Pray for Baby Isaac Tomorrow!!

Remember to Pray for Baby Isaac tomorrow. He is being extubated and if everything goes as we are praying he will be able to breath on his own. If it does not, they will have to put in a trach on Thursday.

We pray Lord for perfect execution of this procedure and that Isaac's body would respond miraculously. We pray there will be as big a party on that hospital wing as there will be in heaven as people stand in awe of our Awesome God.

We Love You Lord!

a surrendered life

I copied this excerpt from a friend of mines blog called "The surrendered life".

i now live a surrendered life. a life in which i've voluntarily given up living for me & i choose to abandon all selfishness & choose to live a life of selflessness, thus becoming more like Jesus. for so many years, i had fooled others, myself included, into believing that i did live a surrendered life to God. i really didn't. you know how i know, because deep down, in that place where it's only God & me, i knew it wasn't true. i was living a falsehood. how erroneous. it is so liberating to admit it. i'm not ashamed b/c i know that i'm not the only one that has lived in that lie, nor am i the last one to live that lie. admitting it is the beginning of relinquishing it all to the Author of my life. so, i can now say, i live a life surrendered. so, "i'll stand, with arms high & heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all, i stand, my soul, Lord, to you surrendered, all i am is Yours......"

You know when I first read this. I thought, "Praise the Lord, I've been where she's been and now ... " I couldn't finish the sentence. I began to feel convicted. I could not finish this sentence to say I live a totally surrendered life. I don't even know what I am not surrendering. I mean I have given my whole life to reach others with the gospel starting from a very young age (7). I gave up relationships, running a number of times, comfort, good jobs, money, etc... to follow God to reach the masses who have not heard the gospel. My husband gave up a comfortable carreer with good money, to follow God's call to go to France to start a church. I gave up the comforts of America to raise my kids where we will live in much smaller quarters with possibly no yard. We gave up all our savings raising support these past few years, and we are giving up our kids being raised near their grandparents and cousins whom they love. So what could I not be giving up... I mean I just gave up satellite for goodness sake, and my laptop died, and I have to sit here in my room on this desk top. I mean what else is there.

"I mean, God, you wouldn't want me to be more submissive to my husband or more patient, gentle, and kind, to my kids would you? Don't you think I have given enough. :-) Okay God, you're going to have to really help me with this one because these are deep dark holes in my soul that I want to hang on to. Couldn't you just give me a pill or something and let it be done with?" :-)

What is your Calcutta?

Can I just say, "I LOVE THE BLOGGING WORLD!!" Not only can I sit at home with four kids and still feel like I have a social life even if no one is verbally talking to me, but I can be inspired by something someone said on a blog and then go share about it on my own blog feeling like I have inspired someone today, even if I don't know if anyone even read my blog. I can also respond on someone's blog and feel like I have had a discussion even if they don't read their responses. Isn't it great!...

And speaking of plagerizing, Mark Batterson said something I love... He said,

"Can I share a goal? I never want NCC to feel like a church. I want us to feel like a movement. The church is way too static these days! The church is called to knock down the gates of hell. The church is the vehicle whereby heaven invades hell. That is why the world resonated with Mother Teresa. She brought heaven to a hell hole. By the way, I love the advice Mother Teresa gave when someone asked them how they could make a difference with their life the way she'd made with hers. Mother Teresa said, "Find Your Own Calcutta."

Well, it's been a long road, but Ken and I have found our "Calcutta"... France, and Mark Batterson states just what we feel. We have a passion to start a movement, not just a church. We want to invade hell and take back what satan has stolen in France, with the power of the Holy Spirit of course, and Heavens legions of angels to fight the Spiritual battles.

Does "red" mean bad?

My husband has been traveling alot these past two weeks, and I was just wondering if it was a bad thing when the yellow light on the refrigerator that tells you to change the filter, turns red... I was just wondering.

