December 30th

After a few days of Christmas cheer and family visits, I thought it would be a good idea to update everyone on what's going on around our household. Missy's dad, step-mom, and step-brother came up from Mobile to visit with us. They were here from the 24th until the 27th. We had a great time and it was wonderful to have "family Christmas" at our house. Anna certainly enjoyed the visit from her Poppa.

Noah has really taken off when it comes to eating. Over the last couple of days or so he has shifted into a higher gear and is really getting the job done. He is supposed to be taking about 3 oz every 4 hours. He's been doing 3 oz every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Yesterday, he had one hiatus that only lasted an hour and a half. Obviously this is a rather tiring schedule, especially for Missy since she is doing the large majority of the feedings, but he is growing and doing great. We weighed him on some scales that we had purchased when Anna was a baby. Noah weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs 2 oz! He's enormous... His face really is starting to fill out. Miss is hoping that he will add some to his rump area because there isn't much there.

Noah has been quite alert and looking about. He has a new activity mat courtesy of his great grandmother and great aunt. It is jungle themed and he loves it. He is able to turn his head from side-to-side. Considering that yesterday was his actual due date, that's not bad. He hasn't exhibited any sorts of delays that I can tell so far. We will keep working with him and I suspect that the little man will meet milestones in a normal fashion. Praise the Lord for His continued intervention in the life of Noah.

Missy is doing pretty well. As you might imagine, she is tired from Noah's feeding regimen. Other than that, her spirits seem to be pretty good. She is going to be returning to work on Wednesday. I think that she's looking forward to that just as a means of getting out of the house. She had considered going to the worship service this morning and just sitting in the back with Noah. She was concerned of being bombarded by everyone who would no doubt be ecstatic to see her and the squirt. Maybe next week...

Anna had been doing well with everything, but it seems we have had a rough few days of late. I think that the Christmas time visit put a good amount of attention on her and she liked that. Now, she's whining a lot about all sorts of things that I can't seem to follow. It seems like just about anything makes her erupt into tears. I pray that she will be able to come out of it soon. I know it's tough for her, but we feel like we can't do everything she wants because it only serves to exacerbate the whole issue.

Anna and I did make a trip over to the Herr's Snack Food factory on Thursday. She enjoyed that (I did too). It was neat to see all of the machinery for the various chip products. We even got to try some chips right off of the line. They were warm and quite tasty.

My voice has almost returned to normal as far as speaking is concerned. The lower register of my singing voice is back, but the upper register may be a couple of weeks yet. I'll be glad when it comes back because we've gotta start working on our Easter concert. Also, I got Missy the new Mercy Me cd with "God With Us" on it. I can't wait to get my voice back so that I can sing that tune in the car. It rocks.

Recently, I have been emailing with my friend Guy. He served as an international missionary with his wife and four children from about 1998 until 2006. He is a photographer, a very talented one. For lack of an easy expression of the circumstances that transpired, Guy found out last year that his contract as a missionary wasn't being renewed and he and his family had to return to the States. Since returning, Guy and Mary have had quite a hard time with finances as he hasn't been able to get a solid job. They returned to their native Arkansas last winter in hopes of solidifying an income source. That hasn't really happened for them. God has been sustaining them, but it has been quite difficult.

I only heard from Guy once during all of our issues with Missy and Noah. After finally getting in touch with him, he said that he hadn't wanted to burden me with their issues because the issues that we were facing were, in his mind, so much greater. He felt that his were somehow less and would only serve to add to a mountain of burden already upon us.

I found out that Guy has been delivering pizzas for the last several weeks. The income for two adults and four children is coming from pizza delivery? Somehow my issues are greater than his? I couldn't believe it. If I were the "rich doctor" that everyone at home seems to think I am, I would've sent him a check right then and there. Unfortunately, we aren't in a place where philanthropy of that sort is any sort of real option.

Why do I mention this story about Guy and his family? It's really a two-fold reason. First, I mention their trial because it flies in the face of those people out there who ascribe to the non-biblical prosperity gospel. Guy and Mary are two of the greatest believers I know. They left everything and followed the Lord's call to a place where their lives, especially Guy's, were in jeopardy on a regular, if not daily, basis. They truly seek after the Lord, yet they are enduring this very real, quite difficult trial.

The second reason to mention it is to point out that we as believers must shoulder each other's burdens. We are commanded in Galatians 6:2 to "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Notice there is no qualifying comment that says "as long as you aren't burdened." Guy had great intentions in not sharing the severity of their situation with me. He didn't want to give me something else to be weighted by. Ultimately, it is my duty to help him shoulder that, whether in prayer only, or with whatever resources I might be able to offer.

The command to "carry each other's burdens" reminds me of a bridge that used to be in the tiny town where I grew up. The bridge stood for about 80 years and weathered many significant floods. I remember a number of times when I watched the waters flood over the deck of the bridge; when the river was at its normal level, the deck of the bridge was about 40 feet above the water. The bridge was a truss design. With a truss bridge, each beam is interdependent on the others. There are main beams, but the lesser beams help to disperse tensions and pressures such that the whole is so much stronger. Each member has a load on it, but then also passes a load on to another.

The truss bridge is a great image of what we as believers are supposed to do with our burdens.
When we disperse our burdens on each other, we are able to carry much more than we could otherwise. We don't want to carry more, but the truth is, the burdens are going to come whether we can carry them or not. As for me, I'd rather have a network of support to help me hold up under the burden.

Thanks for checking on Noah and Missy today.

Please pray for the following:
Guy, Mary, and their family
Ebrahim's walk with the Lord
Noah, and his big sister Anna, that they would come to know the Lord at a young age
God's continued working in the lives of our friends and family
Opportunities to be salt and light to others
Someone to take care of Noah when Missy returns to work

Please thank God for (at least) the following:
His love, grace, faithfulness, and provision
His strengthening of our family
His working in the lives of all those who have played such an important part in Noah's life already: those who have and continue to pray for him
My mom's continued recovery of her eyesight
Noah being home

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2