Here is an update on Josiah as of Thursday, January 6 at 10:15 PM:

Today was the day!  My boy came home!  It was so good to see Jennifer pull up in the van with him after 5 long weeks! We were able to have a few family members over as well as his girlfriend’s family for a little homecoming party!  It was a great time to celebrate!

Here are just a few highlights from the day:

• The last two days have been filled with testing for Josiah.  Actually, he retook some of the tests that he had the first couple of days that he was there. He not only blew away his scores from the first time he took the tests, he amazed the therapist at where he is now at.  He has excelled at everything they have thrown at him!
• Josiah had a great attitude the entire time he was in the rehab hospital.  He has been so positive, that all of those that worked with him commented on how much they were going to miss him.
• On the trip home, Josiah reminisced about life before the accident.  As he got in to town he had memories come to him that he had not thought about in quite some time.  He is so ready to get back to life, though he knows it will take some time.
• He even enjoyed a quick stop at Wal-Mart to pick up his medications.  He picked some things out and rang up all the items himself.
• I have to admit, I cried like a baby as he walked into the house!  MY BOY IS BACK!

There are still many things that we would ask you to remember in prayer for us:

• Pray for the nerves on the right side of his face to heal.  We have an appointment with a specialist at the University of Michigan next Friday to find out more.  We still believe his face will heal without the need for surgery.
• Pray for his therapy sessions.  I want him to get as much as he possibly can so that his healing continues at this pace.
• Pray that his eyesight continues to improve.  He can see out of each eye, but there is still some healing that needs to take place.  The doctor says it is just a matter of time.
• Pray for Josiah as he gets back into his schooling.  We would still like to see him graduate this year.  He can do it!
• Pray that as we continue to meet people through this story that God is writing that we will be Jesus to them so that they know that they matter to God and to us!

Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”

Here is an update on Josiah as of Wednesday, January 5 at 9:00 PM:

Since I am at home and Jennifer is with Josiah in Grand Rapids, I had her email me a report for the day. Here is what she sent:

Today was a normal morning for Josiah, other than the fact that they asked him if he wanted them to take it easy on him (since it is his last full day there) or kick his rear. Being mom, I replied to kick his rear at the same time he asked them to take it easy! He got his therapies in though, and did a wonderful job!  He is such a hard worker!

Here are a few other highlights from the day:

• Each therapist did a lot of picture taking today. I didn’t know why and thought it was a waste of time until I found out they send the pictures with him so he knows what exercises to work on.  Pretty good thinking!
• He got his scores from his speech therapist and across the board was average to above average for a NORMAL 17 year old, much less a 17 year old with brain trauma! God continues to amaze us as He heals Josiah!
• The number test specifically he scored above college level. He took a test today that he had taken and scored a 66 on one of his first days here. They said he should be in the 90 to 110 and range and he was 98 so they were very pleased with that.
• He will definitely be homebound schooled with a teacher coming 2 to 3 times a week for the first 4-6 weeks. After those 4 to 6 weeks he will go for an extensive neuropsychological evaluation and they will decide then when he can go back to school. He will probably start out going half a day for a couple of weeks to month and then eventually back to full day.
• He will have therapy 3 times a week for 8 weeks (that is their recommendation) but local rehab facilities are known to cut that by as much as half.

Some specific thing that you can pray for as you remember Josiah and the family are:

• Pray for the nerves on the right side of his face to heal.  He has his appointment next week at University of Michigan to meet with a specialist.
• Pray that his eyesight continues to improve.  He can see out of each eye, but there is still some healing that needs to take place.  The doctor says it is just a matter of time.
• Pray for Josiah as he gets back into his schooling.  We would still like to see him graduate this year.  He can do it!
• Pray that he will receive all the rehab he can once he gets home. I really want to see him get the full 8 weeks and more!
• Pray for safety as Jennifer, Josiah and Jaidyn travel home tomorrow.
• Pray for God to be made BIG as we continue to follow and trust in Him as He leads us in this journey!

