This past weekend was another crazy one. And the next 2 are as well. My sister moved to St Simon Island so I packed up the kids and headed down there with my parents. Unfortunately, Trey was with the band and we sorely missed him. We had a lot of help though and we were able to get her all unpacked in her new place. She has rented a cute little house near the beach in a really nice area. She started her new job today and I am excited for her. I will miss her very much.

Tonight, Trey and I are going to city hall to FINALLY sign the paperwork to be annexed into the city. If you remember from last summer, we have had catastrophic problems with our septic tank. Our soil sample test failed 9 months ago which means we can not put in another septic system in our yard, it will fail again. Our only option is to be hooked up to the city sewage. There has been A LOT of red tape and drama. We could get the county to run the pipes and not have to pay city taxes but our distant neighborhood that holds access to the sewage is not a very nice man and demanded all kinds of money and land in exchange for us to use his sewer tap. (He doesn't even live in that house!) That would be in addition to the zillion dollars we would be responsible for to run the pipes and pay all the fees. We have been talking with the city for 18 months now, trying to get annexed so that they will endure the expense and they have to power to force said neighbor into cooperation. So although we will pay extra in taxes, we will not have to get a loan for 15K to pay for this necessity. I am a little anxious about going because we have not seen the paperwork yet and will refuse to sign it if it does not specifically mention providing sewage. God has been so merciful the last 6 months in sustaining our septic system. We were having is drained every 10 days at $400-$700 each time! We endured quite a bit of debt from that, but we made it through. Trey is very handy and installed an aerator in the septic tank to create good bacteria. It has worked! But every time is rains I bite my nails and pray. I don't do laundry or give the kids baths on days it rains. Sad isn't it? I will be so glad when this mess is over and we can flush our toilets like normal people. I will keep you posted and let you know how it goes tonight.

Yesterday was my birthday and it was great! Jon cleaned the house for me the night before, and the kids were really sweet in class. One student bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and then one of my classes brought in two cakes, brownies, and Yoohoo's. Needless to say, we were on a sugar high by the end of class. When I got home, Jon had my birthday present sitting on the kitchen island. He is too sweet. He had me a card from the boys and then he had me a card from him and he got me my favorite perfume. I am one of five girls and whenever it is one of our birthdays we get to pick the restaurant and my entire family meets there to celebrate. After my birthday celebration, we headed home and Jon started to pack for this weekend.

This birthday was a little different in that this was my first birthday being a part of the Facebook family. I was overwhelmed by the love and birthday wishes I received. As I scrolled through my profile page, I looked at each person's name and picture and read what they wrote. As I was reading, I made a concious effort to think about how that person was brought into my life. It was really special to reflect on this idea. I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life both past and present.

Naaman was a great man with a big problem. He had leprosy. He went to Israel to seek Elisha, a prophet of God, for healing. However Elisha himself did not see Naaman, he sent a messenger to tell Naaman what to do to be healed.
2 Kings 5:
10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy

How many times have we questioned God? We pray and seek Him for an answer and when He does answer, we don't even recognize it? Or when He gives us an answer that doesn't look like what we thought it would, we get angry and pout. We have all been there. "Why didn't you heal her Lord, why didn't you show your might and glory?" "I didn't get that job? This was a perfect opportunity to show you provide!" What was He thinking? ....that is something we sometimes find out later or not at all. But one thing is for sure, He does what is best. Naaman's servant talked some sense into him and he went and dipped 7 times. He was healed. Ultimately, the end result was the same, even though it wasn't how he wanted it to go and not where he wanted it. God will always accomplish His work inspite of us.

There is something else that speaks to me about this story. Once Naaman finished his pouting, he dipped 7 times. What if he had given up after 5? Seven times is a little excessive, don't you think? After 4 times he was probably thinking, "I don't feel any different, I should stop. This is ridiculous." But he didn't and the blessing came. There are so many of us who fasted this year and the answers haven't come yet. Persevere, keep going. Dip one more time. What if Moses had only struck the rock once? Or Hannah or Sarah had stopped praying for that baby? The blessing that God held in His hand would still be there. So be encouraged and keep praying. But be on the look out for His answers to your prayers that might not be in the form you thought they would be. He just might surprise you.

