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Tuesday, May 21
The theme for today is: Sheep. Psalm 23. A psalm about a sheep. There are two kinds of people in this world. Sheep. And those who don’t think they’re sheep. Psalm 23 is a beautiful psalm. For many it’s a favourite. It might just be the most memorized psalm of all. But it won’t resonate, […]
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Sunday, May 19
Since Zach is more stable and experiencing less changes than when he was admitted to ICU, we have decided to decrease the frequency of the blogs to every other day, unless we have an important medical update to share urgently. So that means, don’t expect a blog tomorrow evening! We will post again on Tuesday. […]
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Saturday, May 18
Today’s devotional comes from Alistair Begg’s Suffering Knows No Strangers. ——— Praise in the Darkness Job is perhaps the greatest biblical example of endurance in hardship. Despite being a blameless and upright man, in just one day he experienced the death of his children and the loss of nearly all his possessions. Yet one of […]
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Friday, May 17
The theme for today is: Groaning 5.0. We groan. Creation groans. The Holy Spirit groans. We all groan for glory. Before Jesus ascended, he promised that he would send the Holy Spirit. Help was on the way. “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, […]
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Thursday, May 16
The theme for today is: Groaning 4.0. Romans 8:22-23. We groan. Creation groans. Paul groaned. Paul suffered. He wrote about it to the Corinthians. He even boasted about it. Imprisonments, beatings, and floggings. Stoned, shipwrecked, and adrift. Danger from rivers, robbers, his own people, Gentiles, the wilderness, the city, the sea, and false brothers. Sleeplessness, […]
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Wednesday, May 15
The theme for today is: Groaning 3.0 Psalm 22. A psalm of darkness. A psalm of hope. A psalm of horrifying groans. A psalm about the excruciating pain of being forsaken by God. A psalm about the unspeakable joy that reminds us of the gospel. All of us go through hard times. Many of […]
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Tuesday, May 14
The theme for today is: Groaning 2.0. Psalm 6. A penitential psalm. From groans to grace. David is weary and worn out with groaning. He is exhausted. The man of constant sorrows becomes the man of constant groaning. So constant, that his bones ached. So constant, that he became faint. So constant, that he cannot […]
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Monday, May 13
Back to the psalms. God’s psalms are loaded with the sound of groaning. The psalms speak to our frail human condition. They speak to our groaning! That’s because God knows what we’re like. He knows we groan. He wants to hear our groans. He has compassion on our groans. The theme for today is: The […]
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Sunday, May 12
The devotional today is another excerpt from Calm Moments for Anxious Days by Max Lucado. ——— Feed your faith, and your fears will starve. Believe He Can Don’t be afraid; just believe. — Mark 5:36 The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. Even Christ was afraid (Mark 14:33). […]
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Saturday, May 11
Today’s inspiration comes from Calm Moments for Anxious Days by Max Lucado. ——— It’s Going to Turn Out Alright “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14:27 NLT) God’s call to courage is not a call to naïveté or ignorance. We aren’t to be oblivious to the overwhelming challenges that life […]
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Friday, May 10
Today’s devotional comes from Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker You Can Trust God When You Don’t Understand Breathe Deep and Know: The way of God may not always make sense to you, but you can trust Him without fear. At the root of my fear is a lack of trust in the heart of […]
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Thursday, May 9
Running for Zach. Step by step. Here’s another poem for today. ——— Step By Step by Barbara Cornet Ryberg He does not lead me year by year Nor even day by day, But step by step my path unfolds; My Lord directs my way. Tomorrow’s plans I do not know, I only know this minute; […]
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Wednesday, May 8
The last few days have been packed with numerous phone calls, discussions, and meetings with medical personnel. As a result, plans are underway to transport Zach to Calgary. This morning, the doctor reminded us again of the long road ahead. Zach is in a marathon. And so, we’re grateful once again that family connections in […]
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Tuesday, May 7
The theme for today is: Nearness. Psalm 145:14-21. A psalm for the falling. A psalm for the fallen. A psalm for the hungry and the filled. A psalm for those who long and those who cry. A psalm for those who love God. A psalm for those who draw near to God. Another psalm that […]
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Monday, May 6
The theme for today is: Heavy and Light. Heavy. My head feels so heavy. My heart feels so heavy. Lots of heavy things to consider today. The Bible tells me that I’m the head of my household. And I’m learning each day that this comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. More responsibility than I […]
