October 28-30, 2005
Whatever difficulties Laura was having early in the week, she overcame them and is relaxed and back on track for recovery. She continues to show minor improvements over time. Her hands, feet, arms, and legs are essentially void of stiffness. Laura is regaining small movements in these areas. The biggest thing we have noticed is the increase in vocalization. Laura is making moaning type noises. It is really neat because you can finally tell that it is Laura’s actual voice. That is a voice that I have missed so badly and have been dying to hear. Laura is becoming familiar with the road that lies ahead and knows how much work it is going to take. She is in a state where constant stimulation is paramount. Each day is exhausting for everyone, but we know that Laura is coming back to us. We have our eyes on the prize!
Many of you have inquired about the insurance struggle lately and how it has panned out. God has blessed us in many ways. We actually gained approval from Cigna through October 31, 2005. We will spare you all of the specific details. There are many complexities and what if scenarios. We will say that God has placed the right people and the right circumstances in our path when the time is right. It is amazing what will happen when you give things over to God and stop trying to do everything yourself. However, it is great timing for these fundraisers to occur. Hopefully, the fundraisers will be a great way to gather and honor Laura and to also help mitigate these costs and provide some short-term stability. Thanks to all our family and friends. You are amazing!
Have a happy Halloween!
BUT HE SAID TO ME, MY GRACE IS ENOUGH FOR YOU; FOR MY STRENGTH AND POWER ARE MADE PERFECT AND SHOW THEMSELVES MOST EFFECTIVE IN WEAKNESS (2 Corinthians 12:9)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 26-27, 2005
Laura’s brief stay over at St. Johns hospital has thankfully come to a close. She is back at the skilled nursing facility and resting comfortably. Laura spent a couple of days at the hospital. She was admitted because of labored breathing and a high pulse rate. They took blood samples, took cultures to check for infections, ran 2 chest x-rays, put her on some oxygen, and fixed up her feeding tube (it was mildly clogged).
Other than the mildly clogged tube, the only issues found were a slight raise in temperature (100.1 degrees) and a rise in white blood cell count. The white blood cell count was still in the normal range. It had moved up to the high end of the normal range. This could be a sign of an impending infection or other issue. However, the rise in cell count doesn’t mean an infection or issue will definitely occur. It appears that Laura avoided any type of problem that could have kept her at the hospital for an extended stay.
Laura seems so happy to be back in her familiar surroundings. Her room is decorated with pictures, candles, and other personal items. The atmosphere at the nursing facility is much better than the cold and lonely hospital. Laura was cleaned up and looking phenomenal on Thursday. I know this sounds like a broken record, but she is looking better now than she ever has since that unfortunate day. Her body is completely relaxed. There is virtually no more stiffness. When she sees visitors, Laura opens her eyes wide and begins intense breathing. While showing her several pictures, we believe that she is starting to track much more thoroughly. We know that this is a slow and frustrating process for all of us. Keeping that in mind, just think of what Laura is going through!
On a side note, I have been hearing about possible problems in donating to the medical fund. The account is called LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND and the account number is 003540029548. We appreciate your support dearly, but understand that you cannot put it into the wrong account. The other checking account is for Laura’s estate. It is supervised by the St. Louis County Probate Court. I have to account for everything that goes into and out of that account with receipts, inventories, and yearly summaries. Please have the account number with you if you have any doubts. Have a great weekend! You know that Laura Laughlin will!
BUT LET ALL THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE AND PUT THEIR TRUST IN YOU REJOICE; LET THEM EVER SING AND SHOUT FOR JOY, BECAUSE YOU MAKE A COVERING OVER THEM AND DEFEND THEM; LET THOSE ALSO WHO LOVE YOUR NAME BE JOYFUL IN YOU AND BE IN HIGH SPIRITS (Psalm 5:11)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 24-25, 2005
We had a minor scare with Laura on Tuesday morning. We received a call from the nurse at the skilled nursing facility early. He reported that Laura had a high pulse rate and was having difficulty breathing. She was taken over to the St. John’s emergency room. Breathe a large sigh of relief, because Laura is doing just fine. They hooked her up to an oxygen tube, took blood cultures, checked for infections, and even took an X-Ray of her chest. They wanted to be sure there was nothing causing this problem. As of this moment, absolutely nothing was found to be wrong with Laura. She spent the night in the hospital and will likely return to her room at the skilled nursing facility on Wednesday.
