Joshua (baby) was in critical condition in the hospital.
* I am receiving e-mails asking for updates on Joshua so I will take a moment to send this update and ask that you convey it as you have been so faithful to do with these requests.
The word I have received from Debra is “do not let up” and that is in regards to our prayer. They have seen a slight change and at the time of this writing have not placed Joshua back on the EKMO machine. I do praise God for that. He is laboring greatly to get any oxygen in because of his swollen trachea. Please continue to focus on that and also the concern that he is overworking himself. We already know that God has placed within Joshua a “warrior spirit” but I believe that our prayers strengthen him in the fight as God touches him.
This morning Debra was called to the hospital because Joshua was having seizures. No medical explanation has ever been given. To my knowledge the seizures have stopped. Thanks Be unto God. Tests have been taken today….an EEG, CT Scan, EKG and Debra would like us to pray for a good report from those tests.
Joshua has a feeding tube and they were beginning to mix Debra’s milk with the supplement and hoped to change Joshua over as soon as possible. Another battle…Debra’s milk is “watery” and not containing the proper substances.
A mother’s milk is very precious to a newborn…please pray that God will intervene there as well. Joshua’s immune system would benefit highly from Debra’s milk.
May I stress one more time tonight that this battle is by no means over. Joshua is fighting and struggling for each and every breath. Let us continue to pray for God’s Wondrous Divine Intervention to heal his trachea and allow him to breath easily. We will keep you posted…for now my words are…thank you for your prayers…please continue to pray, and pass this on to anyone who is willing. God Bless You!
Melinda Lancaster revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on September 12, 2000)
*Good Morning Friends:
Little Joshua continues to improve with each moment. We are so thankful for that and so Blessed of The Lord. I wanted to bring to you today a very specific request regarding Joshua. Debra shared this with Carol last night and it is very important and will be a huge turning point just as all the other milestones in Joshua’s medical situation has been.
Here is her request:
Pray are that he passes escubation tomorrow as he failed yesterday and that his chest xrays will completely clear up. His lungs are still damaged -she saw xrays of them fully deflated and fully foggy and now big difference – but still he needs God to complete that work. When he passes escabation – he will only be on oxygen – specifically pray for him to pass escubation tomorrow.
So, that is our prayer task for today. Pray that Joshua will pass escubation and that God will continue the work he has begun on Joshua which we are all very confident that He is Able and Willing to do. Continue to cover Joshua against infection or other illnesses. Keep Debra lifted up as her days and nights are very long right now. She has been enjoying some of the cards and other words of encouragement so much. The family is blessed by it as well.
I ask you to continue to remember Carol Jackson as well. She is awaiting tests results and regardless of those results needs total and complete physical healing!
Thank you so much you precious people of prayer! Have a very blessed day!
God Bless You!
Melinda Lancaster revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on September 13, 2000)
*Dear Friends:
I have news to share with you today that I can think of no other word for then glorious! Here is a report on Joshua that is sure to warm your hearts even more!
Carol reports that:
He passed his extubation yesterday – I believe he was moved to another room last night. Debra gave him a bath last night and washed his hair for the first time. She put the phone up to him last night and I heard him cry – weak but he was crying too special. He still has the feeding tube and he is on oxygen. His lungs have not totally healed yet but improving every day, along with the infection and inflammation of the trachea. It is still improving.
Let me stop right here and give Thanks to Our God. He is the Great Physician….He is The Mighty Warrior. He is Our Peace, Our Refuge, Our God In Whom we trust. To Him be all glory for each and every mark of improvement in Joshua’s life.
Please continue to keep Joshua and Debra covered in your prayers. I am looking forward to the day when every tube is gone from his little body and his sweet mother carries him out in her arms.
Your prayers have made the difference!
Thank you all who have stopped by Joshua’s Place. Your visits have been such a blessing to this entire family. For anyone who may have missed that message I am including the URL once again:
http://www.caroljacksonministries.org/joshua.html
God Bless You In Every Way!
Melinda Lancaster revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on September 14, 2000)
*Dearest Family:
Through many tears I write this to you. Even writing this has taken me by surprise, but then again, it hasn’t. I cannot receive one more email or one more guest book entry notification without expressing to you all that I am feeling. Right now I am so overcome with emotion and tears from all that you have been to us that I can hardly type this but if I don’t, I feel as though I will explode. How I wish I could see all of you right now. I wish that we were all together in one big place so we can talk, cry, hug, laugh, praise, and yes, pray.
