A couple of cool stories of God's glorious nearness in the lives of his children - to be told in order of occurrence . . .
. . . it costs money to take the train. Sad, but true. Hence, the dilemma: at the train station, sitting on a bench, pondering the likelihood of getting cornered by a Schaffner - a ticket inspector. They don't come by every time . . . will it be a burly, ferocious Austrian man with a frown for a face? Can I weasel my way out of a fine with the "American tourist" persona?
You don't know the true depths of your depravity until you find yourself gauging the cost/benefit of purchasing a train ticket.
Shamefully enough, that's exactly where Caleb found himself this afternoon, on the way home to Vienna from Tulln. After muddling through the ticket ATM (is that what we call those??) a few days back, Caleb purchased a week ticket . . . for the wrong week. So, he sat on the bench in Tulln earlier today. And he prayed.
And here's the reason we are sharing this story: in the midst of great fear over Oliver and great stress, God has not left us alone. He is present with us, even in the little things, like buying a train ticket. After praying, Caleb was reminded of what Jesus said once, "Give to the ÖBB what is the ÖBB's" (or something along those lines). Thus, with great reluctance, but certain of the Spirit's guiding hand, he bought yet another ticket to cover the trip home. At this point, he did this purely because he felt the Spirit saying it was the right thing to do.
When the Schaffner came by, Caleb realized that it was that and more. Paying fines for riding black is not part of the budget we have written up. God knows that, of course, as he is the Great Provider. He kept us from experiencing more stress than we need - he speaks to us and guides us.
. . . and here's the second story: Oliver is healed.
The doctors came to Britney only a short time after Caleb shared the story of the ticket with her. They told her that the blood results came back and the infection he had is now gone. He still needs to stay in the hospital and finish out the antibiotics, but he is healthy.
Our Lord is with us in the ordinary. He is with us in the unbearable struggle.
He is with you.
Thank you all for your prayers,
Caleb & Britney & Oliver
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Oliver
Dear Friends,
May you be blessed, as we have been, to hear that Oliver James Dossett was born on the 23rd of September. May you think back on the early days of your children, grandchildren, siblings, nephews, nieces, and all of the beautiful babies you have ever known. God, the Creator, the great Father, is good.
Indeed he is and glorifying his name seems to be the only way to begin this post. Since Monday - the day Britney went into labor - the Spirit has been a constant comforter and source of peace. There is so much to tell about Britney's confidence and her strength through the birth. There is so much more to share about Oliver, about his beautiful eyes and rascally hair.
Yet, the aim of this post is two-fold: to celebrate and to petition.
It's hard to go into full-party-mode right now because Oliver has an infection, which sprang upon us quite suddenly, but has been affecting him since the birth. In short, it's causing him to lose weight and it's exacerbating the little bit of jaundice that he has. Because of this, he was quickly transferred from the hospital in Klosterneuburg to a much larger hospital in Tulln. He is being treated there by a very caring and capable staff.
Everything about this is scary . . . and awe-inspiring. It's terrifying to watch your little boy be taken away from you in an incubator. It's humbling and relieving to realize that if we had left the hospital in Klosterneuburg any earlier, Oliver would be suffering much more now - we may not have even identified the infection if it hadn't been for the wonderful staff there. Instead, now he is being cared for in the best way possible.
And then again, it's still scary: Britney is in the hospital, sleeping a few floors above our wonderful miracle; however, Caleb is at home because the hospital wasn't able to accommodate him. So, all three of us are feeling incredibly alone right now.
And yet, it's something else as well and we leave you with this: On Tuesday, the 23rd of September 2014 at 5:23, God brought another person into the world. He shaped this person from a strange collection of DNA into a cuddly, soft baby that kicks and wiggles in his sleep. He took this person out of another person, which should bring each and every one of us to our knees.
God is good and we have seen his goodness because he has made it evident in our world, as well as in our lives. For now, we ask that you would all petition him in prayer that Oliver will recover in full health, that Britney will be at peace tonight and receive supernatural rest, and that Caleb will rest well & quickly in order to be back at the hospital in the morning.
Peace,
Caleb & Britney & Oliver!
May you be blessed, as we have been, to hear that Oliver James Dossett was born on the 23rd of September. May you think back on the early days of your children, grandchildren, siblings, nephews, nieces, and all of the beautiful babies you have ever known. God, the Creator, the great Father, is good.
Indeed he is and glorifying his name seems to be the only way to begin this post. Since Monday - the day Britney went into labor - the Spirit has been a constant comforter and source of peace. There is so much to tell about Britney's confidence and her strength through the birth. There is so much more to share about Oliver, about his beautiful eyes and rascally hair.
