Merry Christmas!

Watch the Youtube of Dec. 2007 after this one. It's amazing how much he has improved.

Homecoming

I got to visit my family for a week in Memphis. Chip will be going to Timber Ridge Neuro Rehabilitation Center in the next couple of week so it was nice to spend time with him. Once you get him past his questions he gets stuck on from his short term memory loss, he can talk to you about anything. They are suppose to get him walking at the rehab. center. That will be exciting for him to have that independence. I know that is where alot of his frustration comes from.
I made him some folders with his questions on them and sheets of paper inside each one with the answers on them so he can visualize the answer and file it away like his brain should do. Unfortunantly, now for my parents he loves his folders and wants to use them constantly. Time will tell if it will be helpful in improving his short term memory.

For my Dad's Birthday we went to our favorite family Italian restaurant, Pete and Sam's. My dad and his Italian side of the family has known their family for many years. Sam bickers with his sister who takes phone orders so much you'd mistake them as a married couple. The photo above shows my great uncle Joe with Mike Tyson.

Shelby Farms is a beautiful conservancy near the Wolf River. Part of the park is reserved for agriculture which is sold at their farmers market. I grew up riding my mountain bike on the trails, walking next to the lakes, buffalo and horses.

One year ago

The latest update I posted on caringbridge.org:


Hard to think about that one year ago tom. (7.21.07) God chose life for Chip and saved him from darkness. It's sad to remember all the scary ups and down while he was in ICU, but am so thankful God is continuing to heal him and show his goodness. It's definitely still hard for us at times because Chip has a ways to go with his short term memory and his other neurological obsticals. But, God did not give up on him when he was a prodigal son and he is not giving up on him now thanks to love and forgiveness through Christ who saved us. We look with hope for even more healing in Chip and in turn for God to show us his glory and power over all obsticals. Thank you for your continued prayers and pleading for Chip's recovery. It means so much to us.

January Chip Updates

Other than hating his splints, yelling and exhausting my poor dad today, and remember cuss words and how to use them, Chip continues to do better and better with his memory, speech and responsiveness. He gets himself worked up and gets aggravated with things. But, wouldn't you if you were forced to keep your limbs straight

There are so many things he says every day. He can tell you what's bothering him (he's good at that), ask questions, make comments and observations. He counts with the therapist when they do his stretches (probably to speed things up). Yesterday, he played black jack with a nurse. He could count his points and decide if he wanted to hit or stay. His friend, Michael, came to visit and they carried on a conversation. Chip asked how he knew he was there and when Michael left he gave Chip a kiss on the cheek. Chip in true Chip sarcasm said don't ever do that again, what are you, gay?
He and my dad return home Thurs. but, will continue to go to the phys. rehab. center for outpatient rehab. Keep praying for Chip to grow closer to Christ through this. I am thankful for the reminder that even if we royally screw up our lives and live for ourselves He draws him back to himself. I am so thankful for God who persues and fights for his children.


These verses are long but, only God's words could best describe my prayers for Chip and all of us.


Romans 8


Now, because of this, those who belong to Christ will not suffer the punishment of sin. The power of the Holy Spirit has made me free from the power of sin and death. This power is mine because I belong to Christ Jesus. The Law could not make me free from the power of sin and death. It was weak because it had to work with weak human beings. But God sent His own Son. He came to earth in a body of flesh which could be tempted to sin as we in our bodies can be. He gave Himself to take away sin. By doing that, He took away the power sin had over us. In that way, Jesus did for us what the Law said had to be done. We do not do what our sinful old selves tell us to do anymore. Now we do what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. Those who let their sinful old selves tell them what to do live under that power of their sinful old selves. But those who let the Holy Spirit tell them what to do are under His power. If your sinful old self is the boss over your mind, it leads to death. But if the Holy Spirit is the boss over your mind, it leads to life and peace. The mind that thinks only of ways to please the sinful old self is fighting against God. It is not able to obey God's Laws. It never can. Those who do what their sinful old selves want to do cannot please God.


But you are not doing what your sinful old selves want you to do. You are doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, if you have God's Spirit living in you. No one belongs to Christ if he does not have Christ's Spirit in him. If Christ is in you, your spirit lives because you are right with God, and yet your body is dead because of sin. The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way. So then, Christian brothers, we are not to do what our sinful old selves want us to do. If you do what your sinful old selves want you to do, you will die in sin. But if, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you destroy those actions to which the body can be led, you will have life. All those who are led by the Holy Spirit are sons of God. You should not act like people who are owned by someone. They are always afraid. Instead, the Holy Spirit makes us His sons, and we can call to Him, "My Father." For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God. If we are children of God, we will receive everything He has promised us. We will share with Christ all the things God has given to Him. But we must share His suffering if we are to share His shining-greatness. God did not keep His own Son for Himself but gave Him for us all. Then with His Son, will He not give us all things? Who can say anything against the people God has chosen? It is God Who says they are right with Himself. Who then can say we are guilty? It was Christ Jesus Who died. He was raised from the dead. He is on the right side of God praying to Him for us. Who can keep us away from the love of Christ? Can trouble or problems? Can suffering wrong from others or no food? Can it be because of no clothes or because of danger or war? The Holy Writings say, "Because of belonging to Jesus, we are in danger of being killed all day long. We are thought of as sheep that are ready to be killed." (Psalm 44:22) But we have power over all these things through Jesus Who loves us so much. For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Take that!