Last weekend was wonderful! Niki and Jayce picked me up from the studio and we headed up to Chattanooga for the Echoing Angels Concert. Since I got out of work so late on Friday, and we may have taken a wrong turn or two... :), we made it right after the guys finished playing.

After an action packed weekend, I came down with a terrible stomach bug. Poor Journey had it Sunday night into Monday, and I think he is who I got it from. I started feeling bad Monday and by Monday evening I was full blown sick! Poor Jon had to take care of me and the boys and he did a great job! I don't know what I would do without him. I am so thankful he was at home. I am back at work today, but I still feel really weak. All I had for lunch was two girl scout cookies- Samoas- those are my favorite. All I want to do is go home and go to bed.

Wow, was this past weekend action packed. I think my head is still spinning.  Friday, the kids and I headed to Chattanooga with the band for their benefit concert for Extreme Home Makeover.  The band did awesome and there was a great crowd that brought cans of food for the Chattanooga food bank.   I think most of the crowd ordered the pre-sale CD and that is a great indicator of how much they enjoyed it.....and the kids enjoyed themselves.  Well, James enjoyed himself and Eliza slept through it.  It had been a long day with no nap.  They had a sing language interpretation team there for their deaf crowd and that was super fun for me since I know sign.  We became instant friends.  Sign language is actually a little bit emotional for me still because of Brooke.  I haven't gotten much practice with it in the last years since she lost control of her arms and since she passed I have pretty much pushed sign out of my head.  It just hurts too much.  But every time I get around those who sign, it all comes back to me, especially the desire to do it.  Friday night was also the first time I had seen "Give you Peace" signed and that is the song written for her.  It was very cool.

After the show we got to go to the Extreme Home Makeover home site.  This was really neat.  We were ushered into the VIP tent where we got hard hats and were shuttled to the site.  It was 1130 at night and there must have been a 100 people working.  I knew it was a BIG production but to see it first hand was very cool.  We ended up at the hotel at 130 am and ate McDonald's that Cami and Josh picked up for us and got the bed about 2.  The kids had never stayed up this late before and held up very well. 

 The next morning we headed to the Tennessee Aquarium.  J103 is the Christian Rock station in Chattanooga and were very gracious to us.  They put us up in the hotel and gave us the aquarium tickets.  We had a lot of fun.  James enjoyed the aquarium immensely.  Petting the sting rays and baby sharks were his favorite.  Eliza, on the other hand, was miserable.  Just not enough sleep and no nap again on Saturday were enough to tip her over the edge.  Bless her heart, she was good under the circumstances.  But it honestly, it stressed me out.  I just wanted her to go to sleep in the stroller and she just wouldn't.  I ended up carrying her most of the day.  Good news is she LOVES Shannon and let him carry her a lot. He was a great help to me this weekend. Plus I had to work Saturday night and half way through the day on Saturday, I was tired and was ready to go home, but we hadn't petted sharks yet and persevered for James' sake.  Over all, it was great fun and it was so nice to be able to hang out with the whole crew.

We got home about 6pm on Saturday and I got the kids to bed at 7 and laid down myself until 9pm.  I went to work at 11pm and was able to sleep/rest until 3 am.  Our call room or sleep room is in the middle of a labor and delivery floor.  So although we can sleep when there are no surgeries going on, it is very loud and difficult to sleep.  We also share a wall with the nurse's break room so that doesn't help either.  At 3 am I got a call with an emergency needing help in the ER.  That kept me busy til 6 am and other surgeries until 3pm  when I was able to go home.  Last night we ordered Pizza and I went to bed at 8pm.  And today I am back at work until Friday.  I feel like I have lived 2 whole lives in the last 3 days.  But would I do it all again?.....probably.   One day at a time. 


 

Wow! Is all I can say about the amazing weather we are having in Georgia. I even broke out my flipflops today because it is so warm and also I have MAJOR spring fever!! Jayce stayed with my in-laws today since Jon left this morning headed to Chattanooga. My mother-in-law said she could not keep him in the house. They have a lot of land and a lot of riding "toys" so I am sure Jayce tested each one. Some of these include a bobcat, a John Deer tractor, a Massey Ferguson tractor, the lawn mower, and a go-cart. He loves to go to his nana and papa's- I'm sure you can see why.

