This may sound weird at first, but......

I know this isn't going to come across just right at first, but bear with me a moment. In many ways, I wish everyone had an opportunity to go through a rough time like this just so they could see all the good and all the love in others that I think we often times overlook. If I could publish all the wonderfully moving emails, cards and words of encouragement I have received over the past 5 months, it would be so much easier for everyone to understand how it has shaped my attitude and my faith.

I am so reminded of the story of David and Goliath when the Philistines told the Israelites to choose "one" of their soldiers to send down to fight the battle. When facing that giant individually, no solider was up to the challenge, but had they stood, shoulder to shoulder with their faith in God, they could have easily defeated the Philistines. I know that if I had felt at any time that this battle had been mine alone to fight, I could never have managed. But the truth is that I haven't even had to walk this journey, I have been completely carried through it. Thank you all so much for standing beside us through this!

Now...on to the medical update for the week. Thankfully, there has been little to report. I had an ultrasound Monday in Kings Mountain. Everything remained to look fine. The only interesting thing from that visit was that little Ned was holding up his little hand with three fingers up like he was at a rock concert....I think we may have a little rebel on our hands! Right now....it was really cute, but I'm not sure I'll be thinking the same thing when he is 16?

We also had a visit to Chapel Hill this week. Everything looks good for a delivery date of January 21st! Our plan is to go Chapel Hill to begin induction on the night of the 20th and deliver the next day! So, in a week from Sunday, I guess we'll be heading that way. It seems so surreal now that it is so close.

Please be praying for our medical staff. I am praying now that God will ordain the doctors and nurses who will be part of our team that day. I am also praying that I will be able to hand my child over into God's hands immediately so that I will be able to relinquish that "mom instinct" to cling to my baby. I am praying for peace, that our family will be strengthened during this time. At night, when I go in to pray over Jack, I am praying that even he will gain some sort of understanding or insight into the character of God at some level during this time. I'm not sure what he could be grasping, but I pray the Lord will use this to begin drawing Jack to Him at an early age. In the same way, when I talk to little Ned, I tell him how very lucky and privileged he is that he is going to be able to learn something at birth that it takes most of us a lifetime to understand.....that our strengths and accomplishments are brought forth when we simply rest in the arms of the Lord.

That's all I have for now. I'll be teaching Travis how to update the blog this week so if there are some weird random posts...we're working though some kinks.

Love you all!
Travis, Betsy, Jack & Baby Ned