Welcoming Hannah Joy

Hello Everyone, 

I know it's been quite a while since my last blogpost and I've got some I will be posting this week before I head back to work. For today, I wanted to share my account of we welcomed a beautiful little girl, Hannah Joy Elliott, into our family this past week and it was a miracle to say the least.

As many of you know we usually plan to have home births, both Leyla and Caleb were born in the comfort of our home and we had planned to do the same with Hannah. However, there were some unforeseen complications with her delivery. These complications we completely unexpected, both the good and the bad.

My wife, Traci, went into Labor at home around 10:30pm on September 21st and was doing quite well. We were only 6 hours in and we thought that Hannah was going to be here with in the next hour, but for what ever reason she could not get any further. No matter how hard Traci tried over the next several hours nothing changed.  She was bleeding pretty badly and it seemed to be getting worse. WORRY!!

So, in the blink of an instant we were talking about having to go to the Hospital. As we arrived at the hospital, it was about 10:30am on September 22nd.  The Doctor on duty met with us and checked everything out and said that she wanted to wait for a while before making any major decisions. While we waited nothing changed, what ever was keeping baby Hannah from coming into this world was not letting up. FEAR!!

While we waited, we heard of the arrival of other babies in the maternity ward and discouragement sank in. My mind began to wonder both about the baby and about Traci. Her lips had turned pale blue and her skin as pale as could be. The blood loss continued to control the entire birth. It was not a very easy feeling.  I could do nothing but pray and ask others to do the same. DISCOURAGED!!

Finally, the Doctors were able to get the bleeding to stop but Hannah still had not come down enough.  We sent out mass amounts of texts to those we could get a hold of and asked them to pray. Others called us saying things that were beyond comprehension as they prayed for us. It was as if the Lord God had moved in the hearts of Men and Women all over and that a war was waging, Satan would not take the life of our little Hannah or my beloved wife Traci. PRAYER!!

The prayers of the people spoke louder than all the discouragement around us and we were not about to give up. Some of those that prayed, shared of the promises that God had given them about our daughter and little by little the light began to gain the ground discouragement and worry has taken. Little glimmers of hope surrounded us all and unknowingly, God continued to work HOPE!! 

Our hearts slowly began to sparkle with peace and even in the midst of despair we knew we'd see our little Hannah that day. ENCOURAGED!!

Finally the Doctors had chosen, "We are going to prep you for a C-Section." Preparations began and while our hearts desire was that God would work a miracle WE WERE AT PEACE!! As they came in to take us into surgery, the doctor said to the nurse, "lets check her out one more time." Immediately Every thing changed...  PEACE!!

Close to 8pm on the 22nd the nurse stopped everything that she was doing. "Your going to give birth in the next hour or so." WHAT?? WE THOUGHT?? Well, not any more. At first we doubted but then the doctor confirmed and after just one push, our little Hannah was coming out all on her own. With in the hour, Traci held our beautiful daughter in her pale skinned arms and kissed her with her pale blue lips. REST!! 

IT WAS A MIRACLE!!!

We found out later that the situation was more dangerous that we thought, Traci had a partial placental abruption. This was what they assume had stopped Labor, if it had gotten worse things would have been a lot different. It could have been very serious and it was for a while, but God spoke life into both Traci and little Hannah through the prayers of the people and the knowledge of his peace within our hearts. JOY!!

God's hand was upon us and everyone involved, Satan's hold was vanquished and life truly prevailed. I will always remember that day and that God watches over us and that His glory will always win. LIFE!!

Thanks for taking the time to read this post, I hope and pray it will bring encouragement to all who read it. God is always with you and to those who claim God does not exist, you weren't there but HE WAS!!

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20

M.J. Elliott

A Vision Changed

Greetings Dear Readers, 

It feels like it has been a long time since I last wrote a post like this, but I've got the motivation today so I'm going for it. Lets see where it takes me.

First off, I have to admit something to you all. I've been struggling as of late. I know, I know, you struggling, unheard of, I don't believe it. Well, it's true and it's okay to believe it. :-). Its been an interesting month and a lot has happened in our lives since my last family update back in February. I won't bore you with all the details, so lets just say if you want the details just ask and I'll share them in another post.

Lets, get to the point. We are awaiting the birth of our 3rd child in a few months, I've been promoted, our kids have been learning and growing, our ministry website has began to build a following and God has been changing our hearts.  That about sums it all up so lets move on to the motivation behind this post.

Secondly, The struggle I've been working through has been one of identity. Yes, it's true, I've been searching deep with in, longing for God to show me who I am today, I've been searching for a new voice so to speak. I've been wondering what am I passionate about now that my spirit has changed. The time that my family and I have been here in California has given me an entirely new perspective on life, but where has all this change been leading?

