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September 28, 2005
Concert Information
The benefit concert for Rick Pearson has been rescheduled for October 21st at Stonecreek Church in Alpharetta, GA. We wanted you to know so you can mark your calendars. Please know that this concert will be a fun family night as we highlight some of the ministries that Rick loved and supported. The monies raised this night will be used to keep supporting these ministries as well as the medical expenses associated with Rick's illness. We will keep you updated and look forward to seeing you there!
Posted by Rick at 04:34 PM | Comments (20)
September 17, 2005
CD and DVD Information
Friends,
In an effort to give all of us a way to remember Rick and in order to support Rick's family in the tremendous financial needs they are facing as a result of Rick's illness, we are putting together a CD of Rick's music and a DVD of his Celebration service. Both are well worth your time and money. We are asking for donations in order to purchase them which will directly benefit Rick's memorial fund. Lanny Donoho is heading up this project and we will put information from him up on the front page of the site so that you will be able to purchase these if you desire. This information should be available on the front of the site by Monday. Also, we do have a bunch of the PRAY FOR RICK armbands left. They are a great reminder of Rick and a reminder to pray for his family. They are $5 and ($.85 goes to the cost of the armband and $4.15 goes to the expenses of the family) If you would still like to get one of these, please email pray4rick@hotmail.com and we will get you set up. There are a few different ways to get them to you, so don't worry if you are not in the Atlanta area. There are so many ways to financially support the family during this time, please jump on board with one or all of the options presented! We thank you in advance for your support and are so pleased to be able to share these with you.
Jeffrey and Shannon
Posted by Rick at 09:41 PM | Comments (52)
September 16, 2005
Memorial Celebration Service in Florida
There will be a memorial celebration service in Bratt, Florida at Northview High School on Tuesday, September 20th at 7:00pm in the theater. If you live closeby and were not able to make it to Rick's memorial celebration service in Atlanta, we would love to see you there. We will be showing the DVD of Rick's memorial service which is a very powerful display. We would love to have you join us and would love the chance to see all of you who have been praying so diligently for Rick and for our family. We hope to see you.
Thank you,
Elaine, Billy, Haley, Candi and Jonathan
Posted by Rick at 03:45 PM | Comments (23)
September 12, 2005
WE WIN!!
To our extended "web family"...
What an emotional, yet AMAZING last few days! Last night was quite a comforting time as friends and loved ones streamed through the visitation line at Mountain Lake Church and shared with this family story after story of the impact Rick has had on their lives.
This morning dawned in a perfection that only our God could orchestrate as we gathered at the graveside for a service there. Louie, Uncle Keith and Shawn all spoke of God's sovereignty and goodness even in the midst of our pain. We heard stories of Rick's affinity for golf, fishing with Pop, competetive Playstation and of course, guitar. We also heard Shawn say that Rick could've died with more wealth and he could've died with more fame, but he doesn't know anyone who could've died with more purpose. We happen to agree.
After leaving the graveside, we headed to North Point Community Church for the memorial service and celebration of Rick's life. What a wonderful time of worship and remembrance! Shawn, Hannah, Rodney, Reggie Paul and Lanny all shared memories and insights. We were fortunate to have Rick leading us in worship through song and video and listened to the reading of Rick's last four journal entries. We experienced a powerful worship time and were comforted as Louie reminded us of one of the last things that Rick said while in the hospital. "I don't know what is going to happen to me, but either way, I win!" Louie reminded us that WE win as well...
"... so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, and for me to die is gain." Phil 1:20-21
We all hoped Rick wouldn't die...
And in fact he's very much alive!
WE WIN.
We prayed and believed God would raise him up...
And He did!
WE WIN.
We wanted to see Ricky walk out the front door of Northside Hospital...
But instead he soared through the roof!
WE WIN.
Death tried to claim him...
But Jesus had already saved him!
WE WIN.
We grieve because Rick is gone...
But seeds of hope reside deep down in our souls because we know exactly where he is.
WE WIN.
We miss him...
But we will again embrace him.
WE WIN.
Jesus Christ is Risen today and He is the ultimate grave robber.
In Him we have the victory.
In Him WE WIN.
Romans 8:10
We've experienced many emotional highs and lows these last several weeks and days and your support and prayers over this website have made it a much less lonely place. We wanted you that were not able to be at the service to be included in our rejoicing over Rick's life. Please do pray specifically for Rick's family over these days as the realization of our temporary loss sets in. We are changed by this experience and are reminded that the important thing in life is not how LONG you live, but HOW you live.
Jeffrey and Shannon
Posted by Rick at 07:47 PM | Comments (75)
September 09, 2005
God's will revealed...
Friends and family,
This indescribable journey of seeing the will of God made perfect in Rick's life has come to a close. At approximately 11:00am eastern time, Rick entered into the presence of the One he has spent his life pursuing. I don't have to tell you the heartbreak or depth of mourning by his family this day. You are currently feeling it as well. We mourn as those who have hope, however, and are comforted by the fact that Rick is miraculously and gloriously healed and enjoying all of the beauty of Heaven and the majesty of his Creator. We rejoice over Rick awaking and seeing the face of the One who deserved and received all of the honor that Rick had to give Him. What a beautiful thought.
So now...we weep, we pray, we remember and we rejoice in knowing that we too one day will behold the splendor of the King of Kings.