We have done this anyhow although we are all separated, some by many miles. I am even separated by 2000 miles from Debra and Joshua but just as Debra has felt me, she has felt you and I have felt you. I cannot recall anytime in my life where I have felt so overcome by all of this. I wish there were some words I could say to you…I wish you could come inside my heart and feel what it feels. I have never been so touched by what God has blessed me with in YOU! You will never know what every piece of email, every guestbook entry, every prayer, every special gift, every phone call…has meant to me, and has meant to this family. I
went on Joshua’s site and saw the number of visitors and just lost it.
That is why I must write you. Not even three full days that this site has been up and already there will soon be 1000 visitors; we are on Joshua’s second guestbook; we had to make three pages for gifts. This has blown my mind in the natural but spiritually, this is God all the way. This is God’s Love in the fullest. God has manifested his Love so mightily through all of you and I will never forget any of this all the days of my life. My words are all choked up right now but I just want you to know that everything you have done has touched us so deeply that we have found things in ourselves that we did not know existed. You have been such a comfort, especially for me.
Debra is at the hospital most of the time but I talk to her constantly…that is my special baby sister although she is 40 and I am almost 44 but we have always been very close. When she hurts, I hurt worse and it has always been that way. My nephew in many ways have become like my very own child and I have cried out to God so hard for Joshua as if he were my own child as you all have. Since Debra cannot get to the site often, she asks me over and over to read all the emails to her – to read the guestbook entries and she sits for hours and listens as I read being awesomely blessed by them.
My life will never be the same because of what God has performed in Joshua’s life. Just a few days ago Debra watched the color from Joshua’s face drain as he turned purple and blue when his trachea closed shut from swelling, as he was suffocating.. She listened to his breathing go from a high pitched screech and his eyes grow wide because he could get no air and him being so frightened because he could not understand what was happening to him; to a shallow sigh with no chest movement. She feel upon his bed.
She watched as five doctors did all they knew to do while working on him but could not get the situation under control. She begin reminding God she said of all that he has done for his people throughout all time….she reminded him she said how he saved Noah in the flood – how he saved Daniel and the Hebrew boys – how he raised the daughter of Jauris from the dead – how he raised Lazarus – how he rescued Lot …she said she named all that she could think of and said to him, “Lord you have all of these people (you our family) all over the world praying and believing”….she said she told him as far back as she can read he has always been a deliverer and healer, so please show this to precious Joshua.
In the midst of all of my and your warring, and Debra pleading for her child’s life, she said the low groans and high pitched sound of Joshua’s labored breathing ceased….she raised herself from his bed and looked at him. Where before Joshua’s chest was not rising and falling, it began rising and falling. The breathing got deeper. Color returned to his face. Quickly they took samples of his blood and discovered that the deadly level of carbon monoxide that was in Joshua was gone and the oxygen in his blood was returning to a normal level. What an awesome God we serve and nothing cannot tell me that OUR prayers did not reach the throne of God to move his heart because of the cries of his people…and God ran!
This is one of several times during Joshua’s two week life that we have seen God move in a mighty way. He has delivered every time.
So I just had to share some things that were on my heart with you. I love you all so much and am so humbled by all that you have done. My life will truly never be the same. I feel so unworthy of all of this because I have felt the impact very deeply. This prayer request of Joshua’s started with four friends….Melinda, Glenda, Jane and Franni. All of it happened so suddenly when I got a call at work and all I heard when I answered the telephone was my baby sister desperately calling my name and crying out from the bottom of her heart….”Carol please pray -they said my baby is dying…Carol please help me….”. I almost passed out myself because it had not been an hour since I got the news of the delivery and was rejoicing.
As Melinda said, later this week I will be sharing a special story with you that I just found out about yesterday with Debra and Joshua…tore my heart to pieces but to the Glory of God. All I could do was type quickly and send it out to those four who I had in my address book at work. I could not even think and I just typed one line that I cannot even really remember as I was in a fog. So you can understand how I feel that from 4 people receiving a one line prayer request about Joshua – it has come to this magnitude…ALL GOD!!!!!!!!
So my precious family, though thank you seems hardly sufficient at all…I say it with all that is within me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for shining so brightly in this time of darkness. I love you all so much.
