Mom is better

It’s now been 11 days since Mom fell and broke her hip at a Branson show.  Ten days ago she had surgery.  She has been in rehab ever since.  Ruth and I try to go see her everyday.  Dad is driving back and forth to our house every day to stay overnight.  We are all tired, but other than that, all seems to be going well.

I’m not in the therapy sessions, but the workers are complimenting Mom’s progress.  I can for sure say her attitude and strength are improving daily.  She should go home next Saturday, one week from today, if all continues to go well.

We all hate that this happened to Mom, but I do see a silver lining in the dark cloud.  I have been able to visit with Mom and Dad every day for over a week.  It’s been a long time since that happened.  I love hanging out with them. The Lord has his ways of turning our lemons into lemonade.  Keep praying.  Mom is better, but still has a ways to go.

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Family blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com
Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Preachers are a hoot!!

My dad always said preachers are the funniest people in the world.  I’m about to decide he’s right.  I spent the last two days with seven preachers in an informal conference setting.  I don’t know how I could have had more fun.  We share the same situations, and are able to help coax each other through tough waters.  Sometimes the best medicine is to lean back and guffaw.  That’s what we do.

Don’t misunderstand.  We cry together too.  One of the brothers is going through a hard time.  We stopped everything and had a special time of prayer for him.  We will continue praying for him.

I find myself more and more grateful God called me to preach.  He rescued me from a life of shuffling widgets.  I can’t think of anything I could have done that would have been a higher calling.  On Sunday say a kind word to your Pastor.  He can use the encouragement.  Thank you, Second Baptist, for being my larger support network.  I love you.

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Family blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com
Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Therapy

Mom's topsy turvy broken hip world continues to be a guessing game. We thought Mom was heading home soon, but she is way too weak. Mom, always frail at best anyway, is struggling to gain strength. She will probably be in therapy another 7 to 10 days.

Please understand. We are not complaining. We all unanimously agree she is right where she needs to be, doing what she needs to do, receiving the care she needs to receive. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

A day with Mom

I spent the bulk of today in my mom's hospital room. She is doing well. Physical therapy is hard on her, but she knows it is for the best.

If all continues to go well, she may go home on Saturday or Sunday. Home Health people are already lined up to come care for her at her house.

Thanks for praying. This whole situation could have been much worse. We have seen the Lord's hand at every juncture.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Yay for Mom

Dr. Chris Reeves, son of our very own Corky and Carole Reeves, did Mom's surgery. He was wonderful. We are grateful he was available.

Mom did great. They were able to put a rod in her femur. A few weeks of therapy should do the trick.

We are rejoicing. Thank you for praying. The Lord has smiled on us.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Mom's Surgery

Mom is in pain, but not in agony. Any moment now, the nurse will check her blood to see if it has thickened enough to do the surgery. She takes blood thinner.

If all goes well, Mom will only need a pin in her femur. Otherwise she will need a total hip replacement. I'll let everyone know something tonight after surgery.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

My mom's fall

It's Wednesday, September 15, 12:17am. I can't sleep. My mind won't shut down. It's obsessed over Mom's situation.

Mom fell yesterday at a Branson show. She missed a step. Today or tomorrow she will have surgery for a broken hip.

Please pray for Mom. Her health is already delicate. Pray for Dad. He is at home in St Louis recovering from a cold. He will head this way when confident he's no longer contagious.

Pray for my brother Charles and Mom's sister Evelyn. They are in Branson with Mom. Pray for Ruth and me. We are clearing our calendars for the next two or three days. I'll try to keep you posted through this blog.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

McDonalds 1968

I was standing in line at McDonalds and taking in all the commotion behind the counter.  My thoughts floated to the summer of 1968, when I worked at a McDonalds. If I remember correctly, the only items on the menu were a hamburger, cheeseburger, French fries (one size), fish sandwich, Coke, Sprite, an orange drink, vanilla and chocolate shakes.  Ketchup cost a nickel.

Payment is for sure different.  Now the counter tops have all kinds of computerized equipment.  When I worked there, one person took the order and tallied the total with pencil and paper while a second worker rounded up the food for the order.  Our goal was to have all the food on the tray by the time the money transaction was done.

