I was thinking, yesterday, about my new niece, Abigail Grace, who was born last Friday.  And it struck me how strange it is that she is really here.  I mean, last fall, when we all started praying for her because of Deb’s aneurysm, it seemed impossible that she’d ever really be born, safe and healthy.  And yet she was.  She’s teeny-tiny, but she’s strong and healthy and here.  What a blessing!  And her name, which Chris & Deb had picked out before they even knew she was a girl, is exactly perfect.  Abigail Grace.  After all, we’ve received so much this past year, much more than we deserve (but I guess that’s what makes it grace, huh?).

So here’s some things I have to praise God for this morning:

• Debbie (my SIL) is alive, well, and totally recovered from her aneurysm.  That was six months ago…crazy!  I still remember my deep concern after my mom’s 6 a.m. phone call, asking me to pray.  And I still remember how, after I began to add thanksgiving to my prayers (Philippians 4:6-7), I felt God’s peace like I had never felt before.  And all through that day, and the following days, as we got updates, waited, and prayed, we watched God do something miraculous.  He preserved her life, yes.  But he also brought her through without mental or physical handicaps.  He returned her to us just as she had been, and we are so grateful for that grace.
• Of course, we praise God that Abby was born, strong and healthy.  It’s amazing that none of what Deb went through 6 months ago seems to have affected her negatively at all.  She has two very-excited older sisters, and we’re very thankful that they got to learn about life, not death, about God’s grace, and about miracles, because of their sister.  That, too, is simply an act of mercy, and we are so grateful that God chose to act in that way in this instance.
• My own two little miracles are sleeping (in their cribs!) in the next room down the hall from me.  Who would have ever guessed that I’d be able to carry twins to 38 weeks, to see them born full-term and healthy, and to avoid bed rest completely while pregnant!  And even more, now that their 3+ months old, they are so amazing.  No, they aren’t sleeping so well these days, and yes, it would appear that a growth spurt is causing them to eat every 2-2.5 hours instead of 3 or more, but they are bright-eyed and growing. They stare at their hands in wonder, and they reach for my face and hair when I talk to them.  They laugh and smile and coo when we blow raspberries at them.  And they are just adorable (if I do say so myself!).  Yep, God is a wonderful God, and I’m so thankful that he blessed our lives this way.
• My dad finally has new knees!  He’s still recovering from his surgery in many ways, but he’s doing phenomenally well these days.  He can walk without a cane (most of the time), he drives, his need for medication is slowly decreasing, and he’s made it back to work (at least for half-days).  And his surgery was just over 10 weeks ago.  We are praising God for his quick and (relatively) problem-free recovery!

That’s certainly not all, but I need to go.  So I will simply end with this truth: God is so good!  Happy Tuesday!