Unnatural Peace

Yesterday, J, C and I took naps before church started. Unfortunately we woke up right when church was starting. We decided to listen to my childhood pastor's sermon from last week. It could not come at a better time. It is all about Peace, God's Unnatural Peace. {If you'd like to listen to it, I very much encourage you to do so! One of the passages he spoke on was John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me"}

Why was this sermon an appropriate message for this week? Well, this week I have learned of three more children who need urgent prayers. I didn't want to have to write posts like this but, the truth of the matter is, we live in a fallen world where sadness, pain, turmoil, and tragedy exist. As a Christian, I have hope in God's promises, His truth, and His love for us, knowing that the world He created for us is coming!

Until then, we can pray pray pray...and here are three more children to add to your list:

Esther Grace Bulgrien
The first one is closest to my heart. J and I went to college with them and they are an incredibly neat Christian family.

Esther Grace was born by caesarian on Tuesday, May 19, at 12:43 p.m. This was three months to the day before her due date. She weighs in at a whopping> 1 pound, five ounces; but she is doing very well, especially considering her early arrival. Esther is just over 12 inches long, and her entire hand is about the size of Rachel's (her mom) fingernails. Her tiny feet are less than two inches long, and her head is slightly smaller than a tennis ball.

Esther was taken early when doctors discovered a fungus in her mom's birth canal that they see often in women who experience pre-term labor. Even though she was born 14 weeks early, they felt that this early of a birth would increase Esther's chance of survival. She is still so tiny and needs many prayers!

They have a Caring Bridge site if you would like to hear their updates.

Maggie Cobb

Grammy Girlfriends alerted me to Maggie Cobb's story.

After clumsy behavior and vision problems, her parents took her to see a doctor. They found a (benign) tumor on her brain stem but it is inoperable. Maggie is currently preparing to undergo radiation to treat it. She has her own facebook page if you want to keep updated.

Ezra
And then, I heard from A Psych Mommy about another little boy who has leukemia. Manic Mother's son, Ezra was very recently diagnosed with this cancer and they are hosting a fundraiser to help support his treatments. You can read more about his story here.

I leave you with the verses that Esther Grace's dad sent to us:

Romans 8:22-28

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.