Happy Birthday Luke!

HAPPY 4 MONTHS LUKE!

4 months ago today I experienced a joy that can only be topped by God's love and salvation...the birth of my son.

As for Kristin and I, we haven't posted in quite sometime...actually, it's been a long time. We have not abandoned the blog, but we are in a teaching season from the Lord. He is doing amazing things in both mine and Kristin's life as we receive His rich blessings every day.

I will say, watch out world because my wife is on fire! God has blessed me with gifts and talents to lead worship and He is opening many doors...but...God is giving Kristin some of the most incredible revelation of Scripture and His Word that I have ever heard. She is a woman after God's heart and her bold witness for Him has the devil shaking in his shoes!

As we continue to transition into a new phase of ministry, please be in prayer for us both. We don't know exactly what or where...but we know it is BIG!

-- Benson

Praying for Bowen

It's been a wild week, but God is good and He is faithful! Thank you for your continued pray and support as we continue our journey. Today mark's 2 month's since our final day with Luke. The numbness of it all has worn away and the raw feeling of reality has set in. It's hard to imagine missing someone so much after knowing them for a short 10 days...but I can't tell you how difficult it is to process at times. However, God is near and with Him we are pressing on!

My reason for writing today is to beg you to cry out to God for an incredible little boy named Bowen. Bowen is the son of Matt and Sarah Hammitt and will entered this world today with a diagnosis of HLHS. Bowen has been a topic of discussion in the Christian world for several weeks as Matt is the lead singer of Sanctus Real. Sarah left a comment on this blog last week with appreciation of unwavering faith. You can follow their story at http://www.bowensheart.com/.

Today, we do not waver in our faith! We know, that we know, that we know that Jesus Christ is the Great Physician. We know that He is faithful! In His name, we claim healing over Bowen's body at this very moment! We pray that his heart is transformed into a heart that is strong and that beats to the sound of the trumpets of the Lord. We pray for peace and comfort for the family. We pray for Divine knowledge and wisdom for the doctors and nurses. Above all, we pray that what the enemy intended for evil, that God is lifted high. God, receive glory and praise for Your goodness today. Touch Bowen in the same way that You touched the blind man, the crippled man and Lazarus! Mold Bowen into Your image so that He can grow to be strong in You and proclaim Your victory in the years to come! Lord, we truly believe and proclaim Luke 1:37, "For Nothing Is Impossible With God!"

My favorite song right now is Hear Us From Heaven by Jared Anderson. The lyrics fit well with our prayer today.

Hear Us From Heaven

Verse:

Lord, hear our cry

Come heal our land

Breath life into these dry and thirsty souls

Lord, hear our prayer

Forgive our sin

And as we call on your name

Would you make this a place

For your glory to dwell

Chorus:

Open the blind eyes

Unlock the deaf ears

Come to your people

As we draw near

Hear us from heaven

Touch our generation

We are your people

Crying out in desperation

Bridge:

Hear us from heaven,

Hear us from heaven,

Hear us from heaven

- Benson

God Continues to Bless

Kristin and I worshipped with Hillsong Live last night at Southland Christian Church in Lexington. It was an amazing worship experience! It amazes me to see how anointed those men and women are and how they usher in the Holy Spirit! If you ever get a chance to worship with them live...do it!

Yesterday was just an all around great day as I also received the word that Kristin and I will be meeting Casting Crowns on September 23 in Louisville and then worshipping with them that evening! We have a great friend to thank for passing Luke's story along to Casting Crowns' record label!

However, the great day was followed by a rainy, gloomy day at home. This has been one of the toughest days for Kristin. There are times that I don't know what to say or do, and it frustrates me...but, I just stop and pray. I know the feelings that I have as a father, but I honestly cannot begin to imagine the feelings that she experiences as a mother. I have said a thousand times that she is the strongest person that I know, but that does not mean that both her heart and world are not crushed. We are both beyond thankful that our Lord has comforted us during this time and that He continues to work in our lives. Without Him, we are nothing. The verse that guided us through Luke's sickness and death has now become the forefront of our every moment. The pain...the hurt...the brokenness...the tears...the sorrow...they have all been overcome by the victory of Christ and we know that, no matter how low in this life we feel, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

I cannot begin to explain how excited I am about tomorrow and the rest of the week. Steadfast is in service each night and I feel in my spirit that God is going to do something big. If you are in the area this weekend, we are leading worship at Greensburg First Methodist Church at a revival called Lead Us Back. Don't miss your blessing...come worship with us!

Luke 1:37

-- Benson

We're Back!

