I just got off the phone with my friend Julie. She and her husband Tim just recently moved from California back to Michigan. Julie suffered a miscarriage in October of last year at 11 weeks, and we rejoiced with her in January when she announced that she was expecting again. Before she moved we celebrated her finding out she was having a baby boy. Now at 19 weeks she's in the hospital because she has lost all her amniotic fluid and despite the fact that her little man is fighter and still has a strong heart beat, it's a waiting game. The doctors gave her a bleak outlook, but I have to believe our God is bigger than all this, and what an amazing testimony of faith Julie and Tim and their baby boy would have if we believe for a miracle. While they are unable to tell where the rupture occurred in the membrane, our God is the great healer.
I know that many of you don't know Julie but I would just ask that you pray for her, Tim and their little baby boy. Pray for strength, pray for a miracle, pray for a healed membrane and a reappearing of amniotic fluid. The Bible says that when 2 or more gather together in prayer that God hears their prayers and answers them. I know that God doesn't always answer our prayers in the ways we hope or expect, but I believe He has great things in store for Julie and Tim and their unborn baby boy.
Father,
We thank you that you are the healer, and that we are able to come to you in times like these and cry out to you for strength and for help. Right now Julie and Tim need your peace and your strength and their unborn baby boy needs your help. We just ask that your will be done in this situation. Lord, you are the ultimate physician and you can heal the ruptured membrane and replenish the amniotic fluid so this baby can continue to grow and thrive in Julie's womb. Through all of this I pray a hedge of protection around this family that they enemy will not be able to get in and thrive there. That satan will know that he has no place in their lives or their families. I pray protection from any lies that the enemy might be trying to dilute their minds with right now. Remind them through others and with scripture that you are the almighty one and you make no mistakes. Remind them that this is nothing that they have done. I pray for wisdom for the doctors. I pray that in the mist of the healing process that they would come to know you as their savior. I truly believe Lord that with you ALL things are possible!!
I pray all these things in your precious name, Amen!
We love you Julie, you are in our prayers!!
Saturday night we were fortunate enough to be able to stay on a 3100 acre ranch. Yes, you read right, 3100 acres! It was beautiful. The ranch has not only beautiful rolling hills and babbling brooks, but you can see Angus cows, horses, bobcats, red tipped ravens, and if you're lucky, one of the 2 bald eagles that live on the property. The ranch house we stayed in was beautiful and there was truly a sense of the serenity God must have been feeling when he looked at his creation a long time ago. Here are some photos of the ranch.
On Sunday we all piled in the car and visited several vineyards: Kenneth Volk, and ABC were just two of the 5 we visited. We ended the afternoon visiting the Sierra Madre Vineyards to see where the grapes growing our highly praised wine are grown. The vineyard is 500 acres of beauty.
Thanks Doug and Jan for allowing Kyle and I to share such a wonderful weekend with you guys!! Can't wait till the crushing of the grapes in September.
