Thank God for answered prayer. Yesterday was a better day all round. Anthea was visited by the hand surgeon who is taking her down to his specialist hand rehabilitation area today to take a look at her hand and to begin specialist hand physio. Yesterday she was out of bed twice for over an hour. Anthea was in better spirits yesterday as well, but prayer for her emotional rehabiltation is important.
They have started to wean her away from the feeding tube and yesterday she had some yoghurt and mashed potato (delicious!). As soon as she readjusts to having solid food she will be able to have the food line removed.
Mike went to the Fracture Clinic at Wycombe Hospital and was told that the X Ray of his broken shoulder was excellent and that it was healing well. He has some exercises to do and has been told to go back for an appointment in a month’s time.
The family are all well and coping amazingly well. Although they have not as yet had a meeting with the spinal team which they are still hoping for in the next couple of days, suddenly there has been more talk of her being transferred to a Bristol hospital in the near future. Watch this space…
Mike Hill 
October 24, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Great to catch up with the news after a few days away.
So good to hear of the progress, and the sense of God’s love and provision. day by day with all our prayers, God bless.
October 24, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Wonderful news. I have just finished a sermon on Ecclesiastes so it is good to know that “All is NOT useless” however often we do sometimes identify with the philospher! We will keep on praying. When you come home let me know if you need practical help like meals etc. I would love to be of some practical help.
Eva
October 24, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Found this website from Christian Resource exhibition online. I’ve read all the entries and can only say that God has been so good in this situation. I’ll be praying for Anthea and Mike to recover and for strength for their family.
October 24, 2006 at 5:07 pm
We will continue to pray for healing for both of you, emotional and physical healing. It’s a brilliant verse that reminds us that God is able to do more than we can ask or even imagine! Yours in Christ, Robert S Miller
October 24, 2006 at 8:02 pm
a message for alexa……
just to say i am still thinking of you and all your family (especially your mum). it is so good to hear of her progreses, i’m sure she will continue to make gradual but significant steps towards her recovery.
I am so proud of you for being so strong in such a difficult time and know you will all continue to draw strength from eath other. make sure you let others help you, i’m here for you if you need me…miss you lots,
loads of love and hugs
Sarah
(paul & all my ‘lot’ send their love and best wishes)
October 25, 2006 at 8:58 am
All of this is welcome news. Please be reassured of continued prayers for you all.
Judi
October 25, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Hello Mike and Anthea (and all your family too), I have only just caught up with all your news and was so sorry to hear about the accident. I expect you thought you had seen the last of Wycombe Hospital Mike, sorry not to have been there to support you. Tim and I send all our best wishes and prayers, particularly for Anthea’s continued recovery
October 25, 2006 at 12:46 pm
Still praying for you both. Good to hear Anthea may be able to move to a Bristol hospital soon. Now praying for your return to us.
Love,
Ken.
October 25, 2006 at 3:24 pm
In my wanderings around Bristol today (Wed)I passed the Cathedral you so love,Mike, so went in and lit a candle and said a prayer that God will keep ALL His promises and for faith to grow as He gives you new blessings every day and that Anthea gets better really quickly. Hope to see you all back in Bristol soon. I’m still praying!God Bless
Barb
October 25, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Dear Anthea,
Your emotional well-being has been very much on my heart these last few days, so I thought I’d send you a weekly bulletin from Stoke Lodge and call it ‘Tales from the classroom’ to cheer you up, but actually it’s half-term this week, so there’s nothing to report!
However, we’ve had a conference on at our church all this week and I thought I’d share with you instead what the Lord has really impressed upon me these last few days, because the times of worship have been so awesome in the presence of God.
This is what He showed me. Our physical bodies are subject to us, but we don’t have the complete control over them that we’d like. Sometimes they are subject to other people (like the situation you are in at the moment) and they are also subject to creation and the fallen world in which we live. Our souls (who we are) are likewise not subject to us exclusively. They can be subject to other people and the environment – all of which can affect us emotionally.
But our spirit on the other hand belongs to God! Our spirit can be affected by what our bodies and souls are going through, but it is primarily within us to respond to Christ’s Spirit. And His Spirit, the Holy Spirit is subject to no other thing but God alone! Hallelujah!!!
That is why it is so important to ask to be filled with Holy Spirit everyday because there is no other energising force that’s going to enable us to overcome our circumstances and positively affect our bodies and souls for good. As it says in 1 John 1v4 ‘Greater is He that is in you, than he who is in the world.’
That’s why praise and worship are so important (and it’s taken me a long time to really appreciate the value of this). During these times we bring our bodies and souls under submission and our spirit is re-aligned with God’s Spirit and enables us to view our condition from His perspective. That is why we leave His presence re-invigorated and ready to face the challenges of the day.
There was a German psychiatrist (and I regret I can’t remember his name) who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during the war and he learned this principle. He once said to his captors and wrote about it later ‘You can take away everything I own and everyone I hold dear. You can destroy my body. But you can never take away my right to choose the way I respond to you because my spirit belongs to God and I choose to forgive you.’ (Words to that effect).
I think his words remained with me because it seems such an impossible thing that he was able to forgive under such circumstances, but I’m beginning to understand I hope!
Love you lots and hope this encourages you. We have an answer. Hold fast to that which you know to be true and certain – God’s love for you as a tender Father and His provision to enable you to overcome every obstacle.
God Bless – Lynne
October 25, 2006 at 7:00 pm
So glad to hear the good progress for both Mike and Anthea — we continue to thank God for the protection he has given you and to pray for you both and all the family as well as for ongoing healing
With our love
David and Averil
October 25, 2006 at 9:53 pm
You have been very much in my thoughts and prayers over the last few weeks. I’m really happy to hear about progress. Keep strong.
God bless,
Giles
October 25, 2006 at 10:32 pm
We are delighted to hear of the progress you are both making. Also realise something of the emotio nal reactions to both what you’ve all been through, and what is ahead. We keep you in our prayers and on our hearts and minds
Our love to you both
October 25, 2006 at 11:42 pm
Mike and Anthea,
20 days on and you are both doing magnificiently. Thank you so much for the updates. It’s good to know how you are and to pray specifically.
Much love and huge hugs to you and the family.
Maggi.