Rev. Dr. Carol A. Jackson caj7777@msn.com
IN HIM I LIVE, MOVE, AND HAVE MY BEING (Received on September 17, 2000)
*Faithful Family Warriors:
Stand still and hear the PRAISE REPORT!!!!!!!!!! WHOSE REPORT DO WE BELIEVE…WE SHALL BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD!!!!! HIS REPORT SAYS JOSHUA IS HEALED….HIS REPORT SAYS JOSHUA IS FILLED….HIS REPORT SAYS JOSHUA IS FREE…..HIS REPORT SAYS VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am on the telephone now with my hysterical sister who is turning flips right now. Joshua’s Stridor level has decreased from a LEVEL 10 TO A LEVEL 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday Joshua was stridoring so bad Debra said you could hear it all across the room. He was stridoring with every breath. He was stridoring so bad that he would have been placed back on a respirator/ventilator (which mean intubation again which caused this in the first place) today. He was on 4 different medications and an oxygen tent trying to get this situation under control and none helped. The stridor was so loud yesterday that Debra had to go out of the entire room just not to hear it because she could not stand it – really got to her last night.
Right now, all breathing treatments have been discontinued. Debra has only heard Joshua stridor twice today and that was because he got excited trying to play with her. Joshua is only on a low level of oxygen. The medical reports from the doctors say that if the stridor continues to decrease as this unbelievable level (they are in awe and were jumping up and down with Debra), Joshua will start his therapy for nippling in the next two days.
The doctors are amazed that he went from a level 10 stridor which they say is critical to a level 2 – TWO AWAY FROM ZERO – HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!
Family, Saints of God, Warriors – we tore this kingdom down today. We were no longer going to accept this behavior from satan and on one accord we united in this battle and the Lord delivered. What an awesome God!!!! What a miraculous God!!!!!!!
ALL PRAISES – HONOR – GLORY – BLESSINGS – POWER – TO UNTO OUR GOD. OUR FAITHFUL GOD WHO HAS NOT FORSAKEN HIS PEOPLE AND THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. A GOD WHO HAS BROUGHT HIS WORD TO PASS. A GOD WHO’S HEART HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY THE CRIES OF HIS PEOPLE….A GOD WHO WENT OUT TO BATTLE BEFORE US AND SHOWED US HIS SALVATION. WONDERFUL JESUS, PRECIOUS SAVIOR, DELIVERER AND HEALER. WE THANK YOU AND LIFT YOUR NAME HIGH LORD FOR YOU ARE WORTHY OF ALL HONOR AND PRAISE. WORTHY IS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO’S PROMISES ARE TRUE. HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!
PARTY TIME FAMILY – LET THE PRAISE PARTY BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE AND WHAT AN AWESOME FAMILY IN YOU WE HAVE. THANK YOU GOD AND THANK YOU FAMILY.
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH,
CAROL
IN HIM I LIVE, MOVE, AND HAVE MY BEING
Rev. Dr. Carol A. Jackson caj7777@msn.com (Received on September 23, 2000)
*Good Evening Friends:
Many of you have waited anxiously for word concerning Joshua and Debra. You have waited both prayerfully and patiently and I want you to know that God continues to do miracle after miracle in this sweet baby boy’s life. I wish I could be with each of you in person to share this praise report. My heart is so humbled yet so expectant! I do not even know where to begin sharing with you.
Carol gave me this report over the phone and I have taken notes so as not to miss anything. I love it when God is moving so much that we have to “take note.” Awesome, and Wonderful is the God we serve. Carol, I am sure would have loved to share this news herself but continues to be plagued with computer problems. She was able to connect for a short while but right now is not able to even stay online.
Here is the awesome news concerning Joshua:
1. He has only a small streak of fluid left in his lungs. The medication they were using to treat this condition has been stopped.
2. He is being weaned off the Phenobarbital that was being used in cause of more seizures.
3. Today Joshua had his first experience of tasting milk from a bottle. THIS WAS A HUGE THING! Because Joshua is a “ECMO baby” he had never taken in anything by mouth since birth. As a result, babies who have been through all he has been through do not know how to suck, swallow, and breathe all at the same time. They choke instead. Debra was alerted in advance and a respitory team was there for this experience and they prepared her in advance that Joshua would choke because that is “the norm.” Well, hallelujah…we do not serve a “norm” kind of God. Joshua is far from the “norm” as he is an exceptional child of the King. HE WAS ABLE TO DRINK FROM A BOTTLE FOR 3 MINUTES WITHOUT CHOKING! It was as natural as if he had been doing it all the days of his life. EVEN THE MEDICAL STAFF SAID THAT THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE!! What a Mighty, Awesome, Faithful God we serve. AND THERE IS MORE!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
4. The supplements have been discontinued and now Joshua will be receiving only breastmilk in his feeding tube. I think that perhaps this is the only tube he has left.
