Some more news on Asher and the Bond Family

Here are some pictures I took of Asher last night. He is starting to look like the kid I caught outside the birth center. He hasn't looked like himself this much since before the surgery. Last night was very encouraging as far as how he looked and how he is progressing.


Take a look at his chest scar...it is healing up really well, and so quickly!!!





The nurse says that he is doing well today. He is still on 2 ml of breast milk, but is tolerating it very well. So far the feeding isn't affecting his gut negatively at all...no bloating and it sounds good...all the gurgles in the right places. He had a few poops today which means the intestines are doing their job (Praise you Jesus...that was one of the things we were all concerned about). He's tolerating the weening of the ventilator well...taking him down one breath every 12 hours. The drainage of the chest tubes is minimal and they very well may be able to take them out tomorrow. The nurse gave him a bath today and had his bedding changed and he handled that well also. A week ago and those disturbances would have caused him major upset requiring medication, but today he got upset and then calmed right back down. The nurse is expecting to have a really good night tonight with him.

So things are looking good with Asher. All of your prayers are working well and are effectively accomplishing all that God said they do. Thank you all so much for praying for our little man. We can feel it for sure. Keep them coming. You're all awesome!!

I have been being Mr. Mom this past week as Erika has been having to pump so much and can't keep an eye on Joel. So, I've been hanging out with Joel a lot. It's been great over all and Joel and I's relationship has been flourishing which is welcome indeed. I'm getting to know this little guy in a way that I haven't before due to being busy with the House of Prayer stuff and other things that seem to always sap my time away from my family. God is using this time to help me reset my priorities as now I really love spending time with my son.

All of that said, it has been overwhelming as I now see how hard it is to find devotional time with God when your chasing a 2 year old around all day. However, I have now seen the ministry that takes the most amount of faith and perseverance on the earth. That of a full time Mom/parent. God bless all of you mothers and fathers out there that are laying down your lives for the next generation!!!! Your work is one of the most important functions of the body of Christ. It takes so much faith to be a full time parent. You can't lean on religious programs and activities to gauge your walk with God. It really takes faith to believe that God is looking down at you and smiling at you with pride (the good kind) as he receives your sacrifices (diaper changes especially) as worship and a sweet smelling fragrance. God bless all of you full time parents! Your work requires a laying down of your life more than any Sunday morning preacher. Any fool with a loud mouth can preach but it takes real Love to be a parent that raises up their kids right.

So I had a little melt down today. I thrive when I have time of regular solitude with God. Well in the past almost month now I have been able to get that in only a few times and it has started to take it's toll on me. I internalize stress a lot and it often ends up with me melting down, locking myself in a room for a few hours with God, my bible and my guitar and weeping and singing the Word of God and my heart for an hour or so and them I'm okay. Well that is exactly what happened today. I started to feel overwhelmed because everywhere I went I was in contact with people. I Love people because I have Jesus in my heart. When I don't take the time to focus on Him in my heart, I start to not like people so much. So when Erika got home from my sister's baby shower, I left Joel with her, grabbed a guitar, popped a sign on the door to the garage and I turned to some place in the psalms and just started strumming the guitar in the key of D. I then started singing something like this: "I don't want comfort from any thing or anyone but you" or something I forgot most of by now. That's the essence of it though and I really encountered God there as I felt the Holy Spirit come and comfort me in a way that only He can. Ahhhhh. It feels refreshing just talking about it.

I also finished the book called "The Shack", AMAZING!!!!!! Don't listen to the heartless pharisees, just read it, it will draw you closer to Christ. They mean well but so did the pharisees I guess. Maybe not though, but that's another conversation for another time. Read the gospels and you be the judge. (; By the way, I've read the book and haven't encountered anything unbiblical in it. In the words of Bill Johnson, "God will never contradict His Word, but He will contradict your understanding of The Word." If you're stuck in dead religion and in love with a form without the power and lack any real relationship with Father God, then you may be offended at what you read. If you see God as a pissed off guy with a stick ready to pop you if get out of line then this book is definitely for you. It may offend your mind but if you engage your heart you will see God in it for sure. Especially if you're going through hard times.

Well I'll let you all go and stop typing your ear off. Bless you all and thank you again for all of your prayers and support.

Blessings
M@