Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Happy Birthday Katie-bug!

Today Katie is celebrating her first birthday in Heaven with Jesus and her sister Lily. How wonderful it must be to have Jesus sing Happy Birthday to you! We miss our girls and wish they were celebrating here with us, but know that they could not be in a happier or more wonderful place this special day.

Until we meet our little ones again someday in Heaven we are resting in the promises of God's word. Below are some special verses for those of us who celebrate heavenly birthdays instead of earthly ones. We are praying that if God chooses to allow us to get pregnant again, that it is with a healthy, whole, and living child. We know that if God wants us to be parents of living children, that He will find a way. What a wonderful day it will be someday when our children are begging us to buy a bigger house because there is no more room!

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord." Psalm113:9


"And Sarah said, 'God hath made me laugh, so that all who hear with laugh with me. And she said, 'Who would have said unto Abraham that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have born him a son in his old age." Genesis 21:6-7


"Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full lifespan." Exodus 23:25-26


"If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land - your grain, new wine and olive oil - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young." Deuteronomy 7:12-14


"May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalms 115:14-15


"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord." Psalms 128:1-4



"Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away. The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing, 'This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.’" Isaiah 49:19-20



"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:18-25
     


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Poem - Author Unknown


The following is a poem shared with me by the aunt of a little girl named Adrianne, who is with Katie in Heaven:


God saw you getting tired,
The cure was not to be
He wrapped you in His loving Arms,
And whispered "Come to Me"
You suffered much in silence,
Your spirit did not bend
You faced your pain with courage,
Until the very end
You tried so hard to stay with us
Your fight was not in vain
God took you to His loving Home
And freed you from your pain
A golden heart stopped beating,
Two working hands at rest
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
HE ONLY TAKES THE BEST

Author Unknown

Monday, July 9, 2012

Life's Just Not Fair

Life's Just Not Fair

A Poem for Katie

A child born sick, a heart not whole...
How can she last? Not one soul knows.
And all the world cries out in vain,
Life's just not fair, it's not the same.

This little girl was whisked away...
To prep her for her surgery day.
A mother left with empty arms...
Life's just not fair, spare this one harm.

God gives and then He takes away,
And all thats left for us to say...
Is blessed be His holy name.
Yes, blessed be His holy name.

Mother's milk she cannot have.
Infection reigns, the outlook's bad.
What did this little baby do?
Life's just not fair, in this thing too.

"Come right back, it won't take long."
But when we returned, she was gone.
Doctors said, "Sorry we tried."
Life's just not fair, and then we cried.

God gives and then He takes away,
And all thats left for us to say...
Is blessed be His holy name.
Yes, blessed be His holy name.

This mother's arms lie empty still,
No baby's cries her ears to fill.
And all the world can feel her pain.
Life's just not fair, no use to feign.

In every person's heart we wonder...
What deed was done, what thought we pondered,
To deserve these trials and storms.
Life's just not fair, then one thought forms.

God gives and then He takes away,
And all thats left for us to say...
Is blessed be His holy name.
Yes, blessed be His holy name.

That baby's smile, those big blue eyes,
Her homecoming before she died,
What did we do to be so blessed?
Life's just not fair, God gives His best.

My life, my family, my home,
I did not earn them, yet they have come.
What mercy our God surely has
Life's just not fair, and I am glad

God gives and then He takes away
And all thats left for us to say
Is blessed be His holy name.
Yes, blessed be His holy name.

When Jesus died upon that cross
He did so because I was lost.
Unending blessings He has given
Life's just not fair, because He's risen

For if it were, then I would pay
For every deed and sinful way.
Yet sacrifice our God did make
Life's just not fair, so let's give thanks.

God gives, but sin He takes away
And all thats left for us to say
Is blessed be His holy name.
Oh, blessed be His holy name.


This is a poem I wrote a few weeks ago because I had been thinking of how often we say to ourselves, to each other, and to children just learning the disappointments and responsibilities of life that, "Life just isn't fair." This is what we use to explain away all of the bad things in life that happen to us without really stopping to think about what we as human beings deserve. The bible says in Romans 6:23 that, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." The wages of sin - what we deserve in payment for our sin - is death.

Now stop there. I am not saying that the death of loved ones is what we deserve for breaking God's rules. Rather, it is our own death, a spiritual death and an eternal death. Katie's heart was not a punishment. Her death was not a punishment. John 9:1-3 says, "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.'" That is utterly amazing to me, that God can use a birth defect to demonstrate His power and glory and to touch the lives of others for the better. This can be applied to just about anything. What's the worst thing that has happened to you lately? It could be any number of things, from the annoying to the devastating. Try filling in the blank - "_____________ happened so that the works of God might be displayed in me."

Wow, saying it aloud makes it sound like a responsibility, and it is. This really hits home for me, which is one reason I have taken awhile to post about it. I complain, I get frustrated, I probably react in the wrong way to a lot of things. When I stop and fill in the blank and say to myself, "This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in me," it becomes a responsibility and... a blessing. God did (blank) so that He could show me and others how wonderful, and powerful, and merciful, and glorious He is. Thank God that instead of giving me what I deserve, He gave up His Son to gift me with eternal life. Thank God I know that my child is in Heaven and that I will see her again. Thank God life isn't fair!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Prayer Request


A little over a month ago, shortly after we were able to bring Katie home, I received an email from a couple who are expecting a little girl who has been diagnosed in utero with chylothorax. This is slightly different than Katie's chylothorax, because it is congenital and due to a lymphatic disorder, instead of post-operative (caused by damage done during surgery). The consequences are still very severe. I am not sure of all of the details regarding her lymphatic disorder, but I do know from Katie's experience with chylothorax that it will be very difficult to get this little girl the proper nutrition she needs in order to thrive because of her inability to process the types of fats that are present in breast milk and most formulas. I do know that this family is working very hard and researching using skimmed breast milk to help their baby get every benefit possible. For some reason, this family has really been on my mind this week. I keep thinking about their little girl and I feel led to ask you guys to help me pray for her. There are some very specific health issues that will arise due to her condition. One of them is getting her the proper nutrients, as mentioned previously. Another is that she will be very prone to developing pleural effusions (fluid) around her lungs that will need to be drained. The chylothorax can heal, as long as they are able to control her diet enough so that her body will stop producing this fluid long enough. She may be in the hospital a long time. In addition to praying for this little one's health, I also ask you to pray for strength for these parents. There is no way... no way to describe what it is like to have a baby with such severe health problems. It is not possible. Noone who has not been through it is capable of understanding. Even among parents who have been through this type of experience, each family's experience is completely unique. Even with the same diagnosis, one baby might overcome with flying colors, while another baby struggles. It is a walk that no other parent on earth can understand, it is unique and individual and there is only One who is capable of walking that path along with you. Please pray that God's presence in this family's life is just so strong.