Ever thought you would die giving birth?

I sure have! 
 This past New Years day our first born turned sweet 16…It is hard for me to believe I am the mother of a 16 year old.
  Bringing Alexis Noelle into the world was no small feat…I was only 20 years old, and I naively thought “breathing” a certain way would remove the pain.
  I was clueless… 

 We have all been asked to birth something in our lives. We were created to be a part of something greater than ourselves.
 
 It starts with the impregnation from the Holy Spirit, a whisper, a dream, a vision.
  We are shown the glory in glimpse, sometimes it is a new ministry, a book yet to be written, a revelation that needs to be shared… we all have those moments. Some visions are huge and impossible in our flesh…but once we are pregnant we only have two choices…abort the dream, or carry it to term!
  Those who abort their call usually do so out of fear, they may miss the pain of the birthing, but they also forfeit the joy.
  Like most blessings, we often have no idea the cost when we start our journey.
  I have been impregnated with dreams and visions so enormous I would almost be embarrassed to share most of them.
  I dream of nations, and I dream of healing and deliverance for entire continents…the bigger the “baby” the harder the birthing.
  There have been times I thought I would die from the pain, there have been moments so intense that I actually understood how Jesus could sweat drops of blood, I have wiped my own forehead certain that I would see red on my hand.
  In the garden Jesus was birthing salvation for the entire world, we will never understand and anguish and torment He experienced…He could have aborted the call at any moment, for our sakes He pushed through,and never gave up.

    Looking at our beautiful little girl today, silky long hair, big, bright blues eyes, kind, gracious and pure, I rarely think of the 27 hours of excruciating pain I endured to bring her into the world….she is so worth it!

Since she was born on New Years day I have a living, breathing reminder every year of the beauty of Gods plan for all of our lives.
  He wants us broken, not destroyed.
 
 He wants us to experience the miracle of Life, through the death of ourselves and total dependence on Him!
  Maybe 2007 is a year of birthing.
Alexis and family…