Awaiting the Miraculous while living in the Normal

As we face trials that are in front of us, sometimes the best thing to do is to take a look back, and remember how faithful God has been. Today I have been doing just that. We went to the orthopedic doctor for her appointment and got her legs casted again. There was obvious improvement just from one week. The plan for her legs at this point is to continue to cast and recast every week for the next 4-6 weeks. That will be followed by a possibility of braces, but because her feet were so severely clubbed it will more likely be surgery. They will put her to sleep and then use a syringe to stab her achilles tendon in order to loosen it. While they are in surgery the doctor will be able to more closely examine her right hip that is dislocated. He will decide then if he needs to also try and stab the tendon in her groin to loosen it. Her hip is going to be a pretty much wait and see approach at this point. After the surgery she will have her legs casted for another 2 weeks, then it will be braces. So we face this trial head on and I am reminded of all the ways God has already worked in her short life. We were very concerned about her heart after the first ultrasound and now that is not even on the radar. We were also worried about her arms and deformities there, while there is less movement than a typical newborn there is movement in all joints and fingers! The next concern was that this was chromosone disorder and so far one of the two test done at birth all results have come back normal! What an awesome reminder to look and be able to see His hand so visible. Also, after delivery her glucose levels dropped to 43 but after trying to get an IV in 9 times they re-tested and without her recieving anything it had gone up to over 108! That just doesn't happen! Then her jaundice numbers spike to over 21 and even with half her body covered in casts in just a few hours they are down to 16.6! Also, she failed her first hearing test and then passed the second. God has His hand on my baby girl and I am so thankful. Today was difficult for me at first seeing what the doctors say is her reality. But then I look back and see that over and over again God has pulled us out of the doctors reality and into His reality! His reality says “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27. It also says "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well" James 5:15a. This is a reality I have seen and I can live in. So we will continue to follow the advice of the doctor, but more than that we will continue to pray and to anticipate the coming miracles of her healing as we trek on in faith. Sometimes taking the time to look back gives us the courage to move forward. We are not holding on to our own wants or desires but to God and His promises.  Hebrews 10:35-36 " So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" These verses remind us of why we carry on in faith regardless of what the world says. God has promised and God is faithful! We are so very thankful for the ways He has worked and we have seen His hand working and healing Addie as only He could and we wait with joyful anticipation for what He has next. Some days are hard and some are long, but we are constantly reminded that God's way is best.  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" Isaiah 55:9. So we will walk in trust and obedience with full confidence that God is working in and through every detail for our good and His glory. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. Oh and a positive end note Addie's levels for jaundice were 13.5 yesterday and a little over 14 today so the doctor is thinking we are in the clear. We will watch her closely over the weekend and as long as she keeps eating and dirtying her diapers we are good! Yet, another praise!

1 Week Old!

Addie is 1 week old today and things are going well. We are out of the hospital for the second time and her numbers are staying down! We were readmitted Tuesday because her jaundice levels had gone up to 21, after much prayer and 6 hours of light therapy they had dropped to 16.6! It can only be explained by prayer because she can only have lights on half her body since her legs are in casts. The doctor had worried that we would be there 2 days instead of the typical 1 because of this. The next morning they had dropped to 13.8 and another draw about 7 hours after that they were 12.7. We were released and sent home. Today they had us come back and do another check to see how she rebounded after being out of the lights all day and it was only at 13.5!! We will go back tomorrow  just to double check that it has stabilized! God has answered us again! Tomorrow will also be our first appointment with the orthopedic doctor who casted her legs at the hospital. This appointment was supposed to be Wednesday, but was rescheduled due to her hospitalization. So tomorrow we will recast her legs, which will be a weekly appointment, and also talk about the plan for her hip. In the midst of the ups and downs God is still with us, answering us, encouraging us, and strengthening us. Today I received a daily devotional that really seemed as if it was written just for us. I am going to share it here so you can all read it. God has not forgotten us and He will answer us in His perfect time. We are continuing to pray and believe for complete healing for our sweet Addie, anticipating it coming exactly when and how He will recieve the most glory!
God's Delay Has Purpose by Aletha Hinthorn 
"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4). When we would say God answered prayer in the nick of time, He would declare "the time had fully come." The secret to not losing heart when we experience a delayed answer to prayer is in trusting that His timing is better than ours. God sometimes does delay His answer. When Joseph was in prison, the cupbearer promised to tell the Pharaoh about Joseph, but he "did not remember Joseph; he forgot him." Two full years passed before he remembered. God accomplishes more and His answers are more glorious than if He answered according to our timetable. God always does the right thing. It may seem to us that He delays. But from His point of view, He acts speedily when the perfect time has fully come. Perhaps Mary was desperate for her Son to come to her rescue at the wedding in Cana. (John 2) It was evident the wine was about to be depleted and the wedding party was still going strong. He heard her request but did not respond in a way that assured her He would take care of her concern. Not until the wine was completely gone would the miracle be above suspicion. In Augustine's words, He might seem to have mingled elements rather than to have changed them. Only after all other help fails does our faithful Helper arrive. 
Thank You, Jesus, that Your delays are full of purpose.  
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope" (Psalm 130:5).

Back Again!

We are back at the hospital! After getting to go home Sunday afternoon we enjoyed a few sweet hours at home. On the normal check-up for her jaundice she had a high bilirubin level Monday and even higher today so we had to have Addie readmitted. She is under light therapy now and will have her levels redone around 6:00 tonight. The set up here is very nice. The room has multiple chairs, a desk, bed, bathroom and shower all in the same space as Addie and her incubator. It will allow me to stay with her through the night and Mike to work from her room, an added blessing. We are thankful for the nice area so we are able to work and rest while staying close by. Also, her right hip is dislocated but as of yet we have no treatment plan. We had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor scheduled for tomorrow to change her leg casts and discuss hip. It will be moved but not sure to when yet. Addie has been doing much better with nursing, as long as we use a nipple shield, but progress is progress and we will take it. We are still supplementing with the bottle, but we are back to giving her all breast milk as my supply has come in! The boys did really well with meeting her and having her at the house. Stephen the 21 month old struggles a little with sharing me and having to be careful because of my incision, but overall they are excited about sweet baby Addie. Stephen even woke up looking for her. We have been truly blessed with our prayer support and also physical support. My dad is here and caring for the boys which is allowing us to focus on Addie during this time. We were given this verse yesterday in daily devotions 2 Chronicles 16:9a “ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Our prayers now are for continued healing especially with her jaundice and bilirubin levels going down, but also for Mike and I to have the strength that God promises as we go through day by day. Mike is still trying to work and I am still trying to heal so we are relying solely on the strength and peace of God. We are living in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Our bodies are exhausted but our souls are at rest. God is good and God is faithful

