12/15/2009 09:33:00 PM

Prayer Request: UPDATE on Jimmy

Posted by Josh Stringer

It's 9:33 pm. I just got back from the U of L hospital. Jimmy had just gotten out of his 3rd surgery a few hours before. John and I got to go back to the ICU and see him. John explained a lot to me. Jimmy was walking home on Sunday night and came up on a few guys. This part is a little sketchy as far as details go. There was only so much the the police told John. He was basically in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was shot 8 times in the abdominal area. One of the bullets severed his femoral artery (the huge artery that goes from the heart to the leg). He was still conscious when the cops got there and was able to give a description of the shooter before he went out. When the femoral artery is severed you can bleed out in a matter of minutes. When Jimmy got to the ER the doctors were amazed he was even alive. Throughout the next several hours he was given 48 units of blood. 48!! That doesn't include the plasma. The doctors told John and the family that it looked grim and to expect the worst. However, people were praying. He survived the first surgery. Then the next. Then the next. The doctors saved both of his legs and he is now in an induced coma. He's on a respirator but could breath on his own if it were ok for him to be awake. He's in stable condition, but not totally out of the woods. Its a very real miracle that he's alive.


Thank you for those of you who are praying. Keep praying for Jimmy, the doctors, and his family. Jimmy is a new and growing believer, but his family members are not Christians. He is a member of a great church (Emmanuel Baptist Church) and his community group is really ministering to the family (food, places to sleep, laundry, etc.). So pray that God would bring his family to salvation through this whole experience. Tonight I really got to see the family of God BE the family of God. Their light was so shining in a way that they were drawing the lost to the Lord. AMEN!!

So tonight was very encouraging. It was great to hang out with John. We talked about serious stuff and about very light hearted, spirit lifting stuff. It was a good time. Pray for John that he could continue to pastor and love this family. He'll need strength and a strong, alert mind. Pray for endurance and wisdom. He will be able to give great counsel to Jimmy's family.

I'll post more updates as I hear about them.

12/15/2009 05:04:00 AM

URGENT Prayer Request

Posted by Josh Stringer

It's 5:05 AM, on Tuesday morning. I'm getting ready for work. I noticed that I had a voicemail on my phone from late last night. It was John Tucker (Canadian John... read about him below). He is involved in a ministry to men who are saved out of really rough, and most of the time homeless backgrounds. The ministry provides these men with a structured environment and a place to live. John lives with these guys in a big house right next door to the church they attend in downtown Louisville. Its not the best part of town. One guy in particular is named Jimmy. I've met Jimmy several times. He came to stay with John for a few weeks when John lived across from us. He's a great guy with a rough past. Jesus changed his life. Last night Jimmy was shot. I don't know all the details. Only what John left on my phone. He said its "touch and go" at this point. Pray that Jimmy lives. I don't really know what else to write about it, but I'm just asking for your prayers for this brother.

12/12/2009 06:29:00 PM

Shana's Update: Oh How I love Life.

Posted by Shana Stringer

Truett turns 17 weeks tomorrow. I can hardly believe it. I simply love this little guys so much, I am so thankful everyday for the gift to stay home and be a mom and wife. It makes life so much happier.

This was a very eventful past couple of weeks. We said goodbye to two people (I guess it all starts now). Everybody is in a bit of transition here at Seminary so we always knew that goodbyes would happen, but it is sad that they have started already, time really flies by. We went to dinner last Friday with our friend John Tucker. Also known as Canadian John. He graduated and is headed back north to Pastor a church. We are super sad to see him go, I know Josh is going to miss him a bunch, he was his bike riding partner amongst many other things.


Here is one of the few family pics we have. We have tons of pictures of Truett and Josh or Truett and Me, but none of us all together. So, we went to a going away party for yet another one of my friends here and got a shot of us together too. Look at Truett he is so stinking cute.

