See You At The Loft!

Rachael is resting prior to our departure.  We have lots of folks coming and lots more to meet!  Here is the map if you need it. The benefit starts at 4:00 pm.

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Happy Thanksgiving! Watch This!

 



Every morning Nancy will take Rachael through a workout regimen.  It is painful but Rachael knows that it is what is going to keep her from contracture of her muscles.  Today, she was able to control her left arm.  We have not seen this before.  As an added bonus, at the start of the video, she moves her right arm down to her side.
We have much to be thankful for.  We just received the medicaid waiver that will help with keeping Rachael in Rehab, her Insurance ceased support for rehab as she was not making big enough gains.  This waiver will provide Nancy with help and the ability to get out of the house for several hours and even give Nancy, Hanna and myself  7 hours a week to take a break together while Rachael is watched by a professional health care worker.  It is another new normal!  We hope to see you at the benefit as the expenses don't stop the current needs as shared in the previous post.

You might wonder how anyone can endure the pain Rachael goes through, endure the extreme effort that it takes to care for her and tend to her.  This verse may help to explain.

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2       fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

How do we endure?:

"let us also lay aside every encumbrance" The word that is translated 'encumbrance' in this verse is the Greek word for tumor, a weight or burden.  What heavy lumps are we carrying?  If I am burdened then my eyes are on the burden and I am not looking where I am going.  I am thinking about it, focused on it, spending time on it.  It is a weight that slows me down.  Do I spend a lot of time talking about or thinking about my burdens?  Maybe it is something that is not so bad.  It could be something culturally acceptable like spending untold hours on Facebook, watching TV or playing video games.

• Can you maneuver as well through the Bible as you do through your video game?


• Can you recite people and reports from the Bible as well as the latest episode of your favorite TV show?


• Do you seek Facebook for the details on many other lives, diligently scrolling down your wall reading all the tidbits but call the book of Judges boring?

Encumbrances- we have to choose to put these things off in favor of His Kingdom.  We need to regularly take a look at our day and make the majority of our time talking, teaching, reading, praying or mediating on His word.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

If today, this Thanksgiving Day,  you were asked or you ask your believing spouse or your believing friend what they are finding in His word, will there be a solid answer?  Or will there be a tightening of the stomach and a rushed babble of a response as they scurry for a fig leaf to cover the conviction?

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4

Abiding does not mean a visit.  The branch can't break off for a bit, dally about as it wills and then connect back to the vine and bear fruit. It is constant abiding.  If right now you are trying to justify the time in a day, the interruptions, the duties etc, stop!  Rachael's care is a physically exhausting effort that moves from task to task throughout the day.  Yet, each morning Nancy takes time and abides in His word.  Throughout the day she muses on it, prays and discusses it.  We talk or text about the blessings, what the Lord has revealed, what we are challenged by, all of it.  It is intertwined in our daily discussions like a strand in a cord of three.  Yes there is much to do but the abiding is intertwined throughout the day, not just during 'Jesus time' or only on Sunday.  I encourage you to stop justifying, just abide.  Do your best to abide.  Let God's grace extend to you from His will and not your schedule.

"and the sin which so easily entangles us" Sin starts as a thought and turns into an action against God.  (James 1:15, Genesis 3:6,) We are not Sin proof.  As we have  'So great a cloud of witness' from the Old Testament that demonstrated saving faith, so much more are we surrounded by the traps leading to sin.  The words "easily entangle" are busted out from the translation of the Greek word euperístatos-meaning to surround!  From Hebrews 11 we have a cloud of witnesses that surround us from the reports of faith to demonstrate what faith can do in light of sin. On the inverse we have a physical and current world that tries to surround (euperistatos) us with the potential to sin.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16

Read that "ALL that is in the world"  Friends, we are surrounded by sin and the potential to sin, and so by the enemy, as were Elijah and Elisha:

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16       So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17       Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17

First Elisha only saw the surrounding enemy and felt the weight of fear of a huge army "Alas!" and then he sought quick counsel from 'the man of God' "What shall we do?"  That is an excellent prayer to pray when you are surrounded  'God, what shall I do?'  Elijah's prayer opened Elisha's eyes to the spiritual realm and just who was surrounding whom.
If you are adopted by God, being that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9), you have that help available to you to lay aside the sin and the encumbrance.
By being saved you have "Chariots of Fire" to help you battle the sin that surrounds you.  If you believe. Hebrews 11:1 lets us know that we do not need Elisha's eyes to see for Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. I don't need to see chariots of fire to know they are there.  Faith opens the eyes of my heart to know.