We are indebted to you and will never be able to repay that debt. Your support and love and intercession for this family over these weeks has been beyond what any words can describe. We ask now for your sensitivity as this family mourns, and for your continued prayers as they settle into the arms of the Comforter.
Please check the front of the website again as we have added another taste of Rick's beautiful voice. Yet another song he recorded only months ago that God in his sovereignty knew would be blessing us now.
We are forever changed.
Jeffrey and Shannon
Posted by Rick at 11:45 AM | Comments (351)
9/9/05 URGENT a.m.
Dear family,
We are certainly in the trenches. Rick has maintained a severely high temperature throughout the night, and his heart is working overtime... so much so that the doctors are needing us to make a decision about what they want us to do should his heart stop. PLEASE continue on your faces before God. I believe that every evil power is desperately trying to hang on, even if to claim a small victory in our minds. We are praying to and believing our strong Savior, Jesus Christ! We already have the victory. Pray that we stay reminded of this every second.
We are in a moment by moment situation. Please pray especially for Rick's doctor today, Dr. Solomon. Pray that God would put something in his heart that he doesn't understand... something that makes him want to keep persevering. Pray that God works a healing and restorative miracle in my sweet brother on the watch of Dr. Solomon!
Jesus, we do trust You! We don't know why this is happening, but we know that You love us and You are able! Keep Your angels encircling my brother, and keep us drawn close to You. We know You are getting Your Glory. I pray for even more to come to You through my brother being raised up from this illness. We are abiding in You, and Your words are abiding in us, Father! They are our food! So we ask of You for Your miracle, according to Your perfect will, and we wait expectantly for You to reveal Your Kingdom. We worship You, Lord.
I don't know what else to do, but I know that to worship Him is always the right thing. Please join me, as a choir across the globe, singing of the matchless worth of our Savior!
The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice! all the earth rejoice!
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide
and trembles at His voice, trembles at His voice
How Great is our God! Sing with me, how great is our God!
and all will see how great, how great is our God!
Age to age, He stands, and time is in His hands,
beginning and the end, beginning and the end
The Godhead, three in one, Father, Spirit, Son
Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb
Name above all names, You are worthy of all praise
and my heart will sing how great is our God!
When all around is fading, and nothing seems to last
when each day is filled with sorrow,
still I know with all my heart
He's got the whole world in his hands
He's got the whole world in his hands
I fear no evil, for You are with me
strong to deliver, mighty to save
He's got the whole world in his hands.
When I walk through fire, I will not be burned
when waves are crashing round me,
still I know with all my heart
He's got the whole world in his hands
He's got the whole world in his hands
I fear no evil, for You are with me
strong to deliver, mighty to save
He's got the whole world in His hands.
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
creation's revealing Your majesty
from the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
every creature unique in the song that it sings,
all exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God!
All powerful, untameable,
awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God!
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
or seen heavenly storehouses laiden with snow
who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night,
none can fathom!
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
all powerful, untameable,
awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God!
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 08:06 AM | Comments (73)
September 08, 2005
There's the glory of Your name...
Rick has been moved back to the Bone Marrow Transplant unit. The doctors felt that they weren't doing anything for him in ICU that couldn't be done just as well in the Bone Marrow unit. His fever remains critically high. After being under cooling blankets, it's only come down to 105.7. Fortunately, Rick's family is able to be with him in the room again and is able to spend more concentrated time with him. The doctors came in and gave the family the same grave news that they've given them for days now. The doctors have suggested that they begin to consider the "what ifs" in this situation. This was hard for them to hear, but God is continuing to give them grace.
We are exhorted in scripture to make our requests known to God. Our requests are clear and will remain that way until such time as we see the plan of God revealed in this situation. Our prayers are for full healing and restoration for Rick and for the revealed glory of God.
A wonderful worship leader has written a song called "The Glory of Your Name". In it, many references are made to events that have happened in history that highlight the glory of the Father's name. Though I would never add to this already phenomenal song, I will borrow the phraseology from it to highlight some of the ways God's name is being made great in this situation...
- Rick's saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, which makes His eternity secure...there's the glory of Your name.
- Rick's mom and stepfather, who in the midst of such turmoil are able to think of how this situation might later benefit others down the road...there's the glory of Your name.
- Rick's sister and brother-in-law, Candi and Jonathan, who for years have been blessing countless numbers of people with their worship leading and consequently have people praying for Rick just because of the impact Candi and Jonathan have made on them...there's the glory of Your name.
- Rick's fiance, Suzanne, who with such courage and grace, led the body at Mountain Lake church in prayer to the Father for the love of her life...there's the glory of Your name.
- The staff of North Point Community Church who gathered to provide meals and gas for this family to help take the pressure off of them...there's the glory of Your name.
- The countless numbers of people who've called Sonya and made an appointment to sit in a chair and donate life-giving platelets to Rick...there's the glory of Your name.
- The two people who've confessed giving their lives to You as a direct result of being moved by your Spirit and the impact of Rick's life...there's the glory of Your name.
- The people who've been in similar situations who've come out of the woodwork to offer support and a listening ear...there's the glory of Your name.
- The nurses at Northside Hospital who've posted on this site and can't wait to come back on duty because of the impact Rick has made on them...there's the glory of Your name.
- The countless numbers of people who are experiencing a prayer life for the first time...there's the glory of Your name.
