May 2012

Our fifth Granddaughter!

Evie has arrived! At 5:05 am May 22, 2012, Josh & Kerin's 5th daughter (our 5th granddaughter) was born! 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and 21.5 inches.

Wow, five granddaughters! (Yes, grandmomma is thinking of a string quintet...Josh actually said the same thing...we will have to see what happens and if the girls are interested in that someday.:))

How do my son and his wife handle so many little ones?

God's grace and love and a whole lot of hard work!

But what could be more important than raising little ones? After all, people's souls are the only things that will last forever besides our triune God himself! This world will pass away, knowledge will pass away, all the stuff we do in this world and have in this life will someday pass away too. We can leave behind us hopefully an inheritance of influence, inspiration, service and faith, as well as assets, including things likes our writings or even music, for the next generation, and that is important! Yet even that, at the end of this age, will all be gone. But our souls endure and live forever. So Josh and Kerin have chosen to make their primary investment in this life to be raising, discipling, training and teaching of little souls. Many might look down on them and think it foolish, or irresponsible even, but personally I am so amazed and blessed by their choices. I do believe in a lot of ways they have stronger faith and abandonment to God's loving will and hands than I do at times. They also have a willingness to unselfishly invest much time in this high calling, rather than spending it on other more selfish pursuits.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

I Corinthians 15:8,13 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away... But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Kerin's labor was long and hard this time; she is a champion in my opinion. Not at all what anyone was expecting. 40 hours. And after Evie's head was delivered they discovered the reason, the cord was wrapped around Evie's head and shoulders, like a tether resisting and in a tug of war with the birthing process. But God was good in that Kerin eventually realized labor was only progressing when she was on her side, (that must have given the cord some slack,) so she was able to deliver that way, and Evie seems to be fine, thank the Lord!

During the labor, Josh was keeping me informed through texts, and after a certain text made me wonder if there was problem with the cord, although I didn't want to give them more to worry about by telling him my concern, I really started getting worried and a bit scared myself! I was worried about Kerin, and worried about Evie, and so I began to pray like crazy!!! Up until then, I figured that to have such a long and slowly progressing labor the fifth time around was highly unusual and difficult to endure, but nothing really to worry about. As it turned out, very soon after I fell asleep praying in the wee morning hours from about 4:20 am to 5:00 am, Evie was born. I guess even though I wasn't there, God wanted me to be involved through persistent, even desperate and frightened prayers and petitions to Him. We are all so grateful for another precious little life! We had all four girls here for three days, before, during and after the birth, so while Kerin was laboring, we were playing with the girls and having a lot of fun!

God bless you!

~ Linda for the Bealls