Keep On Keeping On

Well it has been a busy two days. We found out yesterday that Addie had jaundice and needed to be put under lights so she has spent the last two days in a little incubator. They have watched her numbers and after her last test at 5:30 it was low enough for her to come out! Also, I met with a lactation consultant yesterday and today. They were able to give some tips and a shield that has helped Addie be able to latch on. We have still been supplementing, but when my milk comes in I think we will be good. Addie was also seen by the orthopedic doctor tonight. He saw her feet and decided to go ahead and cast them immediately. This will be changed every week slowly trying to straighten them out. The amount of time for this is uncertain and surgery to help stretch her achilles tendon is still possible in the next few months. He also had some concern with her left knee and how tight it is, but thinks that will loosen on its own. The other main concern was with her right hip. It is very tight and he is unable to tell if it is in or out of socket. If it is out of socket she will have to be casted up to her right hip for the next few months with possible surgery on that also. They will be doing a sonogram on her hip in the next day or two to tell if it is in or out of socket. The tightness in her knee and hip is from the breech position unless it is a genetic condition that we are yet unaware of. So as of now we are waiting on results from the sono, cord blood that they tested for genetic issues, and continuing to watch her jaundice levels off the lights. We have seen God working and we are living in His peace. Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. God has not changed and neither has our faith or the promises on which we are standing. I believe that God gave me Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. We may not have known all that we were walking into as we were fully expecting her complete healing, but He knew what His plans were and so He gave us this promise. We will hold to Him because He loves us and He keeps His promises! Right now we would ask that you join us in praying for complete healing but specifically for her jaundice levels to stay down. Also, I have a slight temp so that nothing would come from that. Thank you all for your prayers and love support. God is faithful and God is good! Psalm 100 1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his[a]; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Addie Lucille has Arrived!

One of the first things I read this day was Hebrews 10:35 "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded."  We have held onto these promises through the whole time of this pregnancy and we are hanging on now. We are seeing Him answer! Addie was born today and would you believe she is the baby that stayed in the longest and was the biggest! She was born weighing just over 7 pounds! I was just hoping for over 5 lbs and look at that answer! She measured 17.75 inches. Do you see all the 7s? I was in recovery when I heard the numbers and the nurse commented how neat that there was so many 7 in her stats. God reminded me that 7 is His number for complete. She is complete, she is "fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" Psalms 139:14. God has been faithful! She was born with the severely clubbed feet and had some trouble with her oxygen levels and glucose shortly after birth. She was taken quickly to the neonatal NICU. So while we have prayed for complete healing upon birth we were reminded of the promises we received in Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" and Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." God has answered already and He will continue to. His promises are no less true today than yesterday even though they did not come as we were anticipating. Some examples of His answering  today were the the way Addie was handled in the NICU. I was able to try and nurse as soon as I was able to move to the NICU unit to see her. Then, while she didn't take it she did take over an ounce of breast milk from a bottle! These are great success stories because of her high possibility of jaundice. She also has had 2 bowel movements already which is promising for the jaundice. Then her levels of glucose and oxygen stabilized and she was able to move out of the NICU by 3:30 this afternoon and completely into my room or the nursery. We are still praying for her to nurse because as of yet she has taken one bottle, but not nursed directly. God is faithful and His promises are true! Romans 8:28 " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." It has been a long day yet we are not discouraged we are hopeful and trusting in the promises of God. So we will continue to pray for her complete and continue to trust God as we go through the next few days of recovery. Thank you all for your prayers. God has heard and He is answering! 

39 Weeks!

I love how faithful God is! There have been moments when I am threatened to doubt or worry and as we close in on the C-Section date fear starts to hit me; but time and time again God calms me down. I can't even tell you how many times I have struggled over the idea of a c-section only to receive a call or text from a blessed friend letting me know that they were praying for me that day. Or to tell me they were praying specifically for Addie to turn. What an encouragement to know that God cares enough about us to put us on the hearts of others, and they care enough not only to pray but to reach out. (Actually while writing this I received a text message and 2 Facebook posts encouraging me and sharing that we had been laid on the hearts of someone specifically today.) I have laughed at myself because I am trusting Him so completely for Addie's healing, but when it comes to the C-section I start shaking in my boots! We have been praying for quite awhile though that God would bring Addie into the world in the right way, the right time, and with the right doctor. I know that God has heard my prayers. 1 Peter 3:12a says "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer." He has heard and just yesterday He breathed on this other verse for me. "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" Luke 1:45. Nothing is impossible for God, even with Addie we have seen Him answer our prayers already. The fact that I am still pregnant is an answer in and of itself especially given that she was over 6 pounds 2 weeks ago! So now we wait for Thursday. The C-section is scheduled for 8:00 Thursday morning. We wait and we pray and we believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He has promised! 

37 Weeks!

Woohoo 37 weeks! And boy what a week it has been so far! This past weekend we were anointed once again for Addie's healing. It was a good time of prayer and once again we handed it over to God in faith. We decided to go out to eat afterwards and that is when things started getting interesting. As we were preparing to head home I had a sudden fear that my water was leaking, so we head home and I called the doctor. Of course they sent me to the hospital to get checked because if it were to be leaking there is chance of infection the longer it goes and so Addie would have to come then. Well, after the routine tests and an ultrasound they sent me home. Everything looked good and I was to follow up with my doctor at my next regular appointment which was set for Tuesday. I went to the appointment Tuesday for a schedule ultrasound and routine appointment. In the ultrasound we found that Addie is 6 pounds and 3 ounces!!!! She just keeps growing. That is on the smaller size for 37 weeks but saying that both my boys were only 6 pounds and 10 ounces she is doing well! There was some concern from the fluid levels in this ultrasound about still the possible leaking. So once again I headed to the hospital for a different test that is a little more accurate, but they had been unable to perform on Sunday. I had the second test done and also another ultrasound there so the resident doctor could once again check my fluid levels. Everything looked good and I was sent home. I have heard this verse many times in my life, but it has come up even more in the past week. Romans 8:28 " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I have had three ultrasounds since we were anointed for healing and she is still breech and her feet are still severely clubbed, but none of that changes the truth of the Bible. I may not see how He is working it all for good, but I can and do trust that He is working it all for good; for my good. The Bible reminds us over and over how much God loves us, but it is the love of a Father. He wants what is best for us and only He knows what that is. As a parent I know there are many times my boys don't like or understand why they don't get what they want when they want it, but I am hoping they will learn to listen and obey because they see the love I have for them. It is not because of a power trip that I don't give in but because there is something better if we do it my way because I can see farther out than they can. It is the same way with God. Actually it is even better because He sees the beginning, the middle, and the end. I don't know why God didn't answer our prayer for healing the first time we prayed, or the second, or third, but I know that He will. James 5:14 "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." So I may not know His times or His ways, but I know His promises and His character. That is enough for me! We will continue waiting, trusting, and praising Him! Psalms 136:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.His love endures forever."

