Children are a gift from the Lord - Pray for Daniel and his family

Once again when you feel your circumstances are overwhelming, just get out into the blog world and find someone who is really struggling and pray for them. It will change you life.

Pray for this young boy Daniel tomorrow. He will be going in for brain surgery tomorrow at 7am. be sure to get a bunch of tissues if you visit his sight. :-)

"The King will reply... whatever you did for the least of these you did it unto me."

"...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." Matt. 17:20

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:15

We pray for you Daniel. May God bless your precious life. May He protect you and may every second of your surgery be miraculously perfect. Steady the doctors hands Father, and may they see You, Lord, in the operating room.

Confessions of a CF Husband

I love this blog post of "things he's thankful for" from a "CF Husband". It's amazing how our circumstances can change our thankfulness. Maybe those of us on the other side of the fence will think about this the next time we want to complain. :-) I know I do every day.

Just Say It!

I love this post I read by Seth Godin a marketing guru that many church planters follow. I hear so many people say, "I just can't think of what to say." Or I often find myself wanting to say something, but don't know how it will sound and can't figure out the right way to put into words, so I don't write it. I think I will try to take Seth's advice next time and see what happens.

Don't let the words get in the way. If you're writing online, forget everything you were tortured by in high school English class. You're not trying to win any awards or get an A. You're just trying to be real, to make a point, to write something worth reading.

So just say it.

"hero" - giving your life so that another may live

I really thought I knew what a hero was, but my definition has changed a little. If you enjoyed or have been following the Nathan and Tricia story, you'll love this story also about a mother who gave her life so that her unborn son would have the chance to live.

Rising Above Adversity

This is one of my favorite stories that Joyce Meyers tells. I actually read it today on a pastor's blog that I follow and was reminded of the great lesson we can learn from it.

There was a farmer’s donkey that fell into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and it just wasn’t worth the effort to retrieve the donkey. Since he had planned to fill in the well anyway, he decided to kill two birds with one stone. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him with his problem. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey cried horribly as each shovel of dirt fell on him. Then to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. The farmer looked down into the well to see what was going on. He was astonished to see that with every shovel of dirt that hit the donkey's back, he would shake it off and take a step up. The farmer returned to shoveling with a smile on his face. As he and his neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, the donkey continued his march upward. Pretty soon the well was filled enough that the donkey simply stepped over the edge and trotted off.

What do you do when adversity comes? When Satan wants to bury you under the weight of your circumstances? I know this sounds pretty simplistic, but the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers is a great practical book that taught me to overcome so many things that use to keep me in the pit. You can order it from her website or Amazon.

"This French Life" article on "Pray for France"

This French Life, a blog I follow, had a great article yesterday about France. They specifically interviewed a guy with the organization "Pray for France", an organization we have joined in praying for France with a specific prayer guide for the past 4 years. It's a very interesting article and confirms so much of what Ken & I have been saying over the past 4 years. If you have time read the whole thing. It gives a great description of the young people and how open they are to spiritual things.

Please pray for Noah

For those who might be interested there is another little boy, Noah, who has lived his whole 2 years of life with medical complications, and is now on the balance between life and death. I have been following their blog for the past few months, and a lot has happened in just the past week and most recently he has had great complications these last few days. Doctors are desperate to understand what is going on with this little boy. He is conscious and throwing up continually with tubes everywhere. He is so weak, and does not complain any more about anything that doctors or nurses have to do to him. His picture is so sweet and his parents hearts are breaking (even though they do know the one who gives life and is resting and has rested in His comfort often over the past few years). Please pray for this little boy and his family.

Be thankful, be content, be humble, and believe the impossible

God has been filling my mind and my life with so much right now, every day I want to sit down and share, but I don't even know where to start.

I have been listening to Joyce Meyers daily broadcast on my computer every day the past few weeks, and it is so awesome. That, combined with what our pastor has been speaking about, and with what God is doing in our circumstances has just been amazing. But since I don't have time to type a sermon tonight, and I will share later about everything that is happening with our circumstances... I'll just start with what God spoke to me tonight.

"Are you a complainer? Be thankful on purpose." I am actually not a complainer by nature, but God has taught me so much in the past 3 years about being thankful in all things... and that means all things... piles of laundry, whining kids, little money, not sure what the future was...

