Happy New Year

Christmas Day 2012 at home.

Wishing you all richest blessings in new year; praying that you will know God's peace and strength in your lives in the coming months especially as many of you, we know, are facing uncertain days ahead with health, employment and family problems. We think of you all.
Thank you also for the cards and good wishes sent to Andy, Emma and all the family.
We  (Andy's Mum and Dad) were so happy to be able to spend Christmas in Bournville with Andy and Emma in their own home. We were joined by Emma's parents Pam and David, her brother Richard and friends Norma and Joan. It was a very special day of celebration, so good to be able to be together at home; so different from the previous year when Andy was in hospital, very poorly. So much to celebrate and to be thankful for. 
New Year was spent in Burscough with Andy's family; his sister Tina and her husband Keith, brother Paul and his new wife Katie, not forgetting nephews Luke and Jake; again a special time for us all to be together. We thank God for Andy's on-going recovery and the many blessings of the past year. 
It was really good for Andy to be part of all the preparations for Christmas, shopping for gifts and organising the food. Andy enjoyed all the festive meals able to chew and swallow (with care) every type of food including meat and party snacks.  
Looking forward, Andy now has his new saeboflex 'gloves' thanks to the great generosity of Castle View Dental Practice staff and patients who sponsored Stracy in her run for Andy. He has begun OT using the saeboflex to enable him to use his hands and fingers and retrain the muscles to work voluntarily. 
Andy has been having problems associated with the drug Baclofen used to reduce muscular spasms and is looking into the possibility of having a pump fitted to deliver the drug directly to the skeletal muscles thus avoiding the unpleasant side effects of taking Baclofen orally. Fitting the pump will involve a stay in hospital which is rather daunting - please pray for this.
Andy has made tremendous progress over the past year and is now much stronger physically, with speech and swallowing doing particularly well. He is exercising shoulders, arms and legs to enable him to sit and transfer from bed to chair and chair to car seat. His long term goal is to be able to sit in a new car but there are many short term goals to achieve first - being able to sit with less support, to push up on his arms and to get his feet flat on the floor. Please pray for Andy - for the faith, courage and strength to achieve these goals - to remain positive and motivated through the months ahead. 

'God is my strength and power; and he makes my way perfect.' 
(2 Samuel 22:33) 

'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'  (Philippians 4:13)

'For with God nothing shall be impossible'  (Luke 1:17)

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the continued prayer, love and support you have shown Andy, Emma and all the family over the past 14 months; your faith and dedication have sustained us and we thank the Lord for you all. 
God bless you.