NathanJeter.com

Miracles do happen… they really do

nathan — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:58:11 +0000

Just a little over two years ago, my mom received some devastating news. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Major surgery was involved, coupled with radiation and chemotherapy. Worse yet, they found cancer in her lymphatic system. The doctor gave me (and only me) the prognosis. The outlook was just heart-wrenching, with little difference between the “best case” scenario and the worst.

Two years later and my mother’s doctor has pronounced her in full remission! How cool is that? From “the best thing that we can do is buy time” to “we see no evidence of cancer anywhere in your body” is a miracle in my book. From “5 months to a little more” to “who knows?” is the best outcome imaginable!

My thanks go out to all who had ever prayed for the health of my mom and most of all…….

Thank you God for being Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals.

Just one more day

nathan — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:29:32 +0000

What would it be like?
What would it be like to have one more day with her? To hear her cooing in her crib? To see that toothless smile and hear her giggle? To have her come down the stairs after having a bad dream, needing her daddy’s arms? To pick her up when she’s sick and hold her in my arms again all night? To use all ten thumbs trying to get her hair just like the way mommy does it?
What would it be like to see her run around the yard again with her puppy? To run along beside her again as she rides her first bike? To sit in her room and read her a book? What would it be like to be “Uncle Tongue” once more and embarrass/entertain her and her friends?

I’d give nearly anything to have one of those days over again… and yet, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t give up any day in the future because I so want to see what my little girl is going to do in this great big world. What will she do as an adult? How many lives will she change? How will God use her in His plan?

Happy Eighteenth birthday, pumpkin! I love you so very much!!!

Little trooper

nathan — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:38:55 +0000

Been at the oral surgeon this morning with Josh. The imp has multiple baby teeth that have been stubborn PLUS a couple of extraneous permanents that are keeping his chompers from falling into place.
Should have known that this was coming. After all the kid had a tooth already in when he was born.
Oops, he’s coming out of surgery. Gotta go!

…. here’s a picture of Josh in recovery. All went well. Definitely an ice cream and sherbet day for the little trooper.

Busy month

nathan — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:40:31 +0000

June’s gonna be a busy month. Birthdays, graduations, operations.

Gonna be fun.

A Day to Remember

nathan — Mon, 30 May 2011 19:36:14 +0000

Today is Memorial Day and as it occurs on Monday, it is, for nearly all, a three-day weekend introduction to summer.

It’s a day to have a picnic, celebrate school being out, a barbecue, attend a parade, go to the beach, go to the lake, or just spend time with some friends & family…

but…

IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!!!

Kicking off this weekend, I met with a 100 or so people and asked them how many had served in our military. 4 hands were raised. I then asked how many had a parent or uncle/aunt serve. About 60% of the hands went up. My last question was how many had a grandparent serve. Nearly all hands went up.

Today is not about you and me. It’s not about us. It’s about remembering all those who are serving their country today or have served in the past. Their service, their sacrifice is why so many of us have the ability to enjoy this day.

So if you’re reading this today and have served your country, please know that my family and I thank you for that. If you’re reading this today and never served in the military, stop what you’re doing and find a veteran somewhere and say “Thanks!”

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

So what’s so good about it?

nathan — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:40:28 +0000

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever might believe on him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

That’s the most well known verse in the Bible and today is the day that Jesus became that gift. All too often though, we forget the pain. We know today as Good Friday because we have the luxury of knowing how it ended.

2000 years ago, Jesus’ family and followers would have thought that today was the worst day ever. Imagine the pain, the horror, the anguish. Imagine the fear. Their king, their savior, their leader was dead and so were all their dreams.

Ever had a dream die? Ever had your heart ripped out? That was Friday 2,000 years ago.

Remember that today. Remember the pain. Remember the sacrifice. It was a dark, dark day!