It makes me think, how in the world would I survive without my husband. Yes, I am one of those who knows nothing about the bills, and I really don't need to be involved in that. To me balancing a checkbook is attempting to balance it, and then drawing a dark line in your check register, and then calling the bank and putting your new balance under that line. I have no idea how to fix anything, because my husband is such a fix it guy that I don't ever even have to figure it out. We don't even call repair people.

So needless to say I guess we'll just have to drink tap water until my husband gets home because I'm not sure what the filter looks like, and I'm afraid I might break something if I try to take it out. :-)

The "Bread of Life" is not for the birds

I was really disappointed in myself the other day. Me, the "people person" who can't stand the thought of one human being going to hell, and it being the drive that makes me able to give everything up and move my four young children away from all grandparents, cousins, and family to raise them in a different way than most of the planet...walked to the neighborhood pond to feed the neighborhood ducks. These are actually two white ducks who stay here year 'round and the neighborhood people all sort of look after them; including feeding them bread, and dog and cat food. Well, following the true sentiment of Charlotte Mason homeschooling, I try to take my kids on walks to look and talk about nature everyday if possible.

The other day we were walking toward the pond and I saw something I had never seen before. There were two teenage girls swimming in the pond, and one laying out beside the pond in a swim suit. First I thought that was very strange because I didn't know anybody who swam in that pond and thought there was probably a good reason. There is also a sign that says "No Tresspasing", which everyone knows is there to keep riff raff away. I then saw what looked like two younger brothers throwing rocks in the water and pestering and teasing each other and the girls.

As we got closer to the pond I noticed the ducks waddling fast along the shore, going in and out of the water like they couldn't figure out what to do. I then realized these boys were throwing rocks at "our" ducks. I watched for a minute and when I knew that that's what they were doing, I raised my voice so they could hear me across the way and told them not to throw rocks at the ducks. I think I actually had to tell them two times.

My children and I proceeded to get our bread out and feed the ducks as these two girls got out of the water, joined their friend who had been laying out, in gathering their things and their brothers and slowly walked near us to get out to the road to go home.

As I stood there with a little bit of satisfaction in my heart for defending "our" ducks, I don't know that God actually spoke to me, but a sadness came over me as I realized I cared more about those ducks than I did about meeting and loving on those kids with a conversation. I began to replay the scenario in my head that I went over and struck up a conversation with the girls and spoke a few words to the boys and showed them how hundreds of fish and a few turtles would come up if you threw bread in the water, knowing that I could have most likely won them over because that's just who God created me to be as a people person.

As I watched them walk away, they didn't go to any of the homes they were walking toward, but started walking down the street to the local rundown trailer park where there are known drugs and animal abuse. I can't tell you how sad I am now to think about how little I thought of them and their destiny.

Lord, help me not to look at the outward appearance, but to see every single person that ever crosses my path as a life You created and loved so much you died for. Help me to get over my own agenda if you have another plan for that moment that will plant a seed for someone to come into your kingdom. Father, I thank you that you did not see me as "riff raff", but came to me and found a way to my heart so that I have spent most of my life saved from so much heartache because I heard about you and wanted to follow you. Forgive me father, and I pray I have a different story next time a similar situation happens.

"God Stop" Moments

I read a friend of mine's blog, "The Atkinson 6", and would like to share some of it with you. You can go to their blog to read it in it's entirity.

My question is, have you ever felt God's presence in your life? Haven't you felt that peace melt over you from your head to your toes and felt completely whole? Have you ever had a moment, just a moment when you felt that everything was right in your universe and that if there was a perfect moment for you, it was right here and right now. That is God. He is pouring His wonderful love over you!

Beth Moore often talks about "God Stop" moments. Those are moments when something happens and you are stopped from making a serious mistake and you don't know why. It also could be that you take a different way to work and hear on the radio that the way you normally take had a bad accident on it or it could be that He stops you to open a door for you and place someone in your life that will lift you up and encourage at the exact moment that you need it! Moments where God Stops you and redirects your path for whatever reason.

