This is the day that the LORD has made!

My random verse for this day......"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." - Phillipians 4:8 Everyday brings many different opportunities. Opportunities to live in defeat or victory. To live in regret or rejoicing. To live in Christ or in the flesh. There are many things this day tempts me to dwell on. The loss of my baby girl or the peace that surpasses all understanding. Aching arms yearning for her or surrendered arms given to the good works that God has for me. Lots of people would say I had the right to sit and sulk in my misery, especially on this day. But when I gave my life to Christ I no longer live. Sure He would allow me to ache, complain and mourn, but I'm choosing to allow Him to turn my mourning into dancing! I will not give into my flesh! My God has given me all I need for this day! This is His day NOT mine! I could choose to think about all I am missing out on and by doing that I would miss out on today and the blessings that come with it. I have two children to love and hold. I will not allow my flesh or the enemy to steal, kill or destroy this day. Salvation is for eternity as well as today! If you live in Christ I encourage to to take hold of the victory, pick up your cross and give your everything to the One that gave you everything!

I will trust You LORD

~~~~~~~~~~~Hands Held In Love~~~~~~~~~~~~


This song has been a comfort to me. I pray it blesses you. I will write more when I am ready.

Hiccups....again?!

Hiccups. I get them while I am dusting the living room furniture. I get them while I'm doing the dishes. I get them while I am trying to go to sleep after a long day. I get them while I'm in the shower. I get them while I'm tucking Alivia into bed. I get them while I'm driving and even in the middle of a service at church! They come at the most inconvenient times, don't they? And at their own will, they interrupt my peaceful, easy breathing.

A couple days after losing our Helen Charis, Santos and I were talking about how we had been feeling. The ups and downs of our loss. We were talking about how quickly it goes from up to down. We would be having an up moment being overwhelmed by the love people were showing us through the kind cards, the yummy dinners, the clean house, the fresh laundry, and the babysitting of Alivia. Then, abruptly the down moments would come. We would be missing our baby girl. I would be yearning to feel her kick again. To hear her cry just once. To see her beautiful eyes look into mine. Then Santos described it perfectly. He said, "It's like hiccups. They come out of nowhere, who knows how long they will stay and suddenly they're gone." That is exactly how it is! Just a couple weeks ago I was dusting and thinking about the possibility of us moving to Colorado~HICCUP~I realize that if we move we would be leaving Helen behind. I'll be washing the dishes; look outside to see Santos holding Alivia with a big smile on his face~HICCUP~I would think of how he would have been holding Charis with that same smile. I will be laying down to sleep~HICCUP~roll over to see the empty spot where Charis' bassinet would have been. I would be taking a shower~HICCUP~and notice the scar from my c-section. I will be tucking Alivia into bed~HICCUP~and remember that there is another blanket that will not be pulled up. I would be driving~HICCUP~and realize that there is only one car-seat in my rear view mirror. I would be listening to the announcements at church~HICCUP~they say what else could a mom want for mother's day than for you to be in the pew with her? Oh, these hiccups!

People try all these silly things to make hiccups go away...rubbing their ears, drinking water, and holding their breath among other things. Personally, none of them have ever worked well for me. Being bitter about my daughter's death is not going to work! Being angry at God is not going to work! Pointing a finger at the doctors is not going to work! Thinking about what I could have done is not going to work! What has and will continue to work is giving my burden to my LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ! What is going to work is relying on Him to carry me through the downs! What is going to work is remembering the fact that His ways are far more better than mine! What is going to work is letting as many people "meet" my daughter the only way they can; through writing this blog. I pray that if you are going through a down time that will take my advice. Don't try rubbing your ears, drinking a gallon of water, or holding your breath. Turn to God, give Him your life and He will bless you for it!

Our first born daughter Alivia Christine throwing rocks in the creek with her Daddy


"Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
~Matthew 11:28&29(a.k.a GOD)

Blessings,
Jordan

Eight days

My insides ached. My heart broke for her; for all the family. God must have been holding me a little tighter the night I heard what was going on. I went directly to my husband, who was talking with my youngest brother, and relayed the news. We instantly sought our Faithful Savior in prayer and in the end His will was done. It had to be done; for the sovereign, Holy, and mystifying reasons of God.

My cousin Sarah Arlene Garcia and her husband Miguel have both served our country in the Army. Miguel is still serving and is currently in Iraq as I type. He had arrived back in the States from Iraq on the 8th of February, anxiously awaiting the first time to hear his daughter's heartbeat. Sarah had a beautiful, healthy, normal pregnancy...until that day. On February 9th, she along with Miguel and her mother Marsha went in for her 39th week check up. Precious Hailey’s heartbeat could not be found. I was not aware of the situation until late in her labor and late at night. I can only imagine what was going on at the hospital…prayers, tears, hugs, and an onslaught of emotions. Sweet, innocent, fearfully and wonderfully made Hailey was delivered at 1:06AM, on February, 10th, 2010; her due date. Her perfectly created body was born, but her young spirit had already gone on home...leaving a father's ears forever unfulfilled.

Hailey Arlene was laid to rest on February, 13th, 2010. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. It was unreal to be there…two infant funerals eight days apart. God is still good!

In the weeks to follow Sarah and I shared our stories, pictures, and love for each other and our daughters. When Sarah and I got together for the first time. I was telling her how I knew God has already used this for good. I said, "If we both had our little girls, we wouldn't be here together today. We would be living our own lives and doing our own things." Sarah said, "Yeah, we would just be doing what we always did. Never talking to each other." God knew this was going to happen. It was no shock to Him. Our relationship is only the beginning of the good God is making from our losses.

We have experienced the same loss, but they are so drastically different. I got to come home and be a mom. Don't misunderstand me! Sarah is a mother! A mother full of love for her child! A mother that had plans for her daughter! A mother that cared for her baby's needs the ENTIRE time she was alive! But I had Alivia at home. I could still "act out" being a mom. I could still change diapers, wipe runny noses, and kiss boo-boos. I still ache for her. I love you Sarah! I can only imagine..."I am a mother, but I don't have anyone to mother." she told me. I won't begin to act like I know that side of your pain. I don't. But, God is good. Hailey and Helen are growing up together. They, along with all the other lost babies, will be toddling on streets of gold! Streets of gold people! God knew that Helen needed a playmate and He gave a gorgeous one! Thanks for "meeting" Hailey Arlene! And thank you, Sarah for letting me share your precious daughter with everyone!

I have more to share. More healing is to come, along with more tears.
But...we know that ALL things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called, according to His purposes. ~Romans 8:28.

Blessings,
Jordan

The Depths of Darkness

If you haven't been able to tell, I love to write. And I pray that God will use that desire of mine to do His work. My mom also enjoys writing. A God given talent. During our stay at the hospital my mom wrote and spoke a blessing over our Little Miss Helen Charis. It brought me comforting, healing, and a new sense of God's great mercy. With her consent, I would like to share it with you. I pray that those of you who have lost a child at an age that seemed too young will find comfort and healing in my mother's words as well. Be blessed and know that God is GOOD, God is God, He is ultimately in control, and His ways are PERFECT!

Blessing Spoken over Helen Charis on January 30th, 2010. Written by Lori Kerr.

Helen Charis
Blessed of God

To never know the pain of heartache
To never know the heat of anger
or the sting of betrayal
To never experience hate or evil
or the depths of darkness

You'll never be lonely or frightened
or tempted to sin
for you, only joy
only peace
only love

You'll never have to be convinced
of God's great love for you
Never struggle to find His will
for your life
Never have cause to ask that question
Why, God?

You'll always know light
Always hear music
Always see beauty
Always have arms to hold you

Your sudden departure will bring unity to the Body of Christ
And because of you a threshold will be established through
which many will pass and find peace, reconciliation and grace
God's Grace.

In those rare moments when the reality of Jesus seems distant or vague, our longing for you will be Heaven's sweetest incentive.