There are many possibilities for why Laura had to be taken over to the hospital. She could have had an infection. Laura could have had difficulty with excess saliva. She could have aspirated from the feeding tube. Laura could have been accidentally left lying flat for too long. I spoke with her doctor over at the hospital. He is a great doctor and highly educated and gave me this long-winded explanation of Laura and what could have happened. I couldn’t help but think it, so I asked “Is it possible that Laura is waking up, that she is fighting hard, and this is the result of those efforts?” After looking at me sort of amazed at the frankness of the question, he replied “Yes, that is a possibility?”
With that I, as well as others including her therapists, were convinced that Laura is beginning to wake up and realize what lies ahead. Let me ask you this. If you woke up tomorrow in Laura’s shoes, would your heart rate be elevated? Would you be fighting and struggling so hard, that your breathing may be labored? I don’t know a single person that would wake up from this injury and feel completely rested and relaxed. The evidence is overwhelming; Laura is coming back. Thank you for believing!
IN PEACE I WILL BOTH LIE DOWN AND SLEEP, FOR YOU, LORD, ALONE MAKE ME DWELL IN SAFETY AND CONFIDENT TRUST (Psalm 4:8)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 21-23, 2005
We have received numerous comments regarding how great Laura is looking lately. We could not agree more! She was so active this weekend that I was flat out, amazed. When we hold hands, she is squeezing more often and more forcefully. Her head movements are absolutely incredible. Laura is frequently moving her head from side to side and even lifts her head off the pillow by quite a few inches. Her eyes are WIDE OPEN! Her scars are nearly healed up. Laura’s hair is growing very quickly. We know that she is just bursting to get out and talk to us. We also know that she hears and sees everything. It is frustrating at times, but she is such a sensational woman. Her fight is 110% evident by the laboring of her breaths and the look in her eyes.
The therapists had a good day on Friday with Laura. They are noticing the same things that the family has known all along, that Laura is in there and trying to desperately communicate. They say that Laura is getting closer and closer to consistently following commands. She is not there quite yet! The staff is looking for specific movements on command such as blinking of the eyes, opening of the mouth, squeezing her hands, and more (we want and expect more because we know Laura’s strength). They stress that her physical body is in great shape. When her little brain connects fully, everyone should watch out! Laura will become even more of an inspiration.
Thank you all for your incredible support. Everyone reading this plays a role in Laura’s recovery. We want to stress that there is NO role too small in this effort. In our struggle, we have selected God as our rock and foundation. We place our hope and dreams squarely in his lap. However, if he is our foundation all of you are the building or structure of protection. We have a safe place where we are loved, protected, and can carry on the journey. We have faith that the foundation and building will never crumble. In fact, we believe it will reach new levels of power and might. We need that safe haven! Thank you for providing it!
AND WHATEVER YOU ASK FOR IN PRAYER, HAVING FAITH AND BELIEVING, YOU WILL RECEIVE (Matthew 21:22)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 19-20, 2005
Reminder: This will be the last update email you will receive on Laura’s progress. Starting next week, you will simply click on the updates link, in the upper right hand corner, on www.lauralaughlin.com to stay informed. The updates will still post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
We have had such an awesome response to the website, we need to take a moment for some special words of thanks. Thanks to our unbelievably creative sister, Cristy; you were the brains behind the L6 logo and theme. Thanks to our persistent step-mom, Joan; you had Laura’s domain name already purchased and pushed us to get it started. Thanks to all the people heading up fundraiser events; I cannot list all of you, but realize how much we appreciate your sacrifices. A special thanks to our website stud, Tanner Hobin; He has basically put together the entire website in two Sundays. He is creative, very hard working, and great to work with. I would strongly recommend his company and his services to anyone. Thanks to all of our family and friends; I cannot overstate how much your love and support continue to guide, strengthen, and encourage us. Being active on and spreading the word about the website is one of the single most important things you can do for Laura and I. It is working! And finally, thanks to the
Lord Almighty; You have strategically placed all of these people in our lives. Because of you, Laura is alive and on her way back. Because of you, we are all a part of something much bigger than ourselves. Because of the momentum he has created, lives are changed for the better, forever. We must think big with the L6, because that’s what Laura would want. She is the central figure in its future and I cannot wait to make her aware of her new creation. My heart tells me that she has known all along!
Laura’s progress over the past few days has been encouraging. As usual, the gains are slow. They are trying to get her to stick her tongue out, blink eyes on command, talk, and other basic things. The therapist describes Laura as really starting to participate. Her level of effort has increased. She is struggling more to regain control of her body. It is a daily battle for Laura and we can only pray for her to be strengthened to handle such an immense challenge. We are awaiting the results from the EEG test. This test measures brain activity and is used to gauge the level of healing that has taken place. It will be nice to know, but God is providing healing on his time. We are not placing our faith in a machine. Laura and I are placing it on God. Many of you have joined us. While doctors and tests are important to monitor and check for problems, they do not provide healing. This healing is our goal. Therefore, we look to the power that can provide it. We know Laura’s spirit is intact. It is only a matter
of time before Laura’s soul and physical body are restored. Thank you for loving us!
