a poem

on Nov. 15th at 7:15 am, the day of my heart surgery, the Lord woke me up early (it was actually through a nurse giving me my pre-meds) and laid a poem on my heart. It was inspired through a good friend who told me that "The One above will watch out for me", so it's titled "The ONE above":

The ONE above
The ONE above, He is my shepherd.
The One above, I shall not want.
The One above, He goes before me.
The One above, He calms my heart.

The One above, He knows the valleys.
The One above, He leads me through.
The One above, He lifts my burdens.
The One above, He calms my heart.

The One above now holds and heals me.
The One above now fills me up:
with peace that passes understanding.
The One above, He calms my heart.

The One above, He answers prayers,
The One above, He is my rock.
The One above, a mighty fortress,
The One above, He calms my heart.

So Lord please take this day now,
please guide my every breath.
Please fill me with your joy now.
My Lord and Saviour, my One above, YOU calm my heart.

back home

Hello Hello,

i've been home since Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so nice getting picked up from my men, getting home and being welcomed by the family and good friends, enjoying GOOD food and the wonderful feeling of "arriving home". You guys are the best and i love you all so much. I don't have words to describe what I found at home, a million of Christmas cookies, gifts, cards, mails... only tears (happy tears) can describe that.
The rehab time was very good, i would say i'm at 80% health right now. My blood pressure is still too low, so i get dizzy quite a bit. I try to go on walks to stabilize that, but i have to say that it's getting better already. Today i helped a bit in the house, i'm allowed to lift 10lbs, not more. 2 weeks ago i still had some liquid in the heart sac but it's all gone now. My mitral valve is tight, there is no more insufficiency. God also helped me to process the last 4 weeks, i wrote down everything in my journal so it's out of my mind. When i feel a little better i will try to watch my surgery on DVD, ... interested???
Tomorrow morning i go to the doctors to keep working on my blood count, hopefully i'm done with giving myself the tummy shots (there is no more room on my belly), but we need a better INR (that's the blood thinning rate i have to be on for 3-6 months)
My cardiologist wants to see me too this week to take a look at my "new look". after that i should only have to go once or twice a year. I'm kind of done with doctors and needles. Trust me.

Thank you again for everything!!!! God is so good, He helped us through.

Merry Christmas to all of you. "Jesus is the season for the season"

Love, Anja & 3 very happy boys

Her Voice

photo by Powerhouse Museum Collection	via PhotoRee

We so often take the simple things in life for granted, I was confronted with this yesterday. It was a Great Day even though the weather outside was rainy,cold,dark the Lord brought Sunshine into my day. I was nervous like I was getting ready for my first date, Got the boys off to school was getting ready and could not wait till 2pm came around, I was going to go visit My wife in the hospital. The nervousness I felt was also because I can't stand hospitals but also nervous because I did not know how I was going to handle seeing my wife laying there in pain hooked up to the monitors and such. I was praying the whole way there "Lord give me the strength to be her support"
 I arrive at the hospital met by the friendly faces of all the nurses and doctors on their shift and I ask Where my wife is, they inform me she is upstairs so I take the elevator and arrive on the top floor to face a huge crowd of people all dressed up in suits and dresses mixed within the crowd a lot of doctors someone is speaking threw a microphone welcoming all the guest. The hospital is under construction and the top floor that I was on is the new addition they are having a party. I could not get through the crowd everyone was looking at me I don't fit in so I found a stair case to the back and ended up where I started. Their must be another way to get to my wife, I stop a nurse and ask How can I get to my wife another way I can't get through the crowd she tells me I can go the back way by using the emergency exit, I arrive finally to the floor where my wife was the nurses were waiting for me I knocked on the door and they came wondering why I didn't use the front door so I explained and they laughed knowing exactly what I meant. They led me into the room where my wife laid, her eyes closed hooked up to monitors, It was still in the room just the sound of the monitor monitoring her heart, I got closer to her bed my heart pounding, Anja moved a little open her eyes, she gave me a smile the best that she could and the very thing that I so often take for granted but in that moment was so precious and fulfilling her voice soft and quiet said "Hallo Shatz"  translated "Hello Treasure" those words still ring in my head as I write this a Gift from God. I was able to spend the next 2 hours with her talking with her, the nurse informed me that she had not eaten anything yet it was 2pm about half way into my visit she asked if she could have something to eat and ate a yogurt and drank a cup of tee and asked for another:  I left shortly after with a huge smile on my face and skip in my step of the faithfulness of Our God who answers prayers. That night God Blessed us again after dinner was over I took the trash out to return to Luca opening the door with a smile from ear to ear Mommy is on the phone, What Mommy is on the phone? walking into the living room to hear Levi and Luca talking with Anja a day after her surgery, her voice which I often to often took for granted hearing stronger then when I was there, listening to her telling the boys how proud she was of them, telling them she was ok and that she loved them, telling them that she had eaten more and was getting ready for bed and told them good night!
I got to thinking what else have I been taking for granted, Have I been taking the Voice of God for granted as well? Have I been taking for granted all that He has done for me and given me. God gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Have I taken that for granted and am trying to have that and live in the world as well?  I read of How when Adam and Eve hid in the garden it says there in Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,..." Have I taken for granted that He the LORD God wants to spend time with me?
Oh that we all would come back to enjoy the simple things in life, as the voice of a loved one, the smiles on their faces the gentleness of their touch, Oh that we would come back to appreciate and cherish and await with anticipation the times we have with the Lord as He comes to walk with us in the garden in the cool of day He has given everything to have that time with you, He has made it possible through the blood of His Son that He can walk and talk with you forever, He has promised to be with you, to lead and instruct and guide you along your way here in life. Don't take it for granted.