The Blessings of Friends and Family!!

What a great week! Monday night my church family threw me a surprise shower for Addie. It was a beautiful and fun time. So many people came and sent gifts to bless our family! We have only been here a little over a year and it was so nice to be made such a part of the church family! We were very blessed with many beautiful presents diapers, wipes, toys, clothes, and blankets all so lovely! No worry about Addie showing up in blue clothes! This week has also been big because today Addie has official stayed in longer than Stephen! God is working! Early labor was a concern before we even knew about everything else going on with Addie. Sunday I will hit 37 weeks and while that will still be early it is considered full term! God is answering our prayers! The appointment today showed that I have dilated more, but not much, so things are looking good for me to be able to carry her longer! We have been praying that she will stay in as long as she needs and, also, that when she comes it will be with the right doctor present to deliver her. Today, we did schedule a C-section because she is still breech. The C-section date is December 12th at 8:00 A.M. This is good because it gives her plenty of time to turn on her own, unless I go into labor before that time. If I were to go into labor before that date they would do an ultrasound when we get to the hospital to check her position and then go from there. At this point we are just praising God. He has answered every prayer that has needed immediate answers and we are still anticipating her healing upon birth as we have been praying. We have decided get anointed again at our church here in Peoria this coming Sunday for her complete healing. We hold to the promises and instructions in James 5:14-16 " Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Thank each of you for the prayers you have lifted for us and for Addie. God has been faithful and will continue to be faithful. We are blessed beyond measure by the body of Christ all over that has been holding us up in prayer as we call out and anticipate God's power to come through for His glory in each and every situation! We are praying like Elijah in 1 Kings 18:37 "Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." We want to see God's power so that He can receive the glory that is due Him. We are so desperate for revival in our churches and in our country that as we call to Him and He answers in real and visible ways the doors are open for visible proof and turning of hearts to Him. That is our greatest desire through it all. That everything we do and say would turn hearts back to Him. Our deepest prayer is that our lives reflect Psalms 115:1 "Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."

Thankfulness

There is something to be said about choosing to go about life joyfully or thankfully. Once you start looking for things to be thankful about more and more start to show up. I had the house to myself yesterday!!! So I started writing some thank you notes I was sadly pretty behind on! It made me start thinking about how blessed I truly am. I was writing to thank people for some the things they had sent for Addie, but then I was struck with how much more grateful I was for all the prayers that they had and are praying for Addie. I have been learning more and more about persevering prayer these past few months. There is something special about not getting everything you want the second you ask for it. I think we see that as parents and try our best not to give our children every want right away so they don't become spoiled, or for their greater good. Why then would God not do the same thing for our greater good. Through periods of waiting we are called to a deeper trust in God because we are holding on in faith to His promises even though the results are not visible yet. My verse Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." God wants us to persevere so He can bless us, not only with what He has promised but also with a greater faith and appreciation of who He is. I don't want to get lost in doubt or despair because He is still God and He still loves me, but He also knows and sees so much bigger than I do and that is why trusting is necessary. He calls us to be patient and wait and I am learning that patience isn't in waiting but in joyfully waiting. Situations arise that we all must wait whether you want to or not. It doesn't make you patient that it takes you 3 hours to get from one place to another if you complain all the while; it makes you patient when you trust and have joy as you travel the 3 hours. In each situation the time doesn't change just your attitude and perspective. Then when you look back you have had a good trip instead of a miserable trip, blessings in disguise. So we have been persevering in prayer for Addie's healing believing that God hears us, but I was blessed as I wrote my thank you's and realized how many people He had been hearing. Matthew 18:19-20 "

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Also, there is the promise in Isaiah 65:24 "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." So you see while the things for Addie are wonderful how much more wonderful was the realization of all the people that have called out to God for Addie. He has met with them in prayer and He has already heard and answered the requests! We have a faithful God. While I was somewhat disappointed when I left the specialist last week, God reminded me and continued to remind me that He is hearing our prayers. Actually one of my biggest shocks last week was that I was already dilating, but then come Sunday my dad showed up to help me with the boys so that I can stay off my feet as much as possible! God already reminded He was in control and then He blessed me with an unexpected answer! So whatever things you may be need to persevere in prayer in don't lose hope. Psalms 147:11 "the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." He delights when we fear Him and put our hope in Him because that is when His power came truly shine through. As we call out to Him and claim His word as true and therefore His promises in His word as true, there is power! Psalms 25:3a "No one who hopes in you, will ever be put to shame." Our hope and expectation for Addie's healing is found in Him. We are not afraid regardless what the last scans have said because we have cried out and continue to cry out, and we know that many others have and do continue to join us as we persevere and pray for her healing! So do not be discouraged if your answers haven't come as quickly as you anticipated, don't let that distract you from whom you are praying to and hoping in. The answers will come and it will be more than you could imagine. Remember how great God is! Get into His word and pray from your heart. "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 3:20-21. He is already at work to do more than we can even dream for His glory, but because of His love!

