Dan Speaks -

I can't believe we are down to less than 6 weeks! I better start taking my vitamins : ) . The "Refer-A-Friend" and "Email Dan & Julie" parts of our main website work again now. Sorry it took me so long to fix the website. I had planned on recreating the site from scratch but have been so busy lately. Work has been nuts and I've been working on starting up a new business.

Julie's parents sold their townhouse. They are coming to live with us for a while until their new house in Wake Forest is ready. It will be nice to have them here. Mike got a Banjo for his Birthday and I play the guitar so that should be fun. We can sit out on the porch and play like a bunch of back woods mountain folk... just add shotguns. Maybe we could get Julie a jug. Would that count toward her breathing practice? Hopefully Gray-C, or "The Gray Dog" as she is more commonly called, will play nice with their cat, Emma.

One pretty major (for me anyway) project we hoped to accomplish prior to Ethan's Birthday was to put up a fence. Our neighboors will be glad to know our project has been approved. (I'm sure they are tired of all the wood and materials sitting in our driveway.) We'll be breaking ground this Saturday. Hopefully it breaks easy as there will be 16 posts requiring a 18-inch deep hole for each.

As time does draw nearer to the big day, I am surprised at what I am feeling - or more accurately what I am not feeling about becoming a father, about Ethan's heart condition. I am not anxious, I am not afraid. I just can't wait to see my new son! See what he looks like, see the color of his hair. What do I feel? I can tell you since the first week we found out about Ethan's condition, I feel prayed for. I can actually feel it sometimes. When I start to doubt or question, those thoughts are just swept away leaving in their place thoughts of God's faithfulness to me. God has proven He can take care of me. He has provided for me for 30 years. Why would He stop now? I know He won't. I often think of the verse where Jesus says to look at the birds of the field and how they do not worry about what they are going to eat tommorow. They do not store up food. God provide for the birds and I am much more important to God than a bird! Why should I worry? I like that story. It is simple. It is true.

Please keep praying for us. The only battle we have for today is that which goes on in our minds and souls. Sometimes my mind take me places that aren't good for my soul. It can be just as brutal as any physical battle. What delivers us from those battles is taking what we know of the character of God, and remembering His Truths. Pray that those things fill our minds so that there simply isn't any room left for the garbage. - Dan