Crucial Day 11 for Joe Keller, Good News!

From the Joe Keller Care Page.

We have so many things today to be thankful for! Our God is an awesome powerful God! He has revealed his mercy and grace and strength through his servant Joe today! He has shown how He can take a willing vessel and use him for HIS glory and honor!
This morning we received awesome news from Lisa (one of our great nurses). She said that she had rolled Joe over on his side this morning to clean him and move him around and when she rolled him back onto his back both of his eyes were wide open!!!!! They also turned the ventilator off at 9:30 this morning to see how he's doing as far as breathing on his own. It is now 4:10 and the ventilator is still off!!!!! Lisa said his breathing is looking great and they are going to keep it off for as long as they feel Joe is doing ok breathing on his own. She said they might turn it back on during the night so that he can have a little break...but they will decide that when the time comes! Joe has been squeezing our hands a lot and moving his left leg a lot...he's also been moving his toes even! When I was back there at the 2:30 visitation time I reached over and grabbed his left hand and told him that it was me. He then grabbed my wrist with his hand and was rubbing his thumb on my arm as if to tell me he's doing ok! He didn't let go for quite some time...just kept holding onto me! And I thought that was awesome...just wait... Brad and I later sang a Philips Craig and Dean song to him entitled "Your Grace Still Amazes me". Joe and I have sung this song together several times and we have even sung it with Rob and Brad also. Anyway while we were singing he was grabbing my mom's hand and rubbing her hand with his thumb. His right eye opened about half-way and he just layed there relaxing while we sang. When we got done singing...HE SMILED!!!!! I think my heart almost stopped! What an awesome sight to see a smile on his face! Especially after that song. The song chorus goes: "Your grace still amazes me, Your Love is still a mystery, Each day I fall on my knees, You grace still amazes me!" For Joe to be laying there in what most people would say is such a terrible condition and to smile at the words that God's grace is still amazing was just incredible!!!! What a great servant of our Lord! It was so great to see that smile! My mom was then talking to him after the song and while she was talking to him he smiled at her again!!!! Also whenever Jaime kisses him on the lips he puckers his lips up slightly!!!!!! The Joey that we all knew so well is still right there...and the God we have always known is still working!
Please continue to pray that his lungs stay strong and that they don't have to turn the ventilator back on. Also continue to pray about that lung infection...he still hasn't gotten over it yet...although I know God is taking care of that too! I pray that every time a nurse or doctor leaves Joe's room that they KNOW that there is something different going on there. That they KNOW that God is at work and that they can't attribute it to anything else!
Thank you all so much for your prayers and please don't stop now. We are seeing God's miraculous hand at work and I know He wants to do so much more! Also continue to pray for Renn his procedure was moved back to 2:00 and they are still in there with him right now. Should be finishing up soon with him. Pray that he comes through it just as strong as Joe has!
We love you all so very much and thank you all so much for your prayers! We'll continue to keep you updated!
GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME!!!!!!
-Justin Keller