Thank You

Levi, Anja, Luca

Anja & Josiah

Levi and Luca would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support and are thankful that Mommy is out of surgery. Praise God
I am also very relieved, Today was a hard day of trying to stay occupied and found myself often in prayer that Anja would come through surgery just fine. The verse my Dad gave Anja before her surgery in a mail sparked the thoughts for my blog this morning it is Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. This is exactly what God did the Doctors were able to reconstruct Anja's Heart valve and now begins Her healing process. We wanted to thank you all for your prayers and support and would ask that you do not stop for we need them. The boys and I will sleep better tonight knowing that Anja is doing better. I will keep you all updated


 God Bless
Josiah

Holding Your Hand

Levi & Anja 14.11.10

Luca & Anja 14.11.10

The Four Hart's 14.11.10

Someone

Someone greater than us

Is there

Someone who loves her more than us

Is there

Someone who knows her better than us

Is there

Someone who knows what she needs

Is there

Someone who gave His life for her

Is there

Someone who can hold her hand

Is there

That Someone is Here as well

that Someone is our Savior

Jesus Christ!

josiah 15.11.10 

"For I the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not, I will help you." 

Isaiah 41:28 

"Not Knowing"

Have you ever been there, I am sure we all have been there or we will be finding ourselves there at one time or another the place of Not knowing what is going to happen, what will the results be? Will it all work out? Recently and even now as I write I find myself there "Not knowing"... what is going to happen, how will it all turn out?
You see my wife has had a Mitral Valve Prolapse her whole life and we knew that eventually if it got worst she would have to under go surgery, One tends to push that thought far away and say sometime in the future that will come hoping that it never has to come to that. Well the news came from the Dr. that we should act and have the surgery done to reconstruct the valve. and So we stand at the "Not knowing"
It was a tuesday I was at work and my wife called me, I could tell by her voice that something was not right and she says "I need to have heart surgery" a million thoughts run through your head at that moment, what do I say, how do I comfort her, I respond the only way I know how God will get us through. We hung up the phone and I began to pray "Not Knowing" what was it going to be like, how dangerous is this surgery, is there a good hospital here in the area who specialize in this kind of heart surgery.
The day before on Monday My boss called and asked if I would be able to swicth teaching days with Him and I said yes no problem well now it's tuesday and the "Not Knowing" has began and I must consentrate on Studing for Sunday "God I need your help"  that is a prayer of mine everytime I am preparing to teach but this time it was even more "God help me to consentrate on your word and not on the "Not Knowing"
He had a plan like He always does, We were going thru the book of 2 Samuel looking at the Man after God's own Heart David (just finished last Sunday great book) and I had the privilage of looking and teaching 2 Samuel 22 that Sunday October 3rd.
As I began to read the chapter the Lord spoke loud and clear and comforted me in the "Not Knowing" You see David here is coming to the end of His life and we know from scripture that He had many "Not Knowing" times but here in chapter 22 of Samuel in the first 4 verses He does not dwelll on the "Not Knowing" He does not allow his thoughts to go there but turns his thoughts and His heart to the One He does Know and displays in His Song here a Confidence In Who GOD Is: God is His Rock, His Fortress, His deliverer, His strength in whom he will trust His shield, the horn of his salvation, His Savior who will save him from violence. This Confidence in Who God is gave David the abillity to reflect upon His life and to remeber all that God had done and states many things from verses 4 to 46. This reflecting upon what God had done in His life gave David a Conficence in What God would Do 2Samuel 22:47-51, 23:1-7
