Trust in the Lord

Twenty-two years ago today, my Papa Johnson passed away very suddenly. He was the first person that I ever deeply loved who died. I was in ninth grade at the time. So much has happened in the years since his death.

My Papa wrote me this letter when I was very young. I can picture him sitting in our living room. There was quiet music playing in the background. I was curious about what he was writing that morning as he drank his coffee. He just kept giving me little glances and smiles, and then he folded this sweet note into a small square, wrote my name on the outside, and handed it to me. I knew even then that I would keep it forever. 

How fitting that God brought me a fine young man that indeed wrote me many "sweet nothings" like the ones my Papa wrote my Grandmother. And He gave us six beautiful children. I often wonder what my Papa would think of this family of mine. While I never would wish him back to this world, I do wish my children could have known him. And, as my Mama (his only little girl) told me this morning, his sudden passing was such a precious gift in that my Papa never suffered. But the sudden loss left a deep wound in those he left behind. A wound that won't be fully healed this side of Heaven. 

I often wonder if he would be proud of me. I know there are so many areas in my life that are lacking Christ-likeness, but I pray that, what meant the most to him, is evident in my life. I have often thought about what my Papa would think of Josiah. What wise council would he have to give me?  In our family, most people connect my Papa with the Bible verses Proverbs 3:5-6. He always quoted them around the table before or after eating. I never hear these verses without thinking of him, and without reminding myself of the importance of their message:

I think, if I could talk with him about Josiah right now, he would remind me of these verses. 
I think he would tell me, "Just keep trusting Jesus, Chrissy." 

I love you, Papa! Thank you for loving me and for pointing your family to Jesus! 

"Chrissy"

Please continue to pray for our boy. He is struggling greatly right now. 

Friday Funding Update: 
February 24, 2017

It's been a hard week. Josiah has been very off, and his self-injury and aggression have increased significantly the past few days. I think it is partly due to a GERD flair up and partly due to his cold symptoms. It is so difficult seeing him like this, and it is exhausting to manage.

My Daddy had a scary accident at home this week. It could have been a lot worse, but it was so hard seeing him hurt. He might "kill me" for saying anything, but I think he is used to me living as an open book. Between Josiah being off, our afternoon staff being out sick most of the week, and my Daddy getting hurt, my heart has been pretty heavy and my mind has been consumed with concern for the future. 

Pastor Karns preached a series of sermons on Worry recently at our church, and I am working through listening to them now. I pondered a lot about whether I was sinfully worrying or righteously concerned. I have determined it was probably some of both. When Josiah is having an exceptionally hard time and when we are down a staff member, it makes me realize how perilous a situation we are living in. All of our lives suddenly revolve around keeping Josiah from hurting himself. There are no other options other than having this singular focus. It wears on us all. 

And my Daddy getting hurt left me thinking about how much we depend on my parents and how life without them is an unbearably painful and terrifying thought. 

I had been listening to several songs this week to draw my focus back to where it should be. A friend posted this song by Casting Crowns on Facebook last night, and it was an encouragement. He is "The God of ALL My Days." None of this surprises Him. He is the God of my past, present, and future. As I fought for hours yesterday to restrain Josiah from hurting himself, I prayed over him knowing that God is in control of every moment we face. What a comfort.....

Our current total is $46,645.48!!!! This is such a testament to how God is using you all in our lives. Safety and Security will come from your loving generosity. It is something that we cannot begin to fully convey our thanks to you and to our Savior for!
  
We have two fundraisers going on right now. My friend Stefanie's fundraiser will be going until March 1st! You can read all about our connection and her fundraiser here. If you would like to get some fabulous Mary Kay make-up and support Josiah at the same time, you should visit her facebook fundraiser page to get the scoop on how to give:  https://www.facebook.com/events/647839212069681/. If you have any questions, you can contact Stefanie at stefnance2@gmail.com. She is donating 100% of her profits to support Josiah! We love you, Stef! Thanks for all the years of love and support! 

