HOPE: The active, confident expectation for good things based on the good character of God.

After 2 years of infertility and 15 years of marriage, God blessed David & I with the miracle of Savannah. I would love to say the type of hope described above burned brightly in my heart in the years that followed. I’m certain that it started out that way, but what ensued reduced my hope to embers. 3 subsequent miscarriages plus 2 ectopic pregnancies (with only 1 ovary and fallopian tube remaining) combined with our age had brought me to the conclusion that God had other plans for our family. We had controlled this area of our lives for the first 13 years of marriage, and I felt very strongly that we needed to surrender it fully to God’s will and plan for us. So after working through the vulnerabilities and associated risks of still not preventing pregnancy after 5 had failed, we were finally at peace. Not preventing, but not pursuing either. And now I find myself marveling at His amazing plan and timing. Never would I have guessed that I’d find myself celebrating 22 years of marriage this week with a newborn babe. Brooklyn Faith…our 7th pregnancy, conceived in the 7th month, born on the 7th day of May when Savannah was 7 years old. All throughout the Bible, the number 7 symbolizes Fullness, Completion and Perfection (see http://www.biblewheel.com/topics/seven_meaning.asp). Not only is the miracle of Brooke’s life a perfect gift given by our good God, he lovingly went before us and orchestrated all the details so that His handiwork is undeniable. To God be the glory…I’m gratefully impressed!

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

I’ll enjoy seeing God’s plan for Brooke’s life unfold over the years, but He has already used her to give me a deeper understanding of His character. Much like a brook or stream, her life is refreshment to my spirit. The pain and sorrow have been washed away through the hands of a loving God. My hope has been rekindled. My prayers have been answered in a wondrous way. This dry season did not last. The spring rains did come again…in the springtime in the form of a healthy baby girl. Welcome, sweet Brooke. Your daddy, sister and I already love you dearly!