April 29th

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

Today is April 29th. 11 months ago to this day, Jesus took my baby boy into His arms for eternity. 11 months. Seems like so long ago, doesn’t it? 11 months ago, I was broken, depressed, and had more questions in my head than I could recall. I didn’t understand it at the time, but God was using May 29th, 2012 as a turning point in my life.

 

There are moments in one’s lifetime that are life altering. The obvious ones include getting a license, graduating high school/college, getting engaged, getting married, expecting a child, etc. What you may notice about all those examples is that they are all (seemingly) positive. What about those other life-altering experiences? Bankruptcy, disease, death.

 

See a while ago, we had a blog. We started it just weeks before Harrison would leave us. It began as a simple outlet to update our family and friends who wanted to keep up with Harrison’s ever changing fight with Trisomy 18. We had no idea God had bigger plans for that blog. As of today, it has been viewed nearly 100,000 times in almost every state, and over 75 countries worldwide.

 

God graciously gave Emily and I a chance, a chance to turn a negative life-altering experience into something that completely glorifies Him. Those chances come more often than a person might think, but rarely it seems they are utilized to the fullest. Over these last 11 months, we have had a voice, a platform that I have never had before. I have spoken in public before, and anyone who knows me knows that I am not real shy. But this time it was different.

 

Enter Harrison’s Heroes. In just 1 short month, we will be having our first (of I hope many) races for which the purpose is 2-fold. We are choosing to honor our son’s very short, yet very impactful life by doing something our family loves to do, which is run. We are also hoping that with money raised through this race, we can help out families who go through ordeals such as this. For every pregnancy that goes without any major hitch, there is probably at least 1 that has problems, some of them very severe. Some families are not blessed with amazing health insurance, or a support group of family and friends who surround them constantly. No, some of these families fight uphill battles alone, and severely underequipped.

 

We have partnered with a Hospital we believe in. Dayton Children’s has done some AMAZING work in its existence, and we believe their values line right up with our families. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has families in it non-stop who fight difficult battles with children. With the fund we have set up in Harrison’s name, it will help some of these needy families have just a little better chance at survival.

 

I know many of you have followed our blog, and race updates very carefully. You have been part of that amazing support staff that helped Emily, myself, and our families get through what was (and still is) a difficult time. Some of you have signed up for the race, whether to run, or as a sponsor. Thank you SO much for that, we are currently in a pretty good spot 1-month out.

 

I want to speak to people who have not signed up yet. For some of you, running is not your thing, I get it. Fortunately for you this is a 5k/10k run OR walk. Since I have recently torn my acromioclavicular joint, I will be one of those walkers. My wife will be 37 weeks pregnant, she will be a walker. Some of you are saying, well I have small kids, and you probably don’t allow strollers…WRONG! Bring your stroller out; I know many who are in fact doing that. I should mention now that our guest (s) of honor include Miss Nora Rose Yusko, and her mom Aleisa. Nora was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 over a year ago, and she is showing everyday what it means to be a fighter. God put her mother Aleisa into my life, and she inspired me to start blogging. Some of you just need that little push to sign up. You are on the fence, and just need a little shove in the right direction.

 

I could go on, but this is getting long. I am asking you, as a brother, a cousin, a friend, an acquaintance, a former high school or college friend, a colleague, and insert any other title in here, to don’t just THINK about signing up, but actually sign up. Now is the time to act, now is the time to help yourself out by getting some exercise, but to also help out countless children and parents in the future, who while you may never meet, will have an impact that goes far beyond what they will ever know.

 

Our family motto is FINISH STRONG. Registration for this race has been open since January 1st. We have one month left (only 2 weeks to guarantee an amazing t-shirt). Help me show Harrison, and all his friends he has met up in heaven what it really means to FINISH STRONG. I owe him that much as his earthly father.

 

You can sign up for the race directly by going here: http://www.active.com/running/beavercreek-oh/harrisons-heroes-5-and-10k-2013

 

If you want to know more information on our story, you can go to www.heroes4harrison.com

 

Thank you so much for everything, I really appreciate it.