When I read this blog, I thought, "Wow, this is exactly what God is doing in our (Mine & My husband's) life, and the peace and presence of God has melted over us in a way we can't even explain. God is redirecting our steps, and we are having a moment right here right now in our lives where we feel everything is right in our universe. It is a "perfect moment," and God is pouring His wonderful love over us. It's something neither of us has experienced in such a dramatic way before in our lives.

We know God has a deep love for every person in the universe, including the French people. We know God has given us a vision for what He is leading us to do. And we are seeing now the ways he has and is going before us to prepare every detail of His plan. We are humbled to be a part, and pray that we can be worthy of "the calling" He has placed on our lives.

I will be putting a link soon on my blog if you are interested in helping us reach this new generation of French People with the gospel in radical, relevant, artistic, and music jamming ways.

We love you Lord!!

Church Marketing Sucks

I came across this blog, Church Marketing Sucks, and it is now one of my favorites. I am posting a blog from from this site because I know everybody doesn't follow all the links, and I think it is worth reading. The thing that surprised me, though, were a couple of the comments on this blog that I will share with you after you read it.

How To Achieve 277% Growth(Filed under: Advertising)
by Joshua Cody, Intern

OK, so the title isn't fully accurate. But it is how one church did it. Eastpoint Community Church in Middletown, Del. had an incredibly simple, strategic and successful marketing campaign, detailed by Marketing Sherpa (membership required). Here's a quick summary of their story:

A small, young church, they were looking to reach a community saturated by a younger generation with a general disquietude towards the idea of church. They knew that an unobtrusive web site would bring just the proper message--we don't merely want to tally converts, but we want you to discover us. Thus the brainstorming began. They knew a web site alone would not be enough. How would people find it? So they created a place of interest--a web site, and they created a vehicle for reaching this place--a marketing campaign. Rather than spending countless hours and resources reinventing the wheel and discovering new methods of marketing, they turned to time-honored tactics. Mailers and a billboard (you know how we love to talk about billboards here at CMS).

They created the site, and they put up a billboard. The billboard didn't mention their physical address. It didn't mention their mission statement. It just read "Before you turn church off ... www.eastpoint.org". In addition to the billboard, they sent mailers to their community advertising the web site. The final piece of this puzzle was creating a web site that would matter. They decided to go with a web 2.0 feel and create a prayer wall and blogs. It seems that these efforts created a perfect storm in their community. Church attendance shot up 277% (I believe that must now include most of Deleware's population), and they're looking for a new building.

So now comes the dilemma. When looking at this model, have we found the perfect example for increasing church attendance? Hardly. Blogger Nathan Rice makes a great point that not everything is for everyone. I think we can look at this and the most we can say is, "Wow, they were sensitive to how their community would respond, and they acted accordingly." This campaign won't work for all churches or all communities, but it is a tremendous story of what happens when we remain aware of the world around us and create accordingly. Oh yes, and it's a subtle reminder to those 30% of you who said "Billboards are for truckers" that maybe billboards aren't so bad. (link via Mike Atkinson)

So now for the comments. One guy said, "Well that is great that it worked for them. However, I must say that I think the trick to growth (numbers and spiritual health) is going out into the community (after all, we can't expect people to come to us if we don't first go to them) and authenticity."

Another guy actually said: "Who cares about growth? 'Growth' has nothing to do with it. Love God and love others."

Are you kidding me?! Are these guys living in the 21st century?! Do they really care about the lost? Do they not think Christ is coming back soon, and if we don't get creative and figure out ways to get people in the door, to those people that we do not meet face to face aren't we saying, "You can go to hell, and I don't care because I love God and I loved my neighbor"... and yes we can expect people to come to if we don't first go to them! Can you tell that I am "hot" about this subject? Do any of these people work jobs that use marketing? If so, then why can the world use marketing, but the God who created the world, who did whatever it took to redeem the world, cannot do whatever it takes to get them in the door to hear this gospel?