Voice of Truth

I love how God always knows what you need and when you need it. This pregnancy with Addie the song Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns has been one that has been in my head over and over again. It talks about how we need to listen to the true voice instead of all the others that float around clamoring for our attention. It was David listening to the voice of God instead of the voice of fear as the rest of the Isrealites that allowed him to face and defeat the giant, Goliath. I love the song. I went to the appointment expecting good news. We are praying and God is listening. The ultrasound showed that Addie is 5 pounds and 3 ounces!!! We made it over the 5 pound mark! The ultrasound also showed that her legs are still severely clubbed, and she is still in the breech position. Also, I have started to dilate and at this point if I go into labor they will not stop it. I was a little disappointed, but while we have been praying and believing for her healing we have also been desiring God's glory. As I got in the car the song Voice of Truth was on talking about David. It reminded me once again that regardless of what the outside voices may be saying God is still Lord of All and His voice and His words carry more weight than any other. Jeremiah 32:27  “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" God's promises are just as true today as they were yesterday. We will continue to pray for and expect full and complete healing on all of Addie by the time she is born. Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." God hasn't changed and He won't so we will hold onto that as we hold onto to His promises. Including the verse we claimed for Addie from the beginning Psalm 139:13-14"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb^, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." He is just not done knitting yet! So please join us in continuing to pray for complete healing for Addie, her turning around, and for me to be able to carry her to term! Here is a link to the song Voice of Truth, if you have not heard it I would encourage you to take a couple minutes and listen and remember where the truth that we should live our life off  comes from. 
voice of truth casting crowns 

Strong Tower

Well my Dad came into town today to help with the boys and this morning I took Stephen to the urologist. She checked him out and said that she can feel where it his left testicle is sticking, but at this point we are just going to return in 6 months. So I made an appointment for May and at that time we will decide if surgery is necessary or not. When telling some friends one responded with our exact emotions "well that just means we have 6 months to pray about it!" So that is what we will do. We are trusting and anticipating healing for Addie and we have no reason not to do it also for Stephen. Building 429 has a song "We Won't Be Shaken" Mike and I have claimed it as our theme song. I am going to try and link it below. But the gist is that God is the only thing we can stand on regardless of what comes our way so we will stand on Him. Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." We will run to Him and rest in His tower. Thank you for joining us in prayer for Addie and for Stephen. God is working and God will continue to work as we call out on His name!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BJhOgb-unI

So it Continues!

I don't even know where to begin this time. On Monday I took our boys to the doctor for their normal check-ups not expecting a thing out of the ordinary. Well, come to find out our little guy, Stephen, has a testicle that has not descended so he was referred to a pediatric urologist. That appointment is set up for tomorrow where we will find out if we need to just continue to watch it or if it will need surgery to be corrected. It is becoming one thing after another, but God continues to be faithful. When I left the doctor's office Monday all I could do was chuckle at how continuous the attacks have been, you cannot even make this stuff up. But as with Addie, we are holding onto the promises of God and waiting to see how God will use even this to bring about not only our good but also His glory. We are promised in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I cannot believe in some of His promises and not all of His promises. As I have stated time and time again about believing in this healing for Addie as His word describes I will also believe in it for Stephen. God is at work to do something amazing and we are thankful to be a part of it. It is exhausting and tiresome but still powerful to know that we can turn to the Creator of everything with all our concerns as we are reminded in Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." No issue we face is too big or too small for God. He wants to hear about it. This week God has brought to my mind my marriage vows. We promise our spouses "in better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health." When we choose to live a life following God He wants the same commitment. Many times in the Bible Jesus calls the church His bride. He has made these promises and more to us. Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” As the bride of Christ and, therefore, the children of the One, True God we have been given all that Jesus had. We have been taken into the family through all the ups and downs. And so in our sickness and in our health, in our riches and poorness, in our better times and in our worse times - we will stand as Joshua did. Joshua had just reminded the Israelites of all that God had done for them providing for them and bringing them into the land He had promised them. He called them to make a choice, as we all must do. Joshua 24:14  “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” We are too looking back at all God has done and instead of being down and out about where we are now we have decided to continue to choose to serve the Lord because He is worthy of our devotion. I will end with this Psalms of praise because even in the midst of the storms through the rain, hail, and lighting as it seems He is still worthy of praise because nothing that happens takes away from His power or His majesty. 

Psalms 100
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
² Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before Him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is He who made us, and we are His;
    we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter His gates with thanksgiving
    and His courts with praise;
    give thanks to Him and praise His name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
    His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Blessings Come in All Shapes and Sizes

So pregnancy has been progressing normally for the most part so of course we will be attacked in other ways. We found out there is a possibility of an emergency C-section due to Addie's breech position.  Furthermore, Mike has not had to travel much for work and wouldn't you know it, November is setting up to be full of traveling.  Of course this is not the worst part of recent events, Tuesday Mike had to drive 2 hours away to the Veterinary Hospital at University of Illinois where it was discovered that Payton (our dog) had a rare injury back in June that only surgery can fix, so rare that the head vet with 20-30 years experience has only seen it 4 times total.  Well the blessing (no not the cost$$$$) is that one of those times was just 6 weeks ago, which made them recognize this injury and diagnosis so quickly.  So surgery was Wednesday (went well, whatever that means) and Mike had to travel back to U of I on Thursday to pick up the dog.  Our house consists of two wild boys and a "spoiled" dog in a cast that we must keep doped up, caged, and collared.  YES, God has a sense of humor.  The dog has 6 weeks of casting/splinting/bandaging left and I have 6 weeks before Addie is due unless she follows her brother's foot step and chooses to enter the world on her own time (month early for those unaware). So things here have stayed interesting, but through it all we have felt God drawing us closer and giving us peace and blessings in the midst. We are still continuing to cry out to God for complete healing for Addie believing that upon birth this is what will still happen. The time we are taking to spend in the Bible is reaffirming to us how much God desires to hear and answer our prayers. A week ago Mike went to Arlington TX for a prayer conference. He came home with lots of books for me because I love to read! One of them was about divine healing so of course that is what I started first. One of the verses that really hit me was Mark 16:¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” We are suppose to be seeing these healings and miracles. The signs and wonders are suppose to be alive in the church in order to show God's power and bring about His glory. Today in Sunday school we were studying 1 Kings 18 and the story about God's prophet Elijah calling down fire from Heaven onto his sacrifice to the Lord when the prophets of Baal could not. He prays this prayer right before the fire falls “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 1 Kings 18:36b-37. This along with the verse from Mark really hit me to where we are at right now especially with Addie. We as it says in Mark are believers in the name and power of Jesus, we have a right to expect sick people to be made well because of the power of Jesus. But He gave them that power to use as they went out to preach and spread the gospel to all creation so as Elijah cries in 1 Kings we want to see God's healing touch on Addie so that people will know that there is a God in Heaven who not only holds all power but desires to interact with us. He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him and to give our lives to Him as a daily sacrifice so that His power can flow freely through us. Mike and I therefore are standing on the promises of God where we have no fear because we know that Psalms 33:4 tells us "The word of the Lord is right, and true, He is faithful in all He does." When we live in His truth and His power we are able to live in peace that can open our eyes to the blessings in the midst of the trials. Even this week because of the way God has so strengthened our faith in Him and His power, even as we wait for the healing, we are able to reach out and walk along side others who are also desperate for His healing power and to see Him glorified in every part of their lives. God has given us verses and promises and a deeper level of understanding as we have drawn closer and closer to Him. It is so powerful to see Romans 8:28 come all "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Our purpose is to love and bring glory to God as we share His truth with those around us. The more we open ourselves up to that and by prayer to the power of God the more He uses us. The more we give of ourselves the more He can fill. We are waiting anticipating God's healing to come more powerfully then we can imagine we hold to Micah 7:7 "But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." He is already our Savior and Redeemer our names our written in His book of life now we watch and we wait to see how He will continue to use us here on earth as we wait for the day we can enter His kingdom. I go to the last specialist appointment Friday November 8th at 2:00. I am now 6 weeks away from my due date of December 15th and if I go into labor from today on they will not stop it. Life is exciting and it sure doesn't stop going but though it may be exhausting we are living Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because He trusts in you." There is no better place to be than in the perfect peace of Jesus because you know that no matter what circumstances this world may throw at you Jesus tells us to “take heart! I have overcome the world.”John 16:33b. The battle has already been won and by accepting the love and forgiveness of Jesus, recognizing our sin and humanity we have chosen the side of the victor! We will come out victorious because Jesus has already fought the fight and overcome this world we are just waiting and must remember whatever we are facing to follow the truth of the Word of God.  "Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory" Deuteronomy 20:3, 4.