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Sunday, May 5
We’ve selected another devotional from Alistair Begg’s devotional Suffering Knows No Strangers for today. ——— Consider Him Have you ever been tempted to give up on your faith? Maybe during a tough week, you’ve considered your circumstances and thought, “None of this is working to my benefit. It’s time to forget about Christianity and live […]
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Saturday, May 4
The theme for today is: Today. Psalm 118:24. Never a useless day. Never a wasted day. Today was not just another day. Today was another of God’s days. God created it. God gave it. And we will rejoice and be glad in it. God’s watchful care was on this day. Every detail, every hour, every […]
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Friday, May 3
The theme for today is: Hesed. Psalm 107. A psalm about the power of loyalty. A psalm about the power of love. A psalm about the power of ‘hesed.’ The psalm presents four desperate situations. Situations about loss, hunger, thirst, death, depression, trouble, distress, gloom, rebellion, violence, storms, fear, and destruction. Dire and depressing circumstances. […]
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Thursday, May 2
Psalm 107. It’s the first song of the fifth and final book of Psalms. A faith-filled psalm with fitting repetition and a forthright conclusion. You can pretty much let the psalm speak for itself. Let the psalm speak to you. The psalm tells us to express thankfulness, express prayer, and express assurance. Express prayer. “Then […]
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Wednesday, May 1
The theme for today is: Reset. During Zach’s stay here, we’ve heard the word reset at times. With some of Zach’s setbacks, they’ve had to do a sort of reset. Try something different. Try something new. Adjust there. Adjust here. Then see where he’s at. Psalm 4 is a reset psalm. Psalm 4 is a […]
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Tuesday, April 30
Prayer Request: Zach is going down for a surgery on his lungs right now to help remove the pus (empyema) around his lungs. Please pray for guidance for the hands of the surgeons and that this surgery will help Zach to heal more. ——— The theme for today is: Immanuel. Psalm 124. Another pilgrimage psalm. […]
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Monday, April 29
Psalm 119:25-32. Depression and despair. Revival and restoration. Courage and commitment. Depression and despair. This psalmist is vulnerable. He is down in the dumps. He is depressed. “My soul clings to dust…my soul melts away for sorrow.” His soul. His entire being. He is weak and desperate. He is done. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. Running […]
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Sunday, April 28
Another Alistair Begg devotional for today – this one comes from a collection of devotions called “Suffering Knows No Strangers.” ——— Comfort for a Troubled Mind There are two things we need to acknowledge about suffering—namely, that it does exist and does hurt. Affliction is a reality in everyone’s life at one time or another. […]
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Saturday, April 27
The theme for today is: Haste. Meds. Zach is on strong meds. He’s on a lot of meds. A long list of meds. A medical journal of its own. I couldn’t help but compare all his medication changes throughout his hospital stay to the “knee bone connected to the thigh bone” song. This med is […]
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Friday, April 26
The theme for today is: Eyes. Psalm 123. Another pilgrimage song. Pilgrims progress. The pilgrim travels eyes up, eyes open, and eyes down. Eyes up. Faith. The pilgrim travels by faith. The pilgrim lifts his eyes up. The pilgrim cranks his head, strains his neck, and looks up. He focuses his eyes on Heaven. He […]
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Thursday, April 25
A special visitor showed up today. Mike Schouten, Executive Director for ARPA Canada, checked in on the Hoagies and the Teitsmas. That was cool. The theme for today is: Lament. Psalm 13. David laments. David wrestles. David requests. David rejoices. David wrestles. David is despondent. Full of despair. He feels forsaken by God. He feels […]
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Wednesday, April 24
The theme for today is: Days. Psalm 102. A psalm about a troubling day. A psalm about a triumphant day. One of those days. It feels like everyday is going to be one of those days. Not getting worse. But not getting better. Still days with more ifs than whens. The days take forever. The […]
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Tuesday, April 23
The theme for today is: Flesh. Zach. Young, fit and vibrant. A lean, mean running machine. A master mason. Strong arms, strong hands and broad shoulders. Fit as a fiddle. Rarely out of breath. Full of life. Then came his illness. Flesh and heart were injured. Flesh and heart were weakened. Flesh and heart were […]
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Monday, April 22
Praise God for Psalms. Praise God for songs and hymns. Praise God for music. Please take the time (it’ll be worth it!) to listen to the Spring Concert performed by the Jubilate Deo Choir on Sunday, April 21 in Winnipeg last night. Click here to listen (https://boxcast.tv/view/grace—spring-concert-prpi1ybjew9qwhfunn99). Not to mention, our beloved Teitsma fam jam […]
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Sunday, April 21
We’ve decided to use another Alistair Begg devo today from the “Truth for Dark Days” devotional. ——— God Hears Our Cries The promise of food had encouraged Jacob and his family to leave their famine-stricken land and relocate to Egypt with Joseph. For a time, everything was terrific, but their experience took a turn for […]
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Saturday, April 20
The theme for today is: Steps. Psalm 37:23-24. God directs. God directs our steps. Every step. Step by step. This means our going out, coming in, sleeping, waking, getting up, working, talking, listening, driving, walking, and yes, even running. Running for Zach. Zach hit a setback in his race. He was running more backward than […]
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Friday, April 19
A special day today. Some Calgary visitors from our church in Calgary – Bethel United Reformed Church. Pastor Keith Davis and his wife Laura checked in on Zach and the Hoogerdyk and Teitsma families. That’s cool. The theme for today is: Praise. Psalm 34:1. Continual praise. Praise is sanctifying. Praise is unifying. Praise is magnifying. […]
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Thursday, April 18
The theme for today is: Hands. Psalm 31. In God’s hands. David had gifted hands. David had shepherd’s hands. Hands to hold the rod and staff. Hands to help. Hands to defend. Hands to correct. Hands to guide, to hold, and to save. David had strong hands. Hands to use a slingshot. Hands to use […]
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Wednesday, April 17
The theme for today is: Shelter. Psalm 61:3. David cries. God shelters. David experienced it. Charles Spurgeon said, “Experience is the nurse of faith.” King David. A life of trials and hardships. Many brought on by others. Many brought on by himself. He fled for his life, hid in caves, lived like an outlaw, experienced […]
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Tuesday, April 16
The theme for today is: The Rock. Psalm 61:2. God leads. David cries. God leads. David asked Him to. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, he prays. Rock. He wants to be led to this rock. There’s something special about this rock. He needs to get there. And he needs to […]
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Monday, April 15
The theme for today is: Not giving up. My running life is like my prayer life. It goes well for several days, even weeks, but rarely for months. Panting. Gasping. Just give up. Nothing much seems to change. A waste of time. A waste of breath. Psalm 61:1. God listens. David is overwhelmed. David must […]
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Sunday, April 14
The theme for today is anxiety. Megan is going through a devotional right now by Alistair Begg (one of Zach’s favourite preachers) called Truth for Dark Days, and found this meditation. We’d like to share it and take a break from the Psalms today. Be encouraged. Casting All Your Cares Anxiety is a strange thing, […]
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Saturday, April 13
The theme for today is Keeper. Psalm 121. A poetic psalm. A pilgrimage psalm. A protection psalm. Keep. Keep. Keep. Keep. Keep. Keep. Six times. Six times we read/sing/hear that God keeps. God is our protecter. God is our preserver. God is our keeper. God is THE keeper. The nights are the hardest. We look […]
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Friday, April 12
The theme for today is seeking. Psalm 25. A supplication psalm. A sincere psalm. A seeking psalm. David begs and pleads to God (supplication). He hopes only in God (sincere). And turns only to God (seeking). David is beside himself. He’s suffering in every way imaginable. Suffering from painful guilt, paralyzing fear, and persistent […]
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Thursday, April 11
The theme for today is rapha and yada. Just can’t quite leave Psalm 46. How can you without touching on “Be still and know that I am God?” So, I learned some Hebrew. And I want you to as well. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. And easy. Two words: rapha and yada. Rapha. Be […]
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Wednesday, April 10
Update: Thank you to family in Ontario for launching a GiveSendGo campaign. Feel free to click here for more info: https://www.givesendgo.com/GC78E ——— The theme for today is Refuge. Psalm 46. A powerful psalm. A peaceful psalm. A popular psalm. It’s the number one psalm that’s been shared with us since Zach has been in hospital. […]
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Tuesday, April 9
Disclaimer: Just to clear up any confusion, Ed is writing the devos. Melannie and Megan are writing the ‘Today’s Update’ part. Now you should know who’s washing whose undies. ——— The theme for today is Psalms. Food is great. Sleep is welcome. Supplements are a bonus. Medicine is a blessing. But the best treatment in […]
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Monday, April 8
The theme for today is acceptance. We met with the doctor today about long term care and there was a lot to digest in the ole noggins. So much uncertainty. Such a long haul. So many ifs. Not enough whens. Not sure what to expect. But remarkably, we accept. We accept what’s happened. We accept […]