- Being given the chance to have "rubber meets the road" faith and believe that You are who You say You are...there's the glory of Your name.
- Peace that passes understanding in the face of earthly worst case scenarios...there's the glory of Your name.
- A song like "Even When" which You knew in Your sovereignty would be comforting all of us now...there's the glory of Your name.
- Stories of renewed regular quiet times, consistent prayer lives and authentic worship as a result of this situation...there's the glory of Your name.
- Countless church bodies all over America and in some foreign countries that have gathered to pray for healing for Rick and are united in a common purpose...there's the glory of Your name.
- Mountain Lake Church, who, in the absence of their beloved worship leader, is gathering and worshipping You like never before...there's the glory of Your name.
- A body of believers who are glued to their computers and wait expectantly for you to reveal your will...there's the glory of Your name.
We can take comfort in knowing that God is being honored and glorified through every single moment of this situation. We can also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we won't know His ultimate plan until He's accomplished everything that He wills. So...we wait, we reminisce, we laugh, we rest, we pray, we cry, and we agree together to be here and be expectant. Make no mistake, though...God's been revealing His glory all along.
Blessed be the name of the Lord...
Shannon
Posted by Rick at 07:16 PM | Comments (64)
9/8/05 Urgent Update
Rick's fever has elevated to 106.2. This is, of course, extremely critical. Please pray for Rick, for the removal whatever is overtaking his body and for this family. We will update you as we know more.
Shannon
Posted by Rick at 04:12 PM | Comments (55)
Thank you sweet family of God
I sat down to read the new blogs to give me some strength before going in to see Rick. Now I am wiping tears of joy from my face. Thank you thank you Thank you. Your prayers are permeating the walls of Northside Hospital.
I cry because of what God is doing. I cry because I too am growing along side of you all. I too am having complete life change, I cry because I can imagine what my precious fiance would say to the life change God is doing through his sickness. He would be so happy and so humbled. Oh I can't wait for the day I can tell him all that God is doing.
I am fully convinced that Rick's sickness has nothing to do with Rick, but completely about God's glory being revealed in his people. He is calling us all closer. Demanding our complete trust. He is allowing us to better understand his love and purpose for our quickly passing lives.
Oh God be glorified in us. Complete your work in us so that we can fulfill our purpose for you. I pray for every single person who reads this website. I pray that you continue to open their hearts to the wonderful knowledge of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your surpassing joy admist seeming terror. I trust you Father.
I have come to love each one of you and can't wait to put faces with names, I will probably give you a huge bear hug so just be warned.
Suzanne Hardy "the fiance"
Posted by Rick at 10:39 AM | Comments (72)
9/8/05 a.m. update
Our Friends,
What a beautiful day the Lord has made! I'm such a morning person, anyway, so it's hard for me to be sluggish and indifferent when the sun is rising. But today truly is a beautiful day! I am amazed that God continues to wake us with such joy and hope morning by morning. Today is a gift, and we accept it, Dear Jesus! One more day has been gifted to my brother as well. Again, thank You Sweet Jesus!
Today is my sister Haley's birthday, and we will be celebrating her and the life God has given her! Birthdays have been a little different around these parts lately! My birthday was celebrated on a plane as my husband and I headed to attend my great-grandmother's funeral. We celebrated Rick's birthday in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit on August 16th, just a few hours before the course of events that led us to the ICU and our present situation. Today we celebrate my amazing sister's birthday. We all pray that she receives the best birthday present imaginable! God, if You see fit...
"Praise to the Lord, our God and Savior who DAILY bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." -Psalm 68:19-20
My Redeemer, I am reminded today of how close You are to us. I thank You that You bear our burdens daily, and that they are no surprise to You! In fact You not only bear our burdens, but You swoop down to bear us up! You carry us. You feel with us. You are not a far away, fairytale God. I am encouraged so much by the ways You love us. We will continue to place our hope in You, the One who authored hope!
One more bit of information. Many of you have been asking about little Maggs. She received the best news we could have asked for from her doctors, praise the Lord! She has mono, and within a few days she should be back to full capacity! Thank you all for the continued prayers for this sweet girl! Shannon & Jeffrey have been amazed by your response.
I love the body of Christ!
"Therefore, brothers & sisters, since we have confidence
to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new
and living way that he opened for us through the curtain,
that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest
over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for he who promised is faithful." -Hebrews 10:19-23
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 08:16 AM | Comments (35)
September 07, 2005
9/7/05 p.m. entry
I've been sitting here for the last couple of hours, reading through your comments and prayers, crying with every emotion I think anyone could experience, and all at once! I have also been wondering what I should post tonight, since we all know where we are, what to pray for, and Who can do the things we desire. My Father brought this quote to my mind, and as I wipe the tears from my eyes, I share it with you. I've quoted this countless times, and ever since I read it in C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe" years ago, it resonated with my heart. When asked of Aslan, the Lion King of Narnia, if he was safe, the reply was simply, "Safe? Of course he's not safe! But he's good!"
...My, how that means deeper things for me right now!
I've always liked this quote. Now I've had to find out if I like it enough to live it. I can say to you that my family and I would overwhelmingly reply "YES!"