Anyway, this afternoon Jayce and I are meeting up with Megan and we are heading to Chattanooga to hook up with the guys and Emily and her children, and Cami and Lacey. I can not wait. It supposed to be a beautiful weekend!!!

It's amazing how time is flying by. I can't believe that our Lacey is 6 weeks old! That's just crazy! But it has been such an amazing time with her. This week we had some 6 week pictures done. And of course Josh wanted to have one with her laying by his bass. Afterall she is the next great bass player of our time! :-) Our friend Miss Carol took the pictures for us and they all just turned out so cute! So thank you Miss Carol for capturing amazing memories for us! Time is just flying by too fast. I can't believe that I'll be going back to work in 6 weeks. I love my job and miss my co-workers, but, boy, I don't know how I can stay away from this precious little miracle. It's going to be tough! Okay...I'm gonna stop talking about that because otherwise I will cry.

Tonight Josh is at a load in for his full time job with Technical Elements. He probably won't be home until late tonight. So it's just me a Lacey. And she is one fussy baby tonight. She has not had a nap this afternoon. Every time she'd fall asleep she would wake herself up. And apparently according to my mom, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. I guess she's afraid if she goes to sleep that she's going to miss something. And I know I was definitely like that. I was always a night owl and wanted to stay up and be a part of whatever was going on. Thankfully, Lacey is turning into a good sleeper like her daddy (when she does fall asleep). We give her a bath with that Johnson & Johnson bedtime bath and lotion. It's amazing stuff! And after that she takes her bottle and is usually out for the count. She's pretty much been sleeping all night now. Last night she slept from 11 pm until 5:30 this morning. Took a bottle and went back to sleep until 9 am. So we are definitely starting to get some rest ourselves and that is a GREAT thing!

Tonight while Josh is gone I've been trying to pack. Lacey is going to get to go to her first Echoing Angels concert tomorrow night. She saw them lead worship a couple of weeks ago. But, has not experienced a full concert. Tomorrow the guys are doing a concert in Chattanooga. This is going to be an event associated with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They are trying to raise food for the food bank there. So hopefully a lot of people will show up and fill up the cupboards of this food bank. I'm very excited to go. All the wives and kids are going to be there too. So it's gonna be great! On Saturday we get to go to the Aquarium there as well. So, I'm excited to get a lot of great pictures!

We come home on Saturday and then on Sunday afternoon Lacey and I are heading to Missouri with my parents to visit my Grandma Senf and family members. It was very important for me to introduce Lacey to my Grandma. She has been such an amazing figure in my life. And unfortunately, she is in the beginning stages of Alzheimers. So, I really wanted to get Lacey up there as soon as I could to meet her and also to get that 4 generation picture. That way when Lacey is older I can tell her all about her Great Grandma Senf and all the funny stories that we have shared over my lifetime. I'm also very excited because we'll be staying with my Aunt Barby and Uncle Paul. And we just found out that my Aunt Mary from Illinois and my Aunt Susan from the Ozarks in Missouri are gonna be able to come up and visit and meet Lacey as well. It's going to be such a fun time! What a great family reunion!!! I'm also hoping to visit my cousin Greg and Ashley and meet their new little boy that they just had yesterday. So if you can't tell...family is extremely important to me! :-)

Well...I better get back to finish packing. I can hear Lacey starting to fuss again. Plus, it's almost time for Lacey's bath and bedtime. Then time for this mommy to relax a little.

We had a really nice Valentine's day. Trey is so good to me. Every year I try to tell him not to spend money on me but he does any way. I came home from work and he had cleaned the house and bought a huge bouquet of roses. Then we went out to eat at a habachi grill. The kids were totally entertained. Eliza entertained the rest of our table with her expressions. She turned on extra charm. James thought that was the best cooking he had ever seen. Very true James, much fancier than I can do!