A Fight of Faith

As we travel down this road waiting for Addie's healing I keep turning to the story of David and Goliath. David a young shepherd boy comes to check on his brothers, who are out to battle. As he comes to the battlefield he sees a giant called Goliath come out and ridicule the Israelite army. The Israelite army becomes terrified and began to run away. This had happened for the past 40 days. David comes in and sees this and is decides he will fight the giant. Where all the warriors are terrified he claims victory because he knows the Israelites are God's chosen people and God will fight for them. 1 Samuel 17:37 "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." He is able to live in faith by looking back over the ways God has been faithful to him, and look forward to the promises of God. If God had been faithful in the past why would he stop now? David knew that God's character didn't change regardless of our circumstances, and neither did His power. There was many other voices David could have listened to, but he chose to listen to God's voice, the voice of truth. David went out against Goliath without armor, without a sword, with only God and a sling. He came out victorious! His victory was not his victory, but God's. The facts had the tables turned against David, but as Romans 8:31b says "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  Faith is a fight everyday to look past this world and into God's world, but the voices of here and now can be so loud! As I pray for Addie I pray for my faith to grow and for God to help me hold on. I want to have the kind of faith that David had here because that is the faith that can move mountains. Matthew 17:20b "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."I love the story in Mark of a father who brought his son to Jesus to be healed he say help him if you can and Jesus responds “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24. I have been there. I do believe that the Bible is all true and it is always true, but there are so many outside voices sometimes that this becomes my prayer. "Lord I do believe, I do trust, I am willing to follow and obey wherever you lead, but help my unbelief." I don't think it always come from lack of faith, but from honesty. There is so much around us that wants to pull us down, we are in a spiritual battle daily. The devil doesn't want us to stand up to the giants in our life because he knows that when we come out there with our faith he has no chance.  Ephesians 6:16 promises "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." The shield of faith is more powerful than we know, so we must pray for an increase in faith and engross ourselves in the truth of the Bible. If we can manage that when the temptation to doubt or fear comes we have the answer. Jesus is the answer, His truth is the way to walk in faith knowing that what we see is not all there is! We are not promised easy lives but we are promised peaceful lives. John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." So as we go in our day-to-day I will hold on to the hope of the future and the promises from God regarding it.

Perseverance

Just getting home from the specialist and all I can say is I see why God has been giving me verses about perseverance. The good news is that the specialist could not see anything wrong with the heart, not that there isn't. This means it is just very trivial so we are going to wait until Addie arrives and do an echo on her a few days after birth instead. Also, the doctor today said even if the leak is there, it is not a serious condition and we would probably just have another echo 6-12 months after the first. So that is a blessing! The other good news is that she is growing at a normal rate for babies her age. She is 3 pounds and 6 ounces today which is right on schedule for 30 and 1/2 weeks! This was a concern with the placement of the placenta. The news that we are going to continue to pray about and persevere as we wait for healing are her arms, her feet, and her position. Her arms are still moving, but it is not normal the doctor today said part of that could be because of lack of space due to my uterus shape. He said best case scenario there is that some rehab after birth would build up the muscle she has lost from not being able to move as much as other babies. The legs are still clubbed and surgery is still probably within her first year. Yet, we know that with God everything is possible including complete healing. The position is breech and again due to the shape of my uterus turning looks difficult for her. They told me with my first he could not do it, but through the power of prayer he turned! So we will also be lifting that up in prayer.  I am clinging to the promises of God Hebrews 10 :23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." and Hebrews 10:36 " You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." HE has promised and HE is faithful. We are holding to His promises as we live in His will and so as 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." We are casting our cares on Him because He alone will carry us through.  I was reminded today of a sermon of Dan Bohi's that I heard where he spoke on 2 Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." He keyed in on the "glory to glory" part and how most of life is spent in the "to". We are in the "to" right now, but that is okay because that just means the glory is coming! We have called upon God and are continue to call upon God. We are waiting in expectation because He is our hope and our salvation!