I always felt sorry for people who made a special order.  We had to write their request on a piece of paper and set it on the grill.  Many times the request sat there a long time before being picked up.  Variety was not the order of the day.

The dreaded shift was the closing crew because you had to keep pouring boiling hot water through the milkshake machine until it came out the spouts totally clear.  We were told it was necessary to kill all the bacteria, and if we didn’t do it, people would die.  When you’re 16, you don’t want to cause people to die. I’m glad to report we were faithful in the discharge of this duty.

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Family blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com
Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Favorite Forms of Communication

I surveyed 23 of our ministerial staff to see what their favorite forms of communications are.  I listed 8 possibilities and asked the ministers to mark their three favorites. The top choice received a vote of 3, second choice received a 2, third favorite was given a 1.  The highest possible score was 69 total points.

Here are the results.  Text and email each had all 23 people mark them; texting won by 56 points to 52. Telephone conversations came in third; 12 people, 18 points.  Then came Direct Inbox on Facebook: 8 people, 11 points, followed by Telephone Voice Mail; 5 people, 7 points, snail mail; 2 people, 2 points, inner office Voice Mail; 1 person, 1 point, Direct message on Twitter; 0 people, 0 points.  (Smoke signals and telegraph also received no votes.)

It seems texting and email are the reigning kings of the hill.  My guess is, that’s true not only for our staff, but for most people.

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Family blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com
Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Final Words on Jeans

My wearing jeans to the 11:00 service created a stir. I thought one last look at some of the Facebook posts about it might add a little levity to your day.

"I think this is one of the signs of Jesus' second coming, right?" "How did you feel in them?" "Do your mom and dad know?" "You made us very proud to have a hip Pastor like you."

Two parting quotes. "One of the awesome things about Second is people can come dressed in a fancy 3-piece suit or jeans and a t-shirt. All are welcome." "But, did you go home and change into a suit and tie?" An utterly profound and insightful question. Only Ruth knows the truth.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Serious Thoughts About Jeans

By far and away, most responses to my wearing jeans at the 11:00 service these past two Sundays have been humorous in nature.  A few, though, have cut to the heart of the issue by intimating how we dress does have a huge impact in USA culture.  Clothes do make a statement in our society, like it or not.

One commenter admitted, “I am old school,. . .but I do hope this is not habit forming. . .I think God deserves our best on Sunday morning.”  Another wrote, “I want to be able to recognize my leader. You speak volumes dressed in a suit, without saying a word.”

Coming from a different perspective, a young missionary shared her serious thoughts.  “If you put your mind to it and wear those jeans more often, you could rock and reach the younger/out of the box generations/thinkers.  Thank you for modeling “stepping out of comfort zone” to reach some! This sister is proud.”

Leave it to my sweet Ruth to bring a message with a wallop.  She shared in her post a family story that has become a legend.  Her dad volunteered to wear overalls instead of his suit in order to get a friend to come to church.  The man came.  He and his whole family became believers as a result. The man went on to become one of the most godly Christians Ruth has ever known.  Interestingly, he became a longtime pillar of a Southern Baptist church here in Springfield.  Ruth also wrote about me, “I love your suit and your jeans.  You example the ROCK in both.”  I love impartial analyses of myself.

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Family blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com
Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

More Jeans Feedback

I’m been at my mom and dad’s these past three days.  I arrived back at the office about two hours ago.  Ruth and I intended to be home last night, but storms forced us to stay the night at a hotel in Pacific.  It was horrific to say the least.  It’s good to be home.

People are still talking about my wearing jeans to the 11:00 service these past two Sundays.  Facebook is a great recorder of people’s thoughts.  “Lookin’ good.” “Is that con-textile-ization?” “Now get that hair messed up with some gel.  If you need a tattoo artist or piercer, call us.” “Dr. Cool.”

One of the things I like about Facebook is the opportunity it gives us all to be silly. As you know, I love to laugh, and I love to make others laugh. I believe laughter is God’s gift to us. In my next blog, I’ll pass along some of the more serious comments about my jeans.  Stay tuned.

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Family blog www.yeebird.blogspot.com
Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall