Archive for October, 2009

What happens when you pray?

Posted by Virgil and Jeri Holt on Friday, October 9th, 2009

We recently sent out a prayer request asking everyone to pray regarding Jeri’s appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. This is the “longer” version of what happened.

Our daughter Gina is expecting and had her appointment as scheduled. To her surprise the Doctor told her that the baby had turned and was no longer head down and ready for her Oct.10th due date. She was now lying kind of side-ways, in a position (footling breech) that put her in danger of delivering the umbilical cord first. That would have put the baby in danger. The doctor advised them that they might want to do a cesarean delivery on Friday the 9th. Gina came home (pretty discouraged) and decided to lay down. The doctor had told her that she could kind of push where the baby’s head was and see if she would move. When Gina lay down, there was no lump… in fact it seemed to be back where it was supposed to be.
I know I told you this was about Jeri’s appointment with the surgeon… I’m getting there. :D   Gina and Ben called the doctor and were told to come back and check it out. When they got there they discovered that the baby HAD turned.  The Doctor said, “let’s go ahead and induce labor tomorrow morning, today-Oct.8th, the day of Jeri’s appointment. We decided that would still work, after all, induced labor is certainly controlled to some degree isn’t it. Well, this morning at 5:30, Gina’s water broke and they took off for the hospital, leaving us to take care of Atalie their first daughter.

To add to the excitement, today they are forecasting from 4-12 inches of rain for this area. So today has been a bit wild. We took Atalie to Jeri’s appointment with us, and Ben met us there to take her while we were with the Doctor. Meanwhile Gina was there in the hospital moving along all alone with the delivery.   Praise the Lord, Jeri’s clinic is close to the hospital where Gina was so poor Ben didn’t to have to fight that much with the traffic and rain.

We had to wait for almost an hour to see Jeri’s doctor but when he got there, we told him of our need to get this resolved to some degree before June. He immediately said he would work something out. So, thanks to your prayers, Jeri has an appointment for her first knee on Dec. 2, and the second tentatively scheduled for March 2. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS. GOD HAS TRULY WORKED IN OUR BEHALF.

PS… Carly Anne was born today (10/8/2009) at 3:52 P.M. 7 lbs. 1 oz. 21 inches long. Mom, baby, Daddy, big sister, Grandpa and Grandpa doing GREAT! Here are a couple of photos.

                                                                 

Lessons from Atalie

Posted by Virgil and Jeri Holt on Monday, October 5th, 2009
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My granddaughter, Atalie, was playing in the backyard, running around and having a great time.  I noticed that every time she got off the cement, she stopped, sat down and inched forward until her feet were on the grass and then she got up and took off again.  What was interesting to me was the fact that the grass was at the same level as the cement.  There was no real danger that she would fall.

Then a few days later, she and I were leaving the house to get in the car.  The steps at the front of the house are about eight inches high, and this time there was real danger, but she launched herself off those steps as if she had no question she could do it.  What was the difference?  Why no fear?  Simple… she had her hand in mine.  How I wish I could learn to fear my own ability, and wholly trust in His hand!

Yesterday I got another lesson in that classroom.  I had the privilege of representing NTM in a church where Gracia Burnham spoke.  Hearing her testimony of how God worked in their lives through their ordeal that ended eventually with Martin’s death kind of put everything in my life in better perspective.  God IS sovereign.  God IS all-knowing.  God’s plan for my life is perfect.  My place is to simply put my hand in His, and take that step of faith knowing he will accompany me in his perfect will.

_bbp1457-11_0 In Mat. 6:25-34, Jesus addresses this very issue.  In verse 33 He draws His conclusion stating “…be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.” That truth is something I’ve spent over 35 years trying to make practical, and yet it’s a truth as new to me today as the first day I heard it.  Oh that we could just abandon our own forces, take His hand and follow!

AWESOME VIDEO: