After two consecutive months of having four additional people in our home for either the Christmas holidays or Matt's birthday, our home feels quite empty and lonely now that the last of our anticipated visitors have left.  The drizzly, overcast weather doesn't help either.  It's just me and Molly here, working on our fifth load of laundry so our bedrooms will be ready for our next house guests, whomever they may be.  Life seems to have been a rat-race for a long while now, and today is the first day where I feel like I can start to completely let down, which usually means some emotional days are ahead.  More than anything, I'm exhausted.  I feel like I could sleep all day long!  I'm trying to pace the cleaning over the next couple of days so I allow myself some time to be quiet as well, so I'm not just going around the house with a dust rag and Windex all day long.

Matt's big 30th birthday bash was wonderful!  With his parents, his two sisters, and my parents all in town to celebrate, it was quite the birthday weekend, and very memorable.  I'll post some pictures in a separate blog later, with more birthday details.  But I wanted to share with you a blog that I came across today that has touched me deeply.

Confessions of a CF Husband is written by a young Virginian pastor, Nathan, whose wife, Tricia, of 3 years has Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  While waiting for a double-lung transplant this past September, they discovered they were pregnant.  Although a very high risk pregnancy for both mom and baby, they decided to postpone the transplant.  Gwenyth Rose, their baby girl, was born 2 weeks ago at 25 weeks weighing 1 lb. 6 oz.  Both mom and baby have miraculously survived!  Tricia has now resumed seeking to be put on the transplant list. 

Nathan is quite transparent in his blogs as he describes the decisions they've made and why; their prayer requests; and how they both are doing on this journey of trusting the Lord in all that He has for them.  It is inspiring, humbling, and deeply moving to see their faith and love for each other.  And it is also quite amazing to see the ways the Lord has faithfully answered many of their prayers!  Several of his blog posts brought me to tears.  Sometimes, I even felt a little uncomfortable reading and seeing pictures of what Tricia and Gwenyth have gone and are going through.  But it's that good uncomfortable feeling, knowing that my eyes need to see and read this; to enter into the lives of other people's suffering; to not be scared or repulsed by it, but instead, to allow myself to be uncomfortable so that I may, despite not even knowing Nathan and Tricia, share in the sufferings and hardships...as well as the comforts and rejoicings of my brother and sister in Christ.  Would you take a moment to click here and read a bit of Nathan's blog, and join with me in praying for he, Tricia and Gwenyth?   Their testimonies will quickly grab your heart!