Please Pray With Us

Yesterday Alyson went to Abilene, Texas to visit some friends of ours. After she arrived in the afternoon, her back started hurting. At first she thought it was back pain from driving but then she noticed she was also having some bleeding. She called her doctor in McKinney, who advised her to go to the local hospital to get checked out. She was quickly checked in to labor and delivery where they started to monitor her and baby Jonathan. At first, they didn't think that she was having contractions but over the next five hours they realized she was because they increased to 1-3 minutes apart. Right before her water broke at 10 PM, her doctor pretty much said that if the baby was delivered at this time, at 22 weeks, there wasn't really a chance of survival.
Once her water broke, they gave antibiotics and miraculously over the next 8 hours, her contractions slowed pretty much to a hault by 7 AM. The doctor was able to get a Fort Worth Hospital that has a high level NICU to admit her today. This was a huge answer to prayer since Abilene doesn't have any such NICU. At 12:30 PM, Alyson was flown by helicopter where she arrived at Harris Methodist Hospital of Fort Worth at 1:45 PM. Since then, she has been admitted into the high risk floor where cases like hers are their main focus. So far everyone has told her that she has the best doctors and nurses.
As of right now, 8:00 PM, Alyson has had very minimal contractions throughout the day, Jonathan's heartrate has remained in the 150's, which is right where it should be, and they are considered stable . Pretty much this means that Alyson has a new home until delivery, which we are believing will be many weeks from now. Amazingly contrary to everything we knew, babies can survive without amniotic fluid as long as there is no infection. We will continue to keep you posted.
In the midst of the hardest days of our lives, God has shown his incredible faithfulness. We just wanted to share with you some ways we've seen this:
1. We have prayer warriors here and all across the country, some we are finding out are people we don't even know.
2. Alyson head nurse in Abilene is the sister of one of our closest friends.
3. Alyson has been surrounded by medical staff who are believers in Christ (Example: Last night before I was even there, and prior to her water breaking, Alyson was faced with a decision to either go ahead and have a C-section or continue on with the possibility to deliver breach with the potential of the baby having even more injuries. Alyson told the doctor that she didn't know what to do, and she asked the doctor what would he would do, and his response was, "do you want to pray?" So the doctor prayed with Alyson. Afterward, Alyson decided to continue on, and the doctor told her that she had made the right choice.)
4. Late last night, as I was packing to drive the 3 hours and 30 minute drive to Abilene, one of my best friends, Lance, called me up and asked me if he could drive me to Abilene. During the drive, Lance and I prayed together and asked for God's peace, which he gave me.
5. When I arrived at the hospital in Fort Worth, about an hour after Alyson arrived, we met with a doctor. This doctor only talked to us about the negative statistics and issues the baby would have if the baby was born this week. Right when I was praying against the negativity, doubt, and worry, my sister text messaged me, "Justin, everything is going to be ok. God's ordered your steps thus far."
6. Right after this doctor left, I opened the door and recognized a pastor from our church who surprised us with his visit. We immediately went into prayer together asking God for healing and protection and rebuking negative thoughts and worries. (The text message from my sister and the visit from one of our pastors couldn't have come at a better time while we were thinking about the negative possibilities.
7. Alyson's mother's friend told her about a dream she had last night about Alyson. Her dream was of Jesus crawling into bed with Alyson cradling her and hugging her as the contractions eased.

We ask that you continue to pray with us. Please pray with us about the following:
1. That both Alyson and Jonathan remain stable.
2. For Alyson to carry Jonathan at least two weeks. (These next weeks are crucial in the development of our baby.)
3. For wisdom from the doctors on the right treatment options.
4. Patience and peace for Alyson as she lays horizontally, for a minimum of two weeks. (She says that she is willing to stand on her head if she needs to.)
5. Strength, wisdom, and peace for me as I am faced with having to work and give my time to my family.
6. Time for our baby to grow and have all of his major organs and systems develop enough to be able to survive ouside of Alyson.
7. Overall, for miracles in each and every way.


We are constantly feeding ourselves with God's Word.
Philippians 4:8-9 "And now, dear brothers, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you."
Matthew 18:19-20 "I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."
Psalm 136:4 "give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever."
Psalm 139:13-16 "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. You watch me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

Alyson and I thank you for your agreement and prayer with us and are genuinely humbled by the support and love from our friends and family. We love you all and will keep you updated.