Amazing Grace: 03/23 Memories

Friday, March 23, 2007

03/23 Memories

Annie got a very restfull sleep last night and today they are going to get her up in a chair and hopefully start giving her food! So the progress looks good and just keep those prayers coming.

We want to invite you all to comment whenever/wherever you want, but also to share a funny memory or story you had with Annie so that when Annie is able to look back at this website, she can see all of your stories, as we informed you of her story.

So please whenever you can, check these updates on her progress but also leave Annie some love! Thanks & God bless.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not.
In all your ways be mindful of him, and He will make straight your paths."
-Proverbs 3:5-6

7 comments:

Anonymous said...: Annie - We are lifting you up in prayer each day here in Florida. Each school day you have over 100 students praying for you! Mrs. Jonas and I were having fun remembering our productions with you - Tom n' Huck, Snow White and Pinnochio. You were so great and SO funny. We hope each day you grow stronger and stronger. You are such a gift to everyone who knows you. Big hugs to you and your family. Lots of Love...
The Shillers; March 23, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Anonymous said...: We'll buddy,
I know I haven't really met you but i hope to soon. Im coming up to seattle this weekend. If it happens it happens. We've been praying for you lots down here in Oregon. We had a retreat and even had a time just to think of you. So yep. God Bless you and your family. -John Mitchell (aka. emily's friend); March 23, 2007 at 6:54 PM
The Munoz Family said...: Dear Annie,
After spending 30 minutes of going around and around looking for a giraffe, we finally got to meet your wonderful grandparents, Bob & Ann. We saw you in their faces, in the shinning of their eyes when they smile and in their voices as they talked about you. How beautiful you are to live in the hearts of those around you, near and far.
In God's Amazing Love,
The Munoz Family; March 23, 2007 at 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey there Annie,

Prayers and good thoughts are coming to you from sunny and warm (75 degrees)Arizona.

We are Michele Ahearns Mom and Dad or as we like to be called by our grandbabies Nana and Papa Virgo.

We hope someday in your future you can come and visit us, pick fresh oranges from our tree and sit on our patio watching the hummingbirds fly around our feeder drinking a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. By the way your family can come too!

We'll be checking in and following your progress and praying for your quick recovery!!!!

Mike and Lee Virgo; March 24, 2007 at 11:58 AM
Anonymous said...: Annie, I am so excited that you are doing so well. We pray for you every day in class. The kids are all so interested in your progress. Keep up the great work. I have a suprise guest who would like to write you a message. Take good care of yourself. Love and prayers.
Ms. Gary

Hey Annie,
It's Emily Stone-Zipse! I haven't talked to you in so long...I have been praying for you every single day. I hope that you continue to recover so that we can hang out and have fun like we used to at HFK. I will be keeping you in my prayers and thoughts...take care Annie.
Love,Emily Stone-Zipse; March 24, 2007 at 12:08 PM
dcat said...: My group is praying for you Annie!; March 24, 2007 at 2:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Queen Anna Margaret!

Well, I think I could write for days about the many memories I cherish and the friendship we have built. Instead of boring you with all that sentimental business, I will sum it up with one simple, yet very meaningful sentence:

"I would shave my head for you anyday."

I love you more than you could ever know.

mary; March 24, 2007 at 3:37 PM

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Annie's Witness

When I was born, I was diagnosed with a disease called Alagille syndrome. This disease affected my heart, kidneys, and liver. My heart valve didn’t work right so when I was just over a year old I had a surgery to repair it. When the doctors did that they also discovered that the arteries going from my heart to my lungs were constricted. So over the past 15 years I have had several surgeries to attempt to improve my flow. Just this past September, while I was in the hospital with liver problems, they did a more aggressive procedure and for the first time I had near normal flow from my heart. That heart procedure was a bit of a miracle, because if it had not been successful I would not have been eligible for a liver transplant.My liver has caused me the most problems since I was born. Because it has not functioned normally, I have had brittle bones, been constantly itchy, tired, run down, and I had trouble growing. I had scabs all over my body from the itching. And I had these bumps or deformations on my elbows. I have yellow skin and yellow eyes from the bile that is in my liver. I remember when I went to kindergarten when I was 5, and was worried that the kids were going to make fun for the yellow skin and eyes, for the scabs and the bumps, and that they would not accept me. That is another great story – the kids and teachers at Holy Family were very understanding and supportive. The love I felt there was amazing. I had such great friends and teachers, and I felt so accepted and loved. About a year ago my liver really started to shut down. I started being more tired and run down, and by last September I was unable to go to school I was so tired. I ended up in the hospital a couple of times in September and October. I only went to Bishop Blanchet a couple of days in September and since then I have been home. I was heartbroken that I wasn’t going to be able to go back to school and finish my senior year. But I knew in my heart that God had a plan for me, I don’t know what it is, but I trust that it will be for the greater good. Knowing that helps me when I realize I can’t go back to high school. Right now I am on a waiting list for a liver transplant. In order to get better I need a new liver because there is nothing the doctors can do to repair mine.One thing I have done since I was a little is to pray. You might find this a bit funny, but I have not really prayed to God for my own healing. It didn’t seem right for me to pray for myself because I thought it would be selfish. I saw more people that I thought needed the prayer more than me. I learned very young I could offer up my prayer and my suffering for others. For example, when I was in 2nd grade I had to start taking shots. Initially it was twice a week, and then it was every day. The shots hurt me a lot and I remember how painful they were. Then I started offering up my shots for others in need. Each night before my shot I would say a prayer and then offer it up for someone in need. Offering up my shots didn’t take away the pain or the fear, but it did help me to bring some good out of it. I believe that offering up my pain to God was a strong and helpful prayer for others.Now that I have been cooped up at home since last September, I offer up every day for people in need. I have offered it up for my family members and friends. And it seems that the more I pray for them the more people I see who are in need of prayer.I have learned that God can use everything for the good, even sickness. I am actually grateful for the struggles because it has brought so much good in my life. I have been surrounded by some really great friends and supported by their love. Being sick all my life, it would be easy to think that I would become depressed and down. But that is not the case. I have much joy and peace and I am filled with happiness. I have strength to continue on each day. I know this is all a gift from God, a grace. I have felt God in my life from when I was very young. I have experienced many small miracles where he has touched my life and healed me physically or given me peace, joy and strength in the midst of struggles. God has been at my side and is still at my side. All of us have struggles in our lives. It is not always poor health like I have had. It might be struggles within your family, it might be personal addictions, or it might be worries over someone close to you. But it is important to know that God is by your side just like he has been by my side. I have found that I need to trust God; I need to turn to him in prayer in order to be able to know that he is by my side. I think God wants us to turn to him in our troubles; he wants us to take a step towards him through prayer. And when we do take a little step towards God, he takes a big step towards us and picks us up and holds us in his arms and blesses us with his grace. If I could give you any advice it would be this. Turn to God. Reach out to him in prayer. Share your troubles with Him. And trust him that he will help you. And don’t be disappointed if he doesn’t answer you the way you want. In the long run his answer will be better than you could have asked for. If he had healed me completely when I was two years old, or ten years old, I would not be the person I am today. I would not be as close to him, I would not be filled with so many of his gifts. I am ever so grateful to God for all he as done for me. And I know that what he wants for me is good, I just have to learn to put my trust in him and I know he will take care of me.

Amazing Grace

Friday, March 23, 2007

03/23 Memories

7 comments:

Annie's Senior Photo 2007

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