 

James Mummert- Harrison’s dad

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Never Alone

A while ago, I wrote a poem ( http://harrisonjamesmummert.com/2012/07/11/a-poem-called-your-time/ ) that was put on my heart. I had asked great friends of mine, Dusty and Shiloh, to write a song using the poem. They did a wonderful job, and now I want to share it with you. The photos are from the hospital. God Bless

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Posted on July 25, 2012 by

This week has been a pretty rough one for us. As we come up on Harrison’s two month angelversary, I was hoping things would get easier, but it hasn’t really been the case. I believe there are different layers of closure, and I think I have hit 1 of those 3 layers. I have the layer of closure where I know that my son is in Heaven. For the record I think this is the most important one, and I am happy to have hit it.

We are still working on paperwork issues, which seems crazy to me. I would ask that you continue to pray for us. Emily had a check up appointment today, and mentioned to me that so many memories flooded her brain. Today’s post has been very short, and lacking much insight, but I wanted to let you know we are still struggling. Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

 

The Mummerts

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Meet Stella

Posted on July 15, 2012 by

Hi, I’m Stella, nice to meet you

 

Meet Stella. This is the new addition to our family. She is an 8 week old Labradoodle. Emily and I have been wanting a second dog for a while, and the timing is right for us. I will be honest, for me personally it means so much. A puppy in its earliest stages is really like a baby, and so a large void from Harrison is being filled slightly by our new dog.

 

Emily and I left for Creedmor, NC yesterday morning, which is where the breeder Recia was located. I thought we were only going for a puppy, but I also got something else on the trip…..a speeding ticket! DOH!

This is my first ever speeding ticket, and I didn’t even try to fight it. Definitely was speeding, so no reason to make an excuse :(

 

Anyways, not going to let that get me down…here are some more pictures of our newest puppy!

^On the way home. For anyone who knows our other dog Diesel, I think they are going to fit right in.

^Taking a nap in her crate. Bunny is the toy she is familiar with, it has the scent of her mother.

^Feeding time! She is like her dad in this area. I don’t waste time, and neither does she!

^Here is our current set up. We have cordoned off a “den” area for her. This is to help with housebreaking her. Her crate door stays open, and she has a little play area (which she loves to play with Diesel’s toys. He is kinda having a hard time adjusting to not being the only child). We had a sleepover last night in our living room. I slept right next to Stella, as we continue to get her used to her crate, and understanding its not a punishment, but a “safe” place. I was up at Midnight, 2am, 4am, and Emily took 6am to let her out. She has done great so far with peeing, although today we have had two incidents.

 

I hope you are having a great Sunday. Relish the little things in life. Please continue to pray for Nora and Adalyn. If you havent checked out their stories yet, links are below. I am also linking our breeder as well. She is excellent to work with, really knows her stuff.

Nora- http://noraroseyusko.com/

Adalyn- http://adalynmayourlittleangel.blogspot.com/

Recia (The Breeder)- http://prizelabradoodles.com/

 

 

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Can you do me a favor?

Posted on July 12, 2012 by

Friends, Family, Church Body:

Recently I was reached out to by someone I did not know, but had a connection with. A girl named Erin is pregnant with a baby girl who has been diagnosed with Trisomy 13. Trisomy 13 is a close cousin to Trisomy 18. My blog was pointed out by a friend, and I am going to ask you to do me a favor.

I would like you to check out her blog http://adalynmayourlittleangel.blogspot.com/2012/07/almost-to-3rd-trimester.html#comment-form

^I think it would be awesome if you commented on her blog, and let her know that you are praying for her and her family. They have decided to carry full term and leave it in God’s hands. My vision is that everyone who reads this blog will comment on hers, and show her the love of Christ. I want it to overwhelm her, and let her know that Erin’s family is not alone.

Thank you so much for doing this!!!

James

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A poem called, “Your Time”

Posted on July 11, 2012 by

 

Here is a poem I wrote last night. It’s called “your time”

Sometimes it seems

nothing can go wrong,

You have everything for that

you could ever long

Then one day your world

turns upside down,

That smile that you had

quickly turns into a frown.

You say theres no way that diagnosis

could be true,

You search for more opinions till

your face turns blue.

You tell yourself the worst has already come,

theres only up to go,

You keep that attitude,

until something stops the show.

You scream to God, the timing isnt right!!

It wasnt supposed to happen, no not tonight.

Your worry turns to anger,

your anger turns to fear.

You realize there will never be

another spoken word, nor another breath.

That he is surely gone,

swept up and taken by death.

You look up in the heavens,

up into the sky,

You ask the Lord for help,

ask Him to reply.

It might seem that God doesnt even hear,

But this is why he gave us one mouth, and two ears.

Lord help me understand that my time is Yours,

not the other way around.