We are so excited about our Pool Party fundraiser! 
(I posted earlier today the date and time that I had been given for this event. I then received a phone call saying that there may be a conflict. I will confirm the date on Monday and post the correct date and time again here.) Once posted, you can reach out to any of our family members for tickets. We have 100 tickets available for purchase. Tickets will be sold for $10 each. There will also be food and drinks available for purchase on the day of the fundraiser. We are really hoping to sale all of our tickets and raise a lot of funding at this event!!!! A BIG shout out to the Maynard Aquatics Center for supporting us in this way! (If you have any questions or would like a ticket, please feel free to email me at christyverroi@gmail.com.)

Thank you to everyone who is supporting and encouraging us through this fundraiser!!!!

Because of His Grace, 

Christy

*Jeremy and I are trying to find a golf cart that we can use to ride Josiah around in our neighborhood. We are putting 800-1,000 miles on our van each week. This just isn't sustainable at this rate. If you know anyone who might be willing to donate a golf cart, we know a little boy who would be greatly benefited! Thanks! <3  

FLU!!!!!

Flutopia. Fluzapalooza. Flutastic. Fluville...... Nope. It isn't possible to make the "Flu" sound nice. Well....it hit our house this week. Thankfully, Olivia and Jalen were the only ones who got super sick. Josiah is still teetering between bad cold symptoms and the full blown flu. We are praying he doesn't get any worse. Illness and pain often foster upset in him that leads to self-injury and aggression. He had a handful of episodes yesterday before 5pm, and then was very upset from 5-7pm. It's exhausting for him and for us. 

I long for the day when we can take him to his therapy room during episodes like this. He will be so much safer. The head-beating can be terrible, and the aggression makes it all the harder to safely comfort him. The pool will also be such a huge help during times of sickness. The water calms him in a way that other things simply cannot. It will make such a difference in his life. In all of our lives. 

After very difficult hours or days, it's this moment that I appreciate most. The calm. His body can rest, and I imagine what Heaven will be like for him. No more Autism. No more pain. No more self-injury. What a day that will be.....

Until that day, we will advocate. We will press on to seek the best quality of life we can give him. Thank you for helping us do this. Thank you for helping our boy!

Because of His grace, 

Christy

*If you would like to hear David Ring's testimony, you can watch it here:

Thank you for praying for Jalen. He isn't totally better, but he has improved greatly this morning! 

Jason asked me to include his picture today. Just ignore his breakfast cheetos. ;) That is how we rolled today. 

Friday Funding Update:
February 17, 2017

There wasn't much change in our total this week, but every donation (no matter how large or small) is helping us reach our goal of $60,000! And, each week that passes, means that we are getting one day closer to starting construction and improving Josiah's life for the better! Our current total is $45,701.17!

I have had several people ask recently how they can make a donation. Since it has been a while, I thought I would review exactly how to do this.

Our church has graciously agreed to set up an account to manage this fundraiser for us. By giving through Beacon, donations can be tax deductible. To give, you can mail a check addressed to Beacon Baptist Church. Please write "Josiah Verroi Fund" in the memo line, and mail the check to: 
Beacon Baptist Church 
1622 Kirkpatrick Road
Burlington, North Carolina 27215

You can also give online by visiting our church website: http://www.beaconbaptist.com/donate/
When you give online, select "Verroi Fundraiser" under the "Designation" tab. 

If you have any questions, please contact me at christyverroi@gmail.com.

We would so appreciate it if you would pray for our family! Our daughter Olivia has come down with the flu. We are praying this illness does not work its way through the entire family. Poor Josiah's self-injury has been ramping up again the past few days. This is often an indication that he isn't feeling well. This can tail spin very quickly into prolonged periods of self-injury and aggression. Please pray this will not be the case. 

Lastly, I want to inform you of the fundraiser we currently have going with my dear friend Stefanie. You can read all about our connection and her fundraiser here. If you would like to get some fabulous Mary Kay make-up and support Josiah at the same time, you should visit her facebook fundraiser page to get the scoop on how to give:  https://www.facebook.com/events/647839212069681/. If you have any questions, you can contact Stefanie at stefnance2@gmail.com. She is donating 100% of her profits to support Josiah! We love you, Stef! Thanks for all the years of love and support! 

