August 22, 2006 ~Happy 21st Birthday Baby!

On August 22, 2006 we celebrated our daughter's 21st birthday.

God bless you Sweetie and God grant you many more years of life, health, and strength. You are such a blessing to us!

I remember when I found out that I was expecting you. Your father and I were thrilled beyond belief. You were conceived in love and we wanted you so much. At about 10 to 12 weeks along I started to have some symptoms that concerned me; my body hurt and ached, I knew something was terribly wrong. I rushed to see the doctor and he sadly confirmed that I might lose you. He sent me home to strict bed rest, telling me that there was nothing more he could do, it was in God's hands.

When your father and I got home I immediately layed down on the couch, your father sat on the floor beside me and we began to pray. We committed you into God's hands. We prayed through our tears until God gave us the grace to accept the fact that we might lose you at any moment. We felt so much better, then we began to feel faith stirring in our hearts and our prayers took a new turn.

We asked God to heal you, and if He so choosed, we prayed that you be a girl. He said He would give us the desires of our hearts, did He not? Nevertheless, we committed your fate into God's sovereign will and promised to accept whatever He decided was best.

When Sunday morning came around I felt a strong desire to go to church. We had been helping out as youth leaders at Faith Tabernacle UPC in Manteca, CA. I got dressed to go. Your father tried to keep me home, reminding me that I was confined to bedrest. But with faith in my heart I declared to him, "I have to go to church, God isn't going to let anything happen to me!" When he saw my faith he didn't say another word but trusted that it was of God.

From the start of the service there was a mighty annointing in the church. You could feel the presence and power of God. While the first song was being sung, Bro Richardson suddenly leapt off the platform and said with a loud voice, "God wants to heal someone today!" I knew it was for me and I rushed forward to receive my healing. As he laid his hands on my head to pray for me I felt the healing virtue of God go through me from head to toe like a hot oil and I felt the baby leap within me. I knew I was healed. Praise be to God!

A few months later you were born healthy and there were no complications whatsoever. My miracle baby, my gift from God.

A few weeks later we dedicated you to the Lord and we promised God to raise you for His service. We knew you belonged to him and we were only going to be your earthly parents. We know from where our blessings come and you are one of them.

You have a special purpose, an annointing, and a calling. Keep your hand in His and He will lead you all the way. I love you forever.