November 7, 2001

For those who do not know, Bro. Dale Easley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Vardaman, MS had a stroke on Saturday morning, Nov. 5, 2011.  He was at home at the time.  Once paramedics determined it was a stroke, he was taken by ambulance to Houston hospital and then airlifted to Tupelo.  In order to monitor his blood pressure closely, he was placed in ICU and they have been able to control his blood pressure by IV medications.  Pray that the doctors will have the wisdom that they need to find the cause of his blood pressure fluctuations and that they can resolve the problem. 

He was affected on the right side of his body and cannot speak, but has been able to nod yes and no.  His personality shines through with his wink and his thumbs up.  This morning he was beginning to feel sensations in his right hand!  That is a good sign!  Also this morning he was given some ice and they believe that he was able to get it down.  He was to meet with a speech therapist today for further evaluation.  We are praying that God will miraculously restore his body to full use!

A CAT Scan taken on Sunday showed swelling on his brain.  Another scan this morning showed a slight increase in swelling, however, the doctors are hopeful that it has swelled all that it is going to and that the swelling will reduce.  It was decided that surgery is not currently necessary to relieve the pressure.  Another scan will be done in the morning to be sure.  Please pray that the scan tomorrow will show that the pressure is going down and surgery is not necessary! 

Bro. Dale and Mrs. Doug are precious people who mean more to this community than words can adequately express.  Everyone's expressions of love and concern are very much appreciated and mean so much to the family.  They have stood by all of us through the good and the bad and now we want to stand by them.  We also want to be sensitive to their needs for time alone with God, for rest, and time to process all that is happening.  That is one reason we have created this blog.  This is a place where you can express your love to the family and let them know that you are praying for them.  Keep up with how to pray and find out specifics on his situation by checking here regularly.  We will update this site as often as there is information to update. 

  For this reason I kneel before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20