I say, " Let's Praise God for Victory in Iraq!"

I am very disturbed about the comment made by one of our U.S senators this past week. He came out and said, "We have lost the war in Iraq." Now I realize he is of the opposite political party as the president and the battle between the two parties is always very disturbing to watch...

but...

Why have we as Christians not seen this as a spiritual battle? Why have we not risen up in prayer and said, "No Satan! You will not take this land! You have ruled it for a long time, but that time is over! Our God is more powerful and you were already defeated at the cross!" No matter if you are a democrat or a republican, if you are a Christian... this is a spiritual battle!

Do we realize (well, I actually didn't until I learned history through kindergarten homeschooling - imagine that) that Iraq is where the Garden of Eden was? This was where sin first entered the world; where the tower of Babel was built where men thought they could reach God, and God punished them. It is where Babylon was (a kingdom that ruled over Isael) that is mentioned in the endtimes prophesy... and if we do not see insurgents and the ones who are killing anybody and everybody through horrific bloodshed, including the innocent, as evil I don't know what evil is.

So if God is more powerful, and we are his people, and our men and women are over there fighting, and we are not on our faces before a holy God continually fighting the spiritual battle through praying and fasting expecting them to win, what is the point of having the power of God within us?! We are winners through Christ, and our nation is a nation blessed by God.

So I say let's pray people! Let's fall on our faces together continually so that we can help a nation defeat evil, and protect us and the rest of the world from this evil entering our country again. Let's pray for these poor Iraqi's who are going to live in this if we do lose this "war". We in America at least have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Most people in Iraq will never have this opportunity.

Let's pray like we have never prayed before! Let's pray for victory! Victory and protection for our troops and for the innocent Iraqi's. Let's pray for confusion among the ranks of terrorists like happened so many times in scripture when God's people won in crazy ways where they started killing each other; where a wall would fall when the believers shouted and praised God at the top of their lungs. Let's shout unto God for victory! Our country is worth it. Our troops are worth it, and our God is definitely worth the glory of victory even in a war that some say "is lost." Let's show them who our God is and who really has the power... it is not them, it is us.

In The Trenches of Motherhood

Can I just say I love the blog "In the trenches of motherhood". You can link to her from my sight. This is a lady who I think has 6 kids, homeschools, and has a heart to share her struggles and things she has learned and is learning with other moms.

She is pretty, organized (or should I say obsessively organized), young, and really makes me look bad... but she is funny, and very real, doesn't have perfect kids, and I laugh usually because she is saying what I want to say.

I have copied a blog she wrote, because I couldn't figure out how to link it (go figure) :-) So read and enjoy.

Time for bed!Tuesday, November 7th, 2006
I frequently get emails asking me about bedtime and to share my routine. I have resisted mostly because it is chaotic and not very worthy of holding up as some sort of shining example of having it all together.

I am all about bedtime, as in the time my children go to bed, not the time they go to sleep. To me there is a difference. I can’t control their sleep habits, nor do I try. All my children, aside from the youngest two. have reading lights next to their beds. They are allowed to stay up and read quietly on in their beds, play with their Leapsters, or even play a quiet card game with their room mate. Quiet is the keyword for all of these activities.

If they are not quiet I will come upstairs and remind them, or yell at the ceiling downstairs.
As I tell my children, bedtime is not about them, it is about me. At night I need to be off duty and relax without having to attend to the needs of other people. End of the story. Whether or not they are tired doesn’t factor into the equation at all.

My 3 and almost 2 yr olds had been staying up pretty late, past the time that the others went to bed. But I took advantage of the time change to push both of their bedtimes back. My 3 yr old is now going to bed between 7:00 and 7:30, and she is falling asleep almost immediately. She used to spend the 7:00 hour completely would up, running around like lunatic and making her siblings who were trying to relax angry.

I have found that children, generally speaking, act wild and hyper when they are tired. It almost seems counter-intuitive, but sleep seems to beget sleep.

