My Dear Ladies,
It has been *so* long since I have written on this blog. WOW. Things have been so busy at work and around the Fitzpatrick house but today I got some news that compelled me to get on the blog immediately. Joanne Heim, a dear siesta, suffered a stroke this morning. She is the thirty-eight year old wife of Toben and mother of Audrey (12) and Emma (9). Some of you around here may know her as the Simple Wife. Joanne has inspired me countless times with her witty and profound comments. She is a brilliant student of Scripture, an amazingly devoted wife, and a fun and creative Mom. The last time I heard from her she told me that she was teaching her girls Greek. My heart was pierced when I heard the news a few hours ago and I have not been able to get the Heims out of my mind. Please hear me when I say that I know nothing except that Joanne has been in surgery, they located a blood clot, and she is out of surgery. I have been stalking news about her on Twitter, and apparently she is still sleeping but has been responsive by squeezing her husband’s hand. The family will not know anything substantial until she wakes up. I am not an authority on what is going on as I have very few details (and the ones I do have are from Twitter!), but Mom, Amanda and I do want to invite you to pray for our dear sister Joanne. If you feel inclined, please use the comments on this post as prayers for Joanne and family. We have been told that there is a call to prayer tonight at 6:00 CST. Check Twitter (@joanneheim/#prayingforjoanne) because the last we heard, they were going to try to Skype. No matter when, no matter where, let us all join together and pray for all things concerning the Heim family.
Love to you all,
Melissa
Father, thank you for knowing our conflicted hearts and still bidding us come. For knowing our motives change like a moving target and still desiring our conversation. For sensing when words seem flimsy and instead providing them for us. You’re just really Somethin’ Else/Someone Else.
Please, LORD on high, be this family’s refuge, strength and ever-present HELP. They’re in trouble. Please show Yourself mighty.
We love You, Jesus.
Thank you for the websites to check for updates – I am praying for my sister in Christ and her family. Thank you to all those who have posted their prayers – what a beautiful scent they must be to our Daddy!
Jehova Rapha- The God who heals.. i pray on behalf of our precious siesta that you will touch her body right now. Please give her a special healing touch and give her family peace in the midst of this circumstance. Thank you that you are a name above all names that we can call on Lord Jesus!
Amen
My heart is just breaking, but my lips are praying, my soul is hoping and my spirit is believing. Thank you Melissa for letting us know about what happened to Joanne and how much she and her precious family need our prayers. I’m checking for updates regularly and praying God’s word over them.
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry…He is our refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…
Ps 34:15, Ps 46:1-2
I’ve been so incredibly burdened in prayer for her and her family since early Tuesday after Holly’s first tweets. Thank you for spreading the word to the entire siesta community. As several have said on twitter and facebook, thank you for this community. I count it such a privelege and an honor to pray alongside so many wonderful ladies and gentlemen for this precious woman of God and her family.
praying for God’s will to be done and for comfort and peace for the entire family…God is good and faithful…
Thank you so much! Each and every time I see a mention on Twitter I stop and pray for Joanne. I don’t know her, but she’s my sister in Christ and it is an honor to uphold her, her family and all the medical professionals in prayer! I am blown away that this piece of technology can make such a profound impact on our lives. Thank you Lord! Believing for a miracle.
Praying for the entire family! Lord please wrap Your Mighty arms around them all. Thank you for what You are doing right now! AMEN
I am praying for you, Joanne!
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Heb. 6:19
I am yet another siesta who doesn’t know Joanne personally, but feel incredibly burdened to pray for her constantly. What a sweet privilege to be able to pray for my sister in Christ.
Praying…and the Holy Spirit groans…
Praying for complete healing in the Name of Jesus, Amen
Thanks for letting us know, Melissa! Praying for Joanne and her family! Send us an update at some point when/if you know more.
Dear Lord, thank you for leading me to this blog today. Thank you for placing Joanne on so many hearts. Help us to know how to pray for her and that sweet family. Please be their fortress and strength. Please bring her healing so that she may continue to be the wife, mother, and friend that You have made her to be.
God of hope give this precious family your peace and comfort in the midst of uncertainty. Fill them by the power of your Holy Spirit with HOPE and remind them of your love and power. Mighty God, thank you for your care and intervention in our lives. You are a God who saves and redeems. Please bring Joanne back to health. Thank you, Mighty God.