To be honest, I still don't really know. To be completely upfront, I had given up on trying to figure it all out. However, I have experienced a few things recently that have given me motivation to begin the search again. I will bring you the details of these experiences in a post I will share later this week but for now I want to leave you with a new vision that I believe God has given me. It is posted on my updated author page on Facebook, but here it is for you today.

"Live your life to the fullest, embracing each refreshing moment that comes from the Lord. Be free to share God's encouraging love with any and all who will accept it and use what God has shown you as the vessel to do so."

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20

M.J. Elliott

Update on the Elliott's

Greetings Everyone,

It's been a while hasn't it? For that I'm sorry, it's been a crazy month for us. So much going on....

This last month has been a whirlwind of finishing writing projects, developing our vision for our ministry, taking on more at my job, trying to raise two toddlers with my wife and finding out that we are expecting our third child. Yes, you read that correctly. We were just as surprised as you are but we are blessed that God has given us this gift and are looking forward to the day that that precious angel make their debut. On to other things though.

With the days of whirlwind still upon us, It seems more and more common for Traci and I to have less time to simply relax and enjoy a little rest. Life as we know it is only going to get busier but the idea is kind of intimidating. On the flip side though we have been seeing so many wonderful things take place. I realize that it has been a while since I’ve posted one of my devotional blogs so I thought I'd make it a point to get a few out for you. I haven't had a lot of opportunity to write one of my Devotional Blogs with all of this going on and I wanted to give you an idea of what's been going on.

Recently, my writing contracts have been more involved and I am very grateful for that.  One of my biggest projects since we moved here to Dana Point has been Cosmic; A Rise into Greatness. This is a project that tells someone’s life story from the spiritual perspective.  It has been a very intriguing and educating project and I’m sure that once it is finalized it will bring many some well needed encouragement or at least open their eyes a little more. 

Another project I have been really excited about is a Devotional book for Men. This book will feature 7 devotions about faith that I was contracted to contribute on.  It may not seem exciting to some but for me it opens a door and has given me some interesting ideas for a book for our ministry once it gets off the ground.

These are just two of the projects I am currently involved in and other projects are still on the table but I don’t want to simply focus on me. God is doing great things in our life as a family as well.  We have very unexpectedly begun to feel at home here in Dana Point, at least for a while, and are really enjoying being close to Traci’s family. They are a gift from God when it comes to our two toddlers. 

I can hardly believe it but we have a 1 year old, a 3 year old and another one on the way. It is amazing how fast time has gone by. Many times when I put my Daughter down to sleep I wonder what ever happened to that little lovable Leyla.  She’s still lovable, but she sure isn’t so little any more :-). Caleb isn't so little either. They are such a joy and I will never understand why God gave us these little rascals.

 All in all though, we've been living here just about a year now and we have made some really great memories.  We just struggle with finding down time, much like many of the other young families we know. However, the reality is that if we don't make time now when we are young, there may not be time to do it when we are older. I have more to say on this particular subject, but for now I will leave you with Adieu.

 Blessings in Christ and thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.

"Kodak Moments"

 Have you ever had one of those moments that really put something into perspective for you?  

Those moments are hard to come by now days with all that is being forced upon us.  We tend to get so wrapped up it what is going on around us that we miss those moments.  Today was one of those moments for me.  God speaks to us in the most interesting ways, today it was through a few moments I had with my family, other days it's a sunset and still others it's when he forces you to stop and experience something.

 I spent the weekend pretty sick and tied down to my bed. Today I felt a little better and since I had the day off so I have been spending what time I can it with the family at home.  This morning I spent some quality time with my son, Caleb, playing peekaboo with a blanket, while I was still in the bedroom.  It was something special to see him actually connect with the game.  As we kept playing he began to laugh a great deal, pushing the blanket back at me, as though he wanted to keep playing, so we did.  It reminded me that even though this game is pretty simple and doesn’t take a lot of energy, that it can make a huge difference to him.  It was a treasured time for both of us.

 After lunch we turned Toddler Radio on for our kids on Pandora and it yet again reminded me about how the simple things we do exhibit love.  For those that don’t know Leyla, my daughter, loves to dance in Jubilation. We’ve prayed that over her since before she was born. So usually when we turn on the radio, she is all over it.  I am reminded of the movie “Courageous” but, I’ll save that for another time.  In any case, we danced to a few songs and then as I we sat down for a bit of a break I saw wife, Traci, do the same with a few other songs. While she does this quite often, I watched on with a smile on my face. It was one of those moments that five years ago we’d call a “Kodak Moment.” As I began to write this little post I realized that life is full of “Kodak Moments.” All we have to do is let them happen.  