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Here is an update on Josiah as of Tuesday, January 4^th at 7:30 PM

Today was a day that we had been waiting for to hear news on when Josiah gets to go home!  I am glad to report that Josiah is being released from Mary Free Bed on Thursday!  He will come home and continue therapy through a local out-patient facility.  It will be great having the family all together again after a long 5 weeks.  This by no means signals the end of our journey with Josiah and his recovery.  In fact, it is just another beginning of another long road for him.  The type on injury that he has takes many months, even years, to recover from.  He needs your prayers (the whole family does) now as much as ever!

Here are some highlights from the day:

• His team conference was this morning, which is when we found out his release date.  They were all impressed with his recovery so far and were confident that he will do well at home.
• He showered on his own today!  That is a first, and a very important step for coming home. The therapist said he did very well and had no signs of losing balance or anything!
• He was almost running today!  Actually, he did have to jog a few times to keep up with his physical therapist!  He has progressed so much!
• He got his phone back today! This is a first since his accident.  Now, don’t everyone go and call him now because he has a strict time limit as of now (and very limited minutes too on our cell plan!).
• Jennifer came up to relieve me today.  She will spend the last two days with him and then bring him home.  I need to get back to work (starting tomorrow) and this was the best option for us.  I was able to ride home with some family that was in Grand Rapids for the day, so it worked out perfectly!

Some specific things you can remember for us as you pray:

• They are still getting everything set up for his out patient therapy.  Please pray that he will get every bit of therapy that he needs!
• Pray for a safe trip home for Jennifer, Jaidyn and Josiah on Thursday.  We had some really slick weather with some bad accidents on the roads around here today.
• Continue to pray for the nerves on the right side of his face to heal.  He has an appointment next Friday at University of Michigan to see a specialist.  We are still praying for healing to happen without the need for surgery!
• Pray that we will have left a mark on those we met, prayed with and interacted with every day.  More than anything else, we want people to know that God is in control and has a story for each of us to live so that HE gets the glory!

Psalm 33:4 “The Lord is truthful; he can be trusted.”

Here is an update on Josiah as of Sunday, January 2^nd at 4:15 PM:

Since it is the weekend, Josiah does not have as many therapy sessions, though he works very hard for each session he does have.  I watch him work, and he just amazes me with the determination and drive that he has.  He is so cooperative and strong! If you did not know him, you would never know that he was young man laying in ICU fighting for his life just a mere month ago. God has been so good to us to bring him back so far, so quickly!

Here are a few highlights from the day:

• Today was the first time in over a month that we were all able to go to church together.  We visited Mars Hill Bible Church here in Grand Rapids.  Josiah really seemed to enjoy it! Lord willing, we will be back home at our church next weekend!
• We said goodbye to Jennifer and the kids after lunch.  Their visits the last two weekends have kept us sane!  It has been nice to spend time with them.  We look forward to being back home soon!
• We are also enjoying watching football!
• I am seeing him use his left side more and more.  It is still weak compared to the right side, but it is coming along very well.
• He walking is also very solid now.  He still has to be supervised, but he has not had any near falls at all.  He will probably lose the wheelchair tomorrow.

Here are some specific requests to remember for Josiah and the family:

• Please pray that his care after release is set up and that it will be exactly what he needs to continue to fully recover.
• Pray that the strength in his left side will increase exponentially this week. He is getting so much stronger, but I would say he is still only about 60 percent on that side.
• Please pray for the nerve damage on the right side of his face. We are asking God to heal it without surgery.  I fully believe God can do this!
• We are also asking God to make known any conversations that we need to have this week with those that are far from Him.  We want to leave this place knowing that those around us realize that they matter to God.

Psalm 103:1-2 “With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been.

Here is an update on Josiah as of Saturday, January 1, at 8:30 PM:

Today was a day off as far as therapy sessions were concerned.  It was a well-deserved day of rest for Josiah, and a great day for a family day out!  We took advantage of his day pass and went out on the town!