I have the day off Friday and the kids and I are going with the band to Chattanooga. All the families are going. I rarely ever get to go so this is a special treat. I am looking forward to it very much. Saturday before we head home, we are going to go the Aquarium. Unfortunately, I have to work Saturday night from 11pm to 3pm on Sunday. I hope its a slow night or that 16 hour shift will be brutal. But this shift equals extra money so I will try to do it with a cheerful heart knowing that God provides.

This is not a foreign concept to us, but I think sometimes we forget this idea- I know I do. I am struggling with some things right now and have questioned God about many things. I have asked him, “Really God? Really?, Why does it have to be so hard? Why does it seem like living like the rest of the world is so much easier than trying to be faithful and trust? Are we really called to do this? If, so then why haven’t things gotten any better?

As I was reading today I asked God to reveal some things to me that would help me in my time of need. The first scripture I came across was in Isaiah 6:1-3:
V1: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
V2: Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
V3: One cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”
V4: And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

The God whose train is so grand that it fills the temple, the God who the angels covered their entire bodies for, and cry out his Holiness, the God whose voice shook the house- is the same God who is for us!!!

One of my favorite authors is Max Lucado and I am reading his book “For the Tough Times”. He describes the Love of God so precisely that I have to quote some of his book as it has helped me out so much today in addition to this scripture.
He states, “ Upon learning that God would rather die than live without you, how do you react?” For me, this hit me pretty hard. Wow! I haven’t ever thought about his love in this way.

Lucado also helped to answer some of the questions that I mentioned earlier. His answer is found in Romans 8:31- “If God be for us, who can be against us?’ We have the maker of the universe on our side. Again, this is a reminder to myself. His loyalty won’t increase if you are better and won’t lessen if you are worse. He is for you!!

Lucado tells a story about a little boy who was being beat up and this man came to his rescue. He took him to the hospital, paid his hospital bill, and took him home with him and adopted him because the boy was an orphan. Because the boy had been abandoned and let down so many times by those he loved, he began questioning the man about where he will get food for tomorrow, where will he sleep and keep warm, how will he get money to buy clothes? The man replied by asking his own questions. He asked, “Haven’t I shown you? Don’t you understand? I risked my life to save you. I gave money to treat you. You wear my name. I’ve called you my son. Would I do all that and then not meet your needs?

This is what our father is asking us when we begin to worry and question. “He as put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go” (Psalm 91:11)

On the band front, we are anticipating the release of the album March 22nd. It has gotten great reviews! That is such a relief. It isn't your traditional Christian rock album so we are happy that the critics are getting it. You can buy a copy of the new album on www.echoingangels.com for just $15 and it will be shipped to your house autographed by the band. I think that is very cool. I personally can't wait for my copy! We haven't seen the CD yet and I am looking forward to that. So go get your copy now, because this offer won't last but another few weeks.

Today has been a very nice day. We attended a church today that Trey leads worship at about once a month when he is home. The people are so nice and the pastor is on fire for God so we enjoy going even though it isn't our home church. I even saw James raising his hand during worship. We were on the front row and I wasn't raising my hand at the time, so he did that totally unprompted by anything. It was very cool. Afterward, we had lunch with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time. Its was really nice. It is beautiful outside here in Atlanta. We really deserve some good weather. James is outside playing and Eliza and Trey are napping. Me? Laundry....whoohoo.

Romans 8:26-27

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Sometimes I think I pray for the wrong things. Just as in yesterday's blog about Lazaras when Mary and Martha prayed for one thing and received another, I frequently get what I didn't pray for which leads me to believe that I prayed for the wrong thing. It's good that God knows better and loves us enough not to listen to us all the time. Parents do the same thing with their children. We know what they need or really want because we have more experience. This past Christmas, we talked James into a big boy bike. He wanted to ask Santa for a bunch of little toys that he would be bored with in a month or that would get broken easily. "Don't you want a bike? You can ride it all summer when the weather is nice....". And it didn't take long for him to really want a bike for himself too. He began to see that it really was the best idea. In the same way, that's how the Holy Spirit persuades us. He knows the heart and mind of God, because He is God. The Spirit also know us through and through and can lead us to do and pray for the right things. The Holy Spirit is the only one who knows the will of God and can help us pray so that we are on the same page as God's will. That's all I really want. There are things that I pray for that I know come from my flesh and selfish desires and I know that is only human nature. But all I really want is to be in God's will, for my desires to match His. What good is all that selfish crap I want when it has no eternal value?