Bedtime is my least favorite time of the day. It is usually chaotic feeling. People are tired and cranky and I don’t have a much left in the way of patience. I really just want everyone to get with the program and shower, brush their teeth and put on their pajamas like they do EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. But yet, every night they act as if they have never brushed their teeth, showered, or worn pajamas. And inevitably I end up yelling at someone for something and then I feel bad, because who wants to end their day on a bad note?

Last night I tried to jot down everything as it happened so that I could “live” blog it. It is pretty much the same every night, just switch the kids and the scenarios around.

Isn't it nice to know you're not alone! (and I thought I was the only one who yelled at the ceiling)

A Recovering Newsaholic

I am amazed at this new life without satellite. With this horrible thing that has happened at Virginia Tech, if we had satellite I would have watched it 24/7; I am a recovering newsaholic. The amazing thing (thank goodness for computers) I was able to keep up with the news and still run my house, pray for what is going on in the world, focus on God through all of it, and not have my children know every detail about every killing and the killer himself.

When the Jon Benet Ramsey thing came back into the news this past December,and we were at the grocery store where they would see her on a magazine cover they would say, "Look mommy! It's Jon Benet Ramsey." That's when I knew we needed to get rid of satellite. I can only imagine what else has been impressed into their brain before and since then.

Guys Rules

If you want a good laugh, go to my hubby's blog and read his excerpt from his yesterday's post.

A Walk of Faith

The past few days and weeks have been amazing. It's so interesting how God prepares you for a new step or direction. My husband and I have been overwhelmed with God's love and peace. We have heard his voice encouraging us on. We have seen his hand slowly begin to open the door to something. We had been sensing something new was going to happen, but it never is usually what you think.

The past few days God has blessed my husband with so many people who are excited about what God has put on his heart in France and we have begun to prepare our belongings to leave. No we don't have any exact dates yet, but we know the time is soon. God has worked this way in my life so many times before, but this is an exciting step of faith for Ken. He has a number of conferences coming up that he is going to, with alot of likeminded people; Church planters who are radical about reaching the lost and who are willing to follow Christ into this crazy life no matter what the cost.

Most people who live this way have to prepare themselves to: lose friendships, be thought of as radical, go against the barage of traditional thinkers who criticize them, and for Satan to use these types of situations to try to destroy them.

I am so proud of my husband. He has been walking through the fire these past three years, and he has come out more refined and beautiful on the other side. He has entered dark times of discouragement, felt totally alone, has been tempted to quit, has had his character attacked by leaders he admired... but what Satan has meant for evil God is using for good. He has handled each and every situation Biblically and with much kindness and grace (much more so than I wanted to give in many situations), and God is blessing him for it.

And as with each time of testing, if one continues to seek God and handle each situation with the grace and dignity of Christ, and in obedience to His word, we get what some people call a "breakthrough;" meaning a breakthrough from the struggle and pain, through to where one finds victory and the next step in God's plan... and I believe we are there, and God is preparing our minds and our hearts, and we are preparing our external belongings, for God's next move in our lives.

"I thank you father that you love us. I thank you that you created us all with specific gifts, talents, and personalities to fulfill your work. I thank you that you believe in us when no one else does and that you call us to live a life of faith that brings glory to you. I thank you that you are our Friend, and our Shepherd, and that you have a life prepared for us more exciting and wonderful than we could ever think or imagine. I thank you that if we would walk in obedience and faith in every situaion, you will use us to reach the world... and I thank you that you have chosen Ken and I (two very imperfect humans who need alot of work) to reach the lost in Europe beginning in France. I pray that by your power we will continue to die to self and walk by faith, and that you would use us to bring millions to the saving knowledge of Christ."

"Do you have permission to talk to me?"

Wow! My husband rferred to this blog this morning and passed it on to me. It is from a marketer, Seth Godin, who really hits the nail on the head. We as the church do have to compete with the world, and if this is what they are learning, then lets listen and learn.