Yet, there are sins that can become such a weight to us.  We need to realize that our sin, no matter how bad we think it is, has been taken care of at the cross. In the days after Christ, the Jewish Priests stilled carried out the Mosaic Law of sacrifices for sin.

By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11       Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
12       but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
13       waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. Hebrews 10:10-13

Once I realize my sin, I need to confess it to the Lord, and repent, or turn away which if sincere are pretty much simultaneous.  I may need to make amends with another as part of my repentance but as far as Jesus is concerned He forgave me at the Cross.  When I am encumbered or have unrepentant sin, it gets in the way of my relationship with the Lord.  I am still saved if my confession of Christ was true,  but until I put off those things that are in the way or holding me down by their weight, I am not able to stay focused on where my focus needs to be.
We need to seek holiness in our lives and keep our minds and hearts from sin and proximity to sin by abiding in Christ.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14       As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 1 Pe 1:13–16
15       but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16       because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

and in so doing we will apply the precepts of our Lord as given to us in His word, the Bible.

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; John 2:3-4

We need to choose to do abide.  When we mess up, we do not need to carry the guilt.  Jesus died once for all.  That sin was foreseen by Jesus and He died for it. Done.  If we have unrepentant or habitual sin in our lives or are carrying around these tumors of troubles or traps, we are not in a tight relationship with our Lord and we are not going to endure, we are not abiding.

By putting off the encumbrances and the sin, we can endure!  We are free from the weight of the encumbrance as we have help and sin because it was already dealt with at the cross!  We are free indeed!  With our nose in His word, we will develop a stronger relationship, a tighter bond and more understanding of his simple and pure nature.  The fruit of abiding?  Obedience.  If I am abiding, I don't have to strive for holiness, it happens.  Holiness Happens.  We will have help when we are surrounded in this world by the enemy.  We have one greater than the enemy with us.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

We are surrounded by the witnesses of past and the witness of the Holy Spirit in us to the fact that if we have faith in Christ, we are going to endure.  Endure for what?  For the joy set before us in being in Glory with our Lord:

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus, the perfect example of faith in action.  He endured the terrible suffering, and though He is God, He felt every shard of the the whip, every plucked hair from His beard, every thorn stabbing His skull and every nail in his body.  He did so for the joy set before Him.  We have His example.  We can endure because up the not to distant road, is Christ!  Live and in person and eternity with Him.  So we have these simple tidbits to help us get  through the tough times and endure:

• Remember examples of faith and the results of that faith.  We are surrounded by those reports.


• Know that you are surrounded by the options of encumbrances and sin in this world vs. remembering what faith in Christ can do.


• Choose to abide in Christ.


• Your sin was forgiven at the cross, don't carry around guilt, repent and continue the race.


• Keep your eyes fixed on Christ.

In the end it is stated so simply by Jesus

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

As confirmation to what I was doing, sitting here writing out what I considered to be a word from the Lord, Nancy said after dealing with several issues today, "the only reason I can get through this is I know that one day I will be with Him in heaven."

That is how you endure.

Abide, fix your eyes on Jesus and you will endure.

I am so thankful for what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Though there is so much to be thankful for this day.  It is all wrapped up in Him.  How wonderful that we have such a great joy set before us as to be in the presence, forever, with the author of our faith!

Happy Thanksgiving!

About The Loft Benefit

From Nancy:

Some people have asked what the gathering at the Loft Restaurant is for  We are trying to raise funds to continue her Hyperbaric treatments since they are showing improvements in both speech and movement.  These treatments are not covered by insurance and cost $5000.00 per 20 session increments.  She has already had 40 Treatments and we are hoping for 40 more.  In addition to this, the gas to get to Palm Harbor which is 1 1/2 hours away and the only location that would accept Rachael, costs $550.00 per month.  Rachael's insurance no longer pays for all the therapy she needs because she was not making functional progress at the pace the insurance requires.  Burt and I do most of her therapy at home.  I spend up to 2 hours a day doing her therapy with her in bed.  It is difficult and not as effective as having a therapy table which costs around $1000.00.  The last need that we have is a portable Hoyer lift if we need to lift her to tend to her needs when we are not at home.  Currently, we can only take her on short jaunts to the doctor or church.  A portable Hoyer costs about $1300.00.  It is our hope that the funds raised will go towards these expenses.  Thank you very much and we hope to see you there!!