Remember that Gods plans may not be our plans,

but His plans are always right for man.

Trust in the Lord, he will carry you,

give you wings like angels to help you get through.

Today is not tomorrow,

soon it will be yesterday.

So keep your faith strong

because each day is a new day.

When all is said and done,

and its time for us to go,

I’ll look into my heavenly fathers eyes,

and say, Dad, I’m so glad to be home.

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We are all Spiritual Fledglings

Posted on July 4, 2012 by

Every day I come to work, I drive through the same gate. It’s a beautiful gate, really a bridge, that let’s you onto base. As you cross the water, there is an old dock, out of service at this point. While it does not provide space for people to use, a certain Osprey (Sea Hawk)  has taken it to nest her young. Every day I drive on the bridge, she is there, nesting and feeding her 2 young Osprey’s. Wikipedia tells me that the birds will stay in that nest for 8-10 weeks, until it is time for them to take flight, and eventually be on their own. This part of the process is called fledging. But for those 8-10 weeks, the mother takes complete care of the babies, tending to their every need. She will even sacrifice her food supply so the babies survive. But there comes that time, almost instinctively, when the mother knows that it is time for the babies to do their own thing. If birds were capable to think like humans do, this moment in the young birds life would be a troublesome time, knowing that the big vast world lies ahead. They would certainly be afraid knowing that the nest, and the old dock it’s built on, will no longer keep them safe from everything. Maybe you see where I am going with this, if not, let me explain.

In this scenario, God is the adult Osprey, we are the babies. From the time we are born, we are in that spiritual nest. We go to church, study the word, and continually grow our faith in The Lord. Then one day (most certainly not 8-10 weeks), God tells us it is time to go, time to take that first flight. He feels comfortable enough knowing that we can handle that flight, and go out into the world. The timing for this “flight” is different for everyone. To be honest with you, I think the green light for me was just about 3 months ago. Yep, instead of 8-10 weeks, it took me 24+ years. I should point out that there is a distinct difference in using the term fledging, and fledgling. The latter means that the bird will continue to be dependant on it’s parent to take care of it. I am a fledgling in the spiritual sense (and my mom may say the physical too, just depends). I rely on Jesus for my spiritual feeding, and I know that I can’t tackle the world without continuing to fly back to him.

I look at it this way: God has been prepping Emily and I for this situation for a while now. He was equipping two totally un-equipped individuals to undertake a journey they had no original right taking. We prayed, read, and spoke with people during this whole process. When God allowed Harrison to come home, I fully believe is the same time He told Emily and I, “It’s time for you to go. Fly and spread My word. Know that I will always be here. It will be tough, and you WILL have bumps, and you WILL get bruises. But know that I will always be here to fly back to. I will nurse you back to health. Remember that you cannot do this without me. Now go.”

A few things I would like to point out. First, you will not find in the Bible a place where God says he won’t give you something you can’t handle. I fall into the lure of saying that, but in all honesty, it is not there. If He never gave us something we could not handle, there would be no need for God, because we would be self-sufficient. However, I do wholly believe that WITH God, there is nothing we can’t get through. It says in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Secondly, I believe we are ALL spiritual fledglings, or we should be. The second you think you can get through something without God, is the second that the devil will snatch you up.

I was talking with a very dear friend of mine today. I used this analogy as well. We are all in a spiritual war. Our opponent, the devil, exists in many forms. It may be in the form of tough decisions to make, alcohol, drugs, finances, health. We are all in the front line, fighting. Back in revolutionary time, each unit of the military would have its own place to fight. The foot soldiers would be in the front, and more specifically, the Field General would be in the rear. He would sit on his horse and check out the overall scope of battle. The perspective of a foot soldier is vastly different than that of the Field General. The soldier see’s directly in front of him, and many times it seems like they may be overwhelmed. That’s precisely why the FIeld General is in the rear. He dictates where re-enforcements need to come in, to hold the line. God is our Field General, and while we are fighting these spiritual battles, while we are feeling completely overwhelmed, He will call in the reinforcements right on time. I believe that reinforcement’s could come in the form of a phone call from a friend, or one of the many other ways God sends us that message to say “I am with you.”

I know this has been a very long post, but I have had alot on my mind. I appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to read and share this. You may not know, but you serve as my “reinforcements” every time I get a comment, text, phone call. It let’s me know that even though the situation is still rough, God is with me. We love each and every one of you.

God Bless,

James

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