Thank You, God, for being good. Yes You are great, almighty, beyond description... but You are good. We tell You that we have no comprehension that could fathom what Your plans are, and thank You that we don't have to. We only know that You told us to seek You, to trust You, to worship You. That's what we spend our time doing, Dear Jesus! Thank You for imparting courage and perseverance at the very moment it feels we can't bear one more ounce. You are gracious, and we continue to place our weak frames and our battle-bruised desires in Your arms. You are worth it! Precious God, You are worthy!
His.
Candi
"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."
- C.S. Lewis
Posted by Rick at 06:54 PM | Comments (40)
new information and new prayers...
Our friends,
First of all, to those of you who have asked about our Granny Myrl, she is stable and cognitively responding, recognizing everyone. She is also able to move all of her limbs. She is sleeping under anti-nausea medication right now, but everything looks good, praise God!
Rick's doctor has just spoken with us, and we have many things to share with you so that you can continue to boldly go before the Throne of God. Rick had many scans yesterday, and his doctor has informed us of these results.
First of all, his bilirubin and other liver enzymes are still way out of whack. His bili is back up to 30 today, and they still aren't sure what this is. This is not their main concern, but it does remain a concern!
Secondly, it looks like he might have a small, slight pneumonia in his right lung, and the doctor thinks this may be contributing to a persistent fever (I think it's low grade, but persistent nonetheless!) that he is having.
This brings us to the third point. The fever could also be caused because his brain isn't functioning, telling fevers to be or not be. The scans revealed nothing new, good or bad, of Rick's brain.
The last bit of information is that his blood counts have started showing improvement, which is good! Because of this, the doctor wants to do a bone marrow biopsy on Monday or Tuesday to test for leukemia. WE DO NOT WANT THEM TO FIND LEUKEMIA!! If the test shows that there is a presence of leukemia, they will then stop giving him blood cultures and antibiotics... more or less just waiting for him to die! If they do not find leukemia, they still don't have much to offer, except just to wait and see.
All in all, we are still in the same boat... GOD HAS TO DO A MIRACLE. I must tell you that after this meeting with the doctor, we all looked around at each other and said collectively that this was the best meeting with a doctor thus far! Strange, considering he offered little in the way of hope. However, he did say all of these things, adding the clause "outside of a miracle". This excites us because none of the doctors have been willing to even acknowledge that such a thing can happen!
Meanwhile, Rick continues to rest in a deep sleep... one of the mercies God has allowed us, knowing he isn't hurting or frightened right now. We are faced with constantly renewing our minds and taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. But God is faithful. We are resolute in our hope. The enemy must feel foolish right now!
Thank you for the prayers I know you will so faithfully offer up. We are trusting fully in the perfect will of God and the Kingdom impact this will have!
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 12:58 PM | Comments (44)
9/7/05 a.m. update
Dear family,
A new day to trust Him is upon us! After a very long, heavy-hearted night, my Jesus woke me with a renewed joy and a song in my heart. I sat outside this morning, feeling the chill of the breeze, listening to the crickets playing fiddle and the leaves applauding them with the wind, and I watched the sun start its climb over the trees, and... I was in AWE! I felt so thankful to know that our Creator King spoke this into being, and yet He loves each of us so profoundly that He longs for and pursues relationship with all of us! Amazing! At the moment I was reflecting on Him in this way, the sun pierced through an opening in the trees, and I looked up and saw the sight as an eye of someone watching... He reminded me that He is indeed watching. I love that we serve a King who sees, who hears, who knows, who loves us, and who is strong! Breathtaking!
God has sustained my precious brother through another night. His nurse on duty through the night is phenomenal and cares for him well, which makes us rest easier. Although the labs had not returned when my step-father, Billy, went to inquire (I hope you all get a chance to meet this amazing man one day, by the way!), and although we have no numbers to report to you as far as bilirubin, there is a very small glimmer of white blood cells starting to make their appearance. They tell us it is nothing substantial, but at this point, ANYTHING in the right direction is substantial and worthy of saying "Praise God!" So this is the report this morning.
I have yet to hear anything about my Granny Myrl (I hope you all get a chance to meet this amazing woman one day as well!) as they are on central time and I do not want to wake them. Continue to lift her up in prayer, and I will give you details as soon as we know them.
... And thank you again for the amazing display of Christ's heart reflected in your prayers and your generosity! I read this passage in Acts this morning, and I immediately started thanking God for you:
"And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:44-47)
Although we may not be literally eating at your houses or going to the same "temple" together, this is a picture of what we feel is happening in our lives through this situation! I know God is so honored by this. Thank you!
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 08:04 AM | Comments (28)
September 06, 2005
More prayer concerns this evening...
Friends,
Wow...what a great few days of prayer, fasting and postings for this family and specifically for Rick. Unfortunately, we have received distressing news of a different nature that we covet your prayers for.
Granny Myrl, who is Candi, Rick and Haley's great grandmother and Elaine's grandmother has had a stroke and was life-flighted to West Florida Hospital and is currently in critical condition. Needless to say, this family is hurting right now. Granny Myrl is a precious 87 year old woman of faith and has already commented that she knows Rick is tucked under the wing of God. She was at the hospital to visit Rick just two weeks ago. Now, we know that she is tucked under the wing of God and we would appreciate your prayers for His perfect will to be accomplished in her life.
Unless something major changes, this will be our last post for the evening. This family is in need of rest and the peace of God to flood their lives and seep into every crevice of their minds and hearts. We can be fully confident in every trial that Jesus is interceding on our behalf for the steadfastness of our faith.