I got more mail about this story in the Washington Post than any other non-blog topic ever. I saw it when it first came out, but didn't blog it because I thought the lesson was pretty obvious to my readers. [World-class violinist plays for hours in a subway station, almost no one stops to listen]. The experiment just proved what we already know about context, permission and worldview. If your worldview is that music in the subway isn't worth your time, you're not going to notice when the music is better than usual (or when a famous violinist is playing). It doesn't match the story you tell yourself, so you ignore it. Without permission to get through to you, the marketer/violinist is invisible.
But why all the mail? (And the Post got plenty too). Answer: I think it's because people realized that if they had been there, they would have done the same thing. And it bothers us.

It bothers us that we're so overwhelmed by the din of our lives that we've created a worldview that requires us to ignore the outside world, most of the time, even when we suffer because of it. It made me feel a little smaller, knowing that something so beautiful was ignored because the marketers among us have created so much noise and so little trust.

I don't think the answer is to yell louder. Instead, I think we have an opportunity to create beauty and genius and insight and offer it in ways that train people to maybe, just maybe, loosen up those worldviews and begin the trust.


I think there are alot of churches in the U.S. that get it, and thousands of people enter their doors because they have used marketing to gain permission to share the gospel. Many of these are the curches so many criticize because they are big. You don't have to be big to reach the world, but if you keep on reaching and are teaching others to learn how to gain permission to share the gospel, then you will continue to grow in numbers in some way. I say that if you are not trying to be big(for the sake of winning as many to Christ as you can) then you care more about feeling comfortable in your church environment than you are about people destined for hell. So to those mega churches who are gaining permission, and those small ones who are doing everything to get the lost in their doors, (and wreaking havock at the gates of hell), I say, "You go guys!!"

Rabbit Ears - And I don't mean Easter Bunny

Well, we have officially entered the world of life without satellite or cable. This just started this past monday, so we'll see if this "news junkie" and "Law & Order groupie" (myself) will begin having withdrawals or not.

Actually when I was single (beginning college age), even up until I was 30, I did not have a T.V., and I had so much fun. I read books, wrote letters, visited people, took walks, talked to friends, played games, and had lots of time with God. It was great!

Well, we'll see how life with four kids and no Satellite is. Yes, we still have T.V., and I do catch the news whenever I can, but I am enjoying this so far. I'm getting alot done, going to bed earlier, spending more time with God, catching up with some old friends, getting motivated with homeschooling... and really overall enjoying life a little more so far.

Jesus has risen and so has my Faith

Today is Easter and I am more excited about life than I have ever been. Most people would think that something obviously great has happened in my life. Actually a few things that appear negative have happened.

If you have read my last two blogs you will have read about a baby who is still fighting to live, and I can honestly say, Baby Isaac has changed my life forever (Go to this blog to see an Awesome Mighty God). Things I have learned from his parents are grace and strength and faith in the midst of devestating odds. I have learned to go to scripture in all things and find out who God really is.

A small "situation" in mine and my husband's life, may turn into a much larger situation, and could change our life forever. In our human nature it could seem like a very negative thing, but amazingly we have both confidently thought, "what Satan means for evil, God will use for good"... and we are more excited than ever about where God is leading us.

I am being vague about this situation because it is not resolved yet, but the amazing thing is that in the past when things like this have happened before, I would be really hurt and anxious, and almost unable to continue my normal daily activities until it was resolved. During this situation with Baby Isaac, I have spent much time in prayer and fasting, up late at night in God's Word and waiting and yearning and singing praise songs to Him and about Him, really wanting to know who God is and to see the God of scripture, especially as Healer... and God has changed me. When this current situation arose, I knew I was changed, because the peace and joy I feel in the midst of this "situation" is unexplainable.

I have come to know who God is in a new way, and I know He is in control. I know He loves me and has a plan for me (and my husband). I know He has given us a dream and a vision and I know He will fulfill that dream He has given us if we continue to live in obedience and follow Him.

