14 7 25 24

 Elodie. Our miracle baby. Given to us by God through miracle after miracle! As I write she is nestled in her basinette all snug and beautiful. There are times when I can't stop staring at her, times when all I want to do is hold her close to me and many times where I thank God for being able to stare at her and hold her!
Elodie was born 14 weeks ago. She was due to be born 7 weeks ago. She was almost born 25 weeks ago. We were told she had died 24 weeks ago. A whole lot of numbers that equal a whole lot of pain, and joy, tiredness, anxiety and hope, pleading and peace. The experience of God through this time has left me with the overwhelming urge to tell as many as will listen that my God is a God of miracles, the largest of which is his amazing love for us!!
Elodies story started a long time ago. Well before any one of us was born. You see God has this plan. It is a good plan, even when the world around us is going crazy. Even when nothing is perfect. When life is difficult or seems down right unfair.  God still has a good plan. Oh yes, we seem to be good at the continual stuff ups. We are experts at doing what suites us without thinking about how it affects others. Our lives are far from perfect glossy magazine images with everything tidily in its place.
There was nothing glossy or tidy about the agony of being told your baby is dead. And there was nothing tidy about the moment when the ultrasound technician told us there was a heartbeat. Nothing glossy about the waiting the expecting and the hoping for a 'positive outcome'.
But there is something incredible about the peace that came as we trusted God for the good plan he has for us all.
Elodie Rose. A reminder that not only do I have five fantastic children but also a fantastic father looking over us with love.

A rugged cross

Today I was hunting for that perfect picture to shout out to all my online friends that I am a follower of Jesus, and today is a hugely significant day for me! Good Friday.
I saw all manner of beautiful pictures. Crosses with bold sunsets or rises. Crosses with light streaming down on them from moody clouds. Bejeweled crosses made from shiny gold, silver, platinum. Delicately carved stone and wooden crosses. Crosses covered in light fabrics blowing in the wind. Bold crosses made of large posts. Twigs bunched together and draped in flowers.
Lovely!!
But on and on I scrolled. Nothing jumped out at me as the perfect picture. The perfect cross.
And then I understood.
There is nothing 'picture perfect' about what my Lord suffered on that day. There is nothing beautiful to the eye when looking at death on a cross.
There is something incredibly beautiful about the why though. Its in the why that I find inspiration. Inspiration to follow God. To serve. To cry out for a more just world. To see beauty in the ugly. To see a ragged cross with hastily nailed together posts. Splintered and rough. Stained with my Saviours blood. With YOUR Saviours blood. Ugliness and beauty all rolled into one image. One act of love. One day of affirmation. So now we KNOW that he cares. That he wants us. That he would dare give his son. FOR US!
So no beautiful picture will accompany this post. There is no image that can do justice to the stark and overwhelming beauty of all Jesus did for us that day nigh on 2000 years ago. But there are words and there is Gods spirit who challenges us to believe. Because when we seek him with all our heart we will find him.
Luke 22, 23, 24.
John 3:16