"Be content where you are at, but don't be satisfied." It's so interesting that 3 years ago when we had more money, thought we knew where we were headed, life seemed to be less crazy, I was not content and my heart longed to be somewhere else. Now God has brought me to a place where so many things "appear" to have fallen apart, we have even less money, the future looks really hazy, I am more at peace than I have ever been in my life. If nothing ever changed I would be totally satisfied. I love my husband more today than I ever have. I love taking care of my 4 kids and all the stress that comes with it, and no matter what my future holds I know it is going to be great because God is in control of it.

"Do you really want everything God has for you, or are you settling for something less? Are you living obedient to scripture in everything, have big dreams and goals, and stepping out in faith towards those dreams and goals." I have grown so much in learning how to live obedient to scripture, and it has and is changing my life. I have always had big dreams and goals and strove with everything within me towards those dreams, but I am now content to sit quietly and listen to what goals and dreams God has for me even if it is just raising children that will change the world.

Having big dreams gives you something to live for; something that gets you out of bed every day; something that keeps you going in the tough times. What are your dreams?

Even though Abraham knew God had made a promise with him for something great, God spoke this (Gen. 13:14) to Abraham right after Abraham had humbled himself and kept peace within his family with his nephew Lot, and allowed Lot to choose the lush and beautiful half of the valley where they were living, and Abraham took the dry and barren part.

Gen. 13:14
"Lift up your eyes from where you are ... all the land that you see I will give to you and your decendants forever." He (Abraham) was humble and he cared more about relationships than with lording it over Lot that he (Abraham) was God's man. Wow, I want that humility so that God can use me for the greatest purpose that He thought of when He created me. Did you know God had a great reason for you to be who you are and was thinking about that when he created you? I just thought about that when I was writing this paragraph. Wow, that really blows me away when I think about it.

Organ donation saves more than just one life...

Praise the Lord Tricia is awake and everything is stable. She is very weak, but was able to watch a video of Gwyneth this morning. Wow, God is so amazing. Go to their blog to read and see more.

This video is actually something I think everyone needs to watch and spread the news. Organ donation seems to practical, but when seen like this, we should realize it is the ability to literally give life to another person. It gives a little girl a mother; a mother and father a child; it gives life to a sister, or a best friend... and it gives someone else more years to live life and maybe change the world. If you have never made a decision, please watch this and make one today.

Little Madeline went to be with Jesus

This morning at 10:15 am little 3 year old Madeline Lester went to be with the Lord. You can read about it on her blog. Please pray for this family. They have two other children to care for and I know are in shock right now.

Madeline Willoughby Lester - Please pray

Please pray for little 3 year old Madeline Lester today. She is so sick. She is either at the end, or at the beginning of a miracle. (Of course we know the "end" is complete healing in heaven, but it's the end of her parents possibly having her on earth) They have posted some pictures today of her and her beautiful mother, and also of what she is going through right now. Pray for her and her parents and family as they walk through this excruciating waiting time. Many of us walked that road with the Leino's. Please join me in walking this road with this family.

What kind of faith do you have?

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9 English Standard Version)

This is a short version from a pastor's blog I follow and where God has been working in me for a while... and I can truly say I am on my way back to #3 on this list, not because I have arrived or am more spiritual than anyone else... but only because I have refused to (as Joyce Meyers says) "go around that mountain one more time." I love it when she says God doesn't let you fail tests, he just lets you keep taking them until you pass. So... what kind of faith do you have?

Difficult experiences test us. They test our endurance, our resourcefulness and even our faith.

Consider for a moment what might be discovered about the condition of our faith life:

(1) Do you have “fair weather faith?”

This kind of faith operates fine as long as things are going well. Some people approach religion like a business deal. It’s like they enter into a contract with God and as long as He keeps up His end of deal–blessing, peace, joy etc., they will keep up their part of the deal–worship, service, offerings etc.


(2) Do you have “foul weather faith?”

Their motto is: “When my life is in a mess, I’ll call upon the Lord!” They only call upon the Lord when they’re afraid, and once things settle down they forget about Him. They think the Lord is for emergency use only.

(3) Or do you have “all weather faith.”

A person who possesses an all-weather faith says, “Whatever happens, I will trust the Lord.” All weather faith says, “Come rain or shine, hell or high water, pain or pleasure, good or bad, I’m going to praise the name of the Lord.”