Yet, the aim of this post is two-fold: to celebrate and to petition.
It's hard to go into full-party-mode right now because Oliver has an infection, which sprang upon us quite suddenly, but has been affecting him since the birth. In short, it's causing him to lose weight and it's exacerbating the little bit of jaundice that he has. Because of this, he was quickly transferred from the hospital in Klosterneuburg to a much larger hospital in Tulln. He is being treated there by a very caring and capable staff.
Everything about this is scary . . . and awe-inspiring. It's terrifying to watch your little boy be taken away from you in an incubator. It's humbling and relieving to realize that if we had left the hospital in Klosterneuburg any earlier, Oliver would be suffering much more now - we may not have even identified the infection if it hadn't been for the wonderful staff there. Instead, now he is being cared for in the best way possible.
And then again, it's still scary: Britney is in the hospital, sleeping a few floors above our wonderful miracle; however, Caleb is at home because the hospital wasn't able to accommodate him. So, all three of us are feeling incredibly alone right now.
And yet, it's something else as well and we leave you with this: On Tuesday, the 23rd of September 2014 at 5:23, God brought another person into the world. He shaped this person from a strange collection of DNA into a cuddly, soft baby that kicks and wiggles in his sleep. He took this person out of another person, which should bring each and every one of us to our knees.
God is good and we have seen his goodness because he has made it evident in our world, as well as in our lives. For now, we ask that you would all petition him in prayer that Oliver will recover in full health, that Britney will be at peace tonight and receive supernatural rest, and that Caleb will rest well & quickly in order to be back at the hospital in the morning.
Peace,
Caleb & Britney & Oliver!
Friday, September 19, 2014
Our Little Headache
Dear Friends,
As some of you may know, this past Wednesday was Oliver's due date!!
. . . however, as some of you may know, our little boy is still chillin' in the womb. It's been a full three weeks or so since the last surprise hospital visit we took when Britney was having contractions. At the time, we thought we were going to meet the little guy sooner than anticipated; instead, we've learned, as they say, "the hard way".
We've learned that pregnancy doesn't necessarily rise to a water-breaking climax - at least, as in our case, not before multiple false starts. This kid can really cry wolf.
It started all over again last night when Britney started complaining of a headache. She rarely deals with headaches and has no history of migraines. So, after two and a half hours of brain-shattering pain, we started doing some research. According to the omniscient Google, headaches in the late stages of pregnancy can possibly indicate pre-eclampsia.
After praying and reading, we decided to call our dear friends, Brad and Stacey Hunter. Brad came by, picked us up (this was at midnight!) and took us to the hospital, where the staff took really good care of Britney (and Oliver).
We stayed overnight, against Britney's wishes, and she underwent several tests / blood-work to make sure there wasn't any danger of pre-eclampsia, or anything else.
The doctors and midwives at the BabyVilla in Klosterneuburg are so hospitable and joyful. Although we didn't want to be at the hospital for anything other than a birth, their care made the experience quite comfortable.
Now, we are back home, praying that the big headaches will stay away . . . and that our little headache will get here ASAP.
Peace,
Caleb & Britney & Oliver!
As some of you may know, this past Wednesday was Oliver's due date!!
. . . however, as some of you may know, our little boy is still chillin' in the womb. It's been a full three weeks or so since the last surprise hospital visit we took when Britney was having contractions. At the time, we thought we were going to meet the little guy sooner than anticipated; instead, we've learned, as they say, "the hard way".
We've learned that pregnancy doesn't necessarily rise to a water-breaking climax - at least, as in our case, not before multiple false starts. This kid can really cry wolf.
It started all over again last night when Britney started complaining of a headache. She rarely deals with headaches and has no history of migraines. So, after two and a half hours of brain-shattering pain, we started doing some research. According to the omniscient Google, headaches in the late stages of pregnancy can possibly indicate pre-eclampsia.
After praying and reading, we decided to call our dear friends, Brad and Stacey Hunter. Brad came by, picked us up (this was at midnight!) and took us to the hospital, where the staff took really good care of Britney (and Oliver).
We stayed overnight, against Britney's wishes, and she underwent several tests / blood-work to make sure there wasn't any danger of pre-eclampsia, or anything else.
The doctors and midwives at the BabyVilla in Klosterneuburg are so hospitable and joyful. Although we didn't want to be at the hospital for anything other than a birth, their care made the experience quite comfortable.
Now, we are back home, praying that the big headaches will stay away . . . and that our little headache will get here ASAP.
Peace,
Caleb & Britney & Oliver!
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