In the Name of Love

Direct your children onto the right path,and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 NLT.

She placed her hand on the small of my back and leaned her head against my side.

“Mommy,” she said softly, “Does that little baby with the sick heart live in Heaven now?”

When I explained that he was alive on earth but still very ill, she asked if we could pray for him. Before we prayed for Stellan, I suggested that we also pray for Miss Brenda's son, Ryan.

I wrestle with how detailed I should be when answering her many questions about the gritty experiences that accompany life. I want her to stay innocent and not lift burdens heavy enough to strain her young emotions that she just now is beginning to understand. At the same time, I know the importance of teaching her to place those heaved burdens at the feet of Jesus.

And that's what we did. We held hands and we prayed for two people whom we've never met. In a squeaky, yet reverent tone she asked Jesus to “make Baby Stellan and Big Boy Ryan healthy and strong.”

And then we prayed for those we have met and for our dog and her goldfish to remain healthy---because she's five. Because it is never too early to learn that God cares about our every need and concern. Because I want her to feel safe in the truth that all burdens means every last one of them. I am not so good at remembering this, so I want her to have a head start.

After praying, the heavy look in her eyes confused me and I asked her if something was still bothering her.

“No, I'm fine,” she said. “I'm just wondering how we can show love to the sick little baby and the other guy.”

I stifled a giggle. She's almost my carbon copy, but she inherited her ability to quickly forget names from her daddy. Before I could make a suggestion, probably because her last comment amused me, she exclaimed, “I know! We can show them love with a craft. Everyone loves crafts.”

So we crafted...in the name of love.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8 NIV

Stellan Style - Not Me Monday

Emily, whom I have never met but would have no qualms nominating for "Sweetest Person of the Year" (if there was such a thing), is hosting a special edition of MckMama's Monday meme, "Not Me!" Monday. What makes this edition so special is that it is to be done "Stellan Style." No, I do not mean with gurgles, goos, and gahs. You are to list all the things you did last week that relate to Stellan...and in NMM fashion, write them as if you didn't do them.


I am not a regular participant of NMM, but for Stellan, I couldn't refuse. There is so much I wish I could do for this precious family, but in reality, cannot. Knowing that having many people participate in this meme could bring some joy to MckMama's aching heart makes me feel as though I am helping in some small way.


So, who did the things below? Not Me!

• I *did not* use four tissues to wipe my eyes and nose while reading about Stellan's heart being in a dangerous SVT state. No, not me.
  

• I *did not* slam my hand down on my desk and silently cry out, "Why can't babies be off limits? No, not me.
  

• After the hand slamming that I *did not* do, *I did not* go back to MckMama's blog and read this post that left me feeling convicted. No, not me.
  

• I *did not* burst into tears after reading the above-referenced post and ask God to forgive my angry tirade. No, not me.
  

• I *did not* snip at my five-year-old daughter for interupting me while I was trying to send out prayer requests about Stellan, and then immediately realize the irony and grab her, hold her tight, and tell her how much I loved and adored her. No, not me.
  

• I *did not* spend 95 % of my self alloted social networking time (1 hour a day until April 11)checking twitter, facebook, and blogs to get reports about Stellan. No, not me.
  

• I *did not* rack my brain to try to come up with an orignal idea to write Stellan's name for the gallery and come up dry. No, not me.
  

And finally...

• My 5-year-old daughter, Pumpkindoodle, and I *did not* get on our knees together each day, clutch hands, and ask Jesus to heal the "sweet, sweet baby boy with a sick heart." No, not me.

Smile. Sigh. Oh. Yes. I. Did.

Giver of Life; Sustainer of Hope

The average adult-sized female heart weighs between eight and ten ounces. Today, my heart feels as though it is massed at eight to ten pounds. It is heavy. It hurts...it aches.

But not for me. I just took my healthy and vibrant five-year-old daughter to preschool and spent time tickling and chasing my son, who will soon be two.

Today, my heart...my thoughts...my prayers...are with some parents who are experiencing a pain that I cannot fathom. Today, I am praying for some very sick little children.

Today, I am praying Noah.
Noah is the 3 year-old (I know, he does look like a five-year-old...he weighed nearly 11 pounds a birth) son of my friend Jeni, and he has been recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Stage II type A). Noah has had his first round of Chemo this week, and the little man has been experiencing some heavy-duty side-effects. Please read his story here. Additionally, Jeni's family is sill grieving the loss of her infant daughter Hazel, who died within the womb last year. Again...this is pain that I cannot imagine.

