"Woe unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil!" - Isaiah 5:20 ... See MoreSee Less

Craig Day 46

Brooklyn rested well last night and enjoyed sleeping in. She loves catching up with her friends on the weekends. We are so thankful for all her relationships and the blessing her friends are by staying in touch with her while she is gone. The highlight of our day was a family visit with Tyler. Tyler’s girlfriend, Bobbi, was also able to join us. Brothers and sisters have a special bond and these two are no different. Our time at Craig is especially hard for Tyler as he is not allowed to be in the hospital and cannot hug/touch B at our family visits due to COVID. Loving someone 6 feet apart is hard. Only seeing them in person twice a week is hard. Human touch is vital. They both anxiously await the day we are discharged so that they can catch up on all their hugs and visit closer than 6 feet!

BPWs:
1. Brooklyn’s healing: every nerve, tendon, ligament, muscle. FULL restoration of her body. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
2. New sensations, new movement. Anything new brings all of us such encouragement, but especially B. She is discouraged that nothing “new” has occurred for awhile.
3. Healthy skin. She has had a sore on her sacrum (right above tail bone) that is taking awhile to heal.(not a major concern at this point, just watching it each day). B asks you to pray it heals quickly.
4. New catheter. Brooklyn will undergo a small outpatient procedure Tuesday(tomorrow) morning to receive a subrapubic catheter. This catheter will allow for greater independence, ease of use and less chance of infection. Brooklyn asks for your prayers that the procedure and brief recovery goes well.
5. OT times (MST): M, 1:00, Tu 2:00, W 11:00, TH 3:00, F 2:00

BStrong in the Word:

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 (NLV) “This is the reason we do not give up. Our human body is wearing out. But our spirits are getting stronger every day. The little troubles we suffer now for a short time are making us ready for the great things God is going to give us forever. We do not look at the things that can be seen. We look at the things that cannot be seen. The things that can be seen will come to an end. But the things that cannot be seen will last forever.”

Hebrews 13:14-15 “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”

We are all homesick. We miss being together as a family of 4, we miss Lubbock, our friends, our home, our dog, our LC family, our LCU family and our Sunset family. We know this is where we need to be and we know we won’t be in Denver forever. But we still miss home. Home is where I feel most comfortable. Home is safe. Home is familiar. We are hundreds of miles from home. The distance and our temporary unfamiliar home is unsettling to me. This valley is DIFFICULT enough but being away from home has added to the difficulty.

There are times when I am trying to comfort Brooklyn and I feel so helpless as her momma. I beg God to give me what I need. To give B what she needs. It is excruciating watching her go through this. It is gut wrenching hearing her cries and questions. We are in a season of suffering.

I struggle because the suffering is overwhelming and seems never ending. Yet, scripture tells me otherwise (truth). This world is temporary. This suffering is temporary. And nothing in this world can compare to the glory of our eternal home: Heaven. All I know is to speak these TRUTHS over and over and over.

I have never felt more homesick in my life. As I think about home, I keep hearing the “old” song, “This World is Not My Home.” The past 2 months it has become much more apparent to me that this world truly is temporary and is NOT our final destination. Praise God for that! I confess I have been much too comfortable on this earth. I have been content to live day to day focusing on all the things I can see around me. And yet those are the things that will not last. God’s desire is for me to focus on the unseen/eternal things. Trials and suffering certainly put things in perspective. I wish it didn’t take hardships to learn that lesson. Heaven seems much more “real” and I long to meet our Father face to face in my forever home. What a day that will be! No more suffering. No more pain. No more homesickness.

We will not give up. We will continue to offer praise to our Father. We will continue to proclaim our allegiance to His name. There is no other way we can survive this. God is Good. God is faithful. God has us. That is truth.

We love our BPW family and thank God for blessing us in this way.

Speaking God’s Truths,
Brooklyn, Tyler, Tonia and David ... See MoreSee Less

Craig Day 45

The Lords Day. Even in this storm we draw strength from re-focusing on this first day of the week. I know Gods great design intends for us to gather together as a family on Sunday. The pandemic has forced our assemblies to look a little different than any of us have ever known or experienced. Some of our Christian family members have not been able to physically assemble with the body for over five months, while other Christians remain in a fairly isolated environment that does allow a physical worship assembly. This week I was so excited to learn that over thirty of our Christian family in India are gathering regularly via virtual technology to engage in Biblical course completion. I also learned from a former student now serving as a missionary in Mexico, that she and fifty of our Mexican sisters had spent 24-hours in prayer for Brooklyn. Christians continue to find a way to glorify God and lift one another up in the name of Jesus. The Boyer family draws immense strength and encouragement from these messages.

God WINS (forever)! Satan loses (eternally)!