Trusting in the Midst

God gave me a verse today Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." I didn't know how much I was going to need it, but He did. Just a little while after reading that verse I received a call from the cardiologist telling me about my next appointment. This confused me because when we had left them last they said there was no reason to return. I called back and spoke with the doctor. The doctor said that as she looked over the imaging in slow motion she saw a small leak on the valve in left side. She also said it is typically on the right side so that is part of the reason they missed it earlier. I told her I had an appointment with the specialist tomorrow at 2. She said she would call him and update him on what she sees now. So tomorrow we head to the specialist to see what he thinks about everything. If he thinks it necessary we will keep the appointment with the cardiologist which is set for next Tuesday. Philippians 4:7 ^"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." He has given me this peace and I am walking in His truth and His peace. There is no place I would rather be! I will praise Him and I will trust Him. I am going to hold unswervingly to the hope of her complete healing that we have been professing from the beginning. God has promised and God is faithful. Please continue join us as we pray for complete healing for Addie.  John 14:12-14 "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." He wants us to believe He is who He says He is. He wants us to call upon Him so that His name can be glorified. It is only through the struggle and through our weakness that He can truly shine. So instead of despairing I am looking at this as another opportunity to allow God to get glory.  He wants all of us to turn to Him in everything so that through our lives we can be witnesses for Him, but to do that we must believe that He is who He says He is. We also must believe that the Bible is ALL true and it is ALWAYS true. What we know about Addie's heart may have changed but He hasn't! And He won't! So we will praise Him as we trust Him. Our God is faithful, forgiving, merciful, and loving. That is a God I can rest upon even in the midst of the storm. He is the one who calms the storms and controls the waves!

 This is the song that keeps running through my head. Thought I would share!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83aQC5ko_94

Suprise Ultrasound!

Due to some intense pain/pressure over the weekend I got an extra ultrasound today for Addie. The doctors have been watching my cervical length closely because my last pregnancy I dilated early. The cervical length is one of the issues the specialist, which I will see Wednesday afternoon, is always watching. So over the weekend I had been very uncomfortable and so the OB office wanted me to come in today for a quick ultrasound to make sure there was no early dilation. So of course since the pain had started we had been praying and God reminded me yesterday that He cares about every detail. Bed rest has been a possibility for this pregnancy so I was prepared for it to be dilating but I was reminded to pray about that. So today at the ultrasound would you believe that instead of getting shorted like they were concerned about it had actually gotten longer! God is working and He is faithful! I can't get over how He continues to draw us closer to Him, but also how He continues to show Himself and His word to be true. One of the devotions I read had this verse at the end and it is showing true in my life and Addie's. Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." He wants to do what He has promised, but we have to stand unwaveringly on those promises through the midst of it. So now we persevere and we wait on God. But we don't wait in our own strength we wait in His. "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31. Our Sunday School class yesterday was talking about wisdom and some of the Proverbs. Our teacher ended by asking us to come up with a proverb to pass on, or that we live our life by mine is "The Bible is ALL true, and it is ALWAYS true." So as we see progress in Addie and continue to hope with the expectation for total healing, we persevere in the Lord knowing He will continue to strengthen us each step of the way until He brings His promise for healing to completion. Day to day He is our hope and our strength! Can't wait to see what Wednesday's appointment will bring!

For the Glory

I have found that in the past when we have dealt with struggles it is easy to go the "why me" route. We had a miscarriage with our first pregnancy and I about got lost in the bitterness that came from going that route. There was no direct sin or reason for us to lose that baby - it just happened because we live in a fallen world. No, those words don't help in the midst of the heartache and hurt. Honestly, for a while nothing really helped. I knew all the Scriptures, I believed all the Scriptures, but the hurt was too raw and too real at that moment to pull me out of my anger. Some of the anger came because I believe in God's power and sovereignty. I knew He could heal I just don't know why He did not. Those kinds of situations can really shake your faith. I struggled for months until finally God laid my options out clearly "you can let this bitterness continue to grow and destroy everything you have or you can trust Me in this and give it to Me and I will use this hurt in your life." That was my wake up call. The bitterness didn't help anybody or make that life lost any more valuable but God did. As I look back now I can see how God has kept His promise once again. No, He didn't heal that baby the way I wanted to see that baby healed but He did heal that baby. Then, He took the time to heal me and draw me closer to Him. I see how that stretched me to a point of breaking, but also how it grew me. I also see how He has used it in my life and in the lives of others, and for that I am thankful. I especially saw it when we heard about Addie. I was tempted to doubt again and start down the "why me", but God reminded me that He is my loving Father and He knows what is best. Since hearing about Addie we have been praying in a new way, a powerful way, and we are seeing God's hand move. It is awesome. But there is still the temptation to doubt so I have been studying healings in the New Testament of the Bible and today one hit me hard. John 9:1-12 tells the story of a man blind from birth that is in the path of Jesus and his disciples one day. The disciples speak out and ask Jesus if he was blind because of his sin or his parents’ sin. Jesus tells them "This happened so the power of God could be seen in Him." Then Jesus made mud, put it over his eyes, and sent the man to wash it off. After the man obeyed Jesus' instructions he could see for the first time in his life! The rest of the chapter goes on to tell how the blind man was drawn deeper and deeper into his faith through this and how he testified in front of the Pharisees who saw but didn't want to believe. This story hit me so hard because it summed up both of these experiences in my life. Direct sin didn't cause my miscarriage nor did it cause Addie's issues, but God is still God. In both of these situations He allows them for His glory. If I give these things into His hands He will use them to build His kingdom and that is my main goal in life. I want to see people come to know and love Jesus and to live in the freedom that He gives, but if I never struggle He never has a chance to shine. 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us of God's response to Paul during a hardship “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." This is one of the main reasons I share this about Addie. I want everyone to see how faithful God is, and it is through this trial that He gets to shine. Look at the healing power we have already seen on her heart and also her arms! God has gone into the womb where she is being knit together and healed what only He can heal so that His name can be praised! So we will praise Him for what He has done and praise Him for what He is doing. God has healed Addie and He will heal her completely of this I do not doubt. Though the temptation is there at times I have seen God be too faithful to not trust Him in His healing power. I am choosing to praise and not doubt because my God is faithful! The other reason I share all this about Addie is because we want others to join us in praying for the full complete healing we are waiting on.  Matthew 18:19-20 says "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” There is power in the prayers of the righteous. When we call out to Him together He hears and He answers! He is going to get even more glory through Addie and I am so thankful to be a part of it!