Here are some highlights from our day our with Josiah:

• We decided to go to the mall here in Grand Rapids (Grandville actually).  It was a very nice mall, and we had a great time shopping and just being together in a setting that we have not been in for quite some time.  Josiah was able to spend some of his gift cards from Christmas as well.
• Josiah did very well in this setting.  He did not seem to get over stimulated at all.  He dealt with everything just fine.
• We also got to eat at Applebees today thanks to some gift cards that we had received.  After eating so much hospital food, it was a treat to get to eat out!  Josiah’s girlfriend and her family were on their way home from a ski trip and stopped at the restaurant to say high as well.  He enjoyed getting to see her!
• We also got word that he has no therapy until afternoon tomorrow.  Weekends are a bit less scheduled, so we requested a little alter start so we could take Josiah to church. We are really looking forward to this!

Here are some specific requests we would ask you to pray for as we pray as well:

• The doctors and therapists are anticipating his release this next week. We are excited for that, but also are concerned that he gets the right treatment once he leaves. Please pray for the right program to be set up for him.
• Pray that he acclimates back into living at home and getting use to a new schedule as well.  We will hopefully find out more this week about what this new schedule will be like.
• Pray for the right side of his face.  We still are expecting the nerves to “wake up” any day and show us movement again!
• Pray for Jennifer and the kids as they travel home tomorrow.
• Pray for continued opportunity to show the love of God to those that are hurting and searching.

Psalm 99:3 “Only you are God! And your power alone, so great and fearsome, is worthy of praise.”

Here is an update on Josiah as of 7:00 PM on Thursday, December 30^th:

I want to stop for a moment and once again just thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, notes of encouragement and even gifts during this time.  The outpouring of love shed on us has been a comfort and encouragement each day.  There will never be words to express our gratitude, and certainly no way that we can repay all of you for the energy and time spent in prayer for us.  Thank you!

Today brought another round of highly active therapy for Josiah.  The difficulty of his sessions has really increased, especially his physical therapy where it is a solid, non-stop exercise and brisk walking.  He has responded well to all of it, both physically and with his attitude.  He just keeps pushing on!

Here are some highlights from the day:

• He was told yesterday that he could now walk with parental supervision, and today, his physical therapist told him he was going to take his wheelchair away very soon!  That made Josiah a bit nervous (and I would have to admit, it did me as well).  But it is exciting to know that he is that much closer to going home.
• He has gained about 4 pounds in that last two weeks! I knew his appetite was good!
• Jennifer and the kids arrived safely this afternoon! We are glad to be able to spend the weekend with them again.
• Josiah also had several family members come up to see him also.  It is really nice having the family up, and Josiah loved having visitors!
• Football! Josiah and I have looked forward to having some bowl games to watch during the day!  Our weekend will be filled with football and family.  We are also hoping to get out and catch a church service here in the area this Sunday!

We would ask for you to pray for the following specific things with us:

• Continue to pray for the right side of his face as it heals.  We are asking God to heal Josiah completely without any surgery if that would be His will.  I believe God will do this!
• Our next team meeting is next Tuesday. This is where we meet with the entire team of doctors and therapists that are working with him to get updates progress reports.  We will also get a better idea of the length of stay they are thinking about.
• Please pray for his release date.  The hospital is getting pressure from Medicaid for a release date.  I certainly want to get home but I want it to be at the right time for Josiah and his recovery.
• Pray for the light of God’s love and grace to shine through us here.  We are part of HIS story as it intersects with the stories of people up here that are experiencing hurt, sorrow, joy and victory.

Phil. 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Here is an update on Josiah as of Wednesday, December 29^th at 3:30 PM:

Josiah continued making great strides in his recovery today.  His first therapist kicked his booty for the entire session with a non-stop barrage of exercises.  Josiah responded to each one with a great spirit and just tore it up today!  He us amazing everyone up here!

