Loving Life

God has really blessed me with the most wonderful family! My husband, Sonny, has got to be the most wonderful man I know.  Then there's Josh.  Boy, is he a handful at times! 100% boy!  I have made some pretty dumb decisions in my life, but I am glad God didn't give up on me!

Broken Pieces Made Whole

Five years ago if you told me what life would be like today, I probably would have laughed.  You see, I was on a road of self destructive behavior.  Then God granted me my only desire in this lifetime-a son.  Things were not "ideal" and his birth was a terrifying , yet much needed reality check from God.  He was born without a dad to support him or myself. Strike 1 . He was born with a little known birth defect called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia which takes the lives of 50% of babies born with this defect.  He was immediately taken to Children's hospital in Birmingham, and put on several types of ventilators.  I unfortunately received the dreaded phone call I had hoped not to hear.  His oxygen levels were not good on just the ventilator so a more drastic , yet necessary step had to be taken.  He was put on the ECMO machine, and I was told he now only had a 50/50 chance at living.  Strike 2. I remember so vividly my conversation with God.  I totally broke and said I have no say nor the doctors on whether he lives or dies.  I dedicate him to you Lord, because You are the only one that can save him.  I also prayed the hardest prayer of,"If he is to die Lord make it quick so he doesn't suffer."  I realized then and there that I was at rock bottom in my life because I had strayed from the only being that loves me no matter how foolish I was.  God's grace and peace came over me and from that point, though there were other trials, I always believed in life for my son.  My son developed hydrocephalus as a result of being on ECMO. Strike 3. I look back at the tougher times and think," How did you not lose your mind?!?"  I knew God was with us the whole journey, and He was putting my broken pieces together not to make the same old me, but to make my spirit more like His-a work of beauty.  In the end,the meaning of the three strikes didn't mean we were out of the game of life. It just made us the witnesses to miracles unimaginable!