The Lord is Flexing His Muscles

The Lord has been very gracious to us today. Baby James seems to be moving along. Since he cannot swallow the nurse has to suction his throat a couple times an hour. The nurses have been concerned because he does not gag when they put the tub down his throat. Well, this afternoon when the nurse put the tube down his throat he began to gag. So far he has gagged numerous times today. This news although sounding sort of strange, is excellent. Gagging is the body's natural way of protecting the air way. Without a gag reflex food and fluid can flow into the lungs. Gagging in a sense stops too much stuff from going down our throats at one time. The nurse told us that he is swallowing, but still needs to be able to swallow more. Please be praying that James' gag reflex continues to get better and better. Also be praying that he would be more consistent with his swallowing. A physical therapist came by and had James do some exercises to see how well he used his muscles. At first he had a hard time tracking with his eyes, and he also had a hard time grasping anything with his hands. She worked with him for about an hour and by the end of her time with him he was grasping onto our fingers and looking at us when we talked to him. Everything seems to at this point be progressing quite well. Kristal and I are super excited. Right now the main thing that is keeping him here is his inability to swallow and gag, but he is progressing. Thank you so much for your prayers. It is very encouraging to Kristal and I when you leave comments on the blog. Continue to pray for baby James. The Lord is so mighty. He is so kind to us. Words cannot express how wonderful it is to hold little James in my arms. He is a super cool and studly object of God's glory. One of the ways the Lord likes to flex his muscles the most is by showing off his ability to create and sustain life. It is really exciting to see Baby James start having normal baby movements. He is also now starting to make normal baby sounds.

Please also be praying for Kristal and I that we would get opportunities to share our faith with the doctors.Please be praying that the Lord would grant us boldness of speech. The Lord has put us in the company of many doctors and nurses. The Lord works all things according to the counsel of his will. We really believe that one of the reasons we are in the position we are is so that we might be in a position to share the message of Christ with those who are taking care of our child. Those who are taking care of our sick child are most likely in a far worse condition than he is. Jesus once said that only the sick need a doctor. When he said this he was in no way saying that there are healthy people and there are sick people. Rather he was saying that everyone is sick and only those who know they are sick will seek a doctor. Jesus said this to the pharisees--those who felt that they were good enough to maketheir way to heaven on their own. They felt that they did not need a savior. They felt that they were healthy. They didn't know they were sick. You may be in that same boat today. Well, "At least I don't do drugs and at least I am not like those dirty porn stars. Surely I lie sometimes and surely I make myself look better than the next man, but atleast I am not a murderer or a rapist." I am sure that there are many who are reading this blog right now who have not fully thrown themselves upon Christ as their ONLY hope of salvation. In your mind you think that Jesus is great and all if you want to be religious, but you think that you really don't need him. The only reason you don't think that you need him is because you do not realize how sick you are. You are what could be called sin sick. If you do not see your sickness, if you do not see how sinful and defiled you are before a holy God you will see no need for a savior. I emplore you this evening to throw yourself on Christ as your only hope. Your good works, as good as they may be, do nothing for you. You need someone to literally give you new life. If you are not trusting upon Christ as your only hope of salvation then you are in a worse predicament than my sick child. You are far sicker and far more in need of a doctor. Seek for Him while he may be found. If you say to yourself, "Wow Jimmy, I am not that bad. Surely I mess up sometimes, but I am not that bad." If you are saying this to yourself now them be assured that you are about as sick as you possibly can be. You are so sick that you cannot even detect your own sickness. You are like a man with boils all over his body who cannot even detect that he has a skin irritation. Apart from Christ you may find hope, but it is a false hope. Christ is the your only hope of being saved from the wrath of our Infinitely good, loving, and just Father in Heaven. Please o Please seek the only doctor there is for your sin sickness--Jesus Christ. Cry out to him that he may save your soul and heal you. Cry out to him that he may give you new life. Cry out to him that he may forgive your sin sickness. Cry out to the great physican, for He is the only physican.