THEREFORE, NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO LIVE AND WALK NOT AFTER THE DICTATES OF THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE DICTATES OF THE SPIRIT (Romans 8:1)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 17-18, 2005
The bandwidth problem on Laura’s website should be rectified. I sincerely apologize to anyone that is frustrated by not being able to access the site. Please, understand that we are working diligently to get the kinks out. In fact, the bandwidth issue is a good problem to have. That means that you are enjoying Laura’s site. We have received several emails suggesting possible improvements. Most of them are great ideas that we plan on doing. Right now, it is all about setting priorities. We appreciate the fact that all of you are spreading the word about the site. The more the word spreads and the more traffic the website gets, the better for Laura. Please, tell all your friends, family, co-workers, etc. and keep the suggestions coming.
On the progress side, Laura is continuing her very slow, but real improvements. The other day, she was making noises repeatedly that I had never heard before. It is a sign of her persistence and effort at communication. Laura’s unbelievably strong and intact spirit is finally starting to direct the healing of her physical body. The therapy staff has even commented that this is a good sign that the neurons in her brain are firing and beginning to connect. We know how Laura will turn out (fully healed!), but the insurance issue is still prevalent. She was only approved for 3 days this week, so Wednesday and Thursday are big days for evaluation. Keep those prayers filled with faith and love going. God hears all of your wishes.
I want to make you aware of my short term plans. Starting next week, on Monday, there will be no more email updates coming to you by email. This Friday will be the last one. I will still type them on M, W, and F, but they will only be posted to the website. You will find them under the updates tab in the top right corner. Please, keep continuing to be involved in Laura’s quest to reclaim her life. I will send one email per week to make everyone aware of new developments to the website and as a general reminder. When you get this, please forward it on as you have been so consistently doing. Your love and support mean everything to Laura and I.
FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE OVER THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN UNTO THEIR PRAYERS (1 Peter 3:12)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 14-16, 2005
What a weekend! Between the weddings (which were a blast) and working on Laura’s website, I only had a brief amount of time to visit Laura. Based on the reports and what I witnessed, she is continuing her progression back. Laura has such an amazing spirit living inside her body. You can truly see how hard she is working to overcome this battle.
I want to take this opportunity to introduce Laura’s website. You can head over to www.lauralaughlin.com and check it out. An incredible amount of time and effort was spent to produce the website. We have a lot of people to thank, but will do that later this week. I told many people that the website would be up and running by now and it is. However, it still has a few problems that need to be fixed up, so keep that in mind. The fundraiser section is not done. The pictures aren’t loaded properly, yet. Other adjustments will also need to be made. For now, we hope that you find Laura’s site interesting, encouraging, and easy to navigate. We will let you know more on the Wednesday and Friday updates.
We had a wonderful weekend. We got a chance to see so many people at the weddings. It was really enjoyable. We were overwhelmed with the many compliments and words of encouragement that we received. It is an awesome feeling knowing that Laura is doing so many wonderful things to impact your lives. I cannot wait for the day when she fully realizes her impact. It will come soon enough.
I REFUSE TO WALK BY SIGHT. I WALK BY FAITH (2 Corinthians 5:7)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. www.lauralaughlin.com
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October 12-13, 2005
Laura has been trying to talk over the past few days. It is so frustrating, but also exciting to see her struggle to make progress. We are convinced that she wants badly to burst out of her skin. Others, unfortunately for them, are not convinced about Laura’s improvements. Do we really care about their opinion? Every miracle has to have its doubters or it wouldn’t qualify as such. Well, we have our doubters (insert insurance company and certain healthcare professionals here) and our miracle (insert God, Laura, family, friends, and other certain healthcare professionals). The stage is set! Will you choose the winning team?
In other news, Laura had a special type of wheelchair ordered. It will serve to help strengthen and develop her head movements. It will give Laura better posture and alignment with her head and neck. The therapy staff has adamantly stated how strong Laura’s body is. They say that her body is just ready to go. When the brain finally decides to heal and connect, Laura’s body will be ready to perform.
Lastly, we want to give a special 3-month thank you for all of your support. After three months of what we call “the longest fastest months of our lives,” Laura and I are still receiving emails, cards, and letters on a daily basis. Quite frankly, we are inspired by the words that you write. I assure everyone that Laura will see everything, everything is being documented, and everything is being methodically saved. We know that this will take a long time, but it is on God’s time. Please, do not tire. We cherish all of you.
