Greetings!

Would you believe that John and I just celebrated our 11th Anniversary? I can’t. The time has gone so fast and so much has happened! And I’d just like to share with you a word of testimony about one facet of our journey over the past 11 years. See, there is something “unusual” about our family and y’know, more and more people are beginning to notice it. Over the past 11 years, our Lord has been gracious to bless us with 5 of His eternal blessings—children. And I can stand here today and say with joy in my heart that there is not one of them that I would be willing to trade or give up! But we didn’t get here because I thought it would be as wonderful as it is. So, if you would allow me, let me take you back 11 years.

It was about this time 11 years ago that the Lord first blessed us with a child. Her name is ErikaLeigh, but at this time 11 years ago we didn’t know that yet. You see we had only been married for about 6 weeks. In fact, we were still unaware of her presence with us. But that was soon to change.

By the time we had been married almost 2 months, on July 18, 1990, I came home from work and said, “I still haven’t started my period. I think I might be pregnant.”

To which John responded, “You’re always late.”

And though that was true my response to him was, “Not 10 days!”

Over the course of the next few minutes to an hour, we decided to make a trip to the Greensboro Crisis Pregnancy Center, for John was on the board there and it is not unusual for those who volunteer in the ministry to go there for their own pregnancy tests. Still in TOTAL denial, as we were driving over to the Center John announced to me that although he was SURE that the test would be negative, the good thing about getting the test was that, “At least you won’t be so stressed about it anymore and you can go ahead and start your period tomorrow.” Well, he had 9 months of tomorrows to wait, and in the process prepared to welcome one of the greatest joys of our life together!

So you see, we began attracting attention almost immediately. Not many couples are announcing a pregnancy within 2 months of having gotten married. And over the course of the next couple years as we announced our pregnancy with Joey at ErikaLeigh’s First Birthday, we began attracting a lot more attention, and others around us—some by accident and others very much on purpose—began to let us know EXACTLY what they were thinking:

“Don’t you know how that happens?”

“But after this one, you’re not going to have anymore, are you?”

“Ohhhhh, we figured out how that happens and fixed it.”

Or, “Well, after this one, you ought to wait a while before you have any more.”

Then when it was clear that Joey was a boy, another saying was added to their repertoires:

“Oh, that’s great! One girl and one boy, now you don’t have to have any more.”

Now don’t get me wrong, there have been many words of encouragement along the way, too, but my point at this moment is to establish the fact that we have stood out as a family more and more over the years, and now as we have arrived at this year’s reunion with all 5 of our wonderful blessings, I believe that we rival only a few and trail still fewer, save Grandma and Grandpa, in how many children the Lord has been pleased to send our way.

OK, bear with me. I’m totally changing gears here, but I’m a woman, which means that you need to thank me for warning you before I took this huge right-hand turn.

Another incredible blessing in our lives is the modern technology that the Lord has allowed us as a people to discover and develop. In fact, Julia would not be with us today except for the wisdom of doctors who worked together to diagnoses and then through surgery to treat and eradicate a staff infection that had lodged in a lymph node in her groin. Back in March we went through the trauma of emergency surgery and tending of her wound as it was allowed to heal from the inside out. But after only 3 very long weeks, she was discharged from the surgeon with the news that the infection was completely healed and is not the kind of thing that would return! Three very long, stressful weeks, and it’s over. The infection is gone and her incision has healed. What a blessing!

I could go on and you could go on and we could recount story after story where medical science has partnered with God’s plan for healing and our family members are alive today because of antibiotics and surgery and the like. Doctors and surgeons and our understanding of our bodies and of science has brought together the incredible blessing that we can regularly go into the doctor’s office sick and come out with a prescription for healing.

The only prescriptions and procedures that I know of that do not take an ailing system of the body and begin to heal it are contraception, birth control and abortion. Maybe there are others. And maybe I don’t want to know that they are. But these are the only ones I know of. I have at least 3 friends who have had an over-active thyroid treated. Untold numbers of us, even here today, are taking something regularly to control high blood pressure or treat some other malfunctioning system of the body, but John and I have become increasingly convinced that one place that medical science does not fit into our lives is in the impeding or destroying of a system of our bodies that is working normally by the design that God has given us.

Even before John and I met, the Lord had been at work in each of us, and we were in complete agreement on the question of abortion. There was no question. Abortion is murder, and the Bible is very clear about where we are to stand on the question of whether murder is right or wrong. “You shall not murder.” That was not an issue.

What was an issue, and has continued to be a process for me over the years is the question of contraception. Again, John and I were both absolutely convinced about the question of contraception even before we met. The problem is that we were in disagreement on this one, not agreement.

Over the first number of days and weeks after this disagreement came to light there was much stress and MANY tears. The question of whether or not contraception is immoral is a VERY passionate subject. And as we discussed it, John and I were no exception. We fought with fervor! And I dare say that even then God was the One Who was holding our commitment together because although I was sure John was crazy, it never crossed my mind to break up with him—and I’m still glad for that!

As you can imagine, there was no one argument that hit me between the eyes and caused me to say, “Oh, wow, John, you’re right! I see it now! I’m ready to just trust in God to give us exactly the number of babies that He wants us to have exactly at the right time. We don’t have to plan our family; He has already done that!!” John is there, but for me it was not like that at all. In all honesty, I still have to fight, and pull myself back into submission to John and my Heavenly Father on this one, but this I can say: “I am convinced that the Lord has asked me to give up control in this area and totally trust Him, and His timing has been perfect! I wouldn’t give one of them back, and I wouldn’t change a thing!”

But for me, this is an on-going process. When we had 4 children and it seemed apparent that my fertility was returning, John was excited! And I was stressed. But the Lord did see fit to send us another little one. And though I was content, maybe even pleased when we found out about his presence within me, I still wasn’t excited. Having 4 children was already a sometimes-overwhelming situation—and we were going to have one MORE? But I can honestly say that I have been able to enjoy George more than any of my others. I am more comfortable with being a mother than I was when I was enjoying my sweet ErikaLeigh. George is a more laid-back, easy-going guy then my wonderful Joe-Bear, or Joey. And with now having a 10 year old and an 8 ½ year old, I have lots more help than I did when Tirzah was a baby and even when Julia were born.

Still in all of these situations, and even those yet to come, the Lord is my Strength and my Shield. Of whom shall I be afraid! Yes, having 5 children is stressful sometimes and I’m sure that if the Lord continues to bless us in this way it will continue to be stressful, but whose life isn’t? I’m no busier than my sister-in-law, Carol whose first baby was born in March, or Rachel who has a one year old and one on the way. I’m just busy doing different things. I am training older ones to be helpers and checking up on them to make sure everything has been done:

“ErikaLeigh, have you fed the chickens?”

“Have the eggs been brought in?”

“Joey, I need to you start a light load of wash.”

“Tirzah would you please put the clothes from the washer to the dryer?”

“OK, time to wash the dishes.”

“Julia, it’s time for you to put your ‘play-dough’ away.”

In fact, I have even said, “Joey, would you please get George out of his swing and change his diaper and get him dressed for church?”

The size of our family forces us to work together as a “family team.” And working together both lightens the load, which can get very heavy, and increases the joy. Then even when the going gets tough, the Lord works through the stressful and even painful situations to show Himself to us—and also to show us ourselves.

I am thankful that He has used such a blessing in my life to bring that stress which brings me closer to Him. It’s a win-win situation. He draws me closer to Himself while I invest in the lives of those who are dearest to me—my growing family—and unlike STUFF, with regard to our covenant children, we can take them with us into eternity!