Kristin and I left last Saturday for a trip to the Gulf. We ended up staying in Orange Beach, AL and it felt as if we had the entire Gulf to our lonesome...well, maybe a few more families. However, it was nice to relax for a few days without a bunch of people around...even though, we were blessed to see some people from Campbellsville staying in the same set of condos. The water was clear and there were no signs of oil. We highly encourage anyone looking for a quick getaway to go to the Gulf as you can get some sweet deals right now because of the lack of tourists traveling to the area.

Even though it was nice to getaway, it was difficult to return home. We were greeted by all of Luke's stuff and it once again broke our heart's into pieces. I get so mad when I look at his pictures because I see a perfect little boy...I have to stop and remind myself how sick he was just to calm down. However, the Lord is near and we are certainly comforted by the Spirit.

Upon our return we were also greeted by a lot of mail...cards, letters and doctor's bills! One of Luke's nurses told us a HLHS patient is a million dollar baby...I realized that nurse knows what she is talking about! We are blessed to have very good insurance...so, when we get the crazy bills we try not to let it stress us out. We have also been blessed by the outpouring of love from our community, friends and family. We have experienced the true meaning of Christian love and it has inspired us to do even more in the future for families during difficult times.

Some people have asked in the comment section about the Sexton 3 t-shirts. My band, Steadfast, is selling those shirts. You can look up Steadfast on Facebook, or you can visit our website at http://www.steadfast1558.com/ to place orders. Also, the college where I work is selling Luke 1:37 bracelets; if you are interested, put your email address in the comment section and I will make sure it gets to the appropriate people.

Kristin and I will take next week off work to continue to try and get back to a somewhat normal life. We have a lot of things we need to accomplish, many of which involve insurance and legal stuff for Luke. However, we both miss our office families and look forward to our return the first week in August!

My intentions were to take the entire month of July off from traveling with the band, but those plans were quickly changed. I will join back with Steadfast tonight as we sing at a benefit for Austin Adams in Campbellsville. Austin attended our youth group several times over the past few years and we have grown to love him. Several weeks ago, Austin was diagnosed with cancer. I still do not understand sickness, and why babies, children, teenagers and adults have to face unfair diseases, but I do know that we can lean on the Lord for comfort. Austin is a fighter and his attitude is amazing! He loves the Lord with all his heart and he is glorifying God with all that he has within him. I can't wait to be a part of such a great event tonight!

Continue to pray for our friend Sarah, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sarahgardner. She is in rehab now and still kicking her cancer in the butt! Read her blog and find out all the cool stuff that happened on her birthday! Phone calls from Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Jeremy Camp and the Kentucky Headhunters!

Keep praying for us and that God continues to use Luke's story for His glory! God is opening doors for us to share His word and we are excited to see where this ministry will go.

Be Blessed!

Luke 1:37

-- Benson

Faith...It's About a Personal Relationship

Kristin and I are still rejoicing from Luke's Celebration Service. We have had several people tell us they have not felt the presence of the Lord like that in a long time. I will be honest...it was thick! We prayed for the Holy Spirit to move...and He did.

A lot of people have asked how I had the courage to sing...again, it was the Spirit. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would not sing for Luke and for God. The biggest part of my ministry is my music, it's how I give all I have to the Lord, and it's the best way for me to exalt His name. I will say though, when Leah and I were singing I Will Rise and I looked over and saw Kristin standing and praising I almost lost it. Not because I was sad, but because my wife is awesome! She knows how to praise God when everything is going great in life, but more importantly she knows how to praise Him when everything seems to be falling apart as well.

Faith has been the topic of every conversation that we have had with people. Some say they don't know how we have that much faith. Others say they wish they had the faith we have. Several have said they hope to have that much faith some day. Folks, it's easy. Faith is not something you have to study about and be a Christian for X number of years to get...it's about trusting and believing! When you trust and believe that God is in complete control and that no matter what happens you will praise Him, you've got it! You may not always understand, there may be times when you are angry or sad, but you still have to trust and believe. But even further, it's so much more than saying, "I love you God, I know you are in control," it's about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! John 14:6 says, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There is no other way to get to Heaven than through that relationship...either you have it or you don't. The GREAT news is that it is available to everyone! When you open your heart to that relationship, you will then realize that your faith has grown much stronger. There are many Christians that go to church every Sunday that still do not have the full relationship that is available to them...don't be one of those Christians, don't miss your blessings!

I am not sure why I went on the rant tonight, but the Lord said keep typing...I'm thinking there are people reading the blog that needed to hear it.