We are sorry for sounding like a broken record, but please pray for simple and consistent movements on command by Laura on Friday and over the weekend. She’s had a slow week as far as documentation. Therefore, the insurance company will not be approving her for another week unless concrete progress is made. Laura has come through every week, but this time she has her work cut out for her. We will let you know next week what the verdict is. This is a big weekend; please say a prayer or two or three. This weekend is bitter sweet. It includes: Laura’s last paycheck, the introduction of her website, two weddings that she is missing (and will be devastated about), the three month milestone, and possible withdrawal by the insurance company. We are praying for God’s favor on all of it.
I FIGHT A GOOD FIGHT. I FINISH MY COURSE. THEREFORE, THERE IS A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS LAID UP FOR ME (2 Timothy 4: 7-8)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND (Bank of America)
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October 10-11, 2005
I will keep this update short and sweet. Laura looks great and we constantly see her minor improvements. However, she really hasn’t had anything significant to document over the past few days. We see the progress, but the insurance company seems to be getting impatient. We need everyone to pray for specific and measurable improvements from our sweet Laura. It is approaching the end of the week and so far God has always provided us with another week of approved coverage. It is a constant weekend stress, but the light at the end of the tunnel is evident.
I attached the 8 different stages of coma packet. I hope that you all can open it on your computers. She is currently in stage 2, heading towards stage 3. We need her to get to that stage for the sake of her recovery and for the requirements of the insurance company. The website is progressing and we are pumped to get it running this weekend.
BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS I AM HEALED. HE IS THE LORD THAT HEALS ME (1 Peter 2:24)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND (Bank of America)
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October 7-9, 2005
I have to thank all of you so very much for your continued prayers and thoughts towards Laura’s healing and recovery. She had wonderful days from Thursday all the way through the weekend. It is absolutely fascinating to witness the miracle of Laura. Once again, it is hard to explain the progress without actually seeing it in person. Her head movements and control of the neck muscles in general are vastly improving. Laura appears to be regaining control of her eye movements. Her arms, hands, legs, and feet are experiencing more and more movement. A really important development is the fact that her head movements are coming on command and are being documented by the staff.
I read through the coma stages packet over the weekend. I plan on scanning the document on Monday and including it in an attachment with Wednesday’s update. Here are some basics to keep in mind when visiting Laura. At this particular stage of her recovery, keep this in mind: The simpler, the better. She needs one on one conversation, so please wait your turn. By keeping it simple, we mean no long run on sentences, and no complicated multi-syllable words. Good examples would include: We are proud of you. You’re doing great. Today is Tuesday. Squeeze my hand. Open your mouth. When you speak to her, they suggest using a soft soothing voice. A pause is really good in between sentences, because in this stage, the brain is slow to interpret and confusion is likely. Often there is a delay in her reaction, so patience is important. If you want to read the information, look for it on Wednesday. We all want to do what’s best for Laura.
I’ve got some exciting news. Laura’s website, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will be active and running by the end of this upcoming weekend. I hope that you will all enjoy it thoroughly. We are really excited about how it is coming along. It will give us a central site to inform all of our many dear friends and family. I will send out an email and a website address confirming when it is officially on the web.
I want to close by saying how proud I am of Laura. Her strength and courage are amazing and Laura should inspire us all. No one can fully imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes. Having to muster up all of your energy just to perform something simple, such as moving a finger, must be terrifying and frustrating. However, she continues to perform for visitors and more importantly, for the St. Johns therapists. Laura’s character and strength through adversity, at the least, is desirable. At its best, she is a living example of what the human spirit is capable of. You all have continued to be a great support for Laura. Please, don’t ever let her down. I guarantee, she won’t let you down.
I REFUSE TO FAINT IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY FOR I AM STRONG. (Proverbs 24:10)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND (Bank of America)
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October 5-6, 2005
I hate to sound repetitive, but Laura has looked absolutely great the past few days. Her little brown eyes are just wide open. The thrush that she had on her lips and tongue is healing nicely. The blister on her right foot popped and is much better. The swelling on Laura’s left ankle is down. The staff had an uneventful day with her on Wednesday, but said that Thursday was a great day. She was more active with her hands and legs. Laura is getting really strong with her neck muscles and head movements. These movements are becoming more common and more pronounced. We just know how bad she wants to talk to us, but we will wait patiently with faith.
Please, continue to pray for her Friday therapy sessions to go well. It has been working well, so let’s not stop now. For those unaware, we are fighting the weekly battle to get her healthcare to be approved for another week by the healthcare company. The staff said to inform all of you to pray specifically for Laura to start responding consistently to simple commands. This is the next step in the recovery process. Also, the staff handed me a thick packet that describes the different stages of coma and where Laura is at and will be. I am planning on reading through it this weekend and I intend to inform all of you on Monday.