I am praying for Joanne.
Father God..I beg you to intervene on Joanne’s behalf. To heal her. Father I also pray for her husband and 2 sweet girls. I pray your Holy Spirit would hover over this family and hold them gently during this tragic time. In Jesus name–Amen.
Oh, Jesus… you know my heart. I pray for a complete healing for Joanne. This is hitting me, as I am her same age. Please give strength to her husband and kids, and comfort to those who love her. We know that you are in control and that you can only be good. We come to you, trusting you and knowing that you are holding Joanne close. Please bring healing to her and help her to recover quickly. We love you and trust you and thank you for hearing us when we come to you. In your precious name,
Amen.
Hi I am Audrey I am 12 years old and my mom is Joanne I just want to thank you all for praying so much!
Dear God
you are the ultimate doctor and healer! This is all in Your hands and You know everything in the past, present and future, You know when my mommy will recover and be healed. Thank You God!
Amen
Sweet Audrey I am praying right this minute for your mom. I just spent some time on her Simple Wife blog what a wonderful mom she is and what a blessing you and your sister are to her. I am looking forward to when she is back to blogging and I can get to know her better. Until then, God holds her in the palm of His hand. “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” Isaiah 49:16
Hi Audrey! Jesus is shining bright through you 🙂 I’m praying for you and your family! love~ Traci
Dear Audrey,
Thank you for taking the time to write a message to this board. So many of us are praying for your mommy, for you and your sister (Emma), your daddy (Toben) and all of your other family members and friends. All of you are near to the heart of God and to the hearts of His children.
Audrey, I know that the Lord has given you special courage, because you have been so brave. Sweetheart, continue to be strong in the Lord. You are dearly loved.
May the Lord continue to shelter you under His wings.
Love,
Trudy
Alberta, Canada
Bless you Dear Audrey and your sweet spirit. Lord we ask a special blessing of comfort on Joanne’s two sweet girls. Fill them with the peace tht the future is in your hands. Surround them with love and peace.
I admire you, 12 yr old Audrey. You’re faith and trust is beautiful!
Joining you in prayer,
CC
audrey, we’re also praying for you, sweet girl.
hang on to Jesus.
Audrey,
Your post here caught me off guard and I have tears rolling down my cheeks. What an amazing, beautiful, sweet and BRAVE young lady you are…just like your mommy! I don’t know if you remember me and my daughter Cassidy….but she was in your Brownies group at Denver Christian several years ago. (I homeschool Cassidy now too).
You already know this, of course…but I just have to AGREE….Your mom is THE most amazing girl scout leader! My favorite memory is when she sat all the girls (and moms) down in a big circle at the overnight camp and taught us a whole bunch of FUN, crazy girl scout games! She’s an amazing godly lady and God has amazing purposes for all the tough stuff that is going on right now.
Thousands of people are standing by you in prayer as the future unfolds and God works through your mom’s life, as He always has. We are all proud of you for being so brave and sitting by your mom’s side today. Please know that you don’t have to be strong ALL the time…it’s okay to cry and need a hug. Even us adults need to do that…..
HUGS sweet girl….I am praying for you tonight as you go to sleep after a long, hard day. But it was a good day too…you blessed your mom and your dad by being there and being courageous! Hang in there and we will be with you each step of the way!
Love,
Cheryl & Cassidy Veenstra
Precious Audrey, I am in tears! Have been praying all morning long here in So. Cal for your lovely Mommy and Daddy and you and your sister, was moved to come back to Living Proof Ministries blog to pray through the prayers that had come in today with other “Siestas” for your Mommy, (that’s our word for our sisters in Christ through the LPM Blog) and there was your reply and declaration of faith in God! I have never met your MOmmy in person, but have been blessed by The Simple Wife Blog, and was led to her blog a couple of years ago. I am praying the prayer you posted just as you worded it. It is a perfect prayer, and we are believing with you, and are proud of you in the LORD for your powerful bravery and love. Your Mommy and Daddy have taught you well, and Jesus is with you every moment. It will take time, but I know you will give God time.
Lovingly,
Pam H.