You probably already know what Brooklyn is doing this weekend - - - S.L.E.E.P.
The week is designed to be strenuous as Craig addresses every aspect of rehabilitation for their patients. Brooklyn gets to sleep late and then she spends the remainder of the day catching up with communication. An encouraging pile of mail and packages, FaceBook, Instagram, SnapChat, iMessages, and a few select FaceTime calls. Yesterday she was so proud to get her “new notifications” down to 13, but a few moments later she returned to her phone and found 60 new ones. This consistent level of love and support is one of the ways that God reminds us that He is HERE. You are Jesus’ hands and feet and you continue to encourage us each day.

While there are still other specific points of prayer that will return this week, we continue to ask our Great Physician for signs of progress to Brooklyns complete healing. I can personally guarantee that our warrior has not slacked off for one second. We know that our job is to give our very best effort, work hard, and trust that God will do His thing. Waiting doesn’t get any easier, but God is still here, and He alone will be praised.

BPWs:

1. FULL, COMPLETE, LACKING NOTHING, HEALING: She is resting her body this weekend, but her mind and spirit continue to long for the encouragement and hope that comes from physical progress.

BStrong in the Word: Psalms‬ ‭94:18-19‬ ‭NIV

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
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As previously mentioned, our daily support is absolutely essential. Many of you have expressed your gratitude for our daily updates. Our prayer warriors are essential. Nothing we do has any merit without blessings from above and we know that God hears each and every prayer. These daily updates are essential because we feel like this extended Christian family is praying for a common goal. We are united.

Some of you have expressed concern for Brooklyn’s caregivers and Tonia and I certainly feel (and need) your prayers and support each day. We get to see each other for about 15 minutes in B’s room each morning at shift change. Due to current regulations, a minor is allowed one caregiver every 24-hours. You cannot come and go, and once signed in, you must remain for at least 24-hours. We text a great deal so we are in near-constant communication, but we do miss each other as well. We’ve been married for 28 years and we’ve never been apart for this long. God has allowed one of us to remain with Brooklyn at all times here at Craig and for this blessing we are eternally grateful. Each day as we part, one of us will say, “We won’t be here forever. God’s got us!”.

When I am “on duty” with Brooklyn, there is nothing else in the world that really matters as much as she does. Everything else fades into oblivion and she is my focus. She has a contagious smile and her work ethic is impeccable. Everyone here loves to be around B, but this rehabilitation is intense. Leave no doubt, when she finally falls asleep at night, I am exhausted as well. Sleep on the cot in her room is a welcome respite from an energy-depleting day.

When I am off-duty, the short walk away from Craig is frankly a little depressing. I’m leaving both of “my girls” in an environment where I cannot help them in any way. They are in excellent hands, but this feeling of helplessness does surface each day. Back in our apartment I will usually shower, finish laundry, catch up on work/personal email, phone calls, and then spend time in devotional and composition of the daily update. Often there are a few errands to run and the preparation for a dinner delivery for T and B. The Craig bistro is excellent, but we really try to “feed the beast” (Brooklyn, not T) each evening with the highest caloric meal she can order-out. After the meal delivery, then I’ll eat a bite and prepare for our goodnight ritual which often consists of a FaceTime call from a location in close proximity and a view of her Craig window. Then off to sleep for all of us to start the cycle again tomorrow.

Finally, each day I listen to the song (I will Praise Your Name) that I have linked within this post. It serves as an expression of so many of thoughts and also re-focuses any frustrations. This song was written by one of my former students (Josh Wheeler, now LCU colleague) and many of the members of the singing group (Legacy) were also students in my LCU classroom at some point. It adds such an element of depth to the words and meaning when you personally know those who sing the words. These men may not know it, but this song is a message from my heart, to our God, every day.

Tonia and I are so very blessed at every turn, but we long for our return home soon. Brooklyn summed it up well yesterday when she told a friend on a FaceTime call, “I can’t wait to get home, but there’s so much more progress that can be made here before we leave”. We remain faithful and we look forward to our return home, but God has more HUGE things planned here at Craig, and beyond.

We anxiously await His “show” and we praise Him each and every hour of each and every day.

Blessed beyond measure,

Brooklyn, Tyler, Tonia, and David

(I Will Praise Your Name - Legacy)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4LOUbGSQ6I&feature=youtu.be ... See MoreSee Less

Craig Day 43

Brooklyn is an athlete.

We first noticed this years ago in her first gymnastics class. There was a large “pit” of giant cushions that the little gymnasts would love to jump into after they had scaled the wall and reached the highest platform. Nearly all of the children could eventually reach the highest point after diligently placing their hands and feet in the strategic holds along the wall. Some would struggle and eventually give up, but most would invest pain-staking efforts and use every ounce of ability to reach the plateau. Brooklyn would simply scale the wall like a “spider-monkey”. It appeared that she would effortlessly use her upper body arm strength to make the climb and seldom even plant her feet. Early in her life we knew that she had been blessed with some physical ability to accompany her strong sense of competition and determination.

Fast forward a few years and we eventually learned that she actually loved volleyball, but she would at least compete in track, only at the request of her coaches and parents. Daily she is mindful of her volleyball teammates as they prepare for this year and she is looking forward to returning home in time to cheer them on this season.