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Sunday, April 7
The theme for today is anchor. Hope needs an anchor. There’s so much going on. Beeping. Buzzing. Dinging. Ringing. Testing. Wrapping. Unwrapping. Moving. Shifting. Turning. Scanning. Meeting. Feeding. Medicating. Updating. Talking. Listening. Questioning. Praying. Hoping. All the noises. The days are a topsy turvy rollercoaster. Some days it feels like you’re riding one wave after […]
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Saturday, April 6
The theme for today is hoping. Today we received some updates that left us with a sense of cautious optimism. Be hopeful! But we also received an update that left us devastated and heartbroken. Be hopeful! Hope. It’s a small word. And depending on where your hope comes from, it’s either a weak word or […]
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Friday, April 5
The theme for today is anticipation. It feels like Zach has been sealed up in a chamber up to this point. This morning when we arrived, the nurse’s first words to us were: “He’s no longer in isolation; there’s no need to gown and mask up.” This gave us a sense of relief and anticipation. […]
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Thursday, April 4
The theme for today is timing. God’s timing. As you’ll read below, Zach had some setbacks today. This was hard to accept. A setback is just that. It sets you back. Not forward but back. We want Zach to progress forwards. Not backwards. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Tim Keller said, “God’s sense of timing will […]
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Wednesday, April 3
The theme for today is restlessness. Zach is restless. Restless and confused. Restless and anxious. Restless and seemingly aware. Restless in pain. Restless and tense. He flails his arms. He flails his legs. He calms down. And then he does it again. Waking, waking, waking. Waking up is a process. A restless process. His eyes. […]
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Tuesday, April 2
The theme for today is clinging. We cling when we’re afraid. We cling when we’re anxious. We cling when we’re desperate. We just need something, someone, anything, anyone to cling on to. But what to cling on to? If you cling on to a rope, something’s got to give. You. Or the rope. If you […]
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Monday, April 1
Morning Update – A Call for Prayers Yesterday morning, Zach was taken off of sedation. It has now been over 24 hours without any sedation, and Zach has not woken up. The doctors are concerned that his brain may be impacted by his illness, and so they are sending him down for a CT scan […]
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Sunday, March 31
Watching and Waiting We’re waiting. We’ve been doing a lot of waiting. Waiting in line. Waiting at elevators. Waiting for doctors. Waiting for nurses. Waiting for updates. Waiting to visit. We watch and we wait. We wait for the Lord. Today is another day to watch and wait Hard to do when we’ve been doing […]
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Saturday, March 30
Today, much was the same as yesterday. The doctors are keeping Zach sedated for longer than planned, as his breathing rate increases too much whenever they decrease the sedation. Zach’s fever spiked again overnight, so they have continued to give him tylenol and ice packs to decrease his temperature and heart rate. They will continue […]
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Friday, March 29
Zach is now a stable ICU patient. He no longer needs treatment to support blood pressure. This is good news as they don’t need to continuously monitor his blood pressure anymore. They’ll keep him mildly sedated and keep decreasing sedation slowly so as not to shock him. He’s slowly responding more but still sleeping. His […]
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Thursday, March 28
Zach is still intubated, but he’s breathing at his own pace and the ventilator is helping to fill up his lungs. They’re slowly taking down his sedation levels, and DV he will become stable enough to wake up in the coming days. They have started Zach on small amounts of tube feeding to see how […]
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Wednesday, March 27
Zach was placed on his back again this morning. Zach’s heart rate and oxygen level improved overnight. Praise God! The doctors told us that all the numbers that they were worried about yesterday are better today. The threat to Zach losing his life is greatly diminished, but serious problems are still persistent. The medical team […]
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Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, March 26 – Morning Update At around 4am on Tuesday, we were allowed to see Zach through the window to his room with two to three people at a time. He was intubated, sedated, and highly unstable. A constant ICU team was working with him to stabilize him, but things were not looking […]
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Monday, March 25
After about a week of cold symptoms like cough, sore throat, and fever, Zach woke up on Monday with severe shortness of breath and other concerning symptoms. He appeared very ill and drained of energy, so it was 3:00 pm before he was able to leave the house and go to a walk-in clinic with […]