We are still working on the final details for our pool party fundraiser. We can't wait to share all the details with you very soon! If anyone would like to host their own independent fundraiser for Josiah, we would be thrilled! God has used these fundraisers to bring in A LOT of money to help us reach our goal! 

One of the best ways for us to reach our goal is for people to share our story with others. Would you be willing to tell someone about Josiah and his needs this week? We also have flyers that can be shared as well. Just send me an email (christyverroi@gmail.com), and I can send you a link to print a flyer yourself or I can mail you several flyers that we have already printed. 

God has a perfect timing for all of this to come together for Josiah. It has been a privilege to have a front row seat to all He has done through those who have given thus far. Please consider joining us in our efforts to bring positive change and a better quality of life to Josiah. We are forever grateful to you for helping!

Because of His grace,

Christy

He Giveth More Grace

A few days ago, I listened to a youtube video that a dear friend of mine shared this week on Facebook. It was the testimony of Darlene Diebler Rose who was a missionary in New Guinea when World War II began. She and her husband became POWs when they were captured by the Japenese. I don't want to give any spoilers in case you would like to listen to her speak. You can access the video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77AphiQbh9Q. While listening, I was in awe of how God had sustained and carried this woman through so much. And, while my experiences have been very different from hers, I was reminded of the goodness of God in my life. He has given more grace than I have ever deserved. 

Today is February 14th. It's Valentines day 2017, and that means that 17 years ago Jeremy proposed and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. We were so young and in love. I often refer to those days as "simpler times." Our bond was instant and our goals were mutual. We prayed that God would give us a family and that He would grant us our desire for me to be able to stay home and raise our children. My Daddy is a pastor, and he has often said, by way of illustration, that he loves my Mama more today than he did when they first married. I feel the same about Jeremy. Our devotion to each other sprouted in mutual admiration and attraction, but its roots have grown deep through enduring the providential trials God has called us to and through experiencing the grace our Heavenly Father has given. 


We have faced many difficult days with each other. Some of the hardest have been days that involved caring for our children. But, thus far, my hardest day on this earth was the day that Joseph died. I remember feeling so fearful in those frantic moments after the ambulance left our house. But I can honestly say that, from the moment Tommy and Stefanie and Jeremy got to me, I felt grace and love. In the midst of experiencing a grief that I cannot imagine, Tommy and Stefanie reassured me and showed concern for my own emotional well being. It is something that I will be forever grateful to them for. 




And Jeremy. He has continued to walk this road with me since October 18, 2005. The only way I know to describe what this emotional journey has been like is to say that just about everything in my life is viewed from the lens of enduring this loss. In so many ways, that is a blessing. Because God taught us numerous lessons about His faithfulness and care for us. But in other ways, I will forever struggle with feelings of regret. 

Stefanie messaged me last week asking if she could host a fundraiser for Josiah. She is a part time Mary Kay consultant when she isn't busy running the Speech/Language department for the Alamance County School System. This is just further evidence of the loving support she has shown me all these years. She posted this yesterday on Facebook: 

"I'm so excited to announce a fundraiser for my sweet friend Christen La Tour Verroi!!! This woman is a hero to me for many reasons. We are connected in so many ways. We grew up as neighbors and her family has been family to mine for as long as I can remember. She kept our first son, Joseph, for us when I returned to work. She laid him down for his last nap and found him not breathing a while later. She tried with all of her might to save him, but it wasn't in the Lord's plan for that to happen that day. That experience could have ripped our friendship apart, but we did not allow Satan to steal, kill or destroy that bond! Instead, we allowed God to strengthen it. She dressed our sweet boy for us at the funeral home so that we could come hold him one last time. She has stood vigil over us in prayer since 10/18/2005 even though she suffered a tremendous loss that day as well."

