A Prayer Shower and Being Brave

When we first learned that Lindsey and Kevin's baby Dasah, had a condition similar to Sophie's,
we were all stunned of course. That was in May. And Dasah is due mid November. It has been a different journey.  We continue in the celebration mode for our Dasah, but in new ways.  One of the things Lindsey mentioned she would love to have happen early in her pregnancy, was a Prayer Shower. I tucked that idea away, and thought about it quite often. I wasn't sure what that looked like, but I knew that I had to have one for Lindsey, Kevin and Dasah. Now, you have probably already seen Facebook posts, and Lindsey's blog www.vaporandmist.wordpress.com  that show pictures of the Prayer Shower.  So the purpose of this blog post is to give anyone searching the "blogosphere" like I did,  for "prayer shower, " some ideas!

What is a Prayer Shower?  A prayer shower is a time to honor someone by coming along side as they journey through any chapter of their life, that needs prayer.  The theme of our prayer shower was, "His Banner over Lindsey, Dasah and Kevin is Love."  This is a Scripture passage taken from Song of Solomon 2:4.  So the invitations included a pennant banner piece that guests could write a Scripture passage, a prayer, or a thought for Lindsey and Kevin and Dasah, and bring to the shower, or send back if they couldn't come.  The pennants were then hung to create the "banner of love."  We had a cute plate with the words "Pin Your Prayers" written on it, and a bowl of little clothes pins to hang the pennants as friends arrived. 

The invitation with a pennant enclosed

As guests arrived, we hung the pennants to create the banner!

 

 

I made a larger banner to carry out theme: His Banner Over Lindsey, Dasah and Kevin is Love.

 

Yummy sugar cookies in the shape of flowers, because Dasah's name comes from the myrtle tree, which produces a sweet smelling flower!

 

A make your own Italian soda station and lovely infused water!

I really enjoyed the Italian sodas!

 

Lindsey, Kevin and Dasah...the honored guests!

 

 

Oh so yummy raspberry cake! 

 

A few colorful flowers, and candles of course!

 

 

So after friends mingled and talked with Kevin and Lindsey, we had a very special time of worship and prayer.   Our worship leader, Carl Johnson, came with his guitar, and his sweet wife Amy also led, as we sang praise songs, and spent about 45 minutes praying for Lindsey and Kevin and Dasah.  I passed out Scripture passages on cards, for anyone to just read out loud, and I also had a short list of specific things we could pray for Lindsey and Kevin and Dasah.

 

Please use this list too, to pray for Lindsey, Kevin and Dasah!

 

As I was thinking about having this prayer shower, I felt fearful and unsure.  Would anyone come? Would they step into our story?  Would they come to pray? I moved forward in faith and two very special friends, Lin and Nancy began helping me plan and create what became a very wonderful and memorable evening. 

 

The Being Brave Part

 

How do you come along side someone who is in the midst of a very hard journey?  Not only a hard journey, but come along side a second time within a year. I think it takes being brave.  Lindsey and Kevin, Mike and I, and our family have some brave friends.   These friends enter into our lives, even though they don't know what to say, or what to do.  They come along side as they send a card or a note.  They come along side when they come to a Prayer Shower, even when they aren't quite sure what that looks like!  They come along side quietly with their prayers.  They come along side just to hang out, or suggest going to a movie, or out to dinner. 

In the middle, my sweet partners in planning and yummy treat making: Lin Newman and Nancy Ludwick

 The brave men!

 

Our family and I know Kevin and Lindsey as well, are so touched and encouraged by those who have stepped into our journey.  We realize how hard it is to know what to say, because we can't even understand this story.  We know others may have questions and thoughts and wonder what celebrating another babies life with another fatal diagnosis really means. It is uncomfortable territory to navigate not only once, but twice.  I have a friend, my roommate from college, and she expressed her fear about sending a card or a gift or a link to a song or a message,  but I told her she is listening to the Holy Spirit when she is prompted to send these sweet encouragements, because they always come at the right time and minister to my heart.  She is learning and I am learning from her, that fear hinders the Holy Spirit from using us to bless others. 

 

I recently came across the following thoughts by Ann Voskamp.  She writes about being brave.

 

"Lord, nobody knows how hard we're trying to be brave, to show up when its easier to give up, to go do hard and holy things when it'd be easier to go do happy things, to not quit when we don't know how to keep going on.

And you lean close and breathe warm courage into our exhausted places.  "Just call to me. I guarantee I will answer you.  I will make you strong and brave." ( Psalm 138:3)

Be brave.  Hold on to your Light to hold back the flood of dark.

Be brave.  Your bravery wins a thousand battles you can't see because your bravery strengthens a thousand others to win their battles too.

Be brave, and do not pray for the hard to go away. But pray for a bravery "bigger than the hard to come."

Be brave.  There are angels closer than you know.  And all the Brave and Courageous and the Never-Give-Uppers who cling to the Bravest One who loved us to death and saved us back to the realist and forever life...we all believed angels were close, said amen."

 

The bravest ones I know right now are my daughter Lindsey and her wonderful husband, Kevin.

But I am thankful for their brave friends and our brave friends who have stepped into our story with love, and however the Lord leads them just to be there during these days when we truly are upheld by their strong support and prayers.

 

 

 The reason for Lindsey and Kevin's visit was to speak to the Cedarville University student body at their Chapel service Sept. 11th.  You can listen to her message on, "Surrender and the Sanctity of Life," by going to the link below.

Her message was received with tears and a wonderful ovation, and many students waiting in line to talk. 

 

 

 

http://vaporandmist.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/valuing-the-sanctity-of-life/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Celebrating Sophie - A Glorious Unfolding

It's hard to believe that a year ago today, we welcomed our sweet Sophie into our world, held her, had birthday cake, and then, let her go to be with Jesus.  When I think back on our days of "waiting for Sophie," (we were in Orlando for 3 weeks as a family) I think of how the Lord showed us His greatness, His love, and many holy moments.  She was the sweetest gift to us as she taught us that life truly is a celebration because God is the creator of all life, and He wants us to cherish and treasure the life He gives even if it is short and we don't know the answer to all our "why" questions. 
I told my adult children, Luke, Dan and Laurie and Nick, that the Lord brought out the best in them each day in those 3 weeks, and the 28 hours of labor at the very end of those 3 weeks.  The boys brought Starbucks to the hospital for us, and gave the nurses doughnuts. Uncle Luke and Uncle Dan helped Nick care for Isaac and Jordan as Laurie and I were in the labor room for those 28 hours!!  And they were so in tune to the right time to come back to the hospital when it was determined that Lindsey would finally have a C-section.   Laurie helped Lindsey labor and coordinated photographers, church friends, and so many events that happened on the eve of Sept 1.

I will never forget how Kevin supported Lindsey as she labored and how Lindsey took each phase with grace and strength.  I will never forget how each nurse that came along for her shift told Lindsey and Kevin what a privledge  it was to serve them and how the Lord had hand picked each nurse for just what Lindsey needed at that phase of labor.

A  special nurse who was praying for us as we got to see Sophie for the first time! 

 

And I will always be thankful for Jennafer and Brady White who served our family in so many ways and loves Sophie just as much as we do!  I will never forget the waiting room, filled with Lindsey and Kevin's friends, gathered together, praying, quietly anticipating, supporting us as a family just by their presence.
 I will never forget best friends Julie and Jesse being in the labor room with us, supporting and loving their friend through so many hours.  I will never forget hearing about the many other friends who prayer walked the hospital on the first floor foyer, vigilant and dedicated in those late hours of the night and wee hours of the morning. And there were countless others praying all over the world, and our own friends in Lebanon, Ohio following all our days in Orlando, "waiting for Sophie."  I will never forget seeing our Sophie for the first time, so alive and pink and chubby.  And I will never forget her in my arms, oh so briefly, because so many were there to hold her.  My first granddaughter...I called her my little princess.  We prayed for time with her, and the Lord gave 10 precious hours.  And one day we will see her in all her healed glory and she will show us "the ropes" of heaven because she has known the joy of being in our Saviour's presence.  I hope she will take her Nini (me) by the hand and show me the special pleasures she has known. 

And so a year has passed.  I have thought of Sophie every day and with each first day of the month I would get a bouquet of colorful flowers.  She was a party girl from the beginning of the days we celebrated her in her mommy's womb and "colorful" is what me made each celebration!  And we are having a little party today, watching videos of her birth and Celebration service.  And we will launch a big balloon tonight in honor of her first birthday in heaven.

Sophie's story is still a glorious unfolding of God's purposes and plans. But I have to admit, my heart misses her deeply.   She has taught me to lay up treasures in heaven...because that is where she is, in whole and restored glory, not as an angel baby, but as a real little person God created!

Here are some special memories of "Waiting for and Celebrating Sophie!"

Waiting for Sophie at Celebration Hospital Aug. 31, 2013

 

 

Prayer in the waiting room

Prayer at midnight just outside the hospital front doors

The Prayer Team in the hospital lobby...praying Scripture and powerful prayers that gave us strength and grace and joy!

 

 

 

 Waiting Room moments

 

 

Meeting Sophie! September 1st in the wee hours!

Nini and Sophie...love!

 

 Papa and Nini

 

 Aunt Laurie

 

Uncle Nick

 

Uncle Dan

 

 Aunt Laurie and Uncle Luke

 

A sweet moment with my daughter and my first granddaughter

My sweet girls

 

The friends who helped us Celebrate Sophie in those wee hours of September 1, 2013

 

Celebrating Sophie's arrival with an amazing cake!

 

 Lindsey and Kevin with their sweet Sophie

 

 

 

Her little hand's grip on Kevin's finger and

her sweet footprint, not too small to make an impact on the world! And she surely did and continues to touch us all with her brief but amazing life.  Like my son Luke said, though she never spoke a word, she did have a voice!

 

Sophie's story is still unfolding...it is one we cherish and it is one where we truly were able to get a glimpse of our great God and Father.   We give Him the glory.

 

 

 Stephen Curtis Chapman's title song "The Glorious Unfolding." 

It gives courage and hope! 

 

Angel Armies

In church, we sang the Chris Tomlin song, "The God of Angel Armies." I love this
song.  It reminds me that I am not alone at any time, at any place and in any life season.  It reminds me that the God who commands the Host of angels, who called the world into life, and who  oversees it all, is BY MY SIDE!  He was by my side when we journeyed through Sophie's story and He is with us now and in the same powerful, victorious way, as we journey through Dasah's story.

The past month I have been moving through emotions of joy and sadness.  My joy has come so tangibly as  we welcomed our little grandson, Jude, into the world July 16th.  This was our daughter Laurie's third little boy and he is a sweetie.  Alongside this blessing and joy are the thoughts and emotions that come as I think of our Dasah, yet to be born, and now 26 weeks along in her mother, Lindsey's womb.  She kicks and moves about and has a strong little heartbeat. She is due November 19th.   We don't know how long we will have her with us when she is born, and this brings the sad moments. I asked the Lord, "How do I move through these days.  How do I walk through each day and find peace and rest?"  His answer is always found in His Word.  And so as I have journeyed through a study of the Psalms this summer, Psalm 27 has spoken to me in a powerful way.  As I studied it, I found myself asking the Lord to grow this kind of trust in my heart that the Psalmist displayed.  So I decided to memorize this one.  The title of this Psalm in NASB is "A Psalm of Fearless Trust in the Lord."


I want that to be true of me.  I want a fearless trust in the Lord.  It's work to memorize.  But I am working hard at it, and finding myself thinking like this psalmist as he penned these words:

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
the Lord is the defense of my life, Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

I love these words of victory and strength!  But one of my favorite parts of this psalm is what I am seeing as a result of meditation on this psalm:

verses 4-6:

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
in the secret place of His tent He will hide me. 

These words and the rest of this Psalm are growing deeply each day in my heart.  They enabled me to move through the happiest days of the last month, even when, at times, my heart was aching.  Now here it is the middle of August, and I am just now finishing memorizing the last part of the Psalm.

The last 2 verses say:

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I
would see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong, and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

My heart is taking courage as I wait for Him daily is the secret place of His tent, which is just sitting in His presence with my Bible.  Here I and gaining that fearless trust in the Lord, and praying these Scripture passages for each one in my family.