Thank you Father for letting me know you. I still want to know you more. I especially want to see you as Healer in Baby Isaac's life. I thank you that you are our Shepherd and we never have to worry about where we are going, because you are leading us, and You go before us to prepare the way.

Babyleino.blogspot.com - PICTURE!!

PICTURE of baby Issacc !!

Today has been an amazing and yet exhausting day. I have fasted and prayed and really feel like God is challenging me to really know him. To understand that untangible thing called "faith." What exactly is faith? Some think it's a name it and claim it sort of thing... and maybe it is to an extent.

I put Baby Isaac on the Brooklyn Tabernacle prayer list (along with many other prayer lists). I did this because Brooklyn Tabernacle choir has an amazing understanding of prayer and the church has weekly prayer meetings where thousands attend. They sent back a response that said they will pray for a prayer request for 30 days, and also some words of encouragement. They gave the verses:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he will hear us. And if we know that he hears us --whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said in a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about man. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, "Grant me justice against my advesary."
For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"
And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. And will God not bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:1-8)

So what do these things mean? I don't believe it means we always get what we want... but I do believe we as God's people, His representation of Christ on the earth, don't test God enough on his word, and his promises. I believe He wants us to know him in all aspects of his being: Healer, Provider, Comforter, Savior (He not only saves us from hell, He saves us from ourselves), Father, All-Powerful, All-knowing, Omnipresent, Friend, Companion through life, Defender, ...

I do believe that doctors, psychyatrists, jobs, etc. are needed, but we as Christians, I think, rely too much on the tangible things of this world and not enough on who God is.

In being part of this choir of prayers, I have come to know God more through this experience than any experience yet in my life. I believe God has responded to our persistent, continual, unending prayer. I believe Isaac would have died had we not joined together in a loud chorus to our compassionate Heavenly Father who understands the death of a son. I believe He wants to show himself as miraculous Healer in this situation, and I don't always believe that... but we must continue!! We must be like the persistent widow, and as we wait on him, we learn more about him. We sit in his presence and we dig into his word, and we spread the word because we know "the effective powerful prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

FAST AND PRAY for Baby Isaac

I just want anybody who has visited my blog or who is looking at this blog for the first time to check out babyleino.blogspot.com. This is a 5 week old baby who is clinging to life.

I have been involved in prayer meetings before, but never one like this. Because I am a stay at home mom, I refresh my blog about every 10 minutes when I walk by my computer to see if there is an update on baby Isaac, or to read another prayer or encouragement someone has posted. I truly feel like there is a wave of prayers and praise being ushered to the throne of God all day long and all night long. Baby Isaac has been put on prayer lists all over the world. This has been an amazing journey and it is not over yet.

Tomorrow is a day of fasting and prayer for baby Isaac. Let anyone you know join us for this amazing journey. God has taught me more about prayer in this past week than I learned my entire life of walking with the Lord.

Tonight also as I was reading the kids bedtime story, we read about Jarius the Synagogue ruler whose daughter was very sick and dying and he went to find Jesus. By the time he got home she was dead and Jesus healed her. After reading this story I was thinking of all the stories in the Bible about a sick or dying person and I realized there are no examples of a person sick or dying where someone sought Jesus out to heal them and he did not heal them... None!

So what does this tell me? Maybe this says that we have no idea what it is to call on God with believing prayer. We've all known someone who was on the brink of dying and we said we would pray for them. But how did we pray for them? Was it one sentence in the middle of dinner or bedtime prayer, or was it peristent continual prayer calling on everyone you know and finding they are actually joining you.

Well, this is what babyleino.blogspot.com has become. There are people who have never met Jordan and Patience who are fasting and praying and waking up in the middle of the night to pray (Me being one of them, except for that I know them). And I am not this crazy charismatic person who "names it and claims it," but I really believe God is going to heal baby Isaac. Maybe I am wrong in all my thinkings, but if we are to look to scripture to see who God is, that is what I see... just a thought.