POWER-give it a chance!!

The pictures on this post may make you upset(?). It's not my intent; they are of Noah when he was very sick. At the time, I took them because I knew they would be an ultimate testimony to the grace of God. I have only recently felt comfortable sharing them with anyone. I figure I might as well share them with everyone, because I hope that anyone who reads this blog will take a moment to consider God's love...

Other than "Now I lay me..." I never spent much time in prayer before. When I say before, I mean before the last year and a half of my life. Especially this past year. Many times it takes hardship for someone to turn to the Lord. I certainly found Him to be my strength through the trials of 2008.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the Power of Prayer. It is just majestic to be in the presence of the Lord, and be able to speak to Him. I have seen Him answer prayers first hand, and hope that you take a minute to read about it...

Often times, pre-mature babies are neurologically traumatized by their stay in the NICU. In place of a quiet, dark womb; glaring lights, LOUD beeping machines, pokes, prods, and other intrusions abound. Many preemies have fussy early childhoods as a result of the shock to their underdeveloped nervous systems. As you can see by Noah's pics, he has managed to escape this (and many other) "side effects" of an extremely early birth.



When Noah was born, I received many emails asking if he could be added to prayer lists. The requests increased after he fell deathly ill at 2 weeks old. Here are some pictures of him afer his transfer to a higher level NICU...

That is a normal-sized computer screen to the left of his bed.

They had to leave him out of an incubator because he needed so much care.

His skin started peeling off and his entire body swelled up the following day. (I did not take any pictures of that, thought these would be enough!)

We kept talking to him, and he finally peeked at us!



As he neared his discharge, his nurses told me there had been many days when they believed that he would not make it. One said "Babies in his condition usually have LOTS of complications, or die." He made it through sepsis (toxicity of the blood, which also caused his kidneys to fail, and damage to his lungs), and NEC (Necrotizing Endercolitis), without a single surgery.

I remember once when his neighbor was having surgery. The baby was only about 4 lbs. and had the cutest little cry. His father was sitting in a rocking chair ten or so feet away as the doctors worked on his little son. It was heart-wrenching to watch in an already tramatic environment.

I do not want anyone to say "Oh my gosh, poor Kelly," or "You are so strong," or anything like that. I want you to realize that my son was protected by the absolute Power of Prayer.

Of course, you don't have to take my word on it. But if you want to know, there is a scripture to back it up...

Today, I read Amos chapter 7. In this specific chapter, God is fed up with the Israelites. He sends Amos 3 visions of the destruction of His people. Amos prays (verse 2)"...Oh Sovereign Lord, please forgive your people! Unless you relent, Israel will not survive, for we are only a small nation" (verse 3) "So the Lord relented and did not fulfill the vision 'I won't do it.' He said."

I encourage you to take a moment and enter into the presence of God, through Jesus Christ. I hope you will take (even) a moment to talk with your Heavenly Father today, and experience His power...