Joy

As many of you know, Melanie and I have desired to know God’s will for us in the area of children. We thought that children would come quickly after we got married. However, for us and, we’ve learned, many other couples this was not the case.

God has spent the past 4 1/2 years teaching us to trust and lean on Him. We have had to give this area of our lives over to Him, and seek not to take it back. At times this “teaching” has been easier than other times. I have prayed that God would size our family however He can best use us for His glory, whether that means with or without children. And yet, our heart’s desire this entire time was that He would open Melanie’s womb.

We have been blessed by countless numbers of prayer warriors. Our families have faithfully prayed, our friends have commited themselves to prayer, even acquaintances and those we haven’t met have lifted up our desire for children. For example, multiple of my younger brothers and sisters have prayed nightly for “Nathan and Melanie to have a baby.”

And now, in direct answer to these prayers, our hearts are over-joyed as we announce that God has gifted us with a pregnancy. Melanie is now carrying our first child. We anticipate Baby Maxwell’s arrival mid-May of ’07. Truly God is gracious. We continue to covet your prayers for this child’s protection and sustaining these next months.

Nathan

Nathan and Melanie

39 thoughts on “Joy”

  1. Congratulations! I know that the whole family must be thrilled! How exciting. I will pray for your unborn child.

  2. I used to post on the Momsboard. I have been checking your site periodically just to see this news!!! I am praising God with you!! Congratulations to you both! And to God be the Glory!! I will continue to lift you both and your baby up in prayer.

  3. We are very happy to hear of you’re new baby on the way.
    What a blessing from the Lord. We enjoy looking at your
    families blog and hope you will keep everyone posted on how
    the pregnancy is going. We will be keeping Melanie in our prayers.
    We actually know of a couple who were unable to have children
    the first seven years of marraige and now have seven beautiful
    children.

    From a blessed mother of six

  4. I am so happy for you both! I used to be on the momsboard and remember reading about your courtship, engagement and wedding.
    How thrilling to see God give you a special blessing!

  5. Congratulations! I am one of those people you have never met yet have prayed for you over the years after you got married (I was on the MOMSBoard). I had just come to check the blog hoping to learn something and here I found it! Praise the LORD! BTW, my brother and his wife were infertile for the first 7 years of their marriage and she is pregnant w/ what will hopefully be her 5th live birth. God is truly in control.

    Please keep us posted on Melanie’s pregnancy!

  6. I have been praying for this for several years almost daily! I will very happily check off this request from my notebook tomorrow and add Melanie to my pregnancy prayer list instead!!!!!!!

  7. Many Congratulations!! What a Blessing to you both – a reward for your reliance on God, in HIS time. I am due to have our 4th under 5 at the end of March…..

    Will be praying for you both.

    Every Blessing!

  8. I am thrilled!!! I also have been awaiting this announcement for years. Rejoicing in the Lord with your family!!!!! Praying for God’s protection of baby Maxwell as he/she is growing in the womb. Praying also for Melanie’s safety in this pregnancy as well. To God be the glory!!!!

  9. So very happy for you. “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul…” may you all continue to delight in and rely on the Lord! Thanks for sharing your news.

  10. I was so overjoyed to read this!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!! I was on the Momsboard too, and if you remember I have 4 boys. Well, we are expecting our first girl in 2 and a half weeks!! She was also a direct answer to prayer that I had to wait several years for. CONGRATULATIONS, and I will be praying for a safe and healthy baby!
    Love,
    Tina

  11. I was soooooooooooooooooooo thrilled to read this blog and hear of God’s amazing love and faithfulness to you and Melanie!!!! His timing is PERFECT! His leadership over our lives can truly be trusted!!!! Thank you for sharing, Nathan — our hearts are rejoicing with you!!!

  12. So very happy for you all! I, too, have been praying for you through the years and am so pleased to have a new direction in which to pray.

  13. I have prayed for you and Melanie to be blessed since your marriage. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

  14. How wonderful! We, too, know the difficulty of trusting God when He does not seem to be growing one’s family as quickly as WE think He should, and I know you are thrilled about this blessing. 🙂 We will be praying for a healthy baby and healthy mama.