But Sunday’s a coming…

Thank you, old friend

nathan — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 08:15:31 +0000

Hey pal! I just got the word a few minutes ago that you won’t be coming up to Ohio next week with the rest of the family. I want you to know that while it’s devastating news, I understand. We’re going to be sad for a long time and we’ll miss you for even longer but I wanted to take a moment and just say thanks.
Thanks for coming into our lives 12 years ago.
Thanks for being the dog that Katie & Robin rescued at the shelter.
Thanks for being my daughter’s first dog. She may have others but she’ll never have better.
Thanks for living up to the name Buster that Katie & I gave you (much to Mom’s dismay).
Thanks for your Rhodesian shape & your shepherd’s face.
Thanks for holding Robin’s hand gently in your teeth when standing diligently by her chair for those first few years.
Thanks for checking on all the family members multiple times through the night. I used to lie in bed smiling as I listened to you make your rounds.
Thanks for catching all those snowballs I threw to you in Maine & New York (& searching in vain for the ones that disappeared when they fell back to earth). Speaking of ball-throwing. Thanks for forgiving me for all those times I pretended to throw a ball and laughed while you scoured the yard looking for it.
Thanks for not hurting that chicken you caught when we visited our friend’s farm.
Thanks for always knowing when to go into Katie’s room to spend time with her.
Thanks for ALWAYS greeting me at the door.
Thanks for holding your position on the landing upstairs, guarding all three bedrooms on those nights when I worked late.
Thanks for immediately accepting Josh into the family and letting that little imp pester you for hours on end. Remember that time when we had some guests in the house and their dog nipped at Joshua? You bolted across the room, putting yourself in between my boy and the other dog letting out a growl of your own that I’d never heard before or since.
Thanks for always wanting to go out with me when I left AND forgiving me instantly the moment I came back.
Ya know, somehow I knew our time was growing short. That’s why I spent those few extra moments with you a couple weeks back. Remember how with great effort you were able to get your front paws up to my chest? Remember how we sat there and I rubbed that special spot behind your ear? You let out that groan to let me know that I’d hit just the right spot. Somehow I just knew.
Even so, I still fixed your bed up here at our new home in Ohio. You would have liked that I put it near the landing ’cause I knew that was where you would want to be. I was so hoping you’d be able to make the trip. But I understand pal. Rest well. You’ve earned it.
I’m going to try and get some sleep now, Buster. Hopefully, I’ll dream of the best dog a family could ever have.

Silent Night

nathan — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 04:14:41 +0000

Every year one of our traditions is to celebrate Jesus’ birthday with a cake. We do it on Christmas Eve & it’s always been a nice way to remind our children of why Christmas exists.
This year I thought that we would do the Christmas story before we sang Happy Birthday and this year I got everyone involved. Gramma, Grampa, Mommy, Katie & I told the Christmas story to Joshua. It was awkward at first but as we got going, everyone got into it. We did it very “free form” & it was neat to see who would chime in where and when.
When we got to the shepherds, everybody wanted to get in on the action. It was very cool.
Thinking about it afterwards as I was staring outside at the Tennessee hillside on this Christmas Eve night, it was easy to understand why. Imagine being a shepherd on a cold dark night. Imagine what it must have felt like to have an angel appear & then a heavenly host. Terrifying at first (I told Josh that the shepherds probably fell to their knees, covered their heads & tried to find their happy place) but then exhilarating. These guys weren’t corporate execs. They weren’t learned scholars. They weren’t important by any world standards and yet they were God’s choice to be the first witnesses to his greatest gift.
Silent night? Yes.
Holy night? Yes.
Unbelievably awesome night? Absolutely!
Merry Christmas to all!

All I want for Christmas

nathan — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:31:36 +0000

The other day, my son asked me “what do you want for Christmas, Daddy?” (We were on the phone with him in Florida & me in Ohio) My answer was “all I want for Christmas, Joshua, is for us all to be together this year.”
His response was rather expected, “but Daddy if you don’t have any presents, you’ll be sad.”
I tried, quite unsuccessfully I’m sure, to explain to him how watching Katie and him open presents would mean far more to me than any box wrapped in paper with my name on it.
Over the last week, I have flown down to Florida, packed our belongings & driven them up to Ohio. Robin & the kids are enjoying the holidays with Gramma in Tennessee.
In just a few hours, my dad and I will be making the trek from Ohio to Tennessee. & in this season when we celebrate the greatest gift of all, my Christmas will come early. It will be the moment that I get out of the car and enter my parents’ home and see my beautiful wife and precious children.
That’s all I want for Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas to you all!

It’s not that hard!

nathan — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:29:26 +0000

I had the opportunity this weekend to attend the OSU-Michigan football game. I jumped at the chance. One of the greatest rivalries in football + 104,000 crazed football fans usually translates into a great time. At least to this football fan.

As I was nearing the stadium, I noticed this crazed student screaming at the top of his lungs into a megaphone. I couldn’t tell what he was saying until I was nearly on top of him. At the last moment, I realized that he was evangelizing! Right there on the street corner. Now I’m not going to beat the guy up about his choice but let’s just say his mannerisms and his delivery was causing the sea of red and gray clothed Buckeye fans to part. Again, we can talk about his altruism later but all I kept thinking was “Man! It’s just not that hard.”

Here’s a challenge for you. Ask God to use you, to genuinely use you today to make a difference in someone’s life. I’ll just bet you that if you sincerely try, God will give you the opportunity to make an impact… without coming across as some deranged lunatic.

Be different. Make a difference. Make an impact.

God bless you this week!