Rest in the Lord (2 Chronicles 14)

2 Chronicles 14:5 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had peace and no war was waged against him during these years, because the LORD had given him rest.

Asa was the next king for Judah, and he was a godly man. He removed all the things that had been built for worshipping fake gods. He told the people to follow God’s laws and commandments. And the Lord gave the people rest. They were able to build up the city and strengthen  their army during that time. So when a larger enemy did come to rise against them, Asa prayed to God, telling him they relied on Him and asked for God to not let the enemy prevail. 

We too need to trust in God so that we can find rest. With the enemy constantly around lately, it seems hard to find rest, but we know God is getting us ready to face them. We must remain faithful in our thoughts, actions, and deeds. We must remain true in God’s words. The devil is in fact all around us, trying in every which way to shake us down from our faith. He is infiltrating our schools, our libraries, our theaters, our homes. We must be observant and stop him from trying to sneak into the hearts of the innocent.

Surrounded on all Sides (2 Chronicles 13)

2 Chronicles 13:13, 15 But Jeroboam had an ambush go around them to come at them from the rear; so that while his army faced Judah, his ambush lay behind them. Then the Judahites shouted; and when they shouted, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

Abijah’s army was facing Jeroboam’s army. Abijah began to talk about God’s promise to his people and the people’s failures. As Abijah was talking to Jeroboam and his army, some of Jeroboam’s men snuck behind Abijah to surround him. Abijah’s men were outnumbered and surrounded. But they stayed strong and called out to God, who destroyed Jeroboam’s army. 

Right now, Christians are surrounded on all sides by the enemy. They are taking new levels in an effort to debunk our faith and our history. They are trying to remove our truths in people, family, marriage, and God. They are destroying our churches, spreading hate on our care facilities, threatening our leaders, and threatening our futures. But we must stay strong. Even as they are closing in, we must cling to the truths we know from God. We need to cry out to the Lord to save us from their army. 

Lord, we cry out to you to protect us from those trying to curse you. Hear our cries. We pray that you protect us from those wanting to harm us because of you. We pray for their souls because they are lost. Please keep us strong Lord so we can continue bringing your light into the world, as it is growing very dark lately. 

We Continue to Provoke the Lord (2 Chronicles 12)

2 Chronicles 12:1 Once Rehoboam had established himself as king and was firmly in charge, he abandoned the law of the LORD, and so did all Israel with him.

Once Rehoboam thought himself stable, he decided he no longer needed the Lord’s guidance. He stayed true to God’s word so long as he was rising to power for protection, then he thought himself bigger than the Lord. And so for Rehoboam’s treachery, God allowed Egypt to attack Jerusalem. 

We have so many examples of the wrath of God against the people who chose to ignore his commandments. He is a jealous God and doesn’t want to share our hearts with idols. Idols aren’t just man made things, but ideas and lifestyles as well. In Romans 1:18, Paul tells us that the wrath of God will be revealed against those who suppress the truth. Because of people turning from adoring God to fulfilling themselves with impure thoughts, they will be turned to these impure lusts, giving of their bodies to unnatural perversions. They will be filled with wickedness, lust, evil, greed and malice. They will be full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery and spite. 

In Jude 1, he reminds us that the Lord who “once saved a people from the land of Egypt later destroyed those who did not believe.” He continues with “ Likewise, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding towns, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual promiscuity and practiced unnatural vice, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Similarly, these dreamers nevertheless also defile the flesh, scorn lordship, and revile glorious beings.

 Yes we have been saved through Jesus, but God may still come and destroy the land because of our continued treachery. Right now our country is struggling with so much sin, unnatural perversions, greed, and rivalry. Let us remember the ending of Jude’s word: 

In [the] last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires.” These are the ones who cause divisions; they live on the natural plane, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.

You Can’t Have it Both Ways (2 Chronicles 11)

2 Chronicles 11:4b, 17b They obeyed the word of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam… for they walked in the way of David and Solomon three years.