"...because Jesus lives forever, He has permanent Priesthood. Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." Hebrews 7:24-25.
Please join in the cries of our hearts for peace, rest and rock-solid faith for this family.
Please read the below post from Elaine, Rick's mom (posted just before she got the news of Granny Myrl) and please visit the front page of the website and listen to Rick's beautiful voice sing about the sovereignty of our Creator. The family will continue to be encouraged by your prayers and posts.
Gratefully,
Shannon
Posted by Rick at 06:35 PM | Comments (33)
9/6/05 pm update from mom!
This is Rick's mom. Although you've not heard from me, Shannon and Candi have captured the sentiments of my heart with each and every post. But I wanted you to hear from me personally. Words cannot express my humility when I see God's people come together in unity over a purpose for one of His own. It is even more humbling when that person is my only son. Yesterday, being Labor Day, was typically a day to be with family and eat lots of food, and yet I am blown away by the response to the call to fast and pray. It was such a sacrifice and God will honor each and every one of you. I am so thankful for each of you who are consistently praying for Rick. I keep a notepad and write down the number of comments under each post so that I won't miss a single blog. You truly have no idea how much encouragement and strength we gain by reading each one. This has been an emotional roller coaster and I admit that at times all I can do is cry. But then I get in the Word, or read the blogs and I am empowered to keep going - to keep praying for healing for my son. I know that my God has the last word! Right now, I still feel the urgency to read the Word over my son and to keep praying for his healing. We feel victorious! Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying the same prayer with me!
Someone said that in the short time Rick has been in the hospital, he has done more for the kingdom (without even realizing it,) than most people do in their lifetime. The stories of people coming to know Christ for the first time or getting to know God more or gaining strength in their prayer life - these are the stories that make me cry "Glory to God in the Highest." These are the stories that make Rick's suffering worth it. We want nothing more than for God to reveal His glory and honor through all of this. I know that I'll never be the same and so many people that have been a part of all this feel the same way. I am so proud to be Rick Pearson's mom!
Posted by Rick at 05:36 PM | Comments (44)
Music to our ears...
Friends,
Thank you on behalf of Rick's family SO MUCH for your prayers. Wanted to let you know that Candi will be sending an update on Rick's condition later, but we didn't want to go too long without letting you know about a new addition to the website.
When you go to the front page of Rick's site at www.rickpearson.org, allow the page to load for a bit and you'll see an icon down on the left hand side underneath Rick's picture. Press the play button and you'll be able to hear Rick singing "Even When" which is the song so many people have been referencing in their posts. This is a song written by a good friend of ours, Mike Gleason, and Rick sang the lead vocal a few months ago. It is on a children's CD and teaches children about faith. I think it teaches all of us. You'll understand not long after it starts why it has touched so many. Please allow this to be one more way that God ministers to you and assures you of His control as we continue to interceed for Rick.
Jeffrey and Shannon
Posted by Rick at 05:25 PM | Comments (12)
9/6/05 am update
Dear Friends,
The mercies are new this morning! We awoke to our Father's songs and to the fact that Rick is still breathing, his heart is still beating, and he is still on this planet, accomplishing the purposes God has for him! There is no new news at this point in time, but hopefully by the afternoon we can tell you specifics.
Last night we gathered with friends and family under the gazebo in the courtyard of our hotel. It was a beautiful night filled with beautiful, earnest prayers lifted to our Father. Many moments during our prayer time, I found myself looking into the sky and feeling...literally feeling...the many, many prayers that were being offered at the same time. I just imagined how that pleased our Lord! Thank you to the hundreds and thousands of you who joined us in mind and spirit last night. We are eternally grateful!
I wanted to inform/remind you of a few things. First thing- the benefit concert for Rick. It IS happening and is scheduled for September 16th at Stonecreek Church in Alpharetta. There are rave cards with all of the information on them that hopefully soon we will be distributing. It is going to be an amazing night. We are still praying that Rick will be able to be in attendance!
Secondly, a friend of the family, Kelly Moreton, has ordered orange rubber bracelets with "Pray for Rick" etched on them and is selling them as a fundraiser for Rick and his expenses incurred. They are being sold for $5 each. If you'd like to order one, or if you have any questions, you can email Kelly at pray4rick@hotmail.com.
Third and final... don't forget to keep giving platelets! They have been overwhelmed by the amount of people who have donated thus far. Each time we go to the blood bank, at least 3 nurses and other office staff have to tell us what an amazing group of people you are, and in turn, what an amazing young man Rick must be! So thank you for reflecting the light of Christ in this way!
We will keep you updated.
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 08:33 AM | Comments (31)
September 05, 2005
"Fasting and Meditation 4"
"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." -Ephesians 1:16-23
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." -Ephesians 3:14-21
We are nearing the time of corporate prayer for my sweet brother, Rick, and the day has been one of excitement and great expectancy as Jesus has used so many of you to reflect His truth, mercy, and glory! We are so humbled by the way God weaves His people together, wonderfully reflective of the body of Christ. Thank you for standing firm with us in the beauty of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the abundant hope to which He has called us. We reflect on Your love, Father... the love that extends beyond our boundaries of high and low, near and far. We thank you for filling us with all the fullness of You, even when it isn't always safe and sunny. We glorify You, our Lord, You who are able to do more than the most outstanding thing our brains can fathom! You are to be praised!