From Nancy's Sister Mary:

Dear Rachael, I am so happy to see this fund raising benefit come together that will indeed benefit you, hopefully in many, many ways. Thanks so very much to everyone who is putting in their time and effort to make this happen, as this is so important to Rachael’s recovery. Nancy and Burt have worked very hard to get Rachael access to treatments and therapies that are truly working in allowing her to progress in her healing, most of which are either not covered by insurance or only covered for a limited amount. Rachael knows these things are helping her gain more function with speech and motor control and she is eager to continue the hyperbaric oxygen treatments and works very hard at her therapy sessions. So it is essential that these treatments and therapies remain available and accessible to her. I encourage all who read this to pass the benefit date and place information on to family, friends and co-workers and invite them all to come participate in this event as part of TEAM RACHAEL! With your support, Rachael can continue to have the best opportunity for a significant recovery of her speech and motor function If you cannot participate and contribute as part of the benefit on Sunday (or even if you can), you can also make a difference in helping Rachael recover by making a contribution to the special needs trust that is in place for her. It is an irrevocable trust and all money in it goes directly to Rachael’s care and treatment. To donate to the trust, please make checks out as shown: Rachel Kaye Hinkle Irrevocable Special Needs Trust. With much love and gratitude to all for your compassion and support of Rachael and her family, Aunt Mary GO TEAM RACHAEL!!

Loft Ristobar - Benefit For Rachael - Ladies Sing The Blues

The Rinehart family has worked hard and there will be a great benefit for Rachael on the 27th of November.
To those of you that are vising this site for the first time, scroll to the bottom of the posts to read what has been happening over the past year.

Lights in a Blue World:
For you folks that have been visiting this site, this is a great ministry opportunity!  There are going to be a lot of people at The Loft that do not know our Lord, some may have a knowledge of Him or some may not care at all!  Time to take the church to the people in a blessed way!  This is a B I G event.  Remember to whom Jesus taught.  We can be lights in a blue world!  We are all going, Hanna too.  Mark the date - November 27th!

Thank You Rineharts!!

Quick Note - Improved Speech

Just a quick note that last night Rachael was able to speak clearly, all be it very slowly and deliberately, I LOVE YOU! and then I LOVE YOU HANNA! That 'V' Sound has been hard for her but she got it.  She is also closing her mouth more before speaking, a major necessity for proper enunciation.  At Church on Sunday, with assistance, she was able to wipe her mouth!

More later, but God is doing some neat healing over these past few days!

b

Extreme Makeover Home Edition and The Loft Benefit

Last year our brothers and sisters at Calvary Chapel School felt compelled to suggest Rachael's story to Extreme Home Makeover.  At the time we were half heatedly enthusiastic about the idea, mainly due to the incredible weight of Rachael's care and rehab at the time.  We also felt that it was striving for us to be involved in the application process.  All things prayerfully considered, we ended up letting the nearly completed application sit on the shelf under a mound of bills and statements.

Jenan Wood, Mary Kay Cosmetics Sales Director and proud mom, approached me about contacting EMHE last year as well.  She was very enthusiastic about it.  Once again, we steered away from the opportunity.

A few months ago Deb White and Mandy Yoder approached us about filling out an app for the show.   With a sense of unworthiness and hesitation towards putting it all together, we made a video with Mandy and Deb and I think we still have Deb's video camera here (Deb, we will bring it to church. )

Part of it may be reliving the whole accident, part of it is that the story is far from finished, part of it the investment of time for something that felt contrived.  A big part of the resistance was feeling that due to you guys with your blessings and prayer, there just seemed to be others in higher need.

Yet, Rachael's impact just seems to keep growing.  At least once or twice a week God is glorified through Rachael's story directly by Hanna, Daniel, Nancy or myself.  A score of others that we do not even know are impacted when they hear of the story.  I have met people that after a few minutes into a conversation exclaim:
"That is YOUR daughter that we have been praying for?" or they tell Rachael's story to me, not realizing that she is my step daughter.

It has so far been a devastating, thrilling, sorrowful, blessed, frustrating, joyous, raucous, peaceful, tragic, Christ centered, self focused season in our lives.  You got it, a strange ride.  All said and done, to the day, Nancy and I are in awe of what God has done through Rachael for everyone touched by her story, including us.

Now, we are starting to function in the context of what has been brought to us. Sustained as always by our Lord, we are getting the joy and peace.  We are getting into our new normal!

With that, another text from Christine Sullivan at Calvary Chapel School containing a forward of a text from Jenan Wood revisiting the idea of submitting us for the show and a green light from God, we decided to move ahead with the idea.

With only a day left for submission of entries, Christine entered our info on the website. What a grand opportunity to share Rachael's story!  We will be able to share how God's hand moves through so many lives and offer hope and knowledge for others with Brain Injury family members.  I am sure there are thousands of entries.  Yes our house needs help.  Yes it is way too tight for moving Rachael around.  Yes it is sore backs and arms and Ibuprofen BEFORE coffee for Nancy and I after tasks associated with Rachael's care.  Yes the walls are thin and Rachael can be heard, on occasion, outside by passers by and neighbors.  Rachael's wheel chair is just shy the width of the hallway.  It is comical to see my 210lb 5'9" frame caught by the belt loop on the bathroom door handle as I try to squeeze around the chair to fit her for the lift to bed.  Nancy, much thinner and more agile than myself meanders her way like the rubber guy super hero from Fantastic Four around, through or under to do the same.    Moving Rachael around the house is a constant bumping of her arms or legs and us doing our best not to hit a door frame, a wall, a corner of a table or chair or some other obstacle.  That is what happens with someone on complete dependent care.  Everything is an obstacle as it was designed for completely mobile people.

So we are going with it.  We need to shoot a video and do a few other things to prepare.  We are just one story in thousands but if we do get on the show one thing is very certain, God will be glorified.

Here is a link where you can join abc.com and post something about Rachael to their message center.  Please always end your messages with a link to http://www.lovetorachael.org.  The more chatter on their board the better.  Also if you know of anyone connected with the production, feel free to email them as well.  What a great thing it would be for others who are experiencing a life with a brain injured loved one to see this story of hope and healing.  Here is the abc.com link for Extreme Makeover Home Edition's message board:

http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition/discuss?cat=27612

The Loft Benefit

Our friends Steve and Liz Rinehart own The Loft Ristobar in Sarasota.  They are having a Blues Benefit for Rachael late afternoon and early evening on November 27th.  Rachael's story and thus the testimony of our Lord is going to be shared with a group consisting of many non-believers.  This is a new direction for us on this journey and we will be providing you with more information as the time approaches.

There is another event that I have heard rumors of just today and if it happens we will have the info here.

We look at all these as opportunities to share Christ and the power of a living God with others.

1       Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
ESV

So it seems that the Lord is moving us into new area's with our Medical Missionary, Rachael.   The mission continues and we praise our holy God for all he has done.

Happy Birthday Rachael!

[caption id="attachment_574" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Rachael at Mine and Nancy's wedding"][/caption]

There has been so much change going on at this house I thought it was a call back to the 2008 elections.  First off:  Friday, in just a few minutes, yes, October 7,  will be Rachael’s 23^rd Birthday!  There is much to celebrate.  I will give it to you by the bullets as it is late and we all need to get up early. Nancy is driving Rachael to and from her Hyperbaric Treatments 1 hour 30 minutes each way 5 days a week as we were refused services locally.  Anyone reading this must understand, these treatments WORK!  I was quite skeptical.  That said, here is what is up:

¹⁸ Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” ¹⁹ And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. ²⁰ But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” ^[1]

[caption id="attachment_577" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A precious moment with sisters."][/caption]

Healing – His Glory Revealed!

• Tonight she gave us a clear and defined ‘f’ sound on the suffix of the word ‘off’.  She has not been able to use her lips and tongue together to form that sound.


• She is moving a much contracted left wrist up and down a few degrees.  Prior to today she has not been able to do this at all.


• She is keeping her knees straight up and not leaning to the ‘tone’ to the right.


• She is able to arch her back, shift her torso and move her neck quite far to the left.  In the past her chin was constantly pressed to her right shoulder.  For months.


• We are able to help her move her arms much easier.  It took two of us to raise her arms up just to bathe her.  One person could do it but it was killer on the back and arms of the care giver.  Not so anymore!


• When turning her in bed she is starting to assist.  She is also able to get herself flat on her back by moving her arm and shifting her weight once she has been on her side.