Rehoboam wanted to reunite the places that had divided themselves under his rule, and was ready to go to battle to do it. But when God stepped in and said, “No I’m the one who did this. Go home,” Rehoboam listened and didn’t begin the war. They continued to live like David and Solomon for three years meaning they did listen to God but also followed other gods and idols. So Rehoboam only ruled for three years, because of his deceitful heart.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus tells us “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is defined as the things of this world that can divert our attention from God: wealth, possessions, false rulers, leisure, lust, entertainment, technology, social standings, social media, etc. New fads and trends that are causing a stir, causing some to question their beliefs, can be considered in this same group. Anything that diverts our attention away from God is not good for us. 

We cannot give part of our hearts to God and part to something else. Our God is a loving God, but he can be a jealous God and wants all of our heart. The first commandment tells us we shall not take any other god. We cannot put anything ahead of God. Taking time to do other things instead of reading the word, instead of going to Church, instead of praying, these are all ways of putting something ahead of God. When we start to allow things to get in the way, it begins a slippery slope. When we start to allow false ideas into our home, following some new thoughts or trends pushed by others about how we are called to live, when we start to question if these new ideas might be right, we allow the devil to slip his tendrils into our heart. We know God’s word is truth. We have so many examples of what happens when we don’t listen. Yet the world is blinded by the “next best thing,” coming into play. I encourage you to pray for strength in these next few months, to pray for your leaders strength. That God will guide them to stand their ground. That their hearts are protected from the evil seeping into this world in new fads. 

Is Your Counsel Wise? (2 Chronicles 10)

2 Chronicles 10:15 The king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God: the LORD fulfilled the word he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat

In 1 Kings 11:29, we read about Ahijah meeting with Jeroboam on the road. Ahijah tells jeroboam that God will rip the kingdom from Solomon’s hand (by way of his son) and give 10 tribes to Jeroboam because they have forsaken the way of the Lord. 

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, did not seek the wise counsel of the elders. Instead he listened to his peers, people wanting to get something from his leadership. People who wanted to challenge the way of thinking. People who told him what he wanted to hear. People who thought of the world in the same way he did. This is a very unwise way to get counsel, because it meant he was closing his heart off to the truth and fulfilling worldly desires. 

We need to be aware of who we are seeking advice from. We need to seek out wise counsel from people experienced with God’s word. We need to make sure we are hearing God’s word in the advice we get, and not new interpretations of the Bible, not what our peers want the Bible to mean. A fool doesn’t listen to wise counsel. Is your counsel truly wise? Are they guiding you back to the words in the Bible, back to God? Or are they trying to just guide you in how the world would handle your situation?

God has given us the ability to know right from wrong. At every opportunity we are presented, we get to make the choice. He will allow us to make errors and follow sin if we choose to. We need to truly open our eyes and heart to those who know better and want to guide us back. We see what happened when Rehoboam didn’t do what God wanted. Are there times in your life you see things turn sour after you choose to not follow God’s word?

Where are your Treasures (2 Chronicles 9)

2 Chronicles 9:13-14 The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed six hundred and sixty-six gold talents, in addition to what came from the tolls on travelers and what the merchants brought. 

In Deuteronomy 17, Moses gave the people specific instructions for the kings to come. 

Deut 17:16 But he shall not have a great number of horses;

Deut 17:17 Neither shall he have a great number of wives, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he accumulate a vast amount of silver and gold.

In 2 chronicles we see that Solomon has gone against these instructions: 

2 Chr 9: 25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses, chariots, and twelve thousand horses; these he allocated among the chariot cities and to the king’s service in Jerusalem. 

2 Chr 9:14b All the kings of Arabia also, and the governors of the country, brought gold and silver to Solomon.

It doesn’t specifically say in this chapter of Chronicles how many wives Solomon had, but we know from other books he had near 1,000. 

