Peace & Purpose ~ Team Manna

So what is the purpose of this journey? Many times I've thought about all of the things that the Lord has taught me through these last several months and what He continues to reveal to me as we go... how He is teaching me to fully trust in Him. Am I being quieted to wait patiently upon His call? Do I see more clearly what love and compassion and Heaven mean? Am I being daily reminded to surrender all sense of control? I believe that each of those questions and many more give way to this "learning and growing experience." But, I also believe there is more... and that this reaches much farther than within these walls of our home. I believe that through all of this uncertainty and fear comes peace and purpose.

The beauty of all of this is that Maddox is already in the arms of our Savior... He lived the brief life he was created to live. And now, only a short 7 weeks after his arrival and departure, I already understand that the only way that his life, and this journey, can be filled with purpose is to bring glory to God. By serving the Lord we can let others know that Maddox's life, although according to worldly standards was just an instant, was completely worth everything we went through. And interestingly, God's purpose in all of this is still much bigger than us... As we seek His purpose for the little life that we remember, we know that one of the ways He is calling us into obedience is to help others walking this road behind us.

So for that reason and many more, we are going to be doing just that... we will be WALKING. We will be walking to remember. We will be walking to honor. We will be walking to prevent. We will be walking to raise money... and awareness... and hope. We will be walking to support others that will come behind us on this all-too-familiar road in hopes that one day, no one else will have to trod these worn paths again. Just as more families walk into their doctors offices to receive devastating news like we did, or walk into a hospital to give birth 16 weeks early like my friend Rachel did, or walk into a living room to see that their infant has fallen asleep and awoken in the arms of Jesus like my friend Brooke did... we will be walking to help them. And as we do, we pray that their hearts and minds will be solely focused upon Christ "who strengthens and sustains"... That they will some how find peace and purpose on the road that will be laid out before them as well.

TEAM MANNA

Please join us, Team Manna, to support the March of Dimes March for Babies. We are asking for your help as we strive to reach our team goal and honor the lives of our children. Team Manna represents each of the 3 major categories (birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality) that the March of Dimes funds for research and public awareness. As we walk this year, we are doing so in memory of baby Maddox, baby Andrew and baby Noah, and in honor of the precious life of sweet Hannah.

To read each of our stories, view pictures and make a donation, please check out http://www.teammanna.blogspot.com/

You can also view our page on the March of Dimes site at www.marchforbabies.org/teammanna.

***NOTE: We want to thank the MANY people that have donated money to our family to help with all of the costs incurred over the past few months. We would like you to know that our family will be donating $500 to the March of Dimes March for Babies from the Thrivent funds received. Please know that you have helped our family and many other families with your generocity!

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"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."- Deuteronomy 8:3

"This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."- John 6:58

"He rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven."- Psalm 78:24