"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning"

One year ago today, my aunt Claudie passed away from cancer. She was a godly woman with a heart of gold, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her. She was a very special person and dearly loved by her family. The week before she passed away, I found out that I was pregnant with Landon. Little did I know that only 7 short months later, my little angel would be joining her up in heaven. I know she is watching over him for me.

I once heard someone say that "although God dispenses grief, he dispenses grace in far greater measure." Although at times, my immature faith makes me question why I had to lose my child in order to learn this concept, I now know that God's grace can sustain. Where there is sorrow, there will also be misery, but where there is misery, there is also grace. Throughout my journey through the grieving process, I have found myself continually going back to a particular verse of scripture that has become a source of encouragement...
"...weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

As believers, we sometimes have the misconception that our life will be a fairytale as long we we stick to the course and stay faithful to the Lord. Well, in some ways this is true, because eventually, we will end up in a place far greater than any fairytale we've ever dreamed about; however, the steps in between may not always be smooth sailing. It is through our sufferings that God draws us nearer. It is in our darkest hours that our faith can grow the strongest. At some point in our life, we will have to endure some type of heartache, whether it be the loss of a loved one, a financial hardship, or a failed relationship. The good news is that it will only be for a season. Although the past 5 and half months have been full of heartache and grief, I know that the Lord will restore my joy. Here is proof.....
While this may come as a surprise to some of you, understand that you cannot be any more surprised than we are. God has blessed us with another miracle and we ask for your prayers for this precious miracle who is due on April 30, 2010, only 2 days after Landon's birthday. We are not surprised that God performs miracles, but we are surprised over the fact that He has chosen to bestow this blessing upon us so soon. We had decided that it would be a long time before we would ever have the nerve to try for more children, but God has other plans. We feel incredibly blessed, but are also struggling with fear. Our prayer is that whatever God's plan is for this child, that we can accept His will and continue to abide in His unfailing love. We pray that our fears do not rob of us of our joy. We know that no child will ever replace our sweet baby, Landon, and that is never our wish. A friend recently made the statement that "our children really are not our children. They belong to God. We are simply stewards over them while they are on earth." How true this is and may we always remember this.

In His Love...