The beginning days.....

I just wanted to post the first few e-mails we sent out when Ezzy was first born. For those of you just "getting to know us", I thought you might want a history on our little guy. God is so good and His Grace overwhelms me every day.
This first e-mail was when Ezra was only 11 days old. At this point in Ezra's life, we were very unsure of the future, but we rested in WHO held it.

Feb. 9, 2005
Dear praying Friends and Family,
Just wanted you to know that Ezra had his feeding tube put into today, and the surgery went well. They had to put him on a ventilator during the surgery, but he's already off of it!! Thank you for praying, God is so good. Ezra still shows no sign of waking up, he has not cried or made any "purposeful" movements as of yet. The doctors still say that it is unlikely that he will ever come out of this coma. We are so thankful for the 11 days that we have had with Ezra, he is such a perfect little gift. We are asking the Lord to help our hearts accept whatever it is He has for us. Thank you all for your emails and letters telling us what God has done in your lives through little Ezra, it seems as though he has touched quite a few people. Liz has said "If that is God's purpose for Ezra, to touch people like this, then it is our privilege". It's been hard, but we are learning to be brought to the edge of the fire and say "Our God can save us, but if He chooses not to, we will not bow to anyone else". These christian doctrines and truths about God really are true, and when the rubber meets the road, you really do find out what who's side you're really on. Be encouraged, family of God, His word never fails and His love never ends. Love you all, edwin for the bunch

Feb. 16, 2005
Dear faithful friends and family,
Thank you all so much for your prayers. God has heard your cries, and is answering them big time! Tomorrow morning (Wed 16th) we get to take Ezra home. He is completely off his oxygen, and he is keeping his own temperature relatively well. Again, thank you all so much for your ferverent prayers, awesome emails and thoughtful gifts, phonecalls, visits, and notes. God used you all to carry us through this time, thank you. The doctors are still saying that there will most likely never be any improvement in Ezra's brain. They think the damage was too severe. But we firmly believe in the power of prayer, and we know that God can do anything. So keep praying, its working. You guys are awesome, God bless you all. The www.1stbc.org website has been updated, and you can call or email anytime for details if you'd like to know more. Love you all, we're humbled by His mercy, Love the Borbes

Feb. 22, 2005
Friends and Family,
Some dear friends of ours always end their emails stating, "By God's Grace and For His Glory". I have always enjoyed reading these words at the end of each letter and now I truly believe that for myself, this precious phrase sums up exactly all that has recently taken place in our lives. Only by the grace of God am I now home with all my children, only by the grace of God am I able to care for Ezra in the extra ways needed, only by the grace of God am I able to daily rest in peace "beyond understanding" as I go about my day, only by the grace of God am I able to find true JOY in the condition of Ezra's health.
If you would have told me that all these medical complications were to take place for our sweet son Ezra, I would have freaked out and run the other way, yelling out, "I can't do this!!!" But, as I wrote earlier, ONLY by the GRACE of GOD, can I still calmly sit at my laptop writing to you all. God has given me such waves of peace continually and I believe that the fact that I can find peace in this difficult time truly does bring GLORY to God.
God promises to never leave me, He promises to instruct me, to lead me, to surround me with songs of deliverance, to strengthen and uphold me. I often find myself clinging to these precious truths and I thank Him for His Word. When I tuck my little Ezzy man into bed for the night, knowing that I won't be able to watch his every breath, I lay him in the arms of Jesus. A wonderful friend gave me a precious picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd gently holding sweet Ezra as his little lamb while I am sleeping. I can honestly say that I am able to rest and sleep at night only because of the FACT that Jesus loves my son more than I and holds him in the palm of His hand.
Many of you have written and been used by God to bring encouragement and love to our whole family. I thank you for being used by our Heavenly Father during these past days and covet your prayers as we continue on this journey. One day in the first beginning days when learning of Ezra's condition, I sang out the words, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know who holds the future and life is worth the living, just because HE LIVES!" I pray that these words ring from your heart as you go about your day enduring the trials and hard times that you may be facing. Remember to start and close each day proclaiming, "By God's Grace and for HIS Glory". Only by HIS grace can I say these words to you.
From a mother's heart,
Liz