Chip was getting streched out on a ball by his physical therapists today. He was not liking it and he was vocalizing it. They were moving his head, legs and arms all different directions. He ask my dad for a drink of water while they were continuing to stretch him. He acted like he had enough water and my dad took the cup away. Chip then proceeded to spit water on the therapist that were still torturing him. My dad covered his mouth and when he took his hand away he got his last revenge with one last watering.

More on Chip

The latest from caringbridge.org/visit/chipjohnson:
Every week God is healing Chip more and more. He is talking alot and singing! If anyone in Memphis has a video camera my parents could borrow I would love to be able to put more of his progress online.
They are looking for a better facility for Chip. We are hoping to find some connections with The Shepherd Center in Atlanta because that has been the highest recommended.
He sang Take me out to the Ballgame all the way through. He also sang Jesus loves me. How sweet that was to hear and I know so much more sweet to God.
He says so many things now I am going to list as many as my Dad could remember:
Dad, Dad come here.
I can't hear you.
Talk to me.
He calls the nurses by name.
If he doesn't know their name he looks at their name tag and reads it.
He can read evey word on the flash cards.
He knows my parents names Bill and Barbara Johnson.
He said Hey Colenzo to his pastor.
He said I'm on the phone
Tonight he was playing Tick Tack Toe with my dad putting a mark where he wanted his x's to go. He is still working on his x's.
He is getting stonger and stronger. Once his splints come in that will help get rid of the tone in his limbs.
Amongst all his progress, it sadness me so much to learn that when he looked at himself in the car side mirror he said I'm retarded, I'm handicap. We tell him everday God is healing you, You are doing better and better. Pray he would see God's hand in his healing and he would not be discouraged. The most important thing out of all that he has been through is that He knows his Lord and Savior more deeply and that through his healing his friends especially Nick, Jesse and Michael would know that that same Savior desires to have a relationship with them and free them from bondage. I pray the same for every person who hears of Chip's story and I know that is what God intends to do in all of this- That his name would be above all idols and strongholds on people. Because He made us and conquered death and nothing can seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

Chip's Progress December 2007

Website for Chip's updates

We have set up a page for friends and family to view updates on Chip. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chipjohnson

More Chip News

Chip was fighting to wake up and opening his eyes slightly even under heavy sedation. He is fighting right now because of withdrawal from heroin. Pray against the evil effects of this. I needed a good afternoon after no or little information from the neurologist about Chip's brain (They did an EEG- brain wave scan and he didn't even read it). My mom has been saying all week it's not what you see in the physical but, what you know in the spiritual. God is working to heal Chip spritually and physically. They have sedated him to where he is not trying to wake up and cough and spit out his breathing tube. I am so thankful for God giving us hope everyday and am thankful for my family and my friends that pray for my brother. Pray for his surgery tom. (Thurs.) at 5pm Central to insert his trach and feeding tube. Thank you for praying for Chip.

Chip

Sat. a.m. Chip, my younger brother, nearly died. He had overdosed on heroin, was not breathing, did not have a pulse and his heart stopped. Thankfully, the doctors brought him back (God kept him alive). Ryan and I were outside San Francisco at the end of our vacation when we got the call from my mom. We rushed to the airport and flew on a red eye back to Memphis. Ryan got off the plane in Atlanta and drove the car up that night.
I was holding in the tears and praying all the way to Memphis. My cousins met me at the airport and I just let out all the tears and fears I had been holding onto. My family and family friends greeted me at the hospital and my older brother tearfully guided me to my brother's room. It was hard to see Chip in a coma but, my mom, dad and family who had been bathing Chip in prayer and were confident God was healing Chip and keeping him alive.
Sat. night his breaths were shallow and his eyes for fixed and dialated. God had different plans than death for Chip. Out of the darkness and death He he has brought Chip into life and His light. Our miracle on Sunday was him squeezing our hand, moving his feet, reacting to pain, and his eyes reacting to light.
My parents have been so strong, held up by God's power and his promises. The doctors have been not overly optimistic (actually some of them are discouraging) but, we'd hear what they said and immediatly start praying for God to work on it. They said because of lack of oxygen his kidneys and liver are probably damaged and today (Tues.) they said is kidneys are ok and his liver enzyms are improved.
The sour puss nurologist didn't give us much information today and said his brain was without oxygen for some time (impleying damage) but, from the first day of inactivity to Sun. of activity and report of nothing dead we are prayerful that he will restore his brain.
Pray right now for his brain. They are running tests as we speak. Tomorrow Chip will get his breathing tubes and feeding tubes in his mouth that have been making him choke when they take him off sedation and try to wake him will be replaced with a trach and a stomach feeding tube. Pray he will wake tomorrow(Wed.)