Birthdays are good reminders of what God has done.  Today, Athanasius turned four years old.  Athanasius’ birthday always reminds me of the year and a half leading up to his birth.

Some of you may have walked through that year and a half with us.  After Evangeline was born, the Lord gave us three little ones and took them away soon after.  After we lost our first, although it was difficult, we had hope that we would get pregnant again and have another child.  After we lost our second we started to wonder what God was doing, and after we lost Enoch, our third, we started getting emails asking us to consider adoption.  We had people telling us to stop trying and honestly it was extremely difficult to consider getting pregnant again knowing that another pregnancy could end the way the past three had. Prozac online

So when we remember Athanasius’ 4th birthday we remember how we considered that we might never get to carry and give birth to another biological child.  Here is an email I wrote to family and friends when we first heard his little heartbeat in the womb.

Dear Friends and Family,

We just wanted to share with you that we recently got back from the doctor and were able to see the baby’s heartbeat and little body moving around.  We are praising God for the 11 weeks he has given us this child and don’t take a day for granted.  Thank you all so much for your prayers and petitions on our behalf.  Before the appointment  the Lord kept reminding me that He is the same yesterday and today  and forever and that His love for us would not change no matter what  the results.  I had to preach that to myself because it is a big  temptation for me to doubt that.  So thank you for interceding.  We  appreciate your continued prayers. We love you all.

Sonja for the Brotens

We thank God for giving us Athanasius to hold and raise.  We thank God for his smile and the way he makes us laugh.  We thank God that He has a special plan for Athanasius’ life.