Lilly




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" September 21, 2004 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator @ write2theheart.com Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart." All new subscribers will receive a free downloadable copy of the e- cookbook, "Write 2 the Heart of the Chocolate Lover." To join, send an e-mail with subscribe written in the subject line to: subscribe-me @ write2theheart.com. Some little ones have such a rocky start, but they are no less welcome in our hearts and homes. Melva was able to participate in praying for a miracle for tiny Lilly and then rejoice to see the miracle come to pass. LILLY By Melva Cooper "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3 (NLT) "Debi needs to cancel your hair appointment in the morning. She has gone to Little Rock with Angela," was the message on my answering machine. It was almost three months early for Debi’s first grandchild to arrive, but in my spirit I knew that baby Lilly was about to make her appearance in this world. Contacting Debi’s hairdresser friend who has a shop just around the corner from her, I learned that for the safety of mother and baby a c-section was performed. A perfectly shaped precious baby girl weighing two pounds and ten ounces was now a reality. Lilly was to be her name and she was every bit as beautiful as they had dared to believe she would be. It was nip and tuck for a few hours as machines were connected to help her breathe and keep her body temperature normal. Mother, daddy, and Grandma Debi spent the next two months juggling schedules and making sure one of them could be at the hospital at all times. Looking around at the condition of some of the babies in the neo-natal nursery they considered themselves fortunate to call tiny Lilly their very own. A bond develops between those who have similar needs and Debi and Angela became friends with other parents who were experiencing some of the same difficulties that are part of a newborn preemie. God was good and answered the prayers of many who sought God’s favor for this little girl. Lilly began to grow and mature. The doctor’s prognosis was that it would probably be near her scheduled arrival date before they could bring her home to Jonesboro. But she surprised us all and was dismissed from the hospital much earlier than expected. With happy faces they gathered her up and hurried home. It hasn’t been easy and some days seem endless when bottles, diapers, and formula are all Angela knows for hours at a time. The boundless love they have for Lilly has helped conquer those days with joy in their hearts. Today I saw Lilly for the first time. She is three months old and weighs almost ten pounds. That is a startling contrast to the two pounds and ten ounces when she was born. Lilly was dressed in a darling sun suit with booties to match. Her little face was perfectly shaped and I watched a tiny grin escape when she recognized her grandmother’s voice. Sleepy eyes let us know the new formula they had started giving the night before was taking care of the colic and allowing Lilly to rest. I am a mother of two girls, and grandmother to three grand- daughters and a grandson. That maternal love came forth when Angela ever so gently laid Lilly in my arms. I looked into her eyes and thought about how God had made all the delicate, inner parts of Lilly’s body and knit them together in her mother’s womb. He had watched while Lilly was being formed in utter seclusion and woven together in the dark of that same womb. And then when we as earthly humans thought was way too early, God gave Lilly as a gift to Angela and Carl. She became God’s reward to them. So all the days of her life, no matter where they go or what they do, they can never be far from the comforting presence of our wonderful Lord and Savior who loves them all so much. As God’s character is created in beautiful Lilly, His Holy Spirit will be wooing both parents and child deeper into His fold where He can care for them and assure them of His great love and deep desire to see sweet Lilly grow in the ways of the Lord. Melva Cooper jmelva @ cox-internet.com www.melvacooper.com You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com Melva Cooper is a wife, mother, and grandmother from Jonesboro, Arkansas. She is a contributing writer for “Obadiah Magazine,” “Christian Motorsports Illustrated” and a Team Writer for “Just-A-Minute Devotionals.” Melva is also a staff writer for www.catchfence.com and has been published on several websites and ezines. One of her "Grandparenting" stories will be in “Living By Faith” to be published by Obadiah Press later this year. You can read more of her stories at www.melvacooper.com Write 2 the Heart now has an affiliate program with Cognigen. They have several long distance plans to chose from. I personally use the PowerNet Global 4.5¢ Per Minute Plan. I love having my own toll free number without the monthly fee; I only pay for actual calls. My family can call home whenever they are out of town. I have used it more times than I care to remember over the last three years in emergency situations. Cognigen has more than just great long distance rates; they have calling cards, internet access, web hosting services and much more. You can check out all of their telecommunication products and services at http://ld.net/?cbspeir. Looking for an affiliate program? You will be surprised at all the products and services you will have access to. Letters From Our Readers Pamela's Story, The Price of Privacy, was a wonderful read. It was uplifting and having two little ones of my own, I can completely relate to the luxury of privacy. I'm still smiling. M What a funny story by Pamela. I know most parents can relate. I can just imagine how startled she was thinking she was alone and turning around to find a small person sitting in her room. Is this the same child she had the mouse hunt with? Cindy Military Prayer Reminder As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to pray for these young people and their families: Chris Speir Tim Speir Alan Todd Holland Graham William Julie Sagel Jessie Marshal Thompson Jason Eric Hernandez Kristin Danielson Ken Prieur Ryan Larry Miele Daniel Amy John Joanne Gary Boardwine Josh Hadassah Chanz Wackerly Robert Henderson David Habighurst Tonia Melissa Bair Matthew Nutter Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder. Cheryl’s Corner I have decided I do not like hurricanes and not just because of their destructive force. The preparations are back breaking. David picked up everything in our yard that could fly in the wind. This means all patio furniture, lawn ornaments, and my houseplants. They are stuffed in the shed and the garage. Believe me, our garage does not need anything else in it. After all of the preparations, we loaded the car and truck with a few things. We grabbed our dog and cat and drove north. I entertained myself with reading the names of the small towns and the bodies of water. We drove through a very small town called Panther Burn. I would love to know how they came up with that name. I drove over Dancing Rabbit Creek. I couldn’t help but wonder, what made the rabbit dance? We ended up in Little Rock Arkansas. It was the only place we could find a room for us and our pets. Of course we got lost there. We can’t call it a trip without getting lost at least once. When we saw that the storm had moved over and was not going to hit our area, we relaxed and treated our trip like a vacation. Most of us had a great time. There is always one exception; this time it was the cat. He was miserable. God bless, Cheryl Copyright © 2004, Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.