I wanted to thank all of you who volunteered to help me start Laura’s website. To give you an idea of how lucky and blessed Laura and I are, we had over 25 people volunteer to teach me the program. I don’t know what we did to deserve such wonderful people in our lives. I am planning to respond to each and every one of those emails. I just don’t know if I can get them all out today. I will keep all of your addresses and phone numbers. It is nice to know that if I need help, you are there for us.
I wanted to share something else with all of you about the miracle of Laura’s story. First, I want to say that I miss her, like all of you, so much that my heart is broken and there is a void. However, the beauty of all of this is our voids left by Laura’s absence are temporary. We know that through faith she is healed. In the meantime, speaking for myself I can say that family and friends have helped immensely to fill the temporary void. God picked up the rest of the broken pieces and used them for his glory. These newer and stronger relationships are permanent and even eternal. Laura will come back to a world full of love, selflessness, and stronger relationships. We can never look back. We are changed forever for the better. Let’s show Laura what she has done for us! Have a great weekend and GO CARDS!
I AIM AT AND PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, AND PEACE. I FELLOWSHIP WITH ALL WHO CALL UPON THE LORD OUT OF A PURE HEART. (2 Timothy 2:22)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND
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October 3-4, 2005
It was the cutest thing last night. The nursing facility has a program where they take specially trained dogs and bring them around room to room. The purpose is to bring some extra love to the patients. There were two dogs, a basset hound with big droopy ears and a three-legged golden retriever. The lady placed the basset hound right up into the bed with Laura. It started to lick all over her arm. Laura loved it! Her eyes became wide open and she even had her right hand sort of petting the dog. Without getting your expectations too high, Laura was the most active that I have ever seen her on Tuesday evening. She was breathing excessively hard and even became really mad. Her face became red and she was really trying to communicate. Believe it or not, anger at this stage of Laura’s recovery is actually a healthy and normal reaction. This signifies that she is in there and she is desperately fighting to pull herself out.
Laura continues to amaze me more and more everyday. I am so proud of her. I feel like the luckiest man in the world to have such a courageous wife. There is no doubt why Laura continues to touch so many lives. She has a one-of-a-kind spirit, a one-of-a-kind personality, and a one-of-a-kind way that she touches people. The doctors love her. The nurses love her. Friends and family love her. It is that love that is going to play a key role in her full recovery and restoration. I thank each and every one of you for continuing to preserve with love in our fight. That love will be returned to you ten-fold.
On another note, I have a special request to make. We recently purchased the software, Microsoft Frontpage 2003. We are going to create a website for Laura for everyone to enjoy. I am looking for someone that really knows this software and would be willing to teach it to me quickly. I promise to be a quick study! I would love to do it this weekend if possible. If anyone is interested, reply by email or call me at 314-583-7435. Thank you!
OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF MY HEART, MY MOUTH SPEAKS. I BRING FORTH GOOD THINGS OUT OF THE TREASURE OF MY HEART. (Matthew 12:34-35)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND
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September 30 - October 2, 2005
Laura is dealing with a few issues carrying over from the weekend. Her left ankle has swollen up a bit. The doctors are going to run some precautionary tests to be on the safe side. Laura has a couple of blisters on her left foot. She has been biting on her teeth and bottom lip and consequently, that lip is now swollen. Keep praying for Laura to be able to deal with these issues. Laura has overcome everything and she will continue to do so. We are responsible for loving, praying, and supporting. God and Laura will do the work.
On a positive note, there were some significant developments early in the weekend. Laura had her first few sips of water BY MOUTH. She drank it down like a true champion. The therapy staff informed me that she was very active in her Friday session. They stood her up again flat-footed and she was stronger. Laura even pointed her right index finger, on command, at the staff. This is great news. While being transferred from her bed to the wheelchair, Laura was accidentally pinched. She blurted out what the nurses say was a loud yelling sound. They couldn’t believe it. They began clapping and cheering and we’re really happy for Laura. We know Laura, the Laura that we know and love so very much, is in there and she is fighting for her life back. Please, continue to support all of us through this. I know I say it a lot, but our friends and family are a major driving force in reaching the ultimate goal: Laura’s complete healing and restoration in mind, body, and spirit.
Many have asked for more pictures of Laura and I. I attached two that I found saved on our computer. Enjoy!
IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES INDEED; AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. (John 8:31-32)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. LAURA LAUGHLIN MEDICAL FUND
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