Feet, Feet, Feet

I have been heavily burdened for Addie's feet today. So much so I can't sleep. I just feel the need to pray specifically for the healing of her clubbed feet so I am asking you all to join me. God has already worked in Addie's life, but I can't get over the feeling that He wants to do more and so I want to do my part to be faithful to Him and to be ever listening to His still small voice. How sad would I be if I missed a chance to witness another miracle in her life because I was too busy to hear Him leading me on what to pray. One of my favorite stories growing up was in Acts 3. It tells the story of a man crippled from birth who day after day came to the gates of the temple looking for handouts. Well, one day he got more than just a handout he got a hand-up. He begged Peter and John for change and they said to him "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Acts 3:6. The man got up and walked into the temple jumping and praising as he had never been able to do before. I have always loved that story, but today as I have been so burdened for Addie's feet I am reminded of the fact that the men here who claimed this power were the same as us. They were lost people who had made sinned in life, but continually turned back to Jesus a repentant heart and as they turned back to Him; they began to see more and more of His glory and power. Peter and John also were given more and more understanding. It didn't make their lives all rosy, but they walked with a purpose and the walked intentionally toward Heaven doing everything they could to pull others along with them. I want to stand in the confidence that they had when they told that man to stand. It didn't matter how long he had been crippled or why. They knew the God that they served and not only His love but His power. How much of God must we miss when we only look at one part of the picture of who He is. His greatness is more than we can fathom yet the deeper we dig into His truths, the more we see. He promises us that as we search for wisdom He will bestow it. This man had a healing because of the faith of Peter and John, That is what I am praying for Addie. I don't want to be content with a partial healing, if God wants to do the whole. Who am I to limit Him? Psalms 138 is a Psalms of praise and it ends with verse 8 claiming "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord endures forever, do not abandon the works of your hands" The man at the gate was the works of His hands and Addie is also the works of His hands. We have already seen His special healing touch on her arms and heart, but we continue to come with praise for what He has done and faith for what He will continue to do. Our God is a God who is every deserving of praise. He is also a God who does what He promises to do. So we hold to that. We hold to the promise of James 5:15 "the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well." And we follow the instructions found in Matthew 7:7-8 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." We are continuing in prayer for this healing and right now especially for her feet not because of lack of faith; but because that is what we are instructed to do. Holding on to the faith when the answer don't come the way we want or as soon as we want is the hardest part sometimes but the power comes when we learn to hold on to the truth that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow regardless of it. As we are learning more and more how to live off these truths we are seeing more and more answers to the prayers prayed in faith. So I leave you, hopefully to sleep now, with these verses of praise. Psalm 147:1 "Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!" No one else could deserve our praise regardless and when we choose to praise through the storms of life, and we all have storms, we get to see the light as we pass through. Isaiah 43:1b-3a “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.³ For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

 

 

Holding On

In the midst of waiting life goes on. Thoughts about Addie don't consume me anymore than other pregnancy yet like with the boys it is always there. This pain, that pain, odd discomfort is it normal? Normal pregnancy thoughts yet life goes on. I am still doing what I do. People bring up the issues more than I think about them on my own because I am so at peace. It almost seems odd. I am trying to do everything physical-wise to be cautious especially about adding to pre-term labor because I had that last time, but I am not worried. We are drawing so much strength and comfort from the promises of God that it doesn't feel odd to carry on like normal. I am not ignoring the issues Addie has but am fully at rest trusting that I serve a God who will do what he has promised to do. A verse that was mentioned twice yesterday really hit me Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." God has started a good work and a healing in Addie and I am expecting Him to finish it. As  I wait to see this fulfillment I am amazed at the other ways I am seeing God in my life. This weekend we really debated our plans. Mike was supposed to go fishing and I was coming home, but for some reason we were really struggling with if we should or not. We decided to go ahead with our original plans knowing we would enjoy them. Since we have done that God has shown us in two distinct ways that this was where we needed to be this weekend. It is awesome how when we are looking for God's work it is so visible. I made another realization this weekend too. I am holding on to James 5:^{14 "}Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." As I have shared before and I do believe this and that as we call on Him He will and has answered us. Mike and I are expecting and praying for a perfectly healthy little baby come December. I realized though that had it just been clubbed feet I wouldn't have felt the need to pray so desperately for healing, because it is fixable by doctors. But now with everything else the doctors saw we were made desperate and desiring. We desire to see God's glory in her life and we desire to see His promises once again shown true! We have fallen on our knees in front of God begging for the healing of our little girl and we have called on the elders and we have had her anointed for this healing, but as I have said before we can not just believe part of the scriptures. James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." This verse tells us it is the prayer of the righteous that are powerful and effective. Our pastor in Indiana explained the day we got Addie anointed that this means right with God and right with others. If we expect God to do what He has promised to do we must live the life He has called us to live. I will tell you that before Addie was anointed I had to apologize to someone. Matthew 5:24 "First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." I didn't want anything to stand in the way of God's power. I truly believe in the Word of God. He wants us to call on Him with our whole hearts for every issue. I think we may have missed out on His great power had it just been clubbed feet, but now I am anticipating seeing answers that could only come from Him because that is what He has promised us.The following verse leaves it clear for us. He wants to answer and is waiting to hear all we have to do is call out in faith. Call out in faith for whatever our struggles may be; be it salvation, healing, peace. God is waiting to hear for us so that His mighty power can be displayed and all the nations may see His glory! Isaiah 65: 24 "Before they call^(BS) I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Call to Him, bring Him your cares and He will carry them and you as He is doing for us. His love and faithfulness are everlasting. Yesterday at church there were testimonies of a little boy who had been anointed the same day as Addie who was thought to have a brain tumor and after the MRI there was nothing! The doctor was surprised but those who had stood in faith praying with them were not! There was also testimony of a 3 week old baby whose doctor had heard a heart murmur one week they got him anointed and the next week that doctor didn't hear it and the test didn't show it! God wants to heal! As we stand on faith in His word and His promises we are standing on the safest ground! It has nothing to do with us, but only with Him. It is because of His mercy that He cares about us enough to shower us with His love and power in our day-to-day life. So Mike and I will hold on as we go through this, and invite you to do the same. Look for His promises in His word. Turn your hearts to Him, ask any whoever you may need to ask for forgiveness be it God or others! Don't let something silly or petty hold you back from the great love and power of our God. He is our God because He called us and we came and He is calling you! 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." When you take the time to admit the wrongs you through God's grace become the righteous person talked about in James and your prayers are heard. The steps are easy and God is faithful as we have seen already in our lives and in Addie and as we will continue to see.  We are  going to praise for the big things and the little things because our God is worthy of praise! Our Addie is being knit together as we speak and I can't wait to tell of all the great things He has done and will do in her life! 