Today, I am praying for Peter.Peter is only two months old. He is the nephew of my friend, Dawn. At birth, he was diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect in his heart and an unconnected pulmonary artery. On Tuesday, Peter underwent surgery to correct these life-threatening problems and so far, he has not been responding well to the procedures. At this point, the doctors are not sure that he will survive. For updates on Peter, please click here.

Today, I am praying for Jonathan.


Baby Jonathan was born just two weeks ago on February 16th, and today is undergoing his second surgery. I do not know this little baby or anyone in his family, but I received a prayer request via twitter this morning. After visitng his parent's blog and reading his story, I felt compelled to share it with all of you today. To read more about sweet Jonathan, please click here.

I have so few words, but like the parents of each of the precious children pictured above, I have hope while living in this heartache laden world of ours. This hope exists not because of the wonders of modern technology, nor because of the advances made in medical science. I breathe in hope because amidst the bad, God is good. And His goodness is constant.

Today, will you please join me in praying to the giver of life and sustainer of hope? Will you please pray for these sweet children, their hurting parents, and for others? And during your time of prayer and pleading...will you please remember to praise Him and thank Him...for His goodness and for the truth that even when it makes no sense to us, He does know how to make it all beautiful.

Romans 8:27-29 (New Living Translation)

²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers^a]">[a] in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together^b]">[b] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

To read other prayer requests or to list one of your own, please visit Carolina Mama.

A Turn for the Worse

Dear Friends,

Peter, the sweet infant who underwent hear surgery yesterday, has developed very serious complications. Your prayers would be much appreciated. If possible, please click here to visit his Caring Bridge Web page and write an encouraging note for his parents. I will also forward any comments I receive along to them.




The message below is the latest update from Peter's site.

"Please pray for Peter. He had serious complications from surgery about 2:30 last night and is now on the lung/heart machine. His heart stopped working and the medical team had to perform CPR on him, but could not get his heart to start on its own. The doctor thinks his left lung may be reacting to never having had to work before and his body needs time to adjust over the next several days. He did not give us any guarantees that Peter will come out of this. He may, he may with brain damage, or he may not. All are equal possibilities at this point.

Please keep up the prayers that God's perfect will should be accomplished at this time."Peter with his mother, Kelli

Praying for Peter

Please join me in praying for this sweet little infant boy named Peter. He is the nephew of my friend, Dawn, and will be undergoing major surgery today. There is a button on my side bar that connects directly to his Caring Bridge site. Please e-mail me if you would like to put that button on your blog.

My Prayer for Our Nation and President Obama

Dear Heavenly Father:

You are beyond amazing. I thank you for making my life a part of your marvelous creation. I thank you for blessing humankind with the richness of diversity. You are not a stale God. That truth is exhibited throughout the earth...through the millions of different living species, thousands of different languages spoken, and innumerable variations of physical and psychological characteristics among human beings. Without this diversity Father, this bluish rock I live on would be dull...not just in appearance, but in thoughts and actions. And while the assortment of opinions and ideas in this world often bring challenge and conflict, they also ignite passion for truth.

Lord, right now I pray for the men, women, and children of America. I pray for a revival of love based on your truth...the only TRUTH. I pray that our hope as a nation will be placed not in a person, or a cause, or an idea...but in Christ alone.

I lift up our new president, Barrack Obama. I heard him profess you as Lord and savior of his life. I pray then Lord that he will allow your Holy Spirit to guide him as he leads this troubled nation. I pray that he will seek your counsel above the advice of men. I pray that pride and the harsh realities will not harden his heart...that instead, the trying times and great responsibilities that he holds will bring him to the foot of your throne daily. And father, I ask that you will burden his heart with a desire to protect life at all stages and that his definition of “the least of these” will include the unborn.

Father, I ask for you to place a hedge of protection over President Obama and his precious family. May his wife, seek you first as she attends to her duties as First lady and as a mother of two sweet little girls. And I pray that these little girls will one day, if they don't already, love you with all of their hearts.

And lastly Lord, I pray for the healing of my country...that the ugliness of hatred, prejudice, greed, anger, fear, and dishonesty will be irradiated. Such is not possible without you, so I ask for you to place in your followers the desire love and serve with boldness. I pray for believers in Christ to unite in your name. Christians are not exempt from sin...but we know the joy that comes from being forgiven of our atrocities. I pray that you will help us all to remember that...and to live it and share it as truth so that your name will be glorified in this nation and throughout the world.

I lift this prayer in the name of my precious and holy savior, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. (1 Timothy 2:2)

To read what others are posting about the inauguration, please visit 5 Minutes For Mom.

Click here to read Max Lucado's letter about his prayer project "Pray for President-Elect Obama."