The best place to end ...

 It has been an emotional rollercoaster the last 12 years and this I believe will be one of my, if not THE, last post here about Sammi! Thank you so much for all the love, prayers, shoulders to cry on and just listening to my rants and raves for 12 (good grief TWELVE!!) years. it just hit me that our Sammi was 12 when this happened and he is now 24, so I have been writing about our journey with brain injury for half of our sons life. what a perfect way to come full circle and end this part of his story here! 

Our Sam was in the Adult and Teen Challenge  (ATC) Program for a year, where he worked hard to overcome his addictions and build a new relationship with our Lord! It was a hard fought year at times and it was never boring! We not only got to see our son grow and flourish, we grew our own hearts as we met and added many more to our family!  we got to know and become family to so many of the students in the program (both the mens centre and the women's in Brandon). We made wonderful friends with some of the staff at ATC. 

As Sam got closer to finishing the program he had many moments of reflection and 'this is how its going to go' moments ... BUT GOD... and when God steps in to clear your thoughts, step back! 

Sam lived with us for a while once he got out of the program (he finished in April), he found an amazing job in Crystal City - welding even! And looked for a place there and eventually found one nearby his job! He works for a godly company that isn't scared to say it or show it! And we all couldn't be happier about it! Shortly after Sam started he wound up with 6 weeks off after a double hernia surgery - and since Dennis and I were moved into our motorhome already we moved to Crystal City (where Sam was living in  his brothers camper trailer) to help him during his recovery. 

During his time with this company, Samuel made the decision to follow Jesus and be baptized, so here is where I will leave the blog - beginning with what we called Samuels second birthday, since we got to se him relearn how to do everything all over again to his new BIRTHday and new life with Christ! His baptism, where all he needs to learn and do now is to trust, obey and follow His Saviour! 

Thank You Abba for being a Father who cares about ALL the things in our lives; the big, the small, the pretty, the ugly, the ups and downs... ALL of the things! Thank You Papa for being faithful to follow this tragedy to rejoicing, to go from despair to joy, from broken to healed ...Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. I know there are still miles to go but he is now going those miles with You. I pray he will continue on this road with You, Jesus, and as he shares his story, I pray that it is ONLY YOU that people see in his miracles! And that they rejoice.

Thank You Father. For it all, because I had to lean and rely on You as well and I know I could have done a better job at that and so many other things, but without You it would have been an even wilder ride I am sure. Its all because of You. Al this I pray and rejoice and praise in YOUR name! Amen

 Sammi's testimony!                                 

 Sammi's baptism!

I will continue post as I will about my daddy. He is still in the care home and our visits are few and far between right now due to covid and changing rules it seems all the time! My concern with him is what he actually retains mentally. Does he realize I am not there as much? As Dennis and I prepare to for our 6 months in Mexico with YWAM will he notice I am not there? He is getting more and more quiet when we see him, he aspirates more and more too it seems (which is "normal" for him). 

If you are interested in following Dennis and I on our God adventure to Mazatlan Mexico with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) you can check out our new blog/website at God, the Ginters and You  and you can subscribe to updates there too! 

Thank you for being a part of this great journey of Brain Injury with me, Sam, my Daddy and the rest of our family! We truly did and do appreciate it all! 

Until next time...

and so it begins ...

so Sam has now officially finished high school ... yay... umm  I mean YAY!!! I am so proud of him and glad he has finally finished and is able to start working on living his life.... on one hand... and yet on the other I am scared, nervous and sick about him starting this life.
He has a job now and drives 30 miles to it. he wears a uniform and is in the produce section of a local grocery, which is all fine and dandy. BUT did he remember to put on his papers about his BI, his chance of seizures, his issues with sometimes forgetting simple things or his sundowing if he is tired and is starting a shift on a later part of the day, what about when he has a braininjury moment....

i could go on and on over my concerns and worries. I try very hard to remember Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV) but sometimes it creeps in. 
He HAS had jobs before and he has done amazing with them, but they have all been for family or friends who understand where he is coming from. 

I also worry about his future with regards to his future bride... I know I am jumping the gun here HUGELY... but I am his mama and I want her to understnad what this wonderful man has had to overcome and continue to overcome to get along day to day.... 

I worry about him driving when he is tired, about him when he is out in crowds and they get to be too much for him...

i guess it all comes down to it is time for me to start cutting these apron strings... he is growing up and will be soon moving out (hopefully not too far away) and I will miss him.... 

i worry, I am a mom, so I am pretty sure that it is written in my job description somewhere.... if its not I may have deifinitely it penciled in .... 

how do i start to let him go? I lean on Dennis ... a lot ... i mean A LOT. i sit and try hard to not cry when I think about it and i pray... and pray and pray...

for Sam

his future

his job

his future relationships and one day wife

for me to be able to handle this new stage gracefully without holding him too tight or causing him to run from us....

if you have any advice I am all ears...