5. Debra received an awesome report on a complete evaluation done on Joshua. Please realize that 90% of all “ECMO babies” have some kind of disability. JOSHUA HAS NO DISABILITIES WHATSOEVER! HALLELUJAH!!
6. The stridoring now only happens when he cries or coos. He is completely quiet when he is at rest!!! NOW, WHAT THEN SHALL WE SAY…IF GOD BE FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US! DO WE NOT SERVE A GOD WHO CAN DO EXCEEDINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL WE CAN ASK OR THINK? IS NOT OUR GOD MORE THAN ABLE!!
I have no words to express my praise to God. He has and continues to do great things. He is Jehovah Jireh…our Provider. He is Jehovah Shalom…our Peace. He is Jehovah Ropha our Healer…and He is so much more! Glory to God !!
I have told many of you that I was looking forward to some awesome praise reports to share in the future. This is just one of many. I know that God will be Faithful to complete what He has begun!! Thank you for your continued prayer support. God put this group of people together for “such a time as this.” You have all been so faithful to help shoulder this burden and prayerfully lift Joshua and Debra up. God bless you all! May He continue to reveal Himself in even more marvelous ways in the days that come. And for each of you….MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS, ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY!
Melinda revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on September 26, 2000)
*Dear Friends:
With continued joy and thanksgiving it is my privilege to update you on Joshua’s progress once again. He continues, to the amazement of the medical profession, to make small strides in his total recovery process.
His IV has been removed and praise God the only tube remaining is his feeding tube which will soon be gone as well. He is thriving and now taking in about 24 ounces of breast milk a day. Since he is still being “trained” two of those ounces he drinks from a bottle and the rest still come to him by way of the feeding tube.
I hope all of you realize the mighty miracles that God has been done on behalf of this precious baby boy. He has truly brought him a very long way and He will not stop until He completes His work. We have so much to thank Him for today. We is Worthy of our praise and our worship. There is no other god like our God. He alone is worthy to receive glory and honor. In awesome reverence we lift up the name above every name today….the name of Jesus! Thanking Him is only the beginning, my friends. When we really stop and look He deserves so much more. He has done great things! Hallelujah…..and He is not finished yet.
I know that when you see the updated photos that were put on Joshua’s site you will find yourself in awesome wonder just as I have been. Never, in my life have pictures had the effect that these have had on me. Not only is little Joshua healed…he truly is a masterpiece as you will see. God is Good. His works are Perfect. Just go take a peek at this beautiful child and you will find yourself in awesome wonder again =
and again.
We appreciate your continued prayers both for Joshua and Debra. He is still having some stridoring but it is improving. We pray and believe for his complete healing to be manifested. We long to see him come home to his own little bed…and we know that day is coming soon! I want you to know that Debra is at the hospital for every one of Joshua’s feedings. Whether it is by bottle or feeding tube she is still holding him close and bonding. She is there to bathe him at 11:00 p.m. every night. This woman is amazing! I believe that your prayers and God’s strength are working in her very strongly.
Melinda revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on September 28, 2000)
*Dear Friends:
I wanted to take a moment this evening to update you on Joshua Jackson’s condition and progress. I will begin with a praise report as today Joshua nursed for the very first time and was able to do so for five minutes! That is so awesome! To God be all the glory!
Also, he is urinating properly again. The doctors never did find out why he was not urinating but Debra gives God the credit and thanks each of you for your prayers. Not long after the request went out the situation turned around! What an Awesome God we serve!
The areas to target in prayer are total healing and strengthening of Joshua’s lungs, and healing of his trachea. He is still stridoring and the medical profession is unsure of the reason why at this point. God has done great things already in both Joshua’s lungs and his trachea. Let’s praise and thank Him for completing His Work! He is Faithful and True!
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. I will continue to update you when I receive new information or if a need should present itself. If you have questions in the meantime please feel free to contact Carol Jackson at caj7777@msn.com . You know that I am here as well to help in any way.
Please pray for Carol as well. She needs a physical touch in her body. Also she is having computer problems again this evening. She has been plagued by them in recent days, especially since Joshua has been ill. She often ministers to Debra by reading e-mails and guestbook entries so she needs her computer to be up and running.=20
God Bless You!
Melinda Lancaster revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on October 4, 2000)
*Well Family:
To My brothers and sisters, sister Carol comes to you; to all the children, Aunt Carol comes to you in the Name of the Name above every Name – The Awesome and Precious Name of Jesus.