He has been gracious in giving us one more day. I believe He has gotten His glory today as well!
It has been a good day...
...and the bilirubin decided to drop 2 more points today!
More faithful than sunrise are You, oh Glorious God!
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 05:40 PM | Comments (43)
"Fasting and Meditation 3"
Thank you, faithful brothers and sisters in the Cross, for your relentless pursuit of God's glory! We have continually been encouraged throughout this morning and afternoon by your prayers and the scriptures the Lord has placed in your hearts to share.
I want to encourage you, if you are somewhere near a radio or some type of music-making device (!), to play a worship chorus, a worship record, play a video of a worship service... in reading through 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, we realize that Jehoshaphat sent out the worship leaders ahead of the people, singing their songs of praise..."give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever." It was when they sang their praises that the armies were ambushed. God delights in the praises of His people, but we must not forget what an effective weapon our worship to Jesus is!
Lord, we are praying for one of your lead worshippers... one of those who goes before the people to prepare the way with praises to You. We lift him up to you now, and we sing songs of your worth, your faithfulness, your beauty, your splendor, your awe-inspiring glory! We worship you, our only worth! We place our trust in you, our only hope!
..."so let Your Glory shine around,
let your Glory shine around
King of Glory, here be found
King of Glory..."
Candi
Posted by Rick at 02:04 PM | Comments (20)
"Fasting and Meditation 2"
a treasure of hope and encouragement from Jeremiah:
"...I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines (or guitars!) and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country Ephraim: 'Arise and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God'... With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel... For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord... I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord."
Lord, may we be radiant over your goodness...may we physically appear different to all those we come in contact with, simply because we have been with You, and we have seen Your goodness! Amen!
p.s. bilirubin is down 5 points today!
Candi
Posted by Rick at 11:54 AM | Comments (19)
9/5/05 "Fasting and Meditation"
Good morning, family of God!
it is good to meditate on the treasures of His word, our daily bread. According to our spiritual armor, our weapon for offense is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..." So we cling to the truths and the promises, the hope of His word as we "Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
We will be posting scriptures throughout the day for meditation and prayer to our God. We pray that He would reveal His perfect and pleasing will to us, and that we would see the Glory of the Lord revealed! Your Kingdom Come, Father...Your will be done!
"...continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
Candi
Posted by Rick at 08:59 AM | Comments (22)
September 04, 2005
9/4/05 "A CALL TO FAST"
Dear friends,
Our Father has burdened each of us here to ask of you a great task. God has spoken to us to "declare a fast" among our friends and fellow prayer warriors, just as King Jehoshaphat did among the people of Judah (2 Chronicles 20:3). We ask that you join us in fasting tomorrow, ending with a corporate time of prayer at 7 pm eastern time. I know that you and we will be on our face throughout the day, but we feel that it is a powerful thing to know that this body interceding for my sweet brother, Rick, is going before the throne at the very same time, all across this country...all across this world!
Here is the cry of our hearts; the cry of King Jehoshaphat when the great armies were approaching him and his people: "Oh Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, "If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you- for your name is in this house- and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save."
Thank you, army of Christ! We are ready for God to reveal His glory in this time. I encourage you to read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 and be amazed by God's direction and provision. I leave you with this last excerpt from verses 15-17:
"...do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem."
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 07:21 PM | Comments (55)
URGENT
Friends,
We've just spoken with Jonathan. PLEASE read Candi's post below. Doctors do not give this family any hope of Rick's recovery. The situation is bleak. There's no more "in a week we need to see..." or anything of the sort. As Jonathan said, "the doctors are done". They are pronouncing this situation irreversible.
Candi has given such a faithful example below of how we need to be praying for this situation. Please do this. Gather people together and storm the throne of God on Rick's behalf. Post your prayers to this website so that others may join you in crying out. We are begging you to make this a priority right now where you are. Though we cannot know the plans of the Father specific to this situation, we do know that His desire is to glorify Himself. He has been bringing glory to Himself for the past several weeks at Northside Hospital with every single person who has come in contact with Rick and his precious family. What is more glorifying than the gathering of His people of one heart and mind begging for His compassion and mercy over Rick and this family...
Please follow Candi's example below and pray for these things fervently and with others. Many of you have asked what you can do...this is what you can do and we need you to be doing it now. We BELIEVE in the power of prayer and BELIEVE God is fully able to do what we ask...we will keep asking...
Jeffrey and Shannon
Posted by Rick at 04:43 PM | Comments (29)
9/4/05 URGENT
Precious Friends,
Thank you for continuing to pray and believe and inquire with us. We now have news from the neurologist to share with you.
It has been one week that Rick has been off of sedation. The neurologist was giving him this time to see if there would be any improvement. Today he has said that it does not look good... the damage, he says, is irreversible. This is not easy for us to hear, yet we know it isn't the final word, either! We feel deeply in our hearts that God is not relenting in urging us to pray. So we will not! I ask you- no, I'm begging you- please join us as we are on our faces before our Father, pleading for the restoration of Rick.