~~~~"Jamma" holding her 11th born grandchild~~~~


Thank you all for reading. If you have suffered and survived a similar situation and would like to tell me your story, I would be ECSTATIC to hear from you! Here is my email, please put the subject as "blog", so I won't mark it as spam. jrfernandez04@aol.com
Can't wait to hear from you!

Only by the grace of God,
Jordan

Sweet Roses, Fresh Snow, Carry me

It is slightly difficult for me to write this part of the "our past" chapter of my story. The spring winds are blowing in my present, full of new life. The wind was also blowing on that day, but it was not full of life. It was full of tears, aching arms, and the overwhelming love from God, family, and friends. It was a Friday. A winter weather filled Friday. To revisit that day, in my weak moments, can be quite jolting. Santos and I arrived early to spend time alone with Helen Charis. Before our loss, I planned on taking "bunny" pictures of my 2nd born every month, pictures of her first time sitting up, her first tooth, her first smiles, her first steps. Instead I was, only 8 days after my first sight of her, to take my final baby pictures. My mom and I put so much love into her "going home" gown. I wanted to make sure a got a picture of my Little Miss wearing it! She looked like a porcelain doll as she rested on her pink pillow in her beautifully handmade "bed". I love her so much!

Early in my pregnancy we told my mom that if we had a boy, we were going to name him. If we had another girl that she could come up with a list of names and we would choose one of them. Every once and awhile she would tell us a new name. When we heard the name Charis(KAH-reece), we fell in love with it! We knew then that Charis was Greek for grace. After choosing Charis, we needed a middle name. we couldn't come up with anything we really liked. I had been thinking about how I would like to name a daughter of mine after my Grandma, Helen Kerr. I thought we better do it with this child, because we may not have any other girls. Charis Helen didn't sound right. We agreed on Helen Charis. Come to find out, after we lost her, Helen is also Greek. It stands for light and beauty. Thus, we also call her Beautiful Grace. There was another Beautiful Grace giving to us, but this one will NEVER be taken from us! All of you who have a relationship with Jesus Christ know the Beautiful Grace I am speaking of.

