Final Update on Michael Julian

Many of you have asked how Michael is doing now that he has been home for a little while. I am pleased to report that he is doing fabulously. On the 25th he weighed in at over 9 lb which is a wonderful improvement from the 7 lb 4 oz he went down to after surgery. His pediatrician was very pleased to see where he was and confirmed for us that the malrotation is actually a rather rare thing for one to have, because he has only seen two in his career. He has now been seen by both the pediatrician and the surgeon, both of whom have given him thumbs up for good health.

He continues to be a rather content child who is adored by his family who are thankful daily for his health. Thank you all for your prayers and support. What a blessing it has been to taste the wealth of relationships the Lord has given to us in the church.

Here are some more pictures of the little fellow:

Mighty to Save!

The birth Michael Julian on the 27^th of October ushered in a period of blessing and testing for the Becker household. A time for which we are thankful because we know that it will grow our faith and our dependence upon Jesus Christ. We truly believe in what the Bible says in James 1:2-8.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (endurance). But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Earlier this week, Michael began to vomit explosively, progressively becoming worse until he could no longer keep anything down. We knew there was obviously a serious problem with him. We came into Valley Children’s Hospital (referred to in our house as “Wyatt’s hospital”—from his diabetes stay) just outside of Fresno around midnight on Wednesday morning, November 4^th.

We spent 12 hours in the Emergency Department attempting to identify the extent of Michael’s issue. After many tests, potential problems were being eliminated one by one. Jaundice was an obvious issue that was being exacerbated by his inability to keep anything down. This caused him to be placed into an incubator tube, while being under lights designed to help his jaundice subside.

Michael under the Bili lights and in the tube…(Michael working on his tan)

The cause for vomiting was still a mystery until “Dr. Miracle” came into the picture. He is a doctor of radiology whose name is spelled Myrical, but is actually pronounced miracle. He thought he could identify a twisting and partial obstruction in the small intestine. This was verified in a “barium study” which made the blockage, banding and twisting somewhat obvious.

This caused Michael to be admitted into the surgical ward and scheduled for immediate surgery. Nothing easy to be at peace with, but God was gracious and merciful. Alicia and I were both very sober, but peaceful in trusting in His sovereignty. While waiting in the surgery pre-op room, we were both singing and humming “Mighty To Save” through tears. We made sure our hearts were content with handing Michael back over to Jesus, because He is his rightful Father.

Michael’s expression when we told him what was about to happen to him…

When the surgeon came in to see us just before they went into the procedure, I was led to ask if I could pray over him. The doctor graciously accepted and bowed his head. We were blessed to be able to pray with him that God would glorify Himself in the hands of this man.

At 3:30 am Wednesday morning, we were coveting the prayers of the saints, so I quickly made a list of people on my phone and sent out a request for prayers. We then continued to update these people as things progressed along. This was such a blessing because by now we were receiving emails and texts on the phone with scriptures God was placing on the hearts of people all over the world. We were brought to tears as we waited for the surgeons to take him back by just such a message.

Just before Michael went back with the surgical team he blessed us with an expression that seemed to be Divine. It’s as though He was telling us through our week-old son that He had it all under control and that we could trust in Him. All of this spoke through a wink and smile given to us by Michael.

“No worries, God’s got me in His hands!”

Once the surgery began, we were surrounded by saints who were waiting with us in the waiting room. We spent time laughing and praying together, not only for Michael, but also for the others in the room whose children were in surgery at the time. This was a sweet time of fellowship and love, capped off by a trip to the window to see about 20 others gathered in the parking lot to pray and praise along with us, but could not come up to the waiting room because of space constraints. In the middle of this I received this verse from a dear sister, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You. Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) This really spoke to us, because that was it, perfect peace seasoned with a beautiful manifestation of the love of Jesus displayed through His saints joining us in prayer and praise.

Once we had the announcement that all had been a success, we were relieved and blessed again at the faithfulness of God.

He is continuing to recover as we wait. This morning I was blessed by a scripture sent by another person which just seemed to encapsulate the whole event and situation.

“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

When I heard this it caused the tears to roll all over again. I remembered the last few days as we would console Michael by singing to him while he was in the tube. This brought him to a place of gladness and quietness all in song, even from me. Yet at the same time, God has been ministering to us all along singing “Mighty to Save” into our hearts. He has also been quieting us through the manifestation of His love through all of the saints who have been emailing, calling, praying and serving.

To God be the Glory!

Mighty to Save…

Everyone needs compassion

Love that’s never failing

Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness

The kindness of a Savior

The hope of nations

He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save

He is mighty to save

Forever

Author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me

All my fears and failures

Fill my life again

I give my life to follow

Everything I believe in

Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the

whole world see

We’re singing for the glory

of the risen King…Jesus

Michael and Papa today, as he recovers…

It's a boy!

Michael Julian Becker
Born at 12:52 AM on October 27th
7lb 13oz and 20.5"

The grace of Jesus has been poured upon our home once again! Praise the Lord.