“Kodak Moments” happen all the time.  They happen in our families, as they did today and they can happen in our faith as well. I have heard them referred to as many things but they all mean the same thing. It’s a moment in which God speaks to us.  In these moments, we are given instruction, encouragement, or even discipline. The reality is, just as it was for me today with my family, that we must take the opportunities to listen and watch for them.  I would like to challenge those that read this to take time to search for these “Kodak Moments” both in your faith and in your life as well. When you begin to do so, don’t be surprised at what you find.

Thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.

Infinitely Wonderful

Greetings,

Life is full of amazing and wonderful reminders of God’s Glory.  Sometimes we are so focused on what is going on that we forget to look for these reminders in our daily lives. Today during my devotional time I read a quote from Jesus Calling that sort of hit a mark…

I am with you and all around you, encircling you in golden ray of light… Because I am infinite; I am able to love you as if you and I were the only ones in the universe. Walk with me in intimate Love steps, but do not lose sight of My Majesty.

These are powerful words aren’t they? For me they are a great reminder of how God’s Glory is revealed in the world around us. It is quite an amazing thought to think that God has so much love within that he can love each of us as though it were only He and them in the entire universe. To think that this love is offered to each of us through ‘encircling rays of sunlight’ is an amazing way to remind us that God is ‘with us and all around us’  There are times when we overlook this because of our inability to focus on growing in God.

Right now my family and I have tons of stuff going on and it can be very easy to lose sight of where God is at in everything. It is becoming harder each day to make sure we spend the time we need focusing on our own spiritual growth, let alone that of our children. Even though they are still young we strive to give them the chance to grow with God. It may be hard for them to understand exactly what growing with God is all about but, there is something they can grasp at least.

Honestly, I find it hard to believe that anyone could love our children more than we do but the beauty in knowing that God’s love is infinite is a great reminder of that. God’s love is by far one of the most meaningful reminders of God’s Glory and to know that each day his love for my children, and even for my wife and I as individuals, can help us grow in understanding of the love and of our faith, is in itself, infinitely wonderful.  As you go through your day today, find ways to remind yourself not to lose sight of ‘His Majesty’.

Thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.

A Long Awaited Update....

Greetings,

Life in California is a lot different, but we are enjoying being closer to Traci's Family. My time at the resort has been very eye opening and I am learning much about being a worker in the harvest of the world, to paraphrase a letter in our book. 

Recently, I was given the opportunity to co-write a book with someone in the Dominican Republic. This book will be released in 2016 and tells the author's story from a cosmic view point. It's entitled, Cosmic: A Rise into Greatness.  You can find more details about this book here.  I post spiritual warfare articles on this website regularly, under the spiritual warfare tab, that will hopefully teach others what spiritual warfare is all about and how to overcome it.

We have spent a lot of time refining our vision for the ministry we feel God has placed upon our hearts and feel God has something wonderful he wants to do through the end result. We will begin posting updates on this vision here in the months to come. We ask that those that are willing begin to pray for God's direction in our hearts with regard to this dream of ours. I have also been spending time refining my Devotional Blog and experimenting with new avenues for my ministry there. I try to post something at least twice a month.

Our children are growing more every day and it has been simply amazing to see how God has been at work in them. Leyla is using more words every day and Caleb is almost walking. Crazy, huh? Needless to say, God has opened some doors for us here and I, for one, am pretty excited to see where God will take us.

That's all for now,

For those that are interested here is a link to our book's Facebook Page...

Ahavah Writings for the Journey

Blessings in Christ,

The Elliott's

A Quick Update

Greetings, 

It seems like just yesterday April was just beginning and now we are almost to the end of May. It has been a very eventful month to say the least. There are still 9 days to go as well and in those 9 days there is a lot taking place before summer comes to town.  I'm very excited about whats coming and about a few of the other endeavors that are coming our way. 

The most exciting event by far is the release of Ahavah Writings in the next few days.  A lot of work went into this book and I pray with all my heart that something God Glorifying will come of it. We have everything ready for Monday's public release, hence why it's been so busy around here, LOL. We have heard many things from those that have previewed the book and it will be an exciting summer as word gets out. I have also been working on some freelance writing endeavors as well and hope to have some updates soon.  There are a few really good opportunities out there and we are really praying something will come of them.

Our children are finding their own God Glorifying talents and experiences whether they realize it or not and we have found a really good place to call home in our new church.  I have been helping out with the worship leaders and getting to know the people. In my personal time with God I have been shown a lot of New Insights and am really excited to share them with those that read my devotional blogs.  There are also some other changes and reveals coming soon. For now though I will leave you with this....

God's not finished with you yet.

Thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.