Susan too), was the charge to the couple and prayer that Pastor Ted made as well as the closing prayer Pastor Joe, concluded the ceremony with. Really put the meat on the bones so to speak for the entire service. It was great to renew fellowship with some people from Heritage. I may later this week make some more observations but wanted to at least share some pictures with you, as I am pressed for time right now.

I hope you all have a blessed week.

Thomas and Katelyn

Katelyn, Dad and Thomas

Katelyn, Melissa, and Thomas

The Radiant Bride

What is left of my crew

Daughter and Mother

Do we look like 2 deers caught in the headlights or what?

The Happy Bride and Groom

And the getaway

I took well over 100 pictures but these are just a sampling. And now I guess as any parent would, we covet your prayers that they would live long in loving one another and serving the King of Kings.