Here are some other highlights from the day:

• Every area of therapy has been kicked up a notch for him.  Between physical, occupational and speech (thinking) they are each getting more difficult.  He has responded with intensity and strength to meet the challenge!  I am proud of him!
• His eyes are almost totally cleared up now.  His right eye has been the worse looking of the two, and he has almost no redness in it at all now.  He is looking good!
• His handwriting has impressed even him.  He did not think he was doing very well until his therapist showed him what his handwriting looked like when he first got here.  Needless to say, there is huge improvement.  He is writing cursive now with his left hand and it looks fantastic (better than mine on my best day!).
• At then end of his first physical therapy session today, his therapist told us that he was now cleared to walk with parental supervision, so, as long as we are around, no more wheelchair for him!

There are still some very specific things to remember in prayer if you would:

• Remember to pray for the right side of his face. No news this week as of yet about his trip to U of M next week, but that is still potentially going to happen.  Pray that we see signs of movement on that right side yet this week!
• Pray for Jen and the kids as they travel back up here tomorrow.  We will spend the weekend together again, and Josiah and I are very excited about that!
• Pray for wisdom as we plan out our work schedules starting next week.  Both of our employers are being very accommodating, and for that we are so thankful!  It will be hard for me to leave him after being with him this entire month, but financially I need to get back to earning a living!
• Pray for the words to say to friends we have met up here that will let them know that they matter to God and to us.  We want to be an encouragement to everyone we meet!

Jer. 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Here is an update on Josiah as of Tuesday, December 28 at 7:45 PM:

As you can see from the video on this post (watch it above), Josiah has had a very big day!  He started out with physical therapy, and they took it up a notch with him and were pushing him to do things he had not previously done.  Today is the first day that Josiah has walked on his own!  I could not help but shed tears of joy as I watched him.  Rehearsing the last month up to this point, and seeing the great progress he has made makes me fall to me knees in worship of my God Who is the Great Healer! The healing taking place in Josiah’s life is for HIS glory and renown!  He is responsible for it!

Here are some highlights from the day:

• The kid has amazed me by the way he has responded to his therapists.  He never complains or says he cannot do something.  He just says, “ok” and does it.  He has had an amazing attitude towards the therapy.
• They nearly had him running today!  They also had him doing push-ups, getting up and down off the floor, and standing to do most the tasks that he would normally stand for.  I believe the prayers offered on his behalf are directly responsible for his attitude and his healing.
• He is also killing his speech (thinking) therapy.  Today he has made huge strides and is even scoring some tests off the charts for his age! We thank God for this!
• Just when I thought he could not get any funnier, today he took his wit to a new level.  He keeps the entire therapy staff in stitches literally all day long!
• We are already looking forward to having the family together again this weekend.  We have spent some time talking about how nice it will be to be together again at home.  Not to put the cart before the horse, but we are hoping that day will be sooner than expected!

If you would, please remember these specific requests as you pray for Josiah and the family:

• Pray for wisdom to work out the schedule for Jennifer and I next week, as I will need to get back to work.  I have been blessed to be off and with Josiah for the last month.  Again, I so appreciate the gift of vacation time that Best Buy employees gave me to do this.
• Continue to pray for the right side of Josiah’s face.  I am praying and believing that it will come back on its own without the need for surgery.  The doctors are still hopeful that it will come back on its own.  He may still need to take a trip to U of M next week some time for another consultation.
• Pray for Jennifer and the kids as they travel again this weekend to come up and be with us.  Also, continue to pray for Jennifer as she watches over the kids.
• Pray for continued patience for Josiah, Jennifer and me.  It is great to see such rapid improvements in Josiah, but those improvements also could potentially bring desires for Josiah to do things that he should not be doing yet, like walking without supervision.  He will want to be more independent as time progresses, but he still needs supervision, which can be frustrating to him.  His improvement will also bring a desire for all of us to get him home as soon as possible, but he is in the place he needs to be for this rapid pace to continue.  We do not want to take him home one second sooner than they believe is good for him.

Romans 8:31 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”