Our fourth and, Lord willing, final baby, Lewis Will-Edmond, has arrived! And he’s settling into our home quite perfectly. It may be too early to tell, but it doesn’t seem that his four names add up to a large personality. Our little guy is calm and cool… well, until he wants milk, and then he starts making a snorting noise that could call a farmer’s pigs home. You might think this call of the wild would send the kids running away, but on the contrary, it’s just one more thing that has all five of us falling more in love with our little piglet.

Before Lewis was born, Sarah and I often talked about what kind of brother Bowen would be. It has been such a joy to see how loving and sweet he is to Lewis.  We were afraid he might become confused or jealous over all the attention his little brother would be getting, but he’s just joining in. He loves to help by bringing Sarah diapers and wipes when it’s time to change him, and even taking dirty ones to the trash. He loves to rub his head and give him kisses, and has clearly decided that it’s his duty to make sure Lewis has his pacifier at all times. I guess that makes him the paci patrolman. Bowen may have a little heart, but you’d never know it by the way he loves.

Sarah, the day after Lewis was born.

Moments after delivery.

The first time they met.

Bowen, sharing his toys.

 

Digging Deeper: Lord Willing

“…You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:14-15

Over the past couple of years, I’ve found myself regularly using the phrase “Lord willing” before expressing my own plans, desires and intentions to others… especially since we found out Bowen had HLHS. That news put a wrench in our “perfect” plans and dreams, but through it we learned to trust that God had something different, dare I say better, in mind. Surrendering to the fact that all of our plans are subject to interference and failure has been a key to finding contentment through our struggles.

Maybe you’re questioning whether it’s God plans or your own that you are living out at the moment. If it’s your desire to serve the Lord and to commit your life to him, just rest in the assurance that He’s working “all things,” including your questions, doubts, screw-ups, worries, bad days and disaster bound ideas for a bigger and better purpose than you can see right now. Don’t lose your faith.


The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.

Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:1-3