4D -harder to see

This is Eden's profile. Her hands are folded together in front of her nose and mouth like she is praying! :)

Eden at 23 1/2 weeks!

Here is a new profile picture of sweet Eden! She weighed 1lb 5oz today!

Eden Kicking Mom

Her little feet are growing! :)

Eden Beth at 20 weeks and 4 days!

She was not moving all over the place today, but Dr. Cawley said everything looked really good !!! Praise The Lord!

Snow Dogs

I was so afraid I would not get to see snow this year, but the Lord was gracious! It has been a beautiful day of snow! God always has a funny way of challenging our selfish nature that so often presents itself! Due to the treacherous Graham roads I felt that I should not stay in town any longer and decided to drive home before my lunch appointment to stay safe (I am not sure they have scrapers in Graham). The main road was not terrible, but the 8 mile road to our house was pretty dangerous. I went very very slow. Just as I was feeling confident I would make the last 1/2 mile safely my phone rang, it was my husband. He wanted to know how close to home I was (I thought he was being sweet and calling to check on me). He then proceeded to tell me someone from my Dr. office called and had a patient who was in desperate need of someone to come and talk with her. The nurse said that she felt it would be nice if someone from church would come. Garrett is telling me this with high hopes that my "heart of gold" would just turn my car right around and go meet with this lady. I have to say that wasn't exactly how it went. Everything in me wanted to get home, eat, and watch the snow from my windows, but that small voice directed me otherwise. I tried to tell Garrett how terrible the roads were, so he would direct me home and that be that, but he just kept listening to all my excuses. Finally he said, I think you should go, which was in sync with the small voice (I am so thankful for a husband who leads well). As I complained unnder my breath, I turned my car around and the roads were worse than before. I prayed for safety and the right heart as I went to meet with this lady who truly did need to talk with someone. Thankfully, God can work within 8 miles. I am also thankful He continues to take me out of my comfort zone and place me in places I would rather not be. More than that, I am thankful that the safety and comfortable state of Jesus didn't hinder His mission while on this earth! The lady left with a little more hope than she had when she came in, and a smile knowing God had taken my selfish heart and transformed it because He cared about her and her broken heart. I pray my ears always hear His voice even if it means dying to my desires. Such is the blessed life He offers - far better than we could come up with!

13 1/2 week old Baby Kell Photo!

This picture was taken last Wed.. This Friday will be 15 weeks. The Lord continues to amaze us with the growth of this little one He is knitting together! We feel honored that the Lord would allow us to be a part of this precious one's life! We will find out in about 3 weeks what the sex is, if the baby isn't shy!

Soul Surgery - Under the Blade of Grace

Over the past few months God has taken me through some very trying, yet transforming circumstances. The details are unimportant for the sake of this posting, but the harvest I am beginning to see is something to share. Being a man after God’s own heart is a tremendously rewarding, yet immensely painful pursuit. In order to love God as He is worthy and pursue Him as He calls us to, we must learn to die to everything else. We must give up our attempts to control life and manipulate circumstances for our advancement and preservation. We must reject the calls of our flesh to be satisfied with the temporal delights of idols that promise much but provide only disappointment. We must not seek to follow our own agendas and passions, but allow our hearts to be reformed by the grace of Jesus and seek what pleases Him.

The most difficult part of becoming a person after God’s own heart is allowing Him to do the soul surgery necessary to remove the deep roots sin has burrowed in us. These roots run much deeper than we imagine. Often times we think we have “gotten past” a particular struggle only to find out that sin was only playing dead until the another opportune time. God desires us to draw near to Him in complete surrender and face the grace-laced blade head on. This surgery is one which begins at the new birth and continues until we see the Great Surgeon of our souls face to face. It is a life-long procedure, but one that I am beginning to truly take delight in.

I think it is necessary to at this point to clarify what I mean by taking delight in the process of soul surgery. I am not masochistic and enjoy going through painful things. None of us enjoy that. What I mean is that rather than focusing on enjoying the process, I have learned to focus on the joy God gives in the midst of it. Joy is a divine perspective of freedom based on the reality that though I face trying circumstances, God holds those circumstances in his sovereign, grace filled hands. I can have joy in the midst of the refining because I know there is a God who works all things together for His glory and our good (Rom. 8:28).

Over the past few months I have been studying the life of David. This has been fitting for me because many of the circumstances he faced, I see mirrored in my own life. Watching David has challenged me on many levels, but most of all, in what it means to truly trust God. David never attempted to take the wheel from God (he would have wept if someone put the bumper-sticker “God is my co-pilot” on his chariot). He knew that God was always in control and that his responsibility was to trust Him on the journey. David never tried to control circumstances, rather he entrusted them to His God. He waited for God’s timing after he was anointed King to assume the throne. He did not rebel against the evil, fear-driven leader God had placed over him because he knew God had put him there. “I will not lift my hand against God’s anointed.” How often we neglect to follow David’s example when God places tough things in our path. It is easy to try to fight back and take control rather than allow the challenge to do what God intended – make us trust Him. David did this when he had a bad king over him and when his own son rebelled under him. Rather than fight Absalom when he had declared himself as king, he left the city and allowed God to be God. If it was time for him to no longer be king, he would submit to God’s decree.

If you haven’t read the account of David recently, you ought to take the time (1 Samuel 8 – 2 Samuel 24). Watch particularly the way he trusted God. He allowed God to control life rather than trying to take it into his own hands. He submitted to God’s surgery and his example lives on for us today. Also pick up the book A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. It is a very easy read that gives a drama-like presentation of David’s dealings with Saul and Absalom. It is powerful.
In a year when God has broken my will, my heart, and my body, I could not be more thankful because I know all the work He is doing in my heart will bring Him much glory. He has renewed my love for Him, deepened my love for my wife, and shown me how much more important it is for me to be a faithful Christian than a famous pastor (not that I am or would ever be). I pray something in these paragraphs challenges you to seek Him more and rest joyfully under His blade of grace.

In His Grace,
Garrett