As Kristin and I continue to try and clear our minds and halfway make sense of what we have experienced the last several weeks, the Lord is still speaking to us. He continues to reveal areas in which He wants us to minister and we keep seeking His guidance. As hurt as we are to not have our little boy with us, we are excited to see where God is taking us.

Continue to pray for us. One thing specifically to pray for is that our appointment with the geneticists in a couple weeks goes well. We know the Lord is going to bless us with more beautiful babies, but we are scheduling an appointment to make sure that HLHS, and all the other complexes in Luke, are not hereditary. Our doctors tell us not to worry, but we want to make sure and clear that from our mind before we decide it's time to turn the Sexton 3 into the Sexton 4...not soon, but in due time.

Have a great week people!

Luke 1:37

-- Benson

Expression of Gratitude

The past few days have been overwhelming...a nightmare if you please. No one expects to have to deal with what Kristin and I had to and no one could ever be prepared. However, God was present at Luke's Celebration and that is what we prayed for. Over 10 people rededicated their lives to Christ and all 350+ were touched by the Holy Spirit...we had church!

We want to thank everyone who visited the funeral home, sent gifts or flowers, gave monetary donations, brought food, sent cards or letters, made phone calls or anything else that I missed giving credit for. Again, we are overwhelmed by the support we have received and it is evident that our little boy's story reached a lot of people.

I am not sure when, but eventually Kristin and I will begin posting more on this blog and use it as one of our ministry tools for Luke 1:37 Ministries...so keep checking back. For now, Kristin and I are trying to gather our thoughts, rest our bodies and get back to somewhat of a normal life. Both Lindsey Wilson College and Campbellsville University have been gracious enough to allow me and Kristin time recoup before returning to work.

We pray that as we continue to try and grasp what has happened in our lives, that you take time every day to listen to God and to thank Him for the blessings in your life. Never go to bed without praying with your children and telling them how much you love them. Never let a day go by that you do not spend time with your spouse and keep the passionate fire burning within your relationship. Let God take your life to a new level, and always be bold in witnessing for Him.

For those of you that live in the local area, St. Andrew UMC in Campbellsville is hosting a Fish Fry tomorrow night, Friday, July 16th, from 5-8pm est in memory of Luke...all proceeds go to Luke 1:37 Ministries. Kristin and I will be there to share in the food and fellowship with everyone that attends. We know that God is going to bless this ministry and that many families will be able to experience the same love that we have received from all of you.

Luke 1:37

-- Benson

Celebration of Luke's Life

Kristin and I spent the day making arrangements for our sweet boy's Celebration of Life Service. This will not be a typical funeral service but literally a celebration of our son and celebration of Jesus Christ. We ask that anyone making plans to send flowers or gifts to consider making a donation to Luke 1:37 Ministries so that Luke's story can live on and continue to bring glory to God...you can do so through the funeral home listed below.

Location
Parrot & Ramsey Funeral Home
418 Lebanon Ave.
Campbellsville, KY 42718

Visitation
Tuesday, July 13th
After 5:00pm est

Celebration of Life Service
Wednesday, July 14th
11:00am est
Parrott & Ramsey Chapel
Bro Brian Rafferty, Bro Troy Long & Bro Rob Hughes officiating
Musical selections by Steadfast and Hannah Ellis

Resting Place
Memorial Gardens
Campbellsville, KY

Again, thank you for lifting up our family through the past several weeks. Keep believing and keep praising God for the blessings in your life!

Luke 1:37 - Nothing is impossible with God!

-- Benson

Resting in the Arms of Jesus

As many of you probably know, Luke went home to see Jesus last night. Yesterday was a the nightmare of all nightmares for me and Kristin as his little body took an extreme turn for the worse. As a father, I cannot find the words to explain what his little arms and legs looked like. The doctor's are still not quite sure why the perfusion stopped to his extremities, but by noon yesterday there was no blood flow to any of them. If he had survived off the ECMO support, his limbs would have been amputated.

In the coming weeks we will take journeys back as we recall the few days our son had on this earth and how it made each of us grow closer to the Lord, and grow closer as a family. For the next few days, we will arrange Luke's Celebration Service, one in which God will orchestrate and the Holy Spirit will minister.

I will tell you that we had church last night and it echoed throughout Kosair. Brian Rafferty, Troy Long and Rob Hughes led a special Christening Service that turned into a worship service. Leah Hayes sang like she has never sang before to her little boyfriend. But most of all, God was glorified. We thanked Him for the ministry opportunity that He gave our son.