The service was amazing! Filled with prayer, peace, not to mention the praises of His people! Those of you who are blessed to know my mom, you know she can sing! She can write the most beautiful, God given songs I believe I have ever heard! During the days after losing Helen leading up to the funeral she wrote a song. If you watched the slideshow that is on my first post, you saw a picture of roses. While I was in the hospital resting with Charis in my arms, I looked up at the roses that some of my family brought for us. I took a picture of them and they mean so much to me. I have a silk bouquet that looks like them and reminds me of Charis, my mom and I's "slumber party" at the hospital. Part of the song my mom wrote mentions sweet roses. I asked my mom if she had named the song yet; she hadn't. As another remembrance, I asked her if the LORD hadn't given a name for it if she could name it Sweet Roses; she agreed on the name. My mom sang the song and our pastor played the keyboard music that he wrote for Sweet Roses. It was touching, healing and full of blessings! Our pastor gave the sermon, called Beautiful Grace. He did an amazing job at following God's leading.

As cars were being filled with our loved ones, I was taking in my final glances of our Beautiful Grace. It was time to lay her to rest. The walk out of the funeral home was the hardest, longest walk I ever have and ever will take. Santos was by my side, holding me as we walked to my parents vehicle. The grace, peace and love of my God was keeping me sane. It was storming and that made the drive to Bethel Cemetery even longer. My eyes were hardly ever taken off of the hearse. As if Charis was alive and being held by a toddler; the roads were slick and snow covered; I didn't want anything to happen to her. I was being a mother the only way I knew how to in the situation. The grave-site prayer service was beautifully spoken by our pastor. So much of me wanted to stay there with her forever. As Santos and my LORD held me close, I knew that wasn't possible. I gave her a kiss with my hand threw the casket and walked away.

I woke up the next day, sat up in my bed, and looked out my window. I saw the freshly fallen snow covering the magnolia tree, the crisply flowing creek and God picked me up, yet again, to carry me threw another day.

Blessings,
Jordan

Three Months Ago

I felt I should show you a glimpse of my present before continuing "our past" chapter. I am writing this on the day Charis would have been 3 months old. The temptation to sit in self-pity and pain were not far from my mind but, God is good and knew exactly what I needed. My dad called the work day short to take the work crew and part of our family to a state park. It was so nice to be in God's creation on this day. I had moments when I thought...if Charis was here I would put these next to her chubby cheeks and let her have her first sweet smell of wild flowers...I would tell my second born, "That noise is the water flowing down the creek."...I would have just sat in the sun and let her feel the warmth of God's creation. But streets of gold and the glory of God is sooooo much better for her! In a way I feel sorry for my Alivia and the pain I know she will endure on this earth. My hope and prayer is that she will choose the grace of God and a relationship with His Son, so she will be able to really meet her little sister.

There are still parts of "our past" chapter I want to share with you. So, lets return our thoughts to that time...It was time to leave the hospital and go home...without my baby girl, but I was not empty handed. I left with beautiful pictures, lovely pink roses, her precious dress and a peaceful heart. I just wanted to stay there forever. I knew when I was there I could just push the call bottom and in a few short minutes I could have her in my arms. It was so hard to walk out of the room she was to stay in until her journey to the funeral home. I laid her down for the last time in a sweetly woven basket, started walking out of the room sobbing; I ran back to her and gave her my final earthly kiss. I uttered, "See you soon, Helen Charis. I love you." Until the day we meet again, I have to stay in the arms of the Savior so I don't slip into a world of what if's, regrets, pain, weeping and complete...deep... sorrow. I may seem strong, but God is the One that is holding me up. And I know that I only am NOT beyond slipping. Only by the beautiful grace of God will my feet stand firm.

Arrangements needed to be made. We were blessed to have most of the financial aspects of the funeral paid by an amazingly anonymous party. Plus bills that would have been made out in our name were dismissed. Touching to say the least. My dad wanted to make Little Miss' "first bed". I was deeply thankful for his show of love for his 3rd born daughter and 11th born grandchild. I don't get to plan her birthday parties, teach her how to drive a car, or buy her a wedding dress, so I wanted to take care of as many of the details as I could personally. I knew those acts wouldn't replace the things I planned on doing with Charis, but knowing that I did what I could helped eased the pain. My mom and I bought a christening gown and added our touches to make it our own. I added the pink roses and my mom sowed on her tiny sleeves. Two of my sisters, Kevie and Angie, were able to help my mom make Helen's resting pillow. I designed the memorial pamphlet that was handed out at the funeral. My blessing of a sister-in-law, Teressa, gather the materials together, made it on her computer, and printed them for us. Everything came out wonderfully!

I want to share my day at the funeral and laying Little Miss to rest. I hope you join me on my next post as I continue the "our past" chapter of my story. Thanks for taking the time to "meet" Our Little Miss Helen Charis!

Blessings,
Jordan