Alicia and Michael did fabulously through the delivery. I was able to bring them both home to his excited siblings on the afternoon of the 27th. We were greeted by screams of joy from children and looks of relief from Alicia's parents who were exhausted from watching Michael's four siblings for a day and a half.

Here Michael is just a couple of hours after birth.





What a handsome little guy!



Here are the stars of the show moving from the delivery room into a regular room.





Michael gazes into the eyes of a dear friend visiting at the hospital



First introductions to the new Becker bro's trio.


Grandpa Julian "Sarg" saying hello to "Little Sarg" as he called him


Grandma is the first one who got to hold him when we arrived home which delighted both her and Michael.


The Becker kids with Mama and Grandma


Hannah is blessed to be a big sister once again!


We can't keep Wyatt from loving on him every time he walks by; it's so cute.


Jedidiah offered to not play too rough with Michael until he is bigger. Thanks Jedidiah. I'll hold you to that promise!


Jubilee is able to understand what it means to be a big sister. As soon as she saw him, she had to run and get her own "dolly". Praise the Lord she is able to experience this treat.

Hannah and Grandma made Michael a birthday cake to celebrate the day.

I praise the Lord for answered prayers, the Divinely appointed delivery and postpartum staff, the location for laboring just minutes from the hospital, the unselfish help of our beloved friends and the safety of both in delivery.

I am thankful to Jesus for my beautiful bride who is true to her blood-type, B+. She is so amazing and just shines in these times.

I am overwhelmed at God's goodness to bring us another healthy baby boy! Blessed be the name of the Lord! I have not been able to get that song out of my head since I first laid eyes on my new little Michael Julian Becker.

Drinking Deeply

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because

'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." - I Pet. 1:22-2:3

The beautiful and gracious word of God is so full of treasures that we must align our hearts to desire its refreshment daily. Thus allowing us to be quenched by the goodness and loving kindness of our merciful Jesus. In doing so, we begin to see more of Him and less of us. As we increase in our understanding of the value of knowing Him, we begin to see a purity of heart in ourselves. Let us find ourselves coming to the ever flowing well to drink deeply. Receiving in ourselves the wealth of the forever living and abiding word of God.

Great Life Quote

"I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself."
- Oswald Chambers

Running For Honor

Greg and Trisha Harvey are clients of mine who lost their son in an accident earlier this year. Though they grieve, they are hanging on to the hope found in Jesus. Here is a news story of Greg's marathon run in honor of Josh. To the right is a picture of Josh on the way up Half Dome.

Recently the Lord has been working mighty things in their hearts and is using them to draw people to Himself. This trial has caused their lives to be focused on His plan for them. They are actively encouraging others who have gone through similar losses to find their hope in Jesus Christ.

In our conversation today, Greg specifically shared about two people they have met in the last week who have given their lives to Jesus. It is safe to say Greg and Trisha are now acutely aware of the fact that we must be pursuing the wealth that does not fade away. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

They plan to do a couple of hikes up Half Dome in honor of Josh and the Lord. If you wish to join, you can contact them at the email below.

Email Greg and Trisha an encouraging note at harvey13501@sbcglobal.net.

Town Hall for Hope

With all of the fear and negativity, permeating the country today, a message of hope is well received. For example, Dave Ramsey announced on March 26th that he would be hosting a nationwide town hall meeting. He felt this would be a huge success if they were able to line up 500 sites nationwide. As of the April 16th there be over 6,000 locations around the nation broadcasting Town Hall for Hope on April 23rd. Hope does not come from Washington DC.

Hope comes from Jesus Christ! I hope Mr. Ramsey makes this abundantly clear on this Thursday. Join us at The Little Church in the Pines at Bass Lake at 7:00 PM.

Here is a great story of an atypical "politician."

Quenching My Appetite

The more responsibilities God gives me, the greater the temptation to fix my eyes upon the temporal. For example, the more mouths I have to feed the more I find myself concerned for the where and the how of His provision. With the additional blessing of each child, I rightly feel the burden of responsibility even more keenly. These feelings of responsibility are appropriate, but the mindset that results from the additional blessings is the real test to see for what I labor. The concern for where and how often outweighs the desire to see Him do it. When I find myself in this state of being, I realize I'm chasing after the wrong meal.

Jesus tells us in John 6:27, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." Now does this mean that I am to throw off all concern for the physical needs of the family I've been given to steward? Of course not, but rather it means that I must set Him ever before my face if I am to be laboring for the food which endures. I need to be concerned more for making sure that my family is feeding on the life found in Jesus, because that is permanent. No matter the circumstances, we can feed on Him and be forever quenched.

He continues in verse 35 by saying, "I am the Bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger and he who believes in me shall never thirst." Jesus Christ is for Whom we are to labor, strive to taste, and from Whom to drink deeply. It is this desire and love for Him that is at the heart of the why our relationship with the Savior is the Food for which we are to labor.

Consider It All Joy!

On March 20th, 2009, I was blessed to speak at Solomon's Porch in Oakhurst. You can listen to the message by clicking here. May God be glorified in this message.