The God of Angel Armies is with me, is with Lindsey and Kevin, is with each one of my children and grandchildren. (Find Lindsey's blog at www.vaporandmist.wordpress.com  )

Run with Endurance

   I am not a runner.  In fact I hate to run!  It is hard, and it hurts!  Give me a good Jazzercise class any day:) But I have become an avid walker and if we are in the mountains I love to hike.  I've watched my kids run track and run marathons.  I see the effort they have put into preparation for these events.  I have seen the pain on their faces as they persevered through hard parts of the race and I have seen the  thrill of victory on their faces when they cross the finish line.
   These running stories have been on my mind lately as I have been dwelling on what it means to, "Consider it pure joy when you face trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-3)  I am asking questions like, "What is this kind of endurance, that it has a perfect result and that I am lacking in nothing?"  I need that kind of endurance. How do I get it?
   The greek word for "endurance" is hupomone.  It is an abiding under.  It is keeping on in spite of the pressure from without.  It's what Jesus did each day, knowing what lay before Him.
   There is also the passage in Hebrews 12:1 where it says that, "Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart."
  So I am doing what the writers of these 2 books suggest...CONSIDER. In the greek, this means to lead before the mind. It's a thought that takes priority.  It's a lot to process because joy and trials don't seem like they should go together.  I know Lindsey and I have been wrestling with what it means to have joy right now.  I noticed that in the Hebrews passage it says "since we," "let us," and "we." It seems we don't run the race set before us alone. Everyone who is a Jesus follower has a race before them.  So we are in it together.

And it also seems that we have a crowd following us during this race. Lindsey's blog www.vaporandmist.wordpress.com  has an amazing following.  It's always good to have a crowd cheering you on. But there is a watching world that longs to see what being a Christ follower looks like when tragedy strikes. I am praying they see honesty and a faith that endures! And this passage could also mean there is a heavenly crowd watching and very much wanting us to finish the race with that perfect result.  But I am also to run my own race. A coach encourages his runners to..."just run your own race, don't look back, stay focused, stay in your lane."  Jesus is the perfect example of someone who ran His own race. He saw the finish line, and it was the cross.  Nothing could deter Him from finishing. The crowds, the religious leaders,  the disciples, his own mother, all wanted to keep Him from His ultimate goal: dying on the cross, bearing my sin, conquering sin and death once and for all and then being reunited for eternity with the Father.  So that means God gives us each a different race.  Mine is different from any of my friends.  They know my story, and I know theirs.  I wouldn't want their race, nor would they want mine. But we are hopefully cheering each other on.

   This kind of endurance that Jesus exemplifies had joy as the outcome.  He had His eye on that joy.  And though our story, Lindsey and Kevin's pregnancy with Dasah Brielle ( yes she has a name!)  may lead to ushering a little girl into heaven, there is joy at the finish line.  That joy is knowing I will see Sophie one day in wholeness and life and if healing physically doesn't come for Dasah, then one day I have the hope of even better days, months and 10,000 years and more with these 2 granddaughters.

 When I focus on God's finish line, I "lack nothing" like the passage in James says.  That is the perfect result in my heart - an eternal perspective.  But the way there is hard, it is a long race, and I do grow weary.  I grow weary and sadness sometimes just takes over my heart.   But then I know I must once again "fix my eyes on Jesus."  Like fresh water renews a runner in a marathon, whether it is splashed on her or whether she takes a drink. It is essential. It replenishes and rejuvenates.  This is what the Word of God does in my life each day, and throughout the day.

The Psalms are a great comfort right now.  Even this week, studying Psalm 16 verse 8 became my prayer, " I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."  And then verse 11 hit me, the key to joy, "In Thy presence is fullness of joy!"
   Jesus could say that He endured the cross for the joy set before Him because He knew He would be reunited with His Father, and would be in His presence once more.  So endurance is beginning to have its "perfect result" in my life.  I "lack nothing" when I have Christ and daily drink the living water of His Word.   I am desperate for that living Word.  I have become captivated by the Lord's presence each morning as I seek Him for grace and strength.  That is what difficult times do...they drive you to the only source of hope there is and His name is Jesus.

I wrote this in my quiet time this week:

                             Run with endurance
                             the rest of this race.
                             There's always enough
                             of His infinite grace.
                             Know that this testing
                             will have the result
                             of holy perfection
                             then I will exult
                             in this great tribulation,
                             this call to abide
                             under the arms
                             of the One who's my guide.
                             For the joy set before Him
                             can also be mine
                            as my eyes fix on Jesus
                            at my finish line.


 http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/91-year-old-finishes-san-diego-marathon I found this story of a woman who starting running at age 76 and just finished this marathon last month!  I still don't think I will become a runner, but I like the idea of being 91 and finishing my race with that same joyful spirit she has on her face!

 91 Year old finishes San Diego marathon 6/14/14

 

 

 

 

One last beautiful thing!  This song, "Captivate Us" by Watermark captures the thoughts of my heart!