Buena Park, CA
Hi sweet Audrey,
How brave you are! I’m so glad to see you putting all your hope and trust in God. I remember you and your mom and Emma reciting Psalm 91 a couple of months ago; remember those words sweet girl, HE is covering you, and your mom and dad and Emma, with His feathers.
Your family is covered in prayers!
Dear Audrey, Thank you for taking the time to post a comment here! I’ve been reading your mom’s blog and have read your dad’s posts. You are a brave and precious daughter, not only of your parents, but of our Heavenly Father as well. May God give you, your dad, sister, aunt, grandma, and all your family His strength to do all you need to do. May you feel His loving presence continually. I know He is there with You and loves you all so much. Praying for your mom’s complete recovery.
Take care, sweet girl,
Karene in California
Audrey,
Your mom is loved by so many of us who know her, and even more people who have never met her. I hope it comforts you, your sister and your dad to know that so very many people are praying for her and for all of you.
Bless your sweet heart!
Melana in Wyoming
Praying for Joanne and believing God will heal and protect her.
Just read this post.
Just prayed.
Claiming You, Abba, as the great healer with all these others. You alone be glorified…watching how you embrace your children through scary waters takes my breath away. You are God with us, Immanuel, always. Praise your Holy name.
Crying out to the One who hears and responds. I am grateful for the Body of Christ. What a testimony of God’s grace.
Father God, you answered a prayer of mine today and I thank you and praise you for your answer. I humbly ask that you consider all the requests made here for healing for our precious sister in Christ. You are the Great Physician, and I pray that you would touch Joanne with a complete healng. You are our Comforter, please comfort this family in this trial, and give them peace. We thank you and praise you for all you are and all you do, and for your protection and provision for Joanne and her family at this time. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
O Lord
We come to you on bended knee to ask for your healing hand to be upon Joanne for her complete healing and for your grace to be upon her family, be their strength everyday and let them feel your presence forever with them and that there are many praying everyday for their precious loved one in Christ.
In Your Son Jesus Precious Name, Amen
Holding up this dear lady in prayer today…
Joining all of you and lifting Joanne and her precious family up in prayer. Thank you, Melissa, for “sounding the battle cry”.
Lord, surround this family in your presence. Let them see you in their mist.
Praying for Joanne and family.
Precious Audrey,
Know that we all are lifting your mom up to the throne of Jesus and that He hears your prayers and ours!
Isaiah 26:
3 You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you. NIV
Our prayers for your family are never ending~
Praying that our God, the God of all comfort, the One who gives life, healing and perfect peace just continues to wrap his arms around this precious family. Lord, let them feel your presence – your constant and unfailing love.
SSMT – Joanne’s first verse for this year is 1 John 4:19 from the Message: “We, though are going to love- love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.”
Maybe those of us who feel led to do so could have this as our second verse – to honor Joanne and as a reminder to pray for our siesta in her time of need – to love her from where we are in the way she needs it right now.
I like this idea. Thanks for sharing. Praying for Joanne now…
I thank you Father God that you hear our prayers. We come boldly before Your throne to ask You to heal Joanne completely and cause her to recover quickly. You are the only living God and all things are in Your hands. We lift up her daughters, her husband and her family and friends at this time. Comfort them with the peace and comfort only You can provide, a peace that passes all understanding. I love You and thank You Lord for all You are doing and will do in this situation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Praying for Joanne’s complete and total healing. To God be the Glory forever.
Father God, we thank you for the special friendship we’ve all shared with Joanne, for the transparency in her life, sharing her ups and downs, challenges and discoveries with all of us. Father – teach us to be more like Joanne in honor of her friendship – to love others, value family, enjoy your presence. This Lord is her amazing gift to all of us. Relationship, Love, Transparency, Creativity. I miss her so much Lord. Please heal; please
Audrey,
You are a princess of the King – your Mommy has taught you well. Give her hand a squeeze for me tomorrow.
I had not heard of her until this post. But, I have thoroughly enjoyed “getting to know” her through her website. I am joining the army of prayer warriors on her behalf.
Psalm 145:13b (NIV) The Lord is faithful to all of His promises and loving toward all He has made.
Praying for Joanne this morning.