As Stefanie conveyed, God has been glorified through all we have endured. Instead of being "ripped apart," our bond was forever cemented. Our faith in God's sovereign plan has been strengthened, because HE has given more grace. And that same grace is what sustains me on the very hardest days caring for Josiah. 

He Giveth More Grace

Annie Flint Johnson

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

*It would be such an encouragement if you would consider helping us out via Stefanie's fundraiser. She is graciously donating 100% of the profits to support Josiah. To place an order, visit her Mary Kay website here:  https://www.marykay.com/stefanienance. She will be finalizing the order on 3/1/17. Please do not enter credit card information on her website. Instead, Stefanie will email each customer an invoice to pay securely online. She will collect payment prior to the order to avoid having merchandise that is not paid for. When you check out online, please type "Josiah" in the comments so that she will know it is part of this fundraiser. In addition, please put your email address in the comments section. If you have any questions you can email her at stefnance2@gmail.com.

Because of His GRACE,

Christy

Friday Funding Update:
February 10, 2017

I'm going to start this update by sharing a video with you all. What a blessing it is to have these two boys feeling better! Neither is 100%, but they have greatly improved since my last few posts. Our youngest, Jason, is still quite sick, and Jeremy and I started feeling that initial and dreaded throat burning sensation tonight. We are ready to be past the ick! But again, on a super bright note, aren't these two so sweet! I love them both! 

Ok! Now that I shared the cuteness above, drum roll please.........Our current total is.......$45,643.21!!!!!!!! To say that we are EXCITED is a major understatement!!!! God is doing great things through the generosity of so many, and we are humbled and grateful for all of the love and support. Our goal of raising $60,000 seems so close! AMAZING!!!!                                                                                                        I wanted to take the time to share a few fundraisers we have in the works right now. 

My friend Heather has been hosting a Premier Jewelry Designs fundraiser for Josiah on Facebook. Today, February 10, is the final day to place an order. 30% of all orders go to Josiah's fund. So get those orders in by 6pm tonight. Thank you to Heather and her friend Alesha for hosting this event for Josiah! Your efforts mean so much to us! Here is the Facebook link to access this party: https://www.facebook.com/events/727658600727936/ 

We are in the midst of planning an exciting fundraiser that will be something our younger supporters should really enjoy! It's a POOL PARTY! Our friends at the Maynard Aquatics Center in Burlington have graciously volunteered their facilities and lifeguards to help us host this super fun event. We are finalizing the plans and will be announcing the date of this event soon. I cannot begin to tell you what a blessing the folks at the MAC have been to our family these past several years. Their DAILY loving help for over three years allowed our boys the time and support they needed to learn to swim. And their ability to swim may very well save their lives someday. We are forever grateful to our MAC family, and we cannot wait to start selling tickets to Josiah's POOL PARTY!!!

I just had a conversation with my brother Jonathan yesterday. He is graciously spearheading the upcoming construction project at our home. The planning is beginning, and we can't wait to see how God uses this in the life of our boy! None of this would have ever been possible without your generous donations! To all who have given, we THANK YOU!!!  

Our Joy

February is a meaningful month in our family. Its the month that Jalen's mother Lolita gave birth to him. I'm choosing to share her name here, because it is important to me that you put a name to this person who means so much to us. Describing her simply as "birthmother" seems to simplify her life down into this one moment where she pushed Jalen from her body. But, the truth is, what she did was something that 60 million other US mothers have not done: She chose LIFE! She went to an abortion clinic. She met with a doctor. He told her that aborting Jalen was the right option for her. The day of her scheduled abortion, she walked out. A few months later when Jalen was born, she chose to set aside her wants and desires for the sake of what was best for Jalen. She chose adoption. And, in doing this, she entrusted us with the privilege of loving and caring for him as our own. Her heartache became our joy. 

We had found out two weeks before getting the call about Jalen, that Josiah most likely had Autism. Little did we know that Jalen too would be diagnosed with this disorder at 18 months old. I would be lying if I said that we never once questioned God's plan in this. I think Jeremy would freely admit that it was particularly difficult for him. But God has taught us much through this little boy. 

