Long Time Coming

I have been thinking about this post since before Kanyon came home from the hospital, but haven't found just the right time to sit down and write it. It may be done over several days, but I have things I want to say to all my bloggers! It might be long.

When Rachel called me after the babies were born and asked if I wanted her to "do something" to get the word out, I knew I wanted people to know about the babies so that they could be praying. I was thinking our family and a few friends. I had no idea what this would become....instantly! First of all, as I've said so many times before, THANK YOU! When I was still in the hospital, someone would bring us the posts each day and we would read through the comments. You have no idea what that meant to us. We were so overwhelmed with so many feelings with Jayde and Kanyon that being bombarded with these amazing comments was healing for us. So to old friends, new friends, family, and strangers..thank you! I will never EVER forget what this outpouring has meant to us.

Through all of this and our "blog following", there have been 2 things that I keep thinking about. Those are the things I have been wanting to share.

First, this will forever change the way Kory and I treat others who are going through a hard time. We have received comments, phone calls, cards, emails, etc. from people I would have NEVER expected. For months our mailbox was overflowing with cards. Though it has slowed, we are still getting cards almost every day. To know that people cared, prayed, and haven't forgotten lifted us at low points and carried us through hard days. We pray we will remember this and that it will drive us to take that step and send a card or call someone when they are hurting. Always before we would pray, but I'd never taken the time to let people know I was praying. Because of what our loved ones have done for us, we are changed.

Secondly, I learned quickly that you never know who is reading your blog. The response to our situation has been such a testament to GOD's people-impressive and powerful (that's y'all bloggers). I have thought so many times that there has to be people out there reading this blog that aren't Christians or have lost their way. If they are reading this and have read it over the last 4 months, they have witnessed the outpouring of love. I want them to know that THIS is what being a Christian is all about. This is not because of anything me and Kory are or have done, this is what Christians do. They pray, love, and carry each other. Thank you for doing that for our family. So if there are people out there who have been impressed by the response we've gotten, know that the love shown to us is an overflow of the love of Jesus. This is Christianity. So to those of you who have shown us so much love, you have been an example. May the example of this love point people to Jesus.

As I say that I revisit a thought I've had many times over the last few months. At times it brings me comfort, at times it doesn't help, but that is how grief is I guess. My thought is that if our baby Jayde could play a part in saving just one person, her life was a success. Maybe this blog has helped her do that.

So to all of you out there who have loved THE PHILLIPS PHAMILY, we thank you. It has made a difference, it has helped us, it has changed us. I will show this to Kanyon one day and he will be able to see how loved he was and how special he was from the first second he was born. He will know that lots of people loved his sister and that she was a powerful little girl.

I know that we have no idea what the future holds for Kanyon and for our family. I know that we will probably need your prayers again. You have carried us through 100 days of intense experiences and there may be more intense times ahead. But for now, we are settling in to "normal life" and hope that you will continue to follow the Grand Kanyon as he grows. After all, you can't see that little one pounder and not follow him to Kindergarten! :)

This verse has been special to me as I reflect on the comfort we've been given by The Comforter and His people.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Praise be to the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, and the GOD of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from GOD. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We are under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on GOD, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.


Much love from the Phillips Phamily