As I write this account for you to remember I am overwhelmed at God’s love for us. At times it is hard for me to fathom that the God of the universe who waited so patiently for you and I to come to Christ later in life showed us such great mercy in healing our son. Please keep this account and re-read it from time to time. I hope it moves you as much as it moves me to tears every time I relate this event in our lives to another woman within our Shoreline family.


At about 4-5 months pregnant our son was diagnosed with Trysomy-18 a radically knarly genetic disorder where many babies die in utero or if they do make it, major organs are not developed like the brain, lungs, or heart. The mortality rate for boys with this genetic disease if they are born alive is days to months and for girls a short while longer. At the time of Christian’s diagnosis our OB and Perinatologist recommended termination of the pregnancy based on the high mortality rate and struggles to cope with a baby born with this disease. In fact in the middle of one particular ultrasound, the first Perinatologist told us that we had no idea what it would be like to raise a child with this disease and wrote in her report something to the effect “I don’t believe the mother in particular understands the severity of the situation”. I wanted to get off the table, punched her in the nose and walk out.



Regardless of the comments, I stated that we had lost a baby once and if this was the baby that God wanted us to have, He would take care of it and I was not going to stand in the way of God. Each night at dinner, you, Nick, Sophia, and I laid hands on my belly and prayed for healing. We prayed for direction, for comfort, to use this event, we prayed because we were scared, we prayed because we didn’t know what to do, we prayed because we had no other alternative. I remember this time as an incredible time of closeness as a family and a coming together for something bigger than each of us as individuals. All around us, the enemy we infusing and attacking – through, friends, through family, through our small group, through our church family. Doubt was everywhere but we closed our family circle and came together in prayer! Around about the 8 ½ month mark, our church was holding a prayer and worship evening on Sunday nights. I had been before and had been anointed with oil, but this night was different. I remember telling you, “I need you to watch Sophia, because I have to go to church tonight!” That night there was an usually small group of people present. Paul Gates, Junes Pierce, Patrick Steele, myself, and 3 other people were in attendance. We sang as usual and then came together in a small circle and laid hands on one another and prayed based on prayer requests. We prayed for healing for Patrick, and the others and Paul prayed for me. At the time Paul was praying, there was an almost painful pressure on my body that felt like someone pushing at the top half of my body in one direction and pushing at the bottom half in the opposite direction. It was weird and I wasn’t sure what was going on, but Paul prayed for me and then we moved on to someone else. A little while later June said the Lord had put something on her heart and she needed to pray for me again. So Paul said “OK” and we waited…nothing…then Paul said, “June are you going to pray?” and she responded that she was waiting on the Lord…OK, I thought and then she started. Now keep in mind that she had very little details about the current situation with Christian. She knew he was sick, and that was about it. They she started praying. She hit every single topic that you and I were struggling with. They baby, the home birth, the illness, the family, the marriage, and on and on. I don’t even remember all the details, but what I do remember is God prompted her to pray about EVERY issue we were facing, spoken and unspoken. It was amazing. While June prayed something physically was happening. It felt as though everything that was wrong with Christian and with me was draining out, like a shower of grace was washing all the bad stuff away and when she was done, I literally felt different. It’s hard to explain but something in the baby and me had changed. I remember coming home to you that night saying, “Something happened at church, I am not really sure how to describe it but I think the baby is going to be ok. Your response was, naturally, OK…


The pregnancy came to a close and our new Perinatologist, Dr. Lagrew continued to perform ultra sounds and the issues at hand – multiple cists on the brain, under developed kidney’s and I think an issue with the heart or lungs which had previously gone unchanged, began to improve. At 10 months, I gave birth to a healthy and happy baby boy at home and he was beautiful and perfect in every way. Two days after he was born, we took him to see Dr. Bill Sears and he checked him over and then commented, “He looks good, do you have any questions?” and I said, Yes, as a matter of fact I do. We were told that he was going to be born with Trysomy-18 and it was recommended that we terminate the pregnancy and I told our OB & perinatologist that we had lost a baby in between Sophia and Christian and if this was the baby that God wanted us to have I was not going to get in the way of that. He thoughtfully gave us a quick background on T-18 and then said, “Good for you and sticking to your faith” and then he said, “I can tell with complete confidence that there is nothing genetically wrong with this baby.” You almost fell off your chair. With tears in your eyes, you said “Doc, can you repeat that?” and he did and then you wept. In the car on the way home, I said I had no idea how worried you still were about Christian’s heal and well being and you said you didn’t really know that you had been carrying that around either.


This past year on his 4th birthday I actually looked at him and cried. I never even thought he would make it this far yet look at Him today. He is a wonderful reminder of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and His love for our family....

And each year he grows I'm reminded of God's faithfulness!



11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11



Now I fast forward to today and God’s vision for our family and my part in it. God has made it very clear to me that this is a season to:

1. Love & respect you like Jesus would

2. Raise well educated, compassionate, & articulate young adults through homeschooling who love Jesus and can speak the truth about Him

3. Pray for our family and be in God’s word daily

4. Have the courage to say yes to God and rest in His promises



In that obedience, I trust that God will:

1. Provide for our needs through you to meet our financial needs & goals, to tithe, and to help Nick with his tuition.

2. To keep us in our home, our church family, & our neighborhood in SC
3. Deepen our faith in Him as He provides in only ways that He can
4. Leads us through you in our marriage & in our family

5. Develop a faith in us that is unwavering, outspoken, and changes our family tree for generations to come by Glorifying God in everything we have and do



Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.