I’m continuing to sew “blessing bunting” to hang in Joanne’s recovery room. (I dropped off the first batch at the hospital yesterday.) Leave a scripture/prayer on the link below and I will print it on a flag and sew it to the bunting.
You are also encouraged to create your own bunting and mail to her sister’s address (also on the post below).
http://mustardseeds.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/01/tutorial-blessing-bunting-for-joanne.html
Thank you fellow siestas!
Just found out another connection to this woman…a friend of mine works with her. Praying!
Also, please see Joanne’s sister’s (Kristen) blog post. Her heartfelt post describes how we can be praying for the whole family.
http://khphotography.net/blog/?p=719
Melissa, so sorry to hear about your friend, Joanne. I am praying that God will comfort and heal Joanne, and also that her husband will be filled with sweet peace and strength that only our Lord and Saviour can give. God Bless You, my sister in Christ.
PRAYING FOR JOANNE AND HER PRECIOUS FAMILY DURING THIS TIME OF RECOVERY AND HEALING!!!!
I posted a prayer for Joanne today. http://www.teawithtiffany.com/2011/01/sweet-ps-prayer-joanne-simple-wife/
Will continue to pray.
Praying for a full recovery!!!
Precious Lord Jesus, I join in prayer with so many to pray for Joanne. I thank you Lord, that she knows you and loves you. I ask you to find favor with her and heal her. May her story serve to bring recognition and honor to You, Jesus. I pray for the physicians and nurses to be knowledgable, compassionate, and gentle. I pray for her husband and children. Comfort them and may they feel Your presence ever strong. We love you Jesus, we need You. In Your name we pray. Amen
I groaned inside when I read this. I know the Holy Spirit is praying too, with groanings inexpressible. He is with her always. He is her very present help in time of trouble and need. Praying for her to feel the depth, width, length of His love for her. She will never be separated from it…
God you are amazing above all things and we love you more than anything! Thank you that we know you hear us and and that we know You love us! Thank you that you are looking out for our dear sister Joanne, and thank you that you are already working in and around her as well as through her. I ask you to lift her family into your arms and hold them tight, remind them who you are and how much you love them all. Praise you Father for you are worthy!
In Jesus precious name, Amen
This is to Joanne’s family–
Twenty years ago this coming May, my mom was taking her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law, her youngest daughter (who was 9 months and 3 days pregnant) and her 3 year old granddaughter to Tulsa for a day of shopping and for her daughter (my sister) to see her doc. (We live in a small town about 40 miles away.)
On their way in that morning, they were hit by a drunk driver. Everyone died except my sister.
She was 24, had a broken neck, damaged spleen, broken leg and wrist along with several other problems. It was a rainy day, and life-flight couldn’t get airborne, but finally a female pilot chanced it. (Thank you, Jesus!)
The trauma team did immediate surgery on my sister when she got to the hospital to remove the baby (who’d died because of my sister’s excess blood loss) remove her spleen and do what they could for her c-6 neck injury.
My sister’s heart stopped, and the surgeon told me that he normally “let a patient go” when that happened, but something (Someone) told him to start it again.
He did, and my sister lived, but was in a coma for six weeks.
We weren’t ER Christians, but had been followers for years.
When the docs and nurses told us to prepare ourselves, she would surely die, we’d tell them to do whatever they could, and we’d leave the rest to God.
At that time, praying for His perfect will, no matter what, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but we did.
Today, nearly 20 years later, my sister is still alive, although she’s in a wheelchair and a quadraplegic. She can use her hands somewhat, but not like she used to.
She has borne two more daughters and even breast fed one of them. (One of her breasts was so damaged because of the seatbelt she couldn’t breast feed on that side.)
You’ve never met a more cheerful or stronger Christian.
God is so good, His love is never ending.
You can get through this.
Will everyone please keep praying for Joanne? Her husband reports that they desperately need the swelling in her brain to go down.
Praying hard in Kansas.
Still praying!!
Healing is in God’s hands and I’m asking Him to heal Joanne. Lord give Your wisdom to her doctors, Your peace to Toben & Audrey & Emma and family. Lord, You hear the cries of all these people pleading for Joanne. Lord You are Almighty and good and I ask that You heal Joanne’s body.