Jesus, we need you desperately! We need your Spirit to be heavy. We need your power to flood my brother, invading the brain that doctors have given up on, coarsing through the veins that need your nourishment. God, we pray that your glory would saturate Rick's room, pouring out into the ICU, throughout the entire hospital. Lord, as we pray to you right now, we pray with wonderfully expectant and beautifully cared-for hearts, knowing that our tears and our prayers are not in vain, knowing that you are in our midst, holding us and holding Rick. We believe you! We trust you! You are worth this! Hear from our hearts, you are worth this! We hold to your promises, to your truth. We hope in You, and we know that you, Healing Savior, have perfect plans for your servants! We believe you for healing and restoration. We are honored to be part of this God-glorifying moment in time! Keep moving, drawing, caring, healing, turning hearts. We will keep our eyes fixed on you, the AUTHOR and PERFECTER of our faith! Glorify!
..."then we will see the Glory of the Lord revealed."
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 03:59 PM | Comments (12)
9/4/05 a.m. update
We are excited to be in corporate worship this morning with some of you who have faithfully prayed and posted your encouragement to us. Rick will be worshipping along with our friends singing on his Ipod! We will be back after services and update you on anything new.
Jesus, you are so trustworthy, so faithful.
We are Yours.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 07:19 AM | Comments (18)
September 03, 2005
9/3/05 p.m. update
Our family,
We are coming to the end of another encouraging day. The small family here- my husband, my parents and sister, my future sister-&-law and her mom- all gathered around a small tv to watch a video of personal testimonies of God's healing power in their lives. It was such a powerful time of strength and hope and rejoicing in our Healing God! We then spent a wonderful time of prayer together, afterward leaving that little room in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit with a renewed hope and excitement.
The doctors have nothing else to add today; more shrugs, half-smiles, and puzzled brains. We don't get it either! How Great is our God that we don't have to! He is continuing to draw His crowd as my brother sleeps. So, we continue to do what we know is best and most effective- pray! Thank you for holding us up in this way. As we watched those stories of God's divine intervention today, what struck us most powerfully was the intense prayer that surrounded each of those individuals. We stand amazed at this same covering that we are so blessed to have surrounding Rick and the family. Thank you.
We'll sleep tonight, resting in Him and the prayers that you offer up on our behalf... and God will receive His glory!
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 06:54 PM | Comments (19)
9/3/05 am update
Good morning!
It sounds so flippant to say, but Rick is the same as yesterday. But let us be reminded of what a miracle that is, in and of itself! We are grateful that, as we woke up to another day of trusting and believing God, Rick was sustained through the night in the strong and very capable arms of our God. My encouragement this morning came from 2 Corinthians 4:7-18. Our "clay pot" bodies may be cracked and bruised, chipped and ready to buckle, but it only helps to highlight this "all surpassing power" of our Savior! "...as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God." (2 Cor. 4:15)
We have no new information about Rick, but we will be updating as soon as we do. Until then, keep praising God for the victory we already have, and keep asking Him for the restoration of Rick's body, blood, and mind. How great to know that we can't ask too much. We can't wear Him out!
Many of you who are not in the Atlanta area are wondering about how you can give platelets/plasma/red blood cells to Rick. Unfortunately, we have no way of getting your donations to him. But, I would LOVE to ask you all, in honor of Rick, to go to your local blood bank and donate blood for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This would be an amazing testimony of yet another way God can and will receive glory in the midst of struggle. I do ask that for those of you who have donated and plan to continue donating platelets to Rick, please do not donate your red blood cells, as this will cause you to be inelligible to donate platelets for 56 days after. To find a blood center in your area, go to www.redcross.org
For those of you in the Atlanta area who want to donate platelets in Rick's name, I'll copy the information to the bottom of this post.
Thank you, our extended family! We are constantly humbled by your faithfulness in prayer!
His.
Candi
To donate platelets:
You must call, FIRST. Do not go down to the hospital until you've called.
Call Sonya Ness at (404) 459-8744 and tell her that you are interested in donating platelets to Rick Pearson. Sonya will conduct a screening interview and if you pass, you will be given an appointment time. Platelets only live for 3-5 days, so everyone cannot go at once. It could take up to 2 hours to donate, so consider this as you are making arrangements with Sonya. You will sit in a recliner and be hooked up to a machine that will draw your blood, spin it and remove the platelets, and then insert your blood back in, minus the platelets. Platelets are universal, so blood type is not an issue. It takes 6 people donating to make 1 bag of platelets, and Rick is going through several bags a day. So...we can never have too many platelets! Depending on who you are and your health, you can donate every three days, up to 24 times a year. Also know that none of your platelets will go to waste, even if Rick doesn't need them at the time. This bank operates solely for the patients in the Critical Care Unit at Northside Hospital. So, someone will use them and be very thankful for them!
Posted by Rick at 09:20 AM | Comments (20)
September 02, 2005
9/2/05 pm update
To the big family,
Today has brought good news and lots of encouragement!
PRAISE GOD for the report for Maggie Scott. We will continue to lift her up on her road to recovery. Keep eating those popsicles, sweet girl!
My precious brother is still breathing on his own, and he is sustaining his heart rate on his own- no medication! Thank You, Jesus. We are overjoyed watching his doctors watch him! What a testimony he is, as they gave us no hope of Rick being with us within a 24 hour period... this was two weeks ago! The doctors are baffled, we are eager and watching, and God is getting all kinds of glory!
It has been a good day.