This first video shows Jalen just a few months from turning four. He had no language at the time. One day, when I was in the kitchen, he started singing for the first time ever. It wasn't easy to understand, but I instantly recognized the tune. "Behold. Behold. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hear my voice and will open, open, open the door, I will come in." What a sweet sound this was to our ears! 

Since that day, Jalen has made huge strides in his development. But he is still very severely affected by his Autism. One of his precious teachers once described him as a "Maserati stuck in a traffic jam." He is super smart just like the Maserati sports car is super fast. But that speed is rendered almost useless if the car is stuck in a traffic jam. Jalen's Autism is the traffic jam, and it keeps his brilliant mind confined and fixating on his own little world. He is happy there, but there is a big beautiful world with wonderful people in it that we want him to join and enjoy. 

This fundraiser is for Josiah, but it was important to me to share more about our sweet Jalen this week. He will benefit greatly from the therapy pool as well. It will calm the sensory issues he has. And it will help to calm his hyperactivity. Swimming is also very important for his safety since he is prone to elopement. 

Josiah's therapy room will also mean big changes for Jalen. When Josiah gets upset or needs silence, our other children have to go behind closed doors in the back of our house. Jalen often has to be corrected for being too loud around Josiah. Have you heard the old saying, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" Well, that is true in our house, but (more than Mama) "If Josiah ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" Jalen will be a lot more content and happy and calm if Josiah is content and happy and calm. If Jalen doesn't have substantial developmental gains before adulthood, we will be caring for these boys together for the rest of their lives. We want them both to have joy and the best quality of life we can possibly give them. 

I write Jalen's mother Lolita every year on his birthday. I send pictures as well. And I thank her for giving us the privilege of loving and caring for Jalen. I thank her for allowing me to be his mother. And I convey with tremendous sincerity that "Jalen is Our Joy!" 

Because of HIS Amazing Grace, 
Christy 

Friday Funding Update:
February 3, 2017

Exactly four months ago, we started this fundraiser. I remember, at the time, feeling like my hopes for raising the $60,000 needed to complete this project were quite possibly "unrealistic." But I knew we had to do something to help Josiah. I could have never imagined that, with the help of family and friends and everyone who has given, that we would be this close to our goal. God has surely shown us, yet again, that He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20-21). We give Him glory! 

So icky feeling! :(

I don't have a funding update for you today, because our church had their business meeting this week which caused things to be a little out of sync in terms of getting the update. Our super helpful church secretary said that donations did come in, but were not deposited in time for the update. That is OK! We can be patient!!! :) Just to remind everyone, our last weeks total was $43,069.31!!! We are so exceptionally excited!

This week has been a rough one at the Verroi casa. Olivia got a nasty cold last week that has made its way through all the kids. Poor Josiah is just miserable. Illness and Autism combined makes life pretty miserable for our boy. He has been just pitiful. Our absolutely fabulous pediatrician called him in a prescription this morning. We are praying he will be on the mend very soon. 

Several of you have asked about Jalen's seizures. We are thankful to update that his current medication is working, and he has had no "break through" seizures while taking it. 

My friend Heather is currently hosting a Premier Designs jewelry fundraiser on Facebook for Josiah. Here is the link to check it out: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/727658600727936/ ! Thanks so much, Heather!!!

Several people have hosted independent fundraisers to help us get donations for Josiah's project. If you would like to host a fundraiser, we would love to have your help!!! We have had a cupcake sale, Thirty-One party, Norwex fundraiser, LulaRoe event, estate/yard sale, and a Vendor event with gun raffle. Thousands have been raised from these events!!!

Even if you can't host a fundraiser, any donation you can make to the fund will be such a huge help!!! To make donations online, please visit http://www.beaconbaptist.com/donate/ . You can also mail a check addressed to Beacon Baptist Church 1622 Kirkpatrick Road, Burlington, North Carolina 27215 (please put Josiah Verroi Fund in the memo line). 

Thank you to everyone who has supported us! We are forever grateful for the love and care you have shown our son and family! 

Because of His grace,

Christy