Fools' Gold vs Unfading Wealth

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you..." I Pet. 1:3-5

Oh the hope that is bound up in this passage for those who believe in Jesus Christ. What a treasure it is to see that the wealth found in Jesus cannot slide into oblivion with the perishable assets of this world's system. While watching the worldly wealth that has been amassed over decades diminish rapidly, one could find themselves headed into a depression of their own. Yet for those of us who are willing to, "gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace..."(I Pet. 1:13) there is a solidarity of the inner man.

As real estate values plummet, as businesses file chapter 11, as stock prices steadily slide down, as politicians fail and government safety nets near the brink of insolvency; the true value of wealth found in the living hope of the Prince of Peace becomes all the more evident. This wealth is stored up in heaven for us, but it is also paying dividends in this life. The dividend paid is one of a "living hope." That's right, Jesus' resurrection breathes life into the deadness of this life. As we become all the more aware of the perishable state of everything we find surrounding our weary souls, we must gird up our minds to stand firmly in the hope of Jesus Christ.

Peter continues,"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love." I Pet. 1:6-7

The church was created for such times as these. We are given the task of sowing the seed of hope in the midst of a world who is convinced there is none. God has even given us this hope as a burden. (Ps 126:5-6) We carry this figurative seed of hope and we're called to sow it as we go about life.

Many Christians today seem to be suffering from Eeyore syndrome (Poohs' donkey friend) walking about saying, as they've heard on Fox News, "Oh bother, it's probably going to rain again today. Oh, well." Its easy to find a reason to complain, worry or be frozen in fear. It's the higher road to sow hope when everyone else is feeding on despair. We have been given this burden, so let us carry it, especially right now.

I feel the burden of sowing the hope as my phone rings constantly with people asking if it is time to invest their money in the Posturepedic (and I don't mean buying stock in the company). I end up reminding brothers and sisters over and over that the only sure thing in life is Jesus Christ. I remind them He is allowing all of this to transpire to test us and see of what we are made of. When true believers become aware that they are being driven by fear or that they lack trust in Jesus Christ, then they are thankful for the lovingly applied rebuke. They usually end up thanking me for setting them straight, but I remind them that He is the ballast that keeps their ship upright in the storm, not me.

Truthfully, when I find myself in a moment of weakness dwelling on the instability of all that is swirling about the nation today, it is at these moments that I am convicted of the insincerity of my own faith when I find this fear. I then have to gird up my own mind for the task at hand, picking up my seed sack of hope and hit the fields. Thank God for His grace in time of need!

Praise God for testing us with various trials to see if we are genuinely His. When we rest assured knowing that we are the richest people on the face of this earth, no matter how much fools' gold we've accumulated, then finally we know that we've passed the test. We can rest in peace because we own the enduring wealth found in The Lord.

"Riches and honor are with Me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold. And My revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries." Proverbs 8:17-21


For clarification - by "Fools' Gold" I mean the wealth of this world which we all know and understand is needed in this life, yet as we see all too well, is perishable.

Great Riches

This is an image I shot of El Captain at sunrise...The fact that one only gets a glimpse of the massive stone behind the fog reminds me of the glimpses I see of His greatness. It is in those moments that I remember my place and how rich I am to have a relationship with the Almighty!

"When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,the moon and the stars,
which You have ordained,

what is man that You are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you visit him?"
- Ps. 8:3-4

Faith vs Fear

These are times of historic significance: sliding real estate and stock markets, rising unemployment, usurpation of power by all branches of government, confusion of leaders and much more. Yet in the midst of this storm I am comforted by knowing Jesus Christ.

The other morning in my personal Bible time, I read Mark 4 and saw the end of the chapter in a whole new light. To put it in context, Jesus had told His apostles, "Let us cross over to the other side." He proceeded to fall asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat as these seasoned workers of the waters manned the boat. In comes a horrific gale creating enough fear in the fishermen that they wake Jesus and say, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Jesus simply calms the storm with the words, "Peace, be still!"

We all know this story and the way it so beautifully displays the power of the Son of God, but the new revelation came to me in the next verse. Jesus proceeds to ask his apostles two questions which carry a powerful meaning together. First he asks them, "Why are you so fearful?" Seems that they were justified if their lives were on the line, right? Not so! His second inquiry to them, "Where is your faith?" I can hear them saying to themselves, "What's this got to do with faith? He must not realize our lives were on the line?"

Jesus is essentially saying here that fear and faith are like oil and water; they do not go together. If you have one, you naturally do not have the other. Jesus had told them that they were going to the other side. He did not tell them it would be smooth sailing, but He did tell them they were crossing over to the other side.

In the midst of the gale which howls about our country, we must find peace in His promises. We must find rest in the fact that He is ultimately in charge. No one is in authority without His allowance (Rom 13:1). It is His hand that is to make wealth and to take it away (I Chr. 29, Job). It will do us well to test ourselves to see if we are operating from faith or fear (II Cor. 13:5); to examine our hearts to see if we are being overcome by fear of potential loss, persecution, famine, etc. Whatever fears we find are probably unfounded, because we are told at the end of Romans 8 that we have nothing to fear. The only fear we are to operate from is the healthy fear of a loving and just Father (Isa. 8:13).