Well, before I was pregnant I would have blonde moments. Silly things that would happen but nothing too outrageous. Then when I got pregnant I had serious pregnancy brain! I could not remember a darn thing! It was ridiculous! I couldn't remember simple things or even people's names who I should've remembered. Now, I have graduated to the Mommy Mush Brain. And boy has it struck a lot lately! And do I feel dumb! Just to give you a few examples, last week I went to the health department to get a copy of Lacey's birth certificate. She told me it would be $25. I gave her a $20 and a $5 dollar bill. As I was signing something for the clerk she gave me the weirdest look. And when I looked at her she pointed at the money. I looked down and low and behold I had given her a $20 dollar bill and a $50 dollar bill. Ugh! But, at least she was honest about it and didn't pocket the rest as a big tip! LOL.

Well, today Mommy mush brain struck again. Lacey didn't sleep very well last night so we didn't get to sleep until about 6 this morning. And I'm not feeling well. I have a sore throat today. So I'm already at a disadvantage. Anyway, I went to do some laundry and threw the clothes into the washer. After awhile I went to find my phone to call Josh. Well, I then realized that I had put my phone on top of the clothes in the laundry basket that was now in the spin cycle. Ugh! REALLY??? I cannot believe I did that! I have never done anything like this before. So as soon as the wash was done I put it in a big bowl of rice. I'm hoping that it'll dry it out and work. I can't get a new phone until April. And I've had some friends who have gotten their phone wet and did this trick and said it worked. Soooo...we'll see if it does. Not sure what I'll do if it doesn't.

Why oh Why Mommy Mush Brain must we be acquaintances???

Something about this year and the 21 day fast is different. And I can't really explain it. Usually during the 3 week fast God speaks louder than usual and when the fast ends it gets silent. I almost go through a depression in the weeks that follow because Gods presence isn't as close as it was during the fast and I long for it to return. This year, however, was opposite. He was very quiet during the fast. I didn't get encouragement from Him or a specific word about our situation. He did quietly speak to me about why we had gone through some hardships. I blogged about sifting wheat last week. That was the only thing He said to me for 21 days. But....since being off the fast, He is speaking so much I'm afraid I'm going to miss something. No depression this year! Every time I open my bible I have an encounter with Him. My cup is running over. I plan on blogging these truths He is revealing soon. I still have some sorting out to do in my mind and heart first....and I don't think He is finished yet.
Tonight I had a revelation about God's silence that I do want to share. I have had many periods in my life where this has happened as I'm sure you have. Some people teach that sin causes this and while I believe that is true, I was never satisfied that was the reason. I always had a picture in my mind of that "footprints" painting....that the silence was the times He carried me. But tonight I have a different picture that the Holy Spirit has given me. My devotion was on Lazarus (John 11:1-45). The bible says Jesus loved him very much and his sisters, Mary and Martha, as well. Lazarus became ill and was dying. His sisters sent word to Jesus asking him to heal their brother. Jesus heard this but did not go to Lazarus, one he loved very much. They called for help and He was silent. It wasn't until 4 days after Lazarus' death, after he was buried, that Jesus came. Martha says to him, "he wouldn't have died if you had come." Jesus then raises Lazarus from his tomb. If Jesus had come when Mary and Martha had called, He would have shown Himself as Healer. But that was not the lesson He wanted to give. It was resurrection! It was life! His silence lead to resurrection....it did not mean rejection! He revealed more about Himself because He waited. He gave them what they needed, not what they asked for. I just wanted to run around the room earlier! Thank you Lord for speaking. God is about to resurrect the situation. He is already revealing more about Himself to me since the silence. So the next time I experience the quietness, I plan on ditching the disappointment and waiting with anticipation on what He is about to resurrect.

It's been awhile since I've been able to blog. But, since Lacey is taking a nap, I thought I'd take a quick minute to post one up. It's hard to believe that on Friday, Lacey turned a month old. The 4 weeks have gone by so fast it's crazy! Josh and I are having so much fun with Lacey. Even the late nights and the few melt downs that I have had, I wouldn't trade it for anything! She has brought so much joy to our family. It's hard to imagine our life without her.