It can be argued that God promised Solomon riches and treasures along with the wisdom he asked for, so these examples are of the riches. I think that the excess of riches given to Solomon (on top of what God blessed him with) that he kept and turned into statues, plaques, thrones, shields, and other things to be look at is where the seed of discord began to grow in his heart. None of these treasures were directed at God. All of those treasures given to him because of his wisdom could have been used for good things for his people. Instead, he stashed away all the treasures he received on earth. Solomon allowed the riches to be multiplied. He allowed himself to become greedy and boastful, and thus his heart was open to being pulled from God by his numerous pagan wives. Solomon was king for 40 years. He could have been a great king for much longer if he had lived by God’s standards.

We must be careful to use the blessings given to us by God for God’s purpose. When we begin using them for our own personal gain, we are going against God. I am all for someone making a good living for themselves because they worked hard. I agree they should be able to live comfortably without having someone else taking from them and giving it to people who don’t do anything. BUT if we begin to horde our wealth, not giving to the church what we should before we buy for ourselves, God can surely see fit to take our gifts away. Our treasures do not come with us to heaven. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21 that where our treasures are, there our hearts will also be. 

Who is Getting in the Way (2 Chronicles 8)

2 Chronicles 8:11 Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “No wife of mine shall dwell in the house of David, king of Israel, for the places where the ark of the LORD has come are holy.”

Solomon had followed David’s directions completely in building the house for the Lord. Unfortunately also followed David in other things, like marrying outside of his faith. If this woman he married is not good enough to live in the house of David, maybe he should have thought she not good enough for marriage. This is the first of many marriages for him, and one of the first places he begins to fall away from God. In Deuteronomy 7, God told Moses they should not intermarry with other nations because “because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods”. 

We cannot think that even though we meet all the criteria of a good Christian, God will over look one area of our lives where we slipped. As Jesus tells us, if there is something in our lives causing us to sin, we must cut if off. In Solomon’s case, it is similar to if we are dating someone, but we are embarrassed to introduce them to family or to our church friends because they wouldn’t approve, maybe we should reconsider our relationship. It is so hard to be married to someone who is not in line with the Church’s teachings and expect not to go get pulled away yourself. I know this first hand. My husband is not of faith, yet I was a stubborn young person and not yielding to advice of others. I did allow myself to become lazy in faith because I did not have a strong backbone in our relationship to carry me to church. Luckily for me, through the blessings of my children, I realized where I was wrong and have fixed myself in faith. And I am my own backbone and make sure my house knows God’s commandments. I have surrendered my marriage to God. I am still chiseling away at my husband’s reluctance, and his lack of faith isn’t going to stop me from growing mine.

This is not a road many can take without failure. I wouldn’t want this struggle for any of my children. So I will try to set God’s rules and reasonings behind them for my children to follow. I had heard the rules but never understood the reasoning. I don’t want them to struggle the way I had to. Whether it is a relationship, or addiction, gossip, pornography, or any other failure in life that is pulling you away from God, you must really access in your heart if that things is worth your soul. 

God Doesn’t Forget (2 Chronicles 7)

2 Chronicles 7:19-20 But if ever you turn away and forsake my commandments and statutes which I set before you, and proceed to serve other gods, and bow down to them, I will uproot the people from the land I gave and repudiate the house I have consecrated for my name. 

God tells Solomon right here that if the people who have built this temple for Him, these people who promised to serve the Lord, if they turn away from God and chose to do their own truths, He would deny or cast out of sight the house they built and remove the people from the land. 

God promised Israel that if they obeyed his commandments, he would fill the temple with his glory and presence. But this promise wasn’t a promise in any circumstance. If the people turned away from God and didn’t seek forgiveness for their sins, he would turn away from them. God’s love for us is everlasting as long as we seek him. We are promised heaven and God’s grace through Jesus’s sacrifice. BUT He doesn’t promise us forever in heaven if we choose to walk away from him and not seek forgiveness. Those who go through baptism but then turn from the Lord without trying to come back are not promised his grace. He clearly tells us here that he will deny us if we choose to follow other gods (earthly desires, desires of the flesh, idols). Jesus repeats this message in Matthew 10:33. Whatever we allow God to be to us while we are on earth, we will be to God when we get to our judgment. 