  15. I used to frequent the MOMS Board and have often checked your website looking for your good news! Congratulations and God bless your family as you continue to grow and serve Him. You will be in my prayers!

  16. Praise the Lord! Congratulations! I’m another old MomsBoard mom who has been keeping you all in her prayers continually. I am overjoyed at the news! What a blessing! I will now continue my prayers, for a healthy pregnancy and a blessed delivery of that long-awaited, precious Maxwell baby.

  17. This is wonderful news!! What a sweet blessing! I’ll be praying for you all in the months ahead.

  18. Rejoicing with you both!! Shall keep you all in my prayers too. I was on the momsboard too. 🙂

  19. Yaaaaaaaaaaaa Jesus! (happy dance) 🙂
    I was on the Mom’s Board for years. Followed the whole courtship and wedding day. Been praying for this all these years. He is faithfull, isn’t He?! Blessings!

    Tracy in GA – now with 6-still just our one girl! 🙂

  20. Congratulations!!!
    I’m so happy for both of you. I bet the whole family is thrilled.
    God be praised.
    Prayers for Melanie’s health and wel-being during this pregnancy and for the protection of your baby.

  21. Shedding tears of joy for your precious little family!
    warmest thoughts and prayers to you, and to the future grandparents too:-)
    Diane

  22. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!

    I have been praying for you throughout the years since you and Melanie were married. Many, many times you have been a burden on my heart. Just in the past few weeks, but especially last week, I felt burdened to lift you up about a baby. Oh, how wonderful the Lord is to answer those many prayers with a baby. My husband and I am thrilled for you. We know that this baby will be a blessing, and that you and Melanie will be spectacular parents. I will be praying a covering over Melanie and this baby in the months to come.

    Praising God with you,

    Sarah- aka “MomtoTreasures” on MomsBoard

  23. Praise God! We are thrilled the Lord has blessed you in such an awesome way! Congratulations on your sweet little one on the way! Our family will keep all of you in our prayers!
    Love and God bless, John and Lisa Noah,Elizabeth,Caroline and Mary

    1Samuel 1:27
    For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.

  24. What a testament to waiting on the Lord and putting your trust in Him. This will be such a blessed time for the entire Maxwell family! I will pray for a blessed pregnancy. We can’t wait to meet the little one!
    The Brown Family

  25. Another former MomsBoard visitor who stopped by and saw the great news!! I was just thinking about y’all not that long ago and wondered how everyone was doing.

    Congratz!!!

    In Christ,
    Julie G. — aka “BluegrassJewel”

  26. I used to visit the mom’s board, like many others, and just had to write and say that I’m so happy for you! I know a couple, my father’s cousin and his wife, who were married for 9 years before she got pregnant, then they had 5 daughters in 5 years! Now, 2 years after the last baby she’s pregnant with twins! Amazing.

  27. So happy for you both! Your expectancy date of “Mid May” prompted me to send this comment — we were reading in Genesis chapter 7 this week about Noah and the ark. The first raindrop came on the 17th day of the second month in the Bible calendar (May in ours!). Well, God told Noah to get in the ark 7 days before the first raindrop. My second son did the math, and Noah entered the ark on his exact birthday of May 10th! He was really excited and thought it was cool. Your little one may enjoy knowing that fun fact of his/her birth month. Enjoy!

  28. Praise the Lord! I’m an old member of the Mom’s board who has prayed for you all to concieve as well. We’ll be praying that the Lord would protect your little one, and that it would be born with a sound body, and mind. Also praying that it will come to know and love the Lord with all it’s heart one day.

  29. Praising the Lord with you here too for this exciting answer to prayer! His timing and plans are perfect and your testimony in this area is a great encouragement!

    In Christ Alone,
    Julie (JJ)

  30. Congratulations! I have also been hoping for such blessed news ever since your marriage. The Lord is truly good—all the time!

    An old Mom’s Board Member,

    Susan W.

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