Back from the Dead

I have been told that when paramedics come upon an accident like this...they look for a pulse, never expecting to find one.

God is so amazing, people.  "Somehow" Josh survived this wreck.

Had Josh remained in his seat...Well, you can see for yourself.

"Somehow" Josh ended up NOT sitting on his seat.  He ended up with his head on the steering wheel...and his body under the steering wheel.  But get this - Josh's van tipped on it's right side when it ran into the tree...Josh SHOULD have fallen towards the passenger seat.

This is Josh's blood from above his left eye.  His body ended up crammed under the steering wheel...by the brake pedal.  If the van was tilted on it's right side when it rammed into a tree...how on EARTH did Josh end up on the extreme opposite side of the vehicle?

Who knew the gigantic Larson head could fit into a 6.5 inch space?!?!?!?

Pray for us.  The girls are doing well coping, and emoting.  Pray as I process the accident, and love on Josh as he heals.  Pray for Josh as he heals and gets back to work.  One of the guys from the accident is angry and totally blames Josh.  Pray that Josh can show the Boys who God is and what He is going to do thru this mess!

My Miracle - Josh Larson

Josh pointing to where his head was when the van stopped.  His body was under the steering wheel.

Josh's head was tucked into that spot where his hand is measuring the distance from the wheel to the top of the van.  Six and a half inches.

Had Josh been sitting back in the seat...I, Rebekah Larson would be a widow.

Don't ask me where the angels were sitting...God is probably gonna have to send in replacements and give the originals a sabbatical or something!

My wonderful Miracle!  <3 nbsp="nbsp" td="td">

 Can you find his wounds?  Can you see where he is hurt?  Yeah...Me neither.  God STILL has a plan for my Joshua.

I Got a Call Today...

It went something like this...

"Rebekah, this is M. Um, I just wanted to let you know that Josh was in an accident, and is on his way to the ER in B______...But he is okay, they just want to check him out."

This is heart STOPPING news to hear in the middle of a school day.  My girls were busily cutting up paper to send some shapes in a care package to their favorite Uncle Jothanan to take with him when he goes away to "keep us safe."  In the middle of hearts and squares and little teeny tiny pieces of paper being cut up all over my kitchen table, and the reading of the end of Dr. Doolittle...this call came to me.  Dr. Doolittle is still on the floor where it fell.

My kitchen table and the floor below it...just as I left it at 4pm today.

There are not words to describe how I felt when I heard the news.  Really, aside from a huge adrenaline rush which left me shaking, I didn't feel anything.  I was practically a pickle - I mean, as cool as a cucumber.  Only one other time have I felt this vague numbness that won't let me feel true emotion...and that was when I was on the Spirit of Grace in Sept of 2005, riding out Hurricane Rita with Josh and a handful of others.  I truly believe God allowed me to hold it together...and He did that so I could be brave for my kiddos who were worried about their Papa-Bear!

Shalom - just like her Mama normally would - burst into tears several times worried about her Papa.
Ruth - she had LOTS of questions she needed answers to...which I couldn't answer.
Anna - well, Anna is our little songbird.  She LOVES to sing anytime, anywhere, about anything.  Anna started singing, "When he gets home, I'm gonna hug him....oh when he gets home, I'm gonna hug him. Then he will feel better when I hug him when we get home!!!"  (some random tune that could only be heard in her head.)
Ezra...well...he had no clue whatsoever. He just knew he had to get his shoes on and go see Marty and Susan for several hours.

Going to the ER- which my Mom wisely counseled me to go without kids - was hard.  I had a 40 minute drive.  I took Selah with me.  I cranked Selah.  REALLY loud.

Something about the words:  "When I feel like I can't go on, You deliver me" and "When the road is winding way too long, You deliver me" 100% soothed my heart.  (Click link to watch Selah sing this song.)

I have my Josh sleeping next to me while I type this.  He is here, banged and bruised, but alive and sleeping.  I thank God for the sound of Josh's breathing, and the chance to again watch his chest rise and fall.

After all, what is a girl without her Hero?  =)

Another Verse

My girls frequently ask me to play/sing the National Anthem for them.  They love the song, and they know that the military fights to keep us safe (especially their Uncle Jonathan!  =D).  We were at an airport last May and we saw a bunch of Airmen who had just returned from Afghanistan.  They were eating at the same restaurant we were, and Ruth said, "Mama, can I go thank them for fighting to keep me safe?"  She chickened out, but it warmed my heart that she would think to thank these men who went thru things I can't imagine to keep my family safe.

While perusing youtube for the National Anthem, we ran across this video:

The Next Step

Nice looking shed, isn't it?

Wait, a shed with a place for chickens to roost?

and lay eggs?

Be careful!

It's a jungle in there!!!!

Ahh...much better!  (By the way, yours truly cleared out all that brush by herself...with a little hacksaw!  I haven't touched a saw like that in...well...since my junior year of high school! )

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet...we are getting some hens!!!!  Farm fresh eggs!  Someone offered the Ranch some hens...and the only place for them is over here at the Farmhouse, because that is where the chicken coop is!  This is actually something we have contemplated for a year or two...and then after we moved into this house Josh started talking about getting chickens in a year or two.  And God just handed us some hens!  =D

Oh, and we also discovered that right next to the chicken coop...is the PERFECT spot for a GOAT!!!!!!  We will definitely be waiting a year or two for that one...and then there is the possibility of rabbits...

The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!

Ranch Life Seems to Agree with 'Em! (Photo Barf...)

Our Little Women/Ranch Hands

Ezra trying out the walking boots

Ready for work!

Anna sure does love that Little Man...for now anyway!

"Let's pretend we're riding horses!"

Papa hard at work.

Ezra investigating

Everybody...

working...

together!

Even Ezra!

A hard day's work finally done!

Israel

This was my last sight of Josh as I sailed away from him with Friend Ships on the first voyage to Israel in 2003.

Josh teaching Ruth the ins and outs of balancing on a seesaw...in Ashdod, Israel.

The (crazy) young Larson Family before they set sail for Israel 3 years after my first voyage.

Ruth was not allowed out on deck very often, but when we were in Port, she had to have her "hard hat" on.

The Larsons with the Galilee in the background.

The Larsons on The Galilee.

Ruth and Rebekah in the Tower of David.

Josh and a crew member in the Tower of David with Jerusalem (the new city) in the background.

The youngest member of the IDF?!

Ruth was not enjoying the walk back to the ship on our first trip out of the Port...

My heart has always belonged to Israel.  Always.  Ask my parents.  For as long as I can remember, I have loved the people of Israel, and having been blessed (oh yes, I did, Joanna!) to have been there twice...I have fallen in love with the Land!  I would live there today, if God would let us.  I'd move our family in a heartbeat!

Friend Ships is opening an office in the Land of Israel!  No...we are not moving to Israel.  But I wanted to share with you the awesome thing God is using Friend Ships to do for His People!  Just click on my last statement.  Maybe God would have YOU help Friend Ships serve Israel, in Jesus' Name.