We need to take these warnings to heart. If we choose to deny God’s word, God will deny us. Unless we mean what we say when we pray, and truly mean to confess when we ask for forgiveness, he will not offer us grace. We need to stop thinking we can do whatever we want because God will forgive us. God doesn’t deny his promises. Nor does he go back on his warnings. 

Can You Hear Him (2 Chronicles 6)

2 Chronicles 6:39 listen from heaven, the place of your enthronement, to their prayer and petitions, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

Solomon asked God for the forgiveness of the people’s sins. For sinning against a neighbor, when people have been defeated by an enemy because of their sins, when there was no rain because of their sins, when there was famine because of their sins, for the foreigners who seek His name, for these and more Solomon asked that once the person repented that God listens and forgives their sins. 

And He does! No matter how great our sin, if we truly repent and seek God’s forgiveness, he will forgive. No matter how far we have walked away, how false our thoughts have become, how wicked our lives have turned, when we realize we are wrong and seek God, he will forgive us if we truly repent. Nothing separates us from God except our own sins. He is right there, waiting, calling us, to come to Him. Can you hear Him?

The Temple is Broken (2 Chronicles 5)

2 Chronicles 5:13 When the trumpeters and singers were heard as a single voice praising and giving thanks to the LORD, and when they raised the sound of the trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments to “Praise the LORD, who is so good, whose love endures forever,” the cloud filled the house of the LORD.

When they began to praise his name as one people, then the cloud filled the house. The Israelites went through tough times. They experienced many trials because of their constant doubt and disbelief. They were exiled, slaves, travelers, lost for hundreds of years waiting on hope. They had many bad leaders who led them further from God. There were many false prophets and many failed promises. But God’s promise never failed. The faithful carried on his work. Solomon, who was promised by God, followed the directions given to him by God. He built the temple. It wasn’t until the work was done, and everyone began to sing his name together that the Lord’s presence was in the temple. As individuals, they could praise his name and feel him. But as one group singing brought his presence to FILL the house. So much so that normal temple service by the priests was stopped. They weren’t needed to explain God because He was there. 

When we remove God from our houses, from our schools, from our lives, his presence is missing. We have broken his temple. Evil sets in. In our minds, in our actions, in our abilities to let others convince us of false truths. And so begins the decay. Holes start to develop in our lives and in our souls. Just as cavities feed off sugar left on our teeth, decay feeds off the lies we don’t wash from our souls. This decay not only hurts us but those around us. The only way to free ourselves from this decay, the only way to fill those holes is through God. We need to rebuild the temple.

Our country is full of holes. And those holes are growing. People are trying to fill those hole with desires of the flesh. They are filling those holes with lies and empty promises. And the holes are growing. People are losing themselves to these lies, and they are taking down others with them. We need to bring God back. He needs to be back in our schools, back in our work, back in our homes, back in our lives, back in our hearts. He needs to be made the center of us again. We need to come together again as the Church and praise his name. We need to sing his glories and preach his word to take down the liars. We need to stand together against those who are trying to break down our faith. And only until we come together as one to stand against the decay will he fill the house, fill all the cavities, take away the decay. Let us come together as the Israelites did. Let us rebuild the temple and praise His name.

How Do You Measure (2 Chronicles 4)

2 Chronicles 4:18 Solomon made all these vessels, so many in number that the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

Solomon wanted the temple of God to be made with very specific instructions and end results. However, he did not keep a tally of how much bronze was used or how many items were made inside. He didn’t keep a toll on how much he gave to God. He did not make this temple for show, to be the “best that ever was.” This temple was made, was given, as a gift to God with no receipt to show how much was put into it. 