Here are all my neighbor moms. Also known as the Red Umbrella Ladies. They have become some of my closest friends. Here we are pictured at a going away party for one of them, Sarah (dark hair, back right). They really have been such a blessing to me. We see each other everyday since we lived next door, below, or above each other. They have become almost like sisters. Sarah is the first to leave, and I am super sad. Thinking back to our first day moving in, Sarah was the first one to greet me and welcome me to the neighborhood. We became friends instantly. She has 2 adorable girls and one boy (picture here). Another really great thing, is that we were all pregnant this last round together. Here we are pictures with all our babies. Rachel (in the middle) has since had her baby. It has been such a blessing to have a group of moms right around the corner. To run to their doorstep with an open diaper asking what was on my son's butt. To share a cup of oil or flour. We have sat outside for hours under the red umbrella talking about whatever the wind blew. Sarah has taken the red umbrella with her to her new home. Who knows when the warmer months come where we will sit next. This really is an amazing period in my life. I am so glad that we added on to our family while in this environment. To be surrounded with women like these is such a blessing. Women who love the Lord, love their children, respect their husbands, and are honest as the day is long. I am going to miss Sarah so much, but I guess this is only the beginning of us all going our separate ways. My only hope is that we stay in touch as we spread out.


12/08/2009 05:16:00 PM

Jesus Held For Ransom

Posted by Josh Stringer

I saw this on my friend Andy Darnell's blog (link on the right). Isn't this why Martin Luther started the Reformation? So people like Jean don't have to depend on statues of Jesus to protect her dogs' right to poopie? This video cracks me up!

12/08/2009 08:17:00 AM

Truett Videos: Laughter heals all things!

Posted by Shana Stringer

Here are some more videos of the most adorable kid on this planet. Can you tell we can't get enough of his laughter.

Us playing at my work on campus.


Josh playing with Truett.


Me playing with Truett.

12/07/2009 04:38:00 PM

It has begun...

Posted by Josh Stringer

Well. Its winter. yay. Winter.

I took this on my phone this morning. Yay. Snow.

12/02/2009 03:00:00 PM

Obama's War Decision

Posted by Josh Stringer

I haven't had much time to pay attention to Obama's plan for Afghanistan or the war in general, but I think I got the idea of what he's saying. To the Dems he's sounding more like Bush and to the GOP his pre-planned exit strategy is telling the bad guys our plans. Here's my quick theory on his plan and why its changed since his election campaign: When he was on the campaign trail he was planning out of ignorance. He made promises that he didn't know he couldn't keep. There were probably a lot of things going on behind the scenes that was so top secret that he had no idea about. That's probably the reason that Bush had to make some of his decisions about the war. There's so much stuff going on that we don't have any idea about. Once Obama was elected and got all the information he had to change his tune. Notice that when he got elected he didn't touch the war topic for a while. I know the economy was/is pressing, but he never mentioned it even in the face of pressure. Why? He was briefed on ALL of the information that he didn't have prior to becoming the commander and chief. He had to change his position. If that's the case, and I realize that this is totally my opinion, he should just tell us that he's gotten new information that he can't disclose that's caused him to change. It makes sense. It also makes Bush look a lot less stupid for his decisions. Anyway, that's just my opinion.

12/02/2009 09:20:00 AM

Shana's Update: Thanksgiving

Posted by Shana Stringer

Dean and Judy came up for the week of Thanksgiving. We had a really great time. Truett was definitely the main event because all we did was hang out pretty much. We had a really good time. As always really good food too. Here are some videos from the week. Truett was always our center piece at the table and we all had a lot of fun with him. As you can see two of the videos are him in the bumbo on the dining room table.


Here is one with Dean playing with Truett. Dean seems to have the touch to always make Truett laugh.



Here is Judy with Truett talking his head off.


Truett at the dinner table again.

12/01/2009 07:32:00 PM

Shana's Update:Toby Mac

Posted by Shana Stringer

Most of you who know me that I am a fan of Toby Mac's music. Well, we took our students to the Winter Slam where he was playing along with some other great artists. We had a really great time. We even took Truett. No worries his head was full of cotton, but I am sure I got a few crazy looks from people wondering why I had a baby there. I only saw one other baby there besides mine.


Right now this is my favorite song of his. You can hear me jamming to this while driving down the street occasionally. Or hear me jamming with this in the ipod as I clean house.


You can see all of us jamming.

P.s. I said jamming a lot. :)

12/01/2009 12:55:00 PM

Truett Video: Dance Dance

Posted by Shana Stringer

Last Friday the Joneses were out of town (they live below us) so we thought it was a good opportunity to pull out the Dance Dance Revolution game for our students. We had a really good time. Here is Scott playing with Truett.


This video is to get back at Josh for my drumming Rock Band video. If you haven't seen that you can check out our youtube videos for it.