The Lord was speaking to us the Four Hart's Who am I? I am your Rock (a firm foundation under your feet) I am your fortresss, I am your Savior, I am your Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace. Look at what I have done in your life and let this give you a Confidence in what I will Do.
So in the "Not Knowing" we find rest in the "ONE WHO DOES KNOW" For He is the Same Yesterday,Today, and Forever. He began a good work and He will finish it until it's completion. He is there, He has not left for He has Promised never to leave us nor forsake us and It is impossible for Him to lie.
So If you find yourself in the "Not Knowing" Group then come join us in finding rest in the "ONE WHO DOES KNOW" Group.

Saying See you Later.

I never did like Good bye's because it sounded as though it was forever and so I try to always say See You Later becasue it implies for me that very truth that I will see you later. Well My Grandma went home this week, What a wonderful place that is, the very place that Jesus has gone to prepare for all of us who believe on Him as Lord and Saviour. She was a wonderful women someone I will trully miss. She loved to help others and always went out of her way to make you feel welcomed. She was my connection to home, there was nothing she didn't tell me I knew and was up to date with everything that was going on back with My family in Cali. Where jessica and joyce moved, what my little brother and his family were up too, where my older brother and his family went on vacation, what new project my dad started to do on the house, how much my mom was working. She even kept me uptodate on people I haven't seen since childhood she would write me 6 page letters filled with family issues I loved it and was up to speed on everything. Her writting was not the easiest to read but that was part of the excitment Levi, Luca and Anja loved to hear what she had to write there were more than once I had to fight back tears from being home sick just because she would not leave out one detail and I could picture it all just as if I was sitting there living it with her. I could tell when she would get tired because her writting would get bigger the spaces would grow and she would write "Ok my boy my hand is hurting got to rest I love you my boy!" Those words were the last words I heard my Grandma say to me just a week ago I called her told her that Levi and Luca, Anja and I were praying for her and that we loved her she was able to say to me " I Love You too my Boy"
What wonderful last words to hear from a Women I will always hold dear in my heart, She wrote me a poem a couple of years ago for my birthday and as I read it out loud to my friends I had to cry from just missing her hug and kiss and smile. she wrote:
" I wrote your name in the sky the wind came and blew it away, I wrote your name in the sand where I stand the waves came and washed it away, then I thought and wrote your name in my heart where I know it will stay." Babchi that is exactly what I have done your name will be forever in my heart where I know it will stay. The Bible tells me in Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" That was my Babchi a saint I know that because my Babchi confessed with her mouth that Jesus Christ was Lord and she believed in her heart that God raised him from the dead she was saved. She is now like I said earlier worshiping at His feet, No more tears, no more pain, no more sin. Babchi I will see you later, For any of you who knew my Babchi and do not yet know our Jesus personally, There is no other way to heaven but throught Jesus Christ and if you want the hope that she had and that I have and that many in my family have to spend eternity with Jesus and go where she is then make things right with Jesus today.
My Babchi is now living the life she was created to live Forever in the Presance of Jesus and I am going there you can too. Say Yes to jesus and experiance the forgiveness of sin.
Babchi I'm coming home can't wait to see you again. Until that day forever you will be in my heart where you will stay.
I love you!

Josiah Hart