Many people keep records of what they have given to church or other charities for tax purposes. So they can see at the end of the year how much they have given. This is understandable for those who need help in tax season. But some people give and want receipts so they can boast about what they donated or how many hours they have given. Society today rushes to post everything on social media. I have been guilty of it as well. I use it mostly to share my kids with family so I don’t have to send multiple texts or emails, but I am guilty of posting things to show what we have done. When you make public posts about what you have done for someone else, it becomes an ego feed. We are a “like” culture. We post and become invested in how many “likes” we get. The only “like” that matters is the one we will never see, because God doesn’t do social media. We need to refrain about sharing posts about how much we have donated, or posting pictures about our kids helping at the food shelters. This is the same about how many presents kids get for Christmas, but that’s a different blog post. 

Friends, we are called to give freely, to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing when it comes to giving. We should just give because we want to pour out the love Christ has given to us. We should just bring clothes and items to charities without asking for a receipt to show what we have done. We should put extra cash in the basket at church so there is no trail for who gave. We should want to bless others without getting recognized. God sees us. God sees you. He knows what you are giving, and how much of your heart is behind it. Let your blessings be just that: a blessing. 

The Veil was Torn for You (2 Chronicles 3)

2 Chronicles 3:14 He made the veil of violet, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and had cherubim embroidered upon it.

In this chapter we read of the extensive work Solomon put into building and decorating the temple for the Lord. We read about the gold and the jewels, the craftsmanship, the cherubim, etc. And we also read about the veil that was a separation of the entrance to the holy of holies, where God’s presence entered. In the time of the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place one time a year. So most of the rest of the Israelites, it was a hidden place. It was a mystery. They had to wait for God to draw near to them, which was blocked by so many laws and rules. God was a mystery.

We know from the gospel of Matthew, that Jesus’s sacrifice tore this veil. In 27:51, it says

‘And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.’

Jesus took away the barrier separating man from the Most Holy Place when he gave himself up on the cross. Each Sunday, we get to be in the presence of the Lord at church. He is there, the Most Blessed Sacrament is in the beautiful tabernacle, the dwelling place, waiting for us. The torn veil that Matthew mentions is the broken body of Jesus, given up for our sins. It is through his sacrifice that we get to be in the presence of the Lord each week, and not be stuck on the outside as was the time before Jesus. It was torn for us. For me. For you. So that you would no longer be physically separated from him. We have the freedom to celebrate Mass each week, and yet so many of us take that freedom for granted.

The world is facing so many things pulling us away from God. Each week, we have the opportunity to renew our vows to Him, to help strengthen our armor against the lies of the devil. We need to make it a point to be there, trusting that God has a better plan than we can see. We will need to endure some hard times, but he will fix this mess around us. Go to church, enter in his presence. Allow him to fill your heart again and again. Know that his sacrifice was not in vain. Let his love surround you. You are his. 

He Cannot be Contained (2 Chronicles 2)

2 Chronicles 2:5 Yet who is really able to build him a house, since the heavens and even the highest heavens cannot contain him? And who am I that I should build him a house, unless it be to offer incense in his presence?

Solomon was appealing to a neighboring people for help in making a temple for God. Solomon was wise enough to direct the fact that this house wasn’t going to contain God, as the pagan temples were built to contain their gods. This would be a place for the Israelites to worship God, knowing that God would be present as he pleased. 

We cannot built a box to contain God. Even though we have houses of worship (our Churches), he is not stuck there when we leave. Isn’t it wonderful to know that we don’t have to just go to church to be able to pray to Him? At anytime when we need prayers, we can stop what we are doing and call upon him. Our church is a wonderful gathering place where we can worship with our community, to give glory to our God for all the blessings he has given us. We get to see his presence in the Eucharist and allow him to refill our hearts. But when we leave Mass, we must remember we aren’t leaving God until next week. We cannot be selfish and hide him in a box, only visiting once a week. We cannot squeeze his almighty presence in a box that we built with our rules of the world, or how we interpret his words. Our God is so much bigger. God is present everywhere, in every moment, all the time.  We take Him with us into the world, and we are to share him with every person we meet.  We are called to share the love of God, to share his word. And right now, the world needs to hear it even more than before. 

