Still on....

Despite the snow, the show will go on!

Hope Against Hope

Tonight is the annual Willis concert at Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana. It'll be tons of fun, and Willis is a great performer. In case you didn't get the information...

For Willis...

www.myspace.com/willistheband

For info on the concert...

Hope Against Hope

For directions...

www.scgindianapa.org/about/contact.php

Families come, teenagers come, old people come, kids come, and they all have lots of fun. (You may want to bring earplugs for the little ones, it can be a little bit loud). Besides having lots of fun, this concert is to raise money to get Ian some things that can really help him. But even if you're not planning on giving, come and enjoy the music!

See you there,

-Ben

again

ian walked again in therapy today. he probably went about 10 feet. it was a good boost that friday wasn't just a fluke and this is something that he is definitely learning to do again.

thank you for your prayers.

laris

trusting god

"I realized anew that, just as we must learn to obey God one choice at a time, we must also learn to trust God one circumstance at a time. Trusting God is not a matter of my feelings but of my will. I never feel like trusting God when adversity strikes, but I can choose to do so even when I don't feel like it. That act of the will, though, must be based on belief, and belief must be based on truth."

taken from "Trusting God" by Jerry Bridges

Reading this with Ian today, I was right there understanding the struggle of not feeling like trusting God. Praying for grace for myself and for Ian to choose to trust God. It's so much easier not to.

Thank you for praying

Larissa

He Walks

"When God piles up a hill of mercies, He himself shines behind them, and He casts on our spirits the shadow of mercy. Prayer is thus connected with the blessings to show us the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until we have sought them earnestly."

-Spurgeon

I read that passage a few days ago. Then today, I had a glimpse of the preciousness of mercies long asked for. I mentioned last week how Ian did really well in the standing machine at therapy. He stood again today, and on the third round, he really acted like he wanted to start walking. So Tom, his therapist, said that we had to let him go. And, in a sense, Ian started walking. He was lifting both of his legs and moving them forward. He was still supported by the lift, but he was initiating all of the movements in his legs. He was able to walk halfway across the room.

It was an incredible moment and was one of the biggest "steps" that I've ever seen in him. What an emotional experience! I can't really even describe again what I was thinking while it was happening. It gave me a glimpse, for a moment, that maybe one day this will end and we will have him back. It was amazing to see him working so hard, and being so determined to walk. To think that he hadn't moved his legs to walk in a year and a half. That must've felt so good for him!

I was in awe of how God is still answering our pleadings. We have been asking for more progress, more healing, more strength for Ian. God is giving him that.

It was a shocking reminder that Ian is still here. He must remember what it is like to walk and wants to do it again. We don't deserve to have Ian still with us. We don't deserve progress.

Thank you, each of you, who have been praying. Today we were able to witness the preciousness of prayers answered when we seek them earnestly.

Larissa

Fasting

We're fasting today to pray for Ian. 

Benefit Concert Update

Pray For Ian Benefit Concert

Details:

Date: Friday 2/29/08

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Sovereign Grace Church, Indiana PA (http://www.sgcindianapa.org/)

Band: Willis (www.myspace.com/willistheband)

Purpose: http://www.prayforian.com/

For those who are coming, it will be a chance for us to get together and have a good time, support the Murphy family, andmost significantly - have a chance to pray together for Ian.

The money raised by the concert will go toward buying a portable ramp so that Ian can go more places. Also, the Murphys are looking to buy some new equipment that will help Ian with his physical and occupational therapy.

For those who cannot attend but would still like to make a donation, checks can be written out to Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana Pa
1220 Wayne Ave.
Indiana, Pa. 15701
Memo: Pray for Ian Fund

-Phil (From Willis)

An Example

This is the guy who should be an example to all of us. And it's not because of how natural he looks in that photo. David, Ian's best friend since the day they were born, has been such a faithful friend to Ian. He spends his lunch hour with Ian every day, he calls him when he is out of town, he faithfully prays for him. David still talks to Ian the same way that he did before the accident and he makes every effort to include Ian in things that he does on nights and weekends. David could've moved out of town as soon as he graduated but he has stayed in Indiana, and one of the main reasons is to be near to Ian. He desperately wants Ian to be healed. He hasn't forgotten Ian.

Ian, and all of us, are so blessed to have David in our lives. I hope to be that faithful of a friend. And David I know that someday Ian will be able to express to you how much he loves you and and he'll be able to get back at you for all of the annoying things you've done/said/sang to him:)

Thanks David. I see Christ in you!

Larissa

Well, here it is. The long-awaited current picture of Ian.

He looks just like he did a year and a half ago.

Ian's therapists were really happy with what he did today. He was in a standing machine and he was able to move and lift both of his legs. It took a lot of effort for him, but he did it. It's easy to see that he wants to start walking.

Thank you for praying

Larissa

Happy 4th Birthday Lydia!

Almost a year and a half

Larissa's brother visited today and saw Ian for the first time in a year. He was really surprised! A year ago he was still in The Children's Institute. Then, he wasn't nearly as alert as he is now, and he had lots of physical/health issues (e.g. thrush, a bacteria in his eyes, etc.). He has come a long way in almost a year and a half.

Thank you for your prayers and your support....

Steve

No new words, encouragements or updates tonight. Just trudging along through what seems like bucketfuls of sorrow. What else can I say, but that I don't understand this at all. That's the bare bones of suffering.

Thank you for praying

-Larissa

I will sing of your mercy that leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy.

Trusting that someday those rivers will come

Thank you, always, for praying

Larissa

Fasting

Tonight at dinner, Lydia prayed that God would "heal Ian's booboo."

On Wednesday, we'll be fasting and praying that God would do just that.

-Ben

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

This truth is where we should start. After we realize that we are (by human nature) in the domain of darkness, and that God provided us a way to come out of that darkness and know him, everything else is secondary. Knowing God is better than everything else, but sometimes it's hard to see that. May God always let us keep him in mind!

Recently, Ian was able to move his wheelchair across the room by pushing his feet on the floor. This is a small sign of progress!

-Ben