Brooklyn has competed in multiple track and field events: long jump, triple jump, 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, and pole vault. Not bad for a young lady who really doesn’t like track. Notice that none of these events require long distance running. (More on that later). In her freshman year, near the end of the season, her coaches asked her if she would like to “try” the pole vault. The team needed to score additional points in the district meet and every participant could help. Well, you might not know much about pole vault, but it’s NOT easy. There are many technical aspects involved when you launch yourself into the air off of a pole with the intent of clearing a bar that may be 7’ or more off of the ground. Her response when coach asked if she was interested, “Sure, if you can talk my parents into it”. So she had some intense lessons, picked up a pole, competed a few weeks later in district, and then promptly went on to compete at the state level her 9th and 10th grade year. (Track season was cancelled due to COVID during her Junior year).

I just wanted you to see into the character of our warrior. She has always embraced a challenge and her competitive nature will not allow her to give anything less than her best. Remember my previous reference to endurance? As I was leaving her room this morning, I asked for any special prayer requests for the BPW‘s. Brooklyn stated that she would like everyone to pray for her ENDURANCE. She gives 100% each and every day and this rehabilitation and healing takes a tremendous amount of energy. Due to her spinal cord injury, if one particular muscle becomes weary, that translates into her entire body interpreting fatigue. There is no way to push through and count on other muscles because they have all received the “fatigue” notification. She had depleted her energy reserves last night, but she knew she had to “mentally prepare” for today’s classes, a restful weekend, and another grueling week to come. Here are the specific requests for her prayer warriors.

BPWs:
1. FULL, COMPLETE HEALING...in a Big GOD way! Let’s Go, God!
2. Endurance for the coming week.
3. OT, Time (MST) Fri, 3:00
4. New sensations/movements serving as God’s encouragement to her.
5. Emotional/mental health for the entire Boyer family.
6. Healthy skin, no pressure/hot spots. Thankfulness for this.

BStrong in the Word: 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭(NIV‬)

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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God speaks to us through His words in the Bible. This scripture points out three action words: work, labor, and endurance. Almost anyone can understand what these three action words mean, but the motivation behind these words is at the core of this passage. Work is produced by faith, labor prompted by love, endurance inspired by hope.

FAITH+++LOVE+++ HOPE

These three concepts result in the aforementioned actions. We all know that our Heavenly Father is the reason that we have faith, love, and hope. We know that Brooklyn has exemplified these three traits countless times over these past two months. She is requesting prayers for the coming days as she knows that ENDURANCE (inspired by HOPE) will be necessary. I greatly appreciate your joining us in honoring this request of the Great Physician.

As I consider the current state of our nation and world, I am mindful that there are many lost souls that do not know our Savior. This pandemic has robbed many people of “time”, because they have had to worry about various aspects of life. So many things over which we have no control. Trying to plan for a future that is unknown with a target that has not even been identified. That is a recipe for doubt and fear that has been perfectly concocted by the devil himself. Satan is alive and well in this world. But God has already conquered him. It’s my prayer for you today, that you can pause for a few minutes to reflect on Gods presence in your life.

God knew you would be where you are today before you got here.
God is here with you right now.
God knows where you will be in the future.

He has promised he will never leave us and He longs for us to cling to Him no matter our circumstance. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24.15). God will be praised in this storm and He will be praised in the victory.

We love and appreciate each of you and the enormous outpouring of love and support the we continually receive.

Brooklyn, Tyler, Tonia, and David ... See MoreSee Less

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Craig Day 41

After a long day of working hard, we got to have a MUCH needed family visit. We hadn’t been all together as a family in a few weeks so this visit was refreshing. We even got to have an extra hour of time because the visits after our slot canceled (No coincidence). Even in the brief time I have been gone, it was amazing to see the improvement B has made. Even though we have not had a major milestone in a while, she blew me away with how much better and more coordinated some of her movement is. She’s a rockstar and we had so much fun getting to catch up and talk about life since we last got to see each other.

BPW:
1. FULL, COMPLETE HEALING! IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!
2. Celebration and praise for ‘all clear’ check ups thus far
3. Water Therapy. Today is the day. We have been fully cleared. 4:00pm MST
4. OT - Th 11:00, F 3:00 MST
5. Emotional/Mental Health
6. Healthy skin checks, no pressure/hot spots

Typing as I sit in the airport waiting to fly home, I can’t help but smile when I think of how proud I am of my sister. She displays her faith every single minute in a way that I truly have never seen in another human being. She inspires me every single day. I know that today is another abnormal day for her as she heads to her first water therapy in a few hours. She displayed her bravery yesterday but today will be much more of a challenge. Our B has some fears, but is fully trusting in God the whole way.

BStrong in The Word:
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Remaining faithful,
Tyler, Brooklyn, David, & Tonia
#GodsGotThis 🙏🏽
#BStrong 💪🏽
#StingLikeB🐝 ... See MoreSee Less