Give me Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1)

2 Chronicles 1:10 Give me, therefore, wisdom and knowledge to govern this people, for otherwise who could rule this vast people of yours?

God appeared to Solomon and told him that whatever he (Solomon) ask for, God would give him. God offered this because Solomon’s heart was open to the Lord. Solomon’s request was for wisdom to lead his people. He could have asked for riches, glory, abundance, etc. But instead of asking for material things, he asked for wisdom. He wanted to be a good leader for the people God put him in charge of. 

How many people wonder the question, “If you won the lottery, what would you do?” Or, after watching the movie Aladdin, “if you had a magic lamp, what would you ask for?” Majority is buying all the things, or asking for all the material things. A bigger house, a bigger car, an island, nicer clothes, new this, bigger that. How many would truly turn the opportunity over like Solomon, and ask to be able to help others. Solomon put the people that God gave him in front of himself, asking for wisdom to be able to guide them. Because God loved him so, he granted him wisdom and blessed him with wealth beyond his imagination. Solomon was devoted to God, and God repaid him.

When we put God’s will first, we we surrender our hearts to God as Solomon did, we too might find blessings. If we are open to Him, when we ask, God will open doors. He would move mountains for us. Instead of riches, desires, earthly things, what should we pray for? What are ways that I can be more open to His will? How can I be better for things I am put in charge of? Lord, I want to surrender myself to your will, and pray that you continue to guide me in all things. 

A Scary Moment

 On May 9, we all got home from school around 4. I sent the kids outside to play as I began prepping dinner, since Hunter had a baseball game later that evening. Hunter came running in at 4:12 saying,

“Mom, I told Katie to move but she didn’t, and I hit her with the bat!”

I didn’t think much about it and told him to tell her to come inside so I could see. I figured maybe her arm was hurt. He went back outside and I looked to where she was I the yard, and saw she was laying in the ground not moving. I ran outside to her, and didn’t see any blood. I told her to get up, and she didn’t move. Her eyes were open, but I thought she was being silly. I asked her what happened, and she sort of flailed her arms and made some mumbled noise that wasn’t words. Inside, I panicked. I called my husband but the call didn’t go through. I called my neighbor, and sent my older daughter to go meet her. Hunter was still right by me, and I could tell he knew something was wrong. I was afraid to move Katie, because I wondered about neck injury. I asked her again where she was hit, and her arm moved like slime sliding as she flopped it on her face. I checked again,  it didn’t see any bleeding. My neighbor and I sat her up, and Katie immediately began throwing up. I knew this wasn’t good, but I stayed as calm and cool as I could. I called my mom and told her what was happening and she said we did need to get her to the hospital. My neighbor helped me get Katie to the car and I called my husband’s coworker at 4:15, who was in the lab with him, and told my husband what happened and where we were going. My neighbor sat next to Katie to keep her awake.

Luckily for us, we live 5 minutes from the hospital, so I didn’t bother to call an ambulance. My husband was at the door when we arrived, and helped get Katie in a wheelchair. My wonderful neighbor drove my car back home with my other two kids. The hospital took our information and got Katie into a room right away, where the team began assessing her. I told them what happened, as Katie still wasn’t making much sense. She was still throwing up and trying to fall asleep. At about 5:00, they took Katie to get a CT scan, and husband went with her.  After they wheeled her out, I melted on the floor of that hospital room in tears. I had held in every emotion up until then, and it overflowed. One of the ER techs came in, helped me up off the floor, gave me tissues and a big hug, telling me she was going to be ok. I began saying the Rosary. 

They wheeled her back in, husband told me that from what he could tell the scan looked ok, but he isn’t a radiologist. I continued to pray, as they got Katie hooked up to the blood pressure machine and took more vitals. She was starting to make a few more noises and sounds, but still not coherent. And she was very sleepy. By 5:20, the radiologist came back in and told us the scan did in fact look clean, meaning no bleeding,  nothing broken. She does have a mild concussion, and they will keep her a bit to try to get the vomiting to stop. They gave her some dissolvable medicine to stop the vomiting, but she threw that up. 

