News of the Day

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog and here's why: on October 15th I happily trotted off to my doctor's appointment looking forward to seeing another cute ultrasound of the boys...unfortunately I also managed to land myself on bedrest. I've been dutiful in my task of staying off my feet the last week and a half only to have landed now in the hospital with frequent contractions and a shrinking cervix.

Needless to say, this has been a very frightening time and a true test of our faith. We have to keep reminding ourselves of the promises and prophesies from God surrounding the little lives growing inside of me. For those of you who don't know the story, I'll recount it now as I remind myself to continue to bolster my belief that God has a plan for these little boys' lives and it is to prosper them and not to harm them. Here goes:

A little over two years ago, we tragically lost a very dear member of our family to cancer, my uncle Darrell, my mother's twin brother. I, along with the Waldron family, was devastated. I couldn't understand how God could allow this to happen to him. I had prayed so hard for a miracle only to find that God's plan was different than mine. I struggled, and still do, to find a way to accept this and reconcile this tremendous loss for our family with the loving God that I know. One day, about a year later, we had a pastor from Japan visit our church. Jun Takamoto is a strong believer in spiritual warfare and came to our church to share with us. One thing he said stuck in my mind. He said that as Christians, when Satan steals something from us we have the right to demand back double repayment for what was stolen. The only thought in my mind was Uncle Darrell. His life was stolen and I was bitter. So I decided to pray. I asked God to redeem back double the precious life that had been snatched away from our family. It occurred to me at the time that perhaps the double repayment would come in the form of twins in our family again. But I tucked that thought away, not wishing to get my hopes up.

Flash forward another year. Jeff and I had been trying for 8 months to get pregnant with no success. We had just begun fertility testing to see if we could come up with a reason that might be standing in the way. One morning, Jeff goes to breakfast with a friend from church, Dexter Nocon. Dexter reveals to Jeff that he has heard a word from God that Jeff and I are going to have a son and we are going to name him...well I won't reveal that just yet. Anyway, about a week later we learn we are pregnant, with no medical intervention, only testing. We do our best to keep the news to ourselves and a few close family members until after the first trimester has passed but soon realize this will be hard to do as I am starting to develop a belly really early. At 8 1/2 weeks we learn we are having twins. At 10 weeks we inform the family. Early on I have a sneaking suspicion that they are two boys...it would only be fitting. Sure enough it is confirmed at 16 weeks that we do in fact have two boys. But here's the thing...it would be so easy to explain away twins...they run in our family, afterall. My mom and Darrell were twins. Why wouldn't someone else have twins. However, the doctors say ours are identical...twins by a completely different process, not handed down genetically through the family. This is a God thing.

So there you have it, God answers prayer in big ways. He's done it before and he'll do it again. He created these little lives inside of me and He has a perfect plan for their lives as Uncle Darrell's favorite verse states:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

I claim that now for these little boys...our precious little miracles from God!