Josh and I were just talking about how a year ago we were pregnant but had no idea that we were about to experience our 2nd miscarriage and the sadness that we were go through. The not knowing of why this was happening and why the Lord would allow us to go on that journey. But, a year later we have our Lacey and we are experiencing such JOY! She has definitely filled that hole of sadness with Love, Joy and Hope!

Those who know me the best know that Christmas is my favorite holiday and I look forward to that time every year! After that my favorite thing that I look forward to is Super Bowl Sunday. Every year Josh and I host a Super Bowl party at our house. And although we usually don't watch much of the game, it's a blast hanging out with our family and friends just catching up and eating lots of great food and snacks! This year was especially exciting because it was Lacey's very first Super Bowl party. And it definitely will not be her last. I had found a really cute football jersey for her to wear. It was a little big, but, she looked soo cute!

This past Sunday Lacey and I were able to go with Josh and the band to Hamilton, GA where they led worship and Mountain Shadows church. It's the first gig that I've been able to go with them on since Lacey has come. We had such a great time! Everyone at the church made Lacey and I feel so welcomed and just loved on our little miracle. If you are in that area, be sure to visit that church!

Well, I can hear Lacey waking up and is probably ready to eat. So, I need to scoot. Just a reminder that Valentine's Day is next week. Hopefully you'll be able to make plans to spend time with your family and Love on them!

Saturday I got a call from one of my co-workers that a guy we work with had passed away. I could not believe what she had just told me. I just saw him the day before. He was 67 and was hiking with some friends Saturday morning and had a heart attack. He was married, had 4 children and 10 grandchilren. He was a much loved man around our community. He had been Jon's football coach all the way through high school. I saw him everyday at work so not to see him today just broke my heart. Please pray for me and my co-workers and all the children in our school. This is hitting us all really hard.

We have had a fun weekend. Yesterday we went to Midieval Times. We went with my parents and sister to celebrate birthdays; James, Trey and mine. Since we all have birthdays close together and so close to Christmas, it is really nice to wait a little while and celebrate them all together. We all had a great time! James especially. He was in awe! This is right up a boy's alley. But Eliza enjoyed herself too as did the rest of us. We then went over to my mom and dad's for cake and ice cream. It was so much fun to be with family.

A really cool thing happened during the fast this year. Our son James has been having hearing problems for 6 months or so. It was getting so bad that he acted like Treys grandfather used to when he couldn't hear, smile and nod. James was constantly asking "what?" It was getting pretty concerning. He had a few ear infections last year, but not that many. And they weren't very bad so I wasn't sure if the two were related. The peak of his hearing loss was at the holidays this year and right as we started the fast. Trey and I got very concerned. I admit, some fear crept in. I started wondering if too many loud concerts had done this. Or maybe it is his drums that did it. If you know James, the kid is a killer drummer already. My heart was deeply troubled that we might have a child with hearing loss when his dad is a musician and music is our life. During the fast, Trey and I really began praying over him. One particular Saturday night as James said his prayers, he prayed for himself, asking God to make his ears better so he could hear mommy and daddy. The next morning before church, Trey and James were in the kitchen making breakfast. James said, "daddy, I can hear you...." in a whisper, something he has not been able to do in a while. He had been speaking loudly just to hear himself! Then he said "God healed my ears, there was a big boom and I now I can hear!" Immediately Trey went in the next room and whispered to see if James could hear it, and he could! I was ecstatic. Our God heard our cry. James already had an appointment with an audiologist and an ENT surgeon so we decided to take him anyway. He passed the hearing test but the audiologist said his ear drums were like pancakes when they should be like trampolines. So the sound wasn't vibrating like it should. Yesterday we had the follow up visit to the ENT surgeon to evaluate for ear tubes. Guess what?! To our surprise, the cause of his pancake ear drums is fluid build up from pre-molars coming in! There is no need for ear tubes. As for the cause of the hearing loss over most of last year, we will never know. And I don't need to! God is so good to hear a precious boys' prayer. Truly a miracle and the first fruit from the fast!