At this point, my mom let me know she was already on the road heading over. I was relieved a little on the inside.

We waited and tried to get Katie some sips of water, but she threw that up. We tried an oral dose of vomit meds, and she was able to hold that down. Around 6, husband left to go with our older two and check on Hunter. By 6:30, Katie was complaining that her head was hurting, and after they tried to give her medicine orally, and she threw that up, they went ahead and gave her an IV in her arm. She cried and my heart broke, but it was necessary. They were able to give her pain meds and nausea meds, as well as fluids. 

At around 8, we decided to take the IV off to see if she could walk around on her own without throwing up. She was very wobbly, just from having been on the hospital bed, but got around fine. The moving off the bed and walking made her head start hurting, so we tried to give her pain meds by mouth, and she threw that up again, so we got her hooked back up on the IV. We stayed with fluids for another 45 minutes or so to get another dose of pain meds in her. My mom made it to town around this time, and met my husband and son at the baseball field.  At 9, my husband came back to the hospital to get us and bring us home, while mom stayed at the field with Hunter and Jeanne. We eventually pieced the story together that Hunter was fixing to hit a ball off the tee to practice, and when the bat came around (at full 8 year old speed and strength) is caught her side of the head, from jaw to temple.

We were sent home with no pain meds, no nausea meds, and just told to watch her and give Tylenol and Ibuprofen as needed. We tried to get “back to normal” with the older two, making them go to school. I stayed home, meaning I had to prep sub lesson plans. Mom stayed and helped shuffle kids back and forth. Over the next few days, we kept it dark and as quiet as possible. Her head injury caused pain that I would relate to a migraine. Lights bothered her, sound bothered her. Even moving her eyes around the room made it hurt. She still wasn’t talking much, which was terrifying because Katie talks a lot. I gave Tylenol every 5 hours or so, but it wasn’t touching the pain. I let her sleep, because when she woke up, her head hurt but I couldn’t give her more meds. At one point, my normally super chipper 6 year old told me she didn’t think she could do this anymore. That killed me inside.

By Wednesday, we made an appointment at the pediatrician because she hadn’t held down any food or drink (we only tried bread, waffles and Gatorade). She got some vomit meds, which seemed to help. The doctor told us to rotate Ibuprofen with the Tylenol, but I told her that my kids throw up Ibuprofen which is why we needed the nausea meds. So, we got her the nausea meds, and she was able to hold down a few bites of food that evening. At 11 PM that night, she woke up in pain, and without thinking, I gave her food, then ibuprofen, then the nausea meds. At 3 AM, she woke up vomiting again. I gave it in the wrong order, but regardless vomiting at this point is not good. So we made an appointment (with the help of friend) at a children’s  hospital in Jackson for later that day. I gave her meds again, in the right order, and the morning started off decent. She held down a bit of waffle, and by 11:30, she had drank 12 oz of Gatorade without vomiting. So after continued prayer (i don’t think I stopped praying since Monday evening), we decided to cancel that appointment and see how that day went. By the end of the day, she had drank 20 oz of the Gatorade, eaten a whole waffle, and was carrying on conversations. Praise God. She still had pain, and we kept it dark and quiet still, which was fine when the kids were at school, and by evening time, we just moved her to the bedroom (she slept best to me). 

Mom left on Friday, after I got the other two kids back from field day. Katie’s pediatrician said no school until Wednesday, so we just started trying to get her back to normal. She missed field day and would miss Father Daughter dance. We let her get dressed for a picture with her dad before he took big sister to the dance. We did a little outside time, a little hand eye coordination, no iPad for a few more days. By Tuesday, she was full circle. After talking to the doctor that evening, we decided she would go back to school next day with a few restrictions, but she was ok.

We now have a plastic bat for outside, and have thoroughly talked to all children about paying attention to their surroundings, of who is around them before they do something. This was a tough lesson, but it could have been so much worse. Those few days of her not talking and not smiling were so hard. I praise God that she is ok.