Promises-Promises

You can ask anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. (John 14:13, NLT)

A couple weeks ago, we celebrated Mikea's tenth birthday. She is the cute little red head, giving the dolphin commands! 

As I was listening to my husband, Mike, pray a special birthday prayer over her, I remembered a time when specialists told us, "You cannot conceive without medical intervention. With medical intervention, your chances of conceiving are extremely low. You have a better chance of flying to Vegas and hitting the jackpot than you do of conceiving and bringing home a healthy baby."

My response was, "You do what you are trained to do and I will do what I'm trained to do."

Thank God for medical science. I'm thankful for doctors, nurses, hospitals, and their procedures; however, that is only part of the story. My story, and your story (if you are a born again believer), does not stop with what statistics record and/or what specialist say. 

Mike and I agreed to go through one round of in vitro fertilization. For me, IVF was not only a medical procedure involving months of treatment as well as 103 shots (yes, I counted), but a closer walk with God and understanding His great love. 

To make a long story short God showed me great and mighty things I didn't know. (Jeremiah 33:3) IVF was a daily walk…at times, it was a moment by moment walk. 

To name just a few:

On one occasion while discussing IVF with a friend, I said, "We are going through infertility." God quickened my spirit, spoke to my heart and said, "Are you pursuing infertility or fertility?" I immediately corrected my vocabulary and from that point forward said, "We are going through fertility treatments." 

I believe, it is critical to insure our mouth lines up with God's promises. (Matthew 12:37)

On another occasion, the specialist told us we were "Indeed pregnant but there is a problem. It appears you have a tubal pregnancy and we will have to go in and remove it." Every other day, for weeks, I had to get blood drawn. Every other day, for weeks I was told, "Your blood counts are abnormal, you need to prepare yourself for removing the pregnancy." 

Every day I leaned on God's promises. I trusted what He said when He said, "I can ask anything in His name, and He will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father." I asked God to correct my blood counts. I knew that I knew that I knew, He had brought me that far and I knew He would complete what He started. (Jeremiah 1:12)

At thirteen weeks in my pregnancy, my blood tests corrected. At thirty eight weeks in my pregnancy, I delivered our beautiful little promise from God, Mikea Faith Fulton! 

The following year, God hastened His Word and performed it as we learned we would have double for our trouble (without medical intervention)…yes, Gracie was on her way! (Isaiah 61:7)

As I look at my girls, I thank God for them (Philemon 1:4). They are constant reminders of the wonderful goodness of God!

We love to hear from you! Do you want prayer agreement? Let us know and we will agree in prayer with you. (Matthew 18:19)

I Just Saw Two Whole Hearts!

You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with your whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

My oldest daughter and I were pregnant at the same time. As awkward as that may seem to some, it has been one of the most amazing blessings and fun times of my life.

The children who we delivered, who are less than three months apart, pursue one another more than anyone I have ever experienced. When Gracie and Caley spend the night together, they insure they wake up two or three hours earlier than normal just so they can be together. To elaborate, two or three hours earlier than normal falls within the range of 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. To further elaborate, that is very early.

Their excitement doesn’t fade. If they spend a week together every day is spent staying up as late as possible and they are up again early every morning. Even when they are very tired, there is something that rises up and overrides their fatigue because they don’t want to lose any time with one another. When it is time for them to go to their own homes, they cry for one another and say, “But we didn’t even have enough time to play…”

It is highly uncommon for them to have a squabble but when they do, I tell them to separate for ½ hour. They both cry and plead with me not to separate them. Whatever the offense was, it is immediately overridden by the possible threat of them being separated. That’s true forgiveness!

When they are apart (we live in different towns) they draw pictures for one another, write each other notes, and save them for when they are reunited.

Last night, we watched a parade together then I took Gracie to a food court and we were waiting for my oldest daughter to bring Caley so we could have dinner. Gracie said, “I am just so excited! I’m just going to sit here and watch the door until Caley comes in!” And, she did.

When we walk together, they insure they are holding hands. When we eat, they insure they are sitting together. At the ripe age of six, they have already devised elaborate plans on how they are going to live together when they grow up. Currently, that plan includes sharing their home with lots of guinea pigs.

They consistently leave the family circle to spend one on one time with each other. Their relationship is quite amazing and one I find difficult to define.

I’m an early riser, today I was up before 6:00 a.m. True to form, Gracie and Caley were up playing quietly in the living room and had been for an undetermined amount of time. They had shut my bedroom door. I’m unsure if they wanted me to be uninterrupted or if they wanted to be uninterrupted.

Unbeknownst to them, I quietly observed them playing and my heart remembered Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” I wondered, had I ever sought God the way Gracie and Caley seek one another? I also wondered, had I ever worked as hard at my relationships as they do theirs?  Has my excitement about my relationship with Jesus ever faded?

Mahalo nui loa for the lesson girls, I'm going to go do some wholehearted seeking now.