Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Happy Birthday To You Sweet Aleah!










One year ago today, Aleah Kathryn Johnson took her first breath. What an incredible journey we were entering. Not just one of becoming parents again, but a journey of refinement and testing of our faith unlike anything Mark and I had ever been through. (And, for those of you who know us well, you know that is an incredible feat...from near death experiences to the most bizarre stories ever heard, we both have lived through a plethora of truly unique life experiences...none of which prepared us completely for the journey that lay ahead.) Over the next few hours, days, weeks and months we would witness God's grace and unbelievable, indescribable love through a true miracle. We have come to realize that having a child is an incredible miracle in and of itself. But to have your child's life in the hands and care of others...needing a miracle to survive...is something that cannot be topped. We clung to the Lord and placed our Hope on Him. And, as He promises, He was faithful.








We learned so much in the process. We saw a strength in each other that we had never known--a strength that can only be from the Lord. He carried us through each moment. We were surrounded in prayer and were lifted up by the outpouring of support of our family and friends. We thank each of you for loinign us on this journey. The power of prayer is beyond measure.








We count ourselves lucky to have walked through this journey for we have witnessed the work of the Lord and His glory. Aleah is the most precious, spunky, full of life little being that we have ever known. She can light up a room with her smile and melt your heart with the twinkle in her eyes. She is a blessing to us. Thank you, Lord for the gift of her life. Thank you for your miracle. Thank you for your grace and protection. As her name implies, may You always be exalted through her life. We can't wait to see what You have in store for her life! Happy Birthday to our Sweet Pea, Aleah!