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 09:38 PM | Comments (36)
9/2/05 Update on Maggie
Friends,
Maggie was significantly worse this morning and there was no rest for us last night. My good friend Shelby felt in her gut that we needed to see a particular doctor for Maggie, so she called and got us an appointment at 11:30 this morning. The doctor took one look at Maggie and began running the same tests from yesterday. She also called the lab and demanded to have the test results faxed to her. None of this "waiting until Tuesday" bit, she said! Maggie's lymphocytes and white blood cell counts were very elevated even between yesterday and today. Her lymph glands behind her ears, on the back of her neck and under her arms are highly swollen as well. She immediately decided we'd be puttting Maggie on steroids to combat the swelling and allow her to eat something which she hasn't been able to do for two days. I expressed concern over waiting until Tuesday to discover if this was Leukemia or Lymphoma and she immediately went to the phone and ordered those test results faxed to her as well. Maggie has no signs of Leukemia or Lymphoma and does not appear to have Hepatitis either! Thanks be to God! The doctor said that her gut was telling her that she does in fact have Epstein Barr virus which has turned itself into Infectious Mononucleosis. This is fairly serious in a 3 year old and will take quite awhile for Maggie to recover from, but she will recover. We consider Shelby's "gut feeling" and this doctor's aggressive approach to be nothing less than the hand of God.
Thank you thank you thank you for your prayers and for dividing prayers between Maggie and Rick for these 24 hours! How comforting to know that God handles all of our pleas with ease. Candi will continue to keep us all posted on Rick's condition as we have a very sick little girl to care for.
We stand united with you all as we pray for God to perform a miracle in Rick's life and wait expectantly for how He will next show us how huge He is. Love and thanks to you all...you are our much extended family.
Jeffrey and Shannon
Posted by Rick at 02:02 PM | Comments (30)
9/2/05 am update
Good morning! We woke up under new mercies, praise God! I came to my computer singing a song about the faithfulness of our Father, thanking Him for the breaths I am taking, grateful for another day to trust Him.
Rick is still in this fight this morning. He is stable. His bilirubin count doesn't seem to know which way is down, however, as it has climbed right back up to 29. Our Savior, please allow this number to drop!
His heart rate seems to slow every 10 hours or so, but his blood pressure remains stable. His nurse said that they think it is a neurological function that isn't getting carried out fully. So we continue to focus our prayers on Rick's brain as this is the hub of activity and can affect so many other bodily functions. Our Healer, we pray for Rick's brain to return to the way you designed it to be, the way You created it when you knit Rick together. Cause his heart to beat steadily and strong, reflecting its Creator!
They have begun giving Rick a medication to enhance the production of his white blood cells. They want them to be more quickly numerous than it seems Rick can produce on his own right now. Our Shield & Defender, would you allow this medicine to stimulate the cells You created to be shields and defenders in our blood. Make them numerous so they can start fighting inside of his body as so many of us are fighting outside.
This is all of the information we have this morning. We should be talking to the Neurologist and the Radiation Oncologist today to get their opinions about Rick's progress, as well as results from recent CAT scans. I will post any new information for you.
Please remember to pray for Jeff, Shannon, and little Maggie.
Thank you for the prayers that are reaching the throne room of God on behalf or Rick. I know God is pleased to see so many of us trusting Him, talking with Him...believing Him! What Glory He is getting!
His.
Candi
Posted by Rick at 07:50 AM | Comments (37)
September 01, 2005
9/1/05 PM Update
hello all,
What an interesting journey we have been on! We continue to be amazed by your tireless prayers and support. Know that you are such an encouragement to us daily, usually moment by moment! For that I say thank you.
Rick is stable today. His bilirubin count is down another point, which brings us to 27. Down is down, so praise God! He is being given medication to keep his heart rate up in the 70-80 range. So continue to direct your prayers toward his sustaining that heart rate. His white cell counts need to start rising, as well his neurological functions. So I think the overall prayer here is for all of these to "pick up the pace!" We have seen improvements daily, tiny as they may be, and we are thankful for ANY improvement! Rick's ventilator has been turned off today, so he is breathing on his own through the trach, which is a welcomed sight! He is fighting, God is holding him, and He remains more faithful than sunrise. We are humbled.
You might notice the style of this post has changed a bit (your biggest clue is that it isn't as good as usual!), and that is because we (Candi & Jonathan) have taken over the postings for a few days.
This brings us to our next bit of news. I find myself, even as I type, trying to figure out if we are perhaps dreaming and need desperately to wake up! We have all relied so much on the tireless efforts of Shannon & Jeffrey Scott during this time. They have been an INVALUABLE lifeline between our family and all of those who have rallied around Rick.
Their 3 year old daughter, Maggie, has not been feeling well recently . Today they took her to have some tests done, and the doctors found that she has low platelets, an enlarged liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. They are running a long list of tests on her, including epstein-barr, hepatitis, and leukemia, but Jeffrey & Shannon will not get the results from these until Tuesday or Wednesday.
They are in desperate need of your prayers right now... for peace in their ever-racing minds and hearts, for extended wisdom to doctors, & for God's hand to be evident in this situation. We have seen the power of prayer!
Now we ask that you join Shannon & Jeffrey in the trenches to battle on behalf of their daughter.
We know that God is not at all suprised by Maggie's sickness. May we hold to the truth that He has the whole world in His hands!
His.
Candi & Jonathan
Posted by Rick at 03:32 PM | Comments (51)