• Her ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are quite clear when she is alert and not in severe pain.


• She is making decisions on where she wants to sit, when she is hungry and if she wants to go outside for a stroll or remain inside to rest and if she want s pain meds or not.
  
  [caption id="attachment_583" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Cuddles "Will someone scratch me please?""][/caption]


• She is great company and is filled with Joy and laughter when not in pain.


• That said, at times of severe contractions, she still laughs at some absurdity.


• Her cognition and grasp of abstract thoughts and responses to them are incredible.


• She gets a joke


• She says Amen


• She Prays, though we cannot yet understand her words, she prays!


• She is eating


• She is drinking


• She is starting to raise her legs when we move her.


• She raises her head when her hair is being washed or a need arises to get to the back of her head.


• She imitates what she sees, when she sees. There are times when she cannot see.


• She knows that October 7^th is her Birthday


• She says I Love You every night.


• She has short and long term memory.


• She Dreams


• She sleeps well without waking up 3 or 4 times a night.


• She is willing to work very hard to get well and has communicated this to us.


• She is able to decide to take certain ‘as needed’ meds for pain and comfort.  She does not always take them during times of discomfort.


• She is center focused with her eyes a large part of the day.


• She LOVES to go to church.


• Two weeks ago, when Ray White was playing  God of This City, she raised her right hand in praise and mouthed what she could for the words.  That was awesome.


• She listens to the sermons and responds quite appropriately


• She can spell.


• She drinks through a straw and sippy cup.


• Her latest EEG showed not seizure activity.


• She is off all drugs but her muscle relaxers, ibuprofen, and an aid to cut back on possible memory or confusion issues.  We don’t think she needs it but we are being obedient to the doctors God has placed in our path.  She was once on 20 drugs.  She is now on 6.

Reality Checks:  His Future Glory!

• Rachael cannot sit up without support or walk at all.


• She is ‘bed ridden’


• She has a vocabulary of about 10 words that are not yet clear.


• Her legs are in constant painful contraction, knees bent up and never flat out.


• Her feet are turned inward at a 90 degree angles.  Try it.


• Her left hand is normal bent or curled down with contractions in her forearm muscles.  The fingers are contracted and cannot open all the way.


• Her right hand is usually a closed fist that will break the skin of her palm with its force if left unabated.  It is painful for it to be opened.


• Her right forearm often contracts up when she is stressed causing her to raise her arm up.


• Her left arm pulls to the right, causing issues with her feeding tube.


• Her left side appears to have a much higher tactile sensitivity and lower functionality.  Putting socks on her feet or touching her feet is actually painful to her.


• She wakes up in pain, is in pain all day and ends her night in pain.  Ever wake up from a Charlie horse in the middle of the night?  That is common for Rachael with an uncountable frequency each day and night.


• The food she eats is ground in a food processor.  She cannot chew well yet.


• Caring for her is a monumental self denying task.  Nancy handles the majority of it.  I work during the day.


• She twitches uncontrollably at random times.

In the near future, Rachael is going to require daily focused rehab.  We are hoping that it will be covered by Insurance.  We are not sure it will.  She is going to need this rehab to regain speech and whatever physical movement God will give her.  Please pray for any of the items under ‘Reality Check’ and give praise for those items under ‘Healing’.  Our Lord continues to use Rachael as a Medical Missionary, offering many opportunities to share Christ with others. There is more news coming but it deserves its own post.  This weekend I hope to have all the details. God bless you all for your prayers and thank you for your kind selfless efforts.  We stand amazed at what God is doing. As far as Nancy and I go, we looked across Rachael’s bed at each other last week after changing her and realized that we are starting to function normally in this very abnormal situation.  It was a good moment! Pray for Nancy to sustain and get her allotted daily bread of faith for strength.  Pray for me to not be angry and to control my tongue from words spoken harshly. Pray Hanna for her continued growth in Christ and school, Daniel for success and leading at Bible College. Pray for Cuddles our cat and Joy our dog  not to fight and for Joy to learn that our closet and  under Rachael’s bed are not appropriate places to go to the bathroom.  Just kidding  on praying for that …but wait, pray for all things…so go ahead. Thank you God for your mercies and for giving all of us a way out of the most difficult of struggles.  Thank you for paying the price so that one day we can see your glory, as Moses asked.  Wow, how amazing it will be to see what perfect goodness looks like!

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^[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (Ex 33:17–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.