That’s the kind of faith Job had. In Job 1:21 we read what Job said after he learned of the death of his children. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Later in the book, when he was suffering physically and being scorned by his friends he said this about the Lord, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15)

What kind of faith do you have?

madelinelester.com

I never intended for my blog to be a place to give medical prayer requests, but for many of you who follow it and have a passion for prayer and for people who are suffering, check out madelinelester.com

She is a 3 yr. old who was born with the same condition that Baby Isaac had (HLHS). The past many months have been plagued with many issues, and she coded last night. As of right now she is still hanging on, but is will only be a miracle if she lives. She was on a heart transplant list which she is now off of because she has some sort of infection they can't figure out what it is or treat it. Please pray for this family and this little girl. She is the same age as my little girl... I can't imagine...

What do you think of when you hear the name Nobel?

I read this a few days ago on a devotional blog. It really spoke to me, especially in the light of Tricia, a 23 year old new mom who both her and her 1.6 lb daughter (born at 24 weeks) are hanging on to life tonight just 45 minutes down the road. Her and her husband are amazing people and now have touched the lives of thousands around the world with their story. What will your story be?

One morning as Alfred Nobel was reading the newspaper, he was shocked to find his name listed in the obituary column. It was a mistake, but nonetheless, there it was. He was stunned to see that he was primarily remembered as the man who invented dynamite. At that time in history, dynamite was used in great effect for warfare. It distressed Nobel to think that all he would be known for was inventing dynamite, something that was used to take the lives of others. As a result of reading this mistaken obituary, Nobel decided to change the course of his life. He committed himself to world peace and established what we know today as the Nobel Peace Prize. When the name Alfred Nobel is mentioned today, dynamite is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. Rather, we think of the prize that bears his name. It's all because Alfred Nobel decided to change the course his life was taking.

Another man, living centuries earlier, also changed the negative course his life was on. His name was Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus. Known as a relentless persecutor of the early church, he was determined to stop the spread of Christianity. But after a dramatic conversion on the Damascus Road, Paul devoted the rest of his life to preaching the gospel and building the church. Today we remember him as a missionary, church planter, and author of 13 New Testament epistles.

If you were to read your own obituary today, what do you think people would remember you for? It isn't too late to change your direction.

1 Miracle Down Many To Go

Today was an exciting yet very stressful day for Tricia, Nate, and family. Tricia went in to get her tracheotomy this morning and everything went great, but soon after it was done, they took her in for an immediate C-section. Both her husband and her father-in-law are posting updates as things happen. On one of their posts they say that the chance of Tricia surviving is still "iffy"

Go to Nate's blog (her husband) or Catchin Some Waves blog (her father-in-law) to read more or get continual updates.

What and amazing love...

I haven't had time to post much, but I want to send out a short update. Please continue to pray for Tricia and her family as time I'm sure is moving so slow through this ordeal. The doctors have a target date of January 18 which will be 26 weeks for the baby which would give her a much higher rate of survival. Tricia is hanging in there but her heart rate was high tonight. Please pray for this family (Husband Nate, parents, extended family, and friends). This must be excruciating to watch her go through this... but what a perfect example of what God went through when he sat and watched his Son (Jesus) be tortured and beaten and hung on a cross all by choice so that we could live. How God must have wanted to end it, but didn't...

All Tricia & Nate had to do was to say, "Let's end this pregnancy," and she would be at home right now enjoying life and waiting for her double lung transplant. Now Nate and Family are watching her fall further and further into medical trouble for the life of a child they have yet to see face to face... but we know how the story ends in the Bible. So maybe just maybe God will choose to give Tricia back a new life after she has sacrificed so much for this child.

Thank you Father for loving us more than we will ever comprehend this side of heaven.

Confessions of a CF Husband

I want to ask all of you to visit this blog and pray for this young husband and wife and unborn baby. Trisha and Nathan are young and expecting their first child, but unlike most of us they knew when they got pregnant that it could cost Trisha her life. She has cystic fibrosis (CF), which is a genetic disorder that particularly affects the lungs and digestive system. It is a life-threatening disorder that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies, people who have it are more vulnerable to repeated lung infections. Respiratory failure is the most dangerous consequence of cystic fibrosis. Also, the secretions block pancreatic enzymes that help digest fats and proteins, and they prevent your body from absorbing key vitamins.

Trisha was waiting for a double lung transplant when she got pregnant.

Trisha is about 23 weeks along, and is not doing well. The baby is nearing a stage where she could possibly live outside the womb, but every day the baby is inside of Trish at this point is life-threatening to her. You can read all about it at her hubands blog, and pray for this family.