I want you all to know that we are a dangerous bunch to the kingdom of Satan; I want you to know that this remnant has had resurrection power in it’s midst; I want you to know that we have spoken those things they were not to be by the Will of our Father; I want you to know that we have all power in Heaven and Earth working and flowing in our midst; I want you to know that the Anointing that has rained down on this people called for such a time as this has broken every yoke of bondage.
Almost a week ago Joshua’s stridor came back to a point that surgery was being seriously discussed in no improvement in the next several days – Debra was told by the medical staff that Joshua would not be released from the hospital with that level of stridor; just prior to that Joshua had not urinated from 10am to 8pm which caused concern because of his previous kidney failure but the prayers of the Righteous prevailed once more and after the prayer request went out to make those kidneys line up with the Word of God, a flood of victory came and I mean that literally. Debra was told that Joshua would be in weeks and weeks of therapy to suck-swallow-breathe but he did it and did it right the very first attempt.
Debra was told that Joshua would be in weeks of therapy to learn to breast-feed but this is his fourth day of breast-feeding and Debra cannot keep up with him. Debra was told two days ago that Joshua’s red blood cells were extremely low and a transfusion was needed. Debra was told last night not to get her hopes up but Joshua would possibly be released from the hospital sometime in November.
Hmmmm….let me think, once again I ask you Saint, whose report shall we believe!!!!!!!!
Well as of last night, the stridor is so low it can barely be heard with a stethoscope and that is only after a hard cry; there is so much I don’t know what to shout about first…Joshua was breast-feeding so well last night that the feeding tube was removed and now he is completely tube free. His kidneys are very normal; his lungs are clear – all of this report was given late last night and they prepared for the transfusion next week.
Well not long ago I got a phone call from a most hysterical woman in the name of my sister Debra, who could barely get the words out. Joshua is scheduled to be released from the hospital this Monday or Tuesday, (9th or 10th) WITH NO TRANSFUSION!!!! The staff said something to the affect – what happened to his blood cells – they were not that way moments ago – we better take another test – well another test – well one more test !!!!! God confounds once again. Oh where O where has that stridor gone – or where or where can it be?
So instead of Debra rushing around trying to get blood for next weeks transfusion, she is running around getting ready for her son’s homecoming – going shopping to get clothes (since he has outgrown all the ones he has) etc.
Stay tuned my precious family – much more to come – the site will be updated as we move into this new phase of victory. Melinda is preparing something truly special for the site in celebration of this homecoming – I will be writing Debra’s story II and let’s not forget the new photos of a tube free baby face. Debra said Joshua looks so healthy now and his features and complexion have changed because all the medication had affected them; so we will probably be looking at a new different looking baby in the next photos.
With all of this…Heavenly Father – we bow down in reverence to You and Your Holy Awesome Name…We bow down but lift You up in Worship for the God that you are- An Awesome God who is Sovereign in all of Your Ways – Who has never made a mistake – Who is perfect is everything You say and do… God we exalt You and Magnify You for allowing Your people to find favor in your sight; we take in a deep breathe of You who gave life – to Joshua and to us; We are in awe of Your Resurrection Power…How Faithful You have been to the cries of Your people…how merciful You have been to Joshua and Debra…
Your Grace has abounded more than we can ever think or say and we stand with our hands lifted up to the only True God. We worship you in Spirit and in Truth…Father what can we say but if You be for us, who can be against us? Thank you for Victory and thank You for being our God and a very Present Help in time of Trouble. We love you with all of our hearts…and your people said, Amen.
Family – brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews – I love you more than you will ever know and each of you has been deeply embedded in my heart in such a deep and special way. I have so much to say to you and I know that I will, but for now, I will just say thank you.
Love,
Carol caj7777@msn.com
Send by Melinda Lancaster revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on October 6, 2000)
*Dear Friends:
I am thrilled to tell you that because of a turn in events that could only be wrought at the Hand Of God, Joshua is resting at home with Debra at this very moment.
Yesterday Joshua’s orders to be released today were cancelled and not only that, Debra was told in no uncertain terms that Joshua would not be released until his feeding improved.
This afternoon, Joshua was doing so well that his doctor decided to release him. Many of you have prayed today since this morning’s update went out. Our prayers have been answered! Hallelujah!! Glory To God!
I just could not wait until tomorrow to share this wonderful news. We will continue to give God the glory for all He has done in little Joshua’s life.
We continue to pray that he will grow stronger and healthier every day!! God Bless You!
Melinda revlanc@bellsouth.net (Received on Tuesday October 10)