Good News!

So we went to the specialist again today to check on Addie's functioning, issues with the placenta placement, and cervical shortenings which could lead to preterm labor. We went in anticipating to see how God touched Addie and we were not disappointed! Previously, the doctor had thought that one of Addie's arms was stuck over her chest, but today we saw movement in that arm at the elbow, wrist, and in the fingers! Also, it was no longer over her chest! The other hand the doctor had thought her two middle fingers were stuck down into her fist, but on this arm we also saw movement at the elbow, wrist, and fingers. The fingers are not stuck down! The movement is not normal, but there is movement and that is a visible answer to prayer yet again. The doctor also said that because of this movement it is looking more likely that the issues are orthopedic and not neurological! The feet are still severely clubbed and the doctor still expects her to be in need of surgery within her first year. He told us that not to walk away thinking she was magically better but that it is good news. We are walking away knowing exactly that it was nothing magical but all spiritual. We are serving a powerful God! My aunt & uncle sent me a verse today that is an awesome reminder of who we are praying to and who we are believing in "Behold, I am the Lord the God of all flesh is anything too difficult for me?" Jeremiah 32:27. We went in anticipating to see God and we did. They may be moments when we want to doubt or question why only a little healing why not complete? Why us at all, but instead we will praise Him. My sister-in-law shared with me that today she was praying specifically that little Addie would wave at us and she did! God hears, God cares, God answers! God promises that "Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear" Isaiah 65:24. God has been faithful to us so if doubts try to creep in and questions I will remember who I am questioning the maker of Heaven and Earth, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords! I will then say as it says in the Psalms"Put you hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." Psalms 42:5b. We are praising once again for visible answers and positive news about the health of our little girl. We are also continuing to pray for full and complete healing believing that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He has promised to do. He is faithful to us because of His great love and mercy and in that I can put my trust, my future, and the life of little Addie. She is one of His precious gifts to us along with her brothers, but He loves her even more than we do and how awesome that we are allowed to see Him knit her together piece by piece! So we continue to pray, we continue to hope, we continue to believe in His power as we draw deeper and deeper into His loving embrace and sustaining power. It is this sustaining power that every struggle we face can be handed over and let go of if we give our lives to Him. When we admit our sin and humanness His power is allowed to shine through brighter and brighter, and then we don't walk through this path alone! We are carried by our Savior and held up by our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who have called on His name for their salvation and now call on His name for Addie. It is a powerful way to live knowing that even in the midst of it we are not alone. We are a part of the body of Christ! We don't have to know it all or understand it all. We just have to do our part and give ourselves completely to Jesus and He will lead. We go back to the specialist Oct. 9 and will find out more than, otherwise I continue to see the OB for regular check-ups every 2 weeks my next one being Wednesday morning. As of now though the placenta and cervix look good I am just suppose to take it as easy as I can with chasing 2 boys so that hopefully I won't go into early labor like I did last time!

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

I have been learning more and more through this time about the importance of faith. We as Christians have said we believe that Jesus came and died and rose again because we are sinners. We believe that it is through His saving grace and awesome love that we can enter into a personal and powerful relationship with God the Father. We also believe that because of this God sends the Holy Spirit to convict, guide, and encourage us in our walk. This is all basic Scriptures, but this past week God has been showing me that if we claim some of the Bible is true then the whole Bible must be true. I have known this, but now I am getting a chance to live it out in a new way and it is stretching me and growing me.
Today we had a powerful time of hearing the testimony from Jon Fischer a missionary in Ecuador. He started out with a question "When is the last time you stepped out in faith so that the only way you could do what you set out to do was with God?" This question stopped me because it brought me back to the question I have been studying on all week. Do I really believe God will keep His promises and the answer is yes. James 1:6-8 "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."  If we don't believe there is no reason to pray because God can't honor a the prayer of a double-minded man. So we are stepping out in faith on the prayers we prayed last week and through this week of James 5:14-15 "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." Many of us believe the second part that our sins have been forgiven but the first is harder to grasp. So now God is calling us to step out in faith believing for the healing of Addie. He has already touched her heart and I believe that He is knitting her together and she will come out perfectly whole.  I will praise God because Addie is fearfully and wonderfully made. God's works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalms 139:14). I know His works are wonderful not only because He says they are but because He has shown Himself and His works over and over again. So I leave you with as song as we wait anticipating to see God's glory through His healing power in Addie's life.

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
And to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
And to know, "Thus saith the Lord"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

I'm so glad, I've learned to trust thee
Precious Jesus, Savior, friend
And I know that Thou art with me
Wilt be with me to the end

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

Awesome God!!!

We will praise His name again and again!
 Psalms 66:8 "Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;⁹ he has preserved our lives  and kept our feet from slipping.¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;  you refined us like silver.¹¹ You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.¹² You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."
We have had a week of shock and news we never expected to hear, but through it we praised God because He is good and faithful. Ephesians 3:20-21 says "²⁰ 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, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." We will praise Him! He is working in us and through us and He hears and has heard our prayers! Addie's heart is fine! The valves and chambers look good! The blood flow looked good! Everything appears to be in working order. The concerns about placement and tilting of it were of no concern as they studied it! The doctor said there is no concern for her heart as far as she could see and no need to see us again!!!! God has touched her! We prayed, we cried, and He has answered more than we know and can see but here is a glimpse of His wonderful Healing power! How wonderful is our God! His mercy and grace can reach into the womb and heal that which is being knit together! Now we wait to see what else He has done and is doing on and through our precious Addie! The times that were shared in prayer and praise this weekend have already had a huge and visible impact on Addie. Those are the things that matter more than any appointment we have. The time we take to meet and spend with the Creator and Maker of all is what will pull us through and it is what will have the most impact on Addie's life!
  I have a routine OB appointment this Thursday and a follow-up with the specialist from last week on Sept. 9th. Keep the prayers coming God is hearing and He is answering! I will leave you with Addie's verses Psalms 139:13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." He has healed her heart the inmost of her and is continuing the knitting of her arms and legs! Doctors may be uncertain of the cause or full condition but God is God and He is the one doing the creating!