Though Luke was not healed in his physical body, he received complete healing last night! As hard as it will be for Kristin and I for the rest of our lives, we know that we know that we know that Jesus is Lord and that He did not fail us. We prayed for healing and for His will to be done. We never gave up on our son or on the promise of healing. Down to Luke's last breathe, we spoke life. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our faith is not superficial and neither is our Savior. He is the King of Kings, and the the Lord of Lords.

Our prayer today is that as we begin to grieve the loss of our son, you will celebrate the miracles in your life. Thank God for all your blessings, and most of all draw closer to Him and enter into a personal relationship with Him.

Continue to lift my family up in your prayers. We never dreamed that we would ever have to face this kind of storm in our lives, and we don't understand why it had to happen, but we know that we have a support system beyond comprehension and that our little boy touched the world.

Luke 1:37 Ministries is alive and will always proclaim and believe that "Nothing is Impossible with God!"

-- Benson

The Cry of Parents

Allysa Gooden shared this Scripture with me this morning, and it is what we stand on today: Lamentations 3:55-57 says, "But I called on your name, Lord, from deep within the pit. You heard me when I cried, 'Listen to my pleading! Hear my cry for help!' Yes, you came when I called; you told me, 'Do not fear.''

Luke is not doing well again today. His feet and hands are not receiving proper blood flow and the doctors say that those tissues may be dying. They say there comes a point where they do things 'to' Luke instead of 'for' Luke. They do not believe we are totally at that point, but it may not be long.

We still stand firm on our faith and believe that nothing is impossible with God.

-- Benson

What a day...

Just when you don't think your days can get tougher...they do. I have never had the feelings I have had today. Honestly, without my faith in Christ I would be a basketcase. However, I serve a God that healed the blind and raised men from the dead. That God is still the same today as He was yesterday, and He will be the same even tomorrow. Luke's life rest in His will and His ultimate plan...through that we find comfort.

Seeing Luke's little arms and legs today has been devastating. The color is hard to explain, but a purple-ish is the closest I can come up with. The doctors still say tonight that even though it appears he has made some small steps today, this is a very serious issue. I mentioned earlier today that it was the Heparin...well, it wasn't. Several tests have been run today and now the only explanation is that his body is not allowing good blood flow to his extremities for some reason. Kristin and I talked to Dr. Austin tonight and he said that he wants to give Luke every chance possible. We will probably wait another 48 hours starting tomorrow morning to see if blood begins to circulate through his arms and legs...if it doesn't, it is potentially fatal as it will indicate that the heart will not be able to pump blood every where it needs to. Up until this point we have seen God answer a lot of our prayers. We prayed for pee...we got it! We prayed for veins...they are showing blood flow on the echocardiograms! Now we need to pray for BLOOD FLOW TO LUKE'S ARMS AND LEGS! Come on prayer warriors, it's time to go to battle!

To end tonight I have to say that once again I am overwhelmed by the amount of traffic on this blog. The Word of God is spreading throughout the entire world. Today alone, as of this minute, there have been 14,834 page loads by 8,835 different people! These hits are coming from all over the US as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, and a few more countries. It is amazing to see what God is doing through our little boy. Our prayer is that God is using Luke's will to fight this sickness to bring people to their knees and find a personal relationship with Him.

Parents, make sure you pray with your children tonight before you put them to bed...I know I will!

-- Benson

Please pray...we have to have a miracle

2nd UPDATE: Luke has stayed strong this afternoon. I feel in my spirit that once again he is beating his odds. I can't describe the feeling I get every time I see his little arms and legs and the color they have turned...however, the doctor said that he thinks his color is getting a bit better.

Kristin and I have cried a lot and we have laughed a lot. When Kristin told me she posted the Caring Cards link yesterday, I immediately started to laugh. I went on to say that we will be billed for a new printer, toner, ink cartridge and paper. Each time the girls visit Luke's room with goodies, they bring a stack of Caring Cards...all we can do is laugh at their reactions to volume and then we cry as we read your wonderful words. Keep them coming folks, not to bring attention to any of my family, but to show what God has revealed to you through my son's life. In our deepest, darkest moments, we read your Caring Cards, emails, facebook posts and text messages and it provides the counseling we need to pull through.

We mentioned in an earlier blog that over a year ago we prayed for God to use us in extraordinary ways...sometimes the answer to prayer is scary. But, we know that God has used our boy's heart to touch the hearts of many people. Luke 1:37 is alive and spreading the news that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.

UPDATE: After cardio rounds we found that Luke literally must have a miracle to survive. They are doing everything they can to help his little body try to recover. All his meds have been changed out and all the Heparin has been stopped. A new blood thinner is being issued; it is a medicine that is not used a whole lot from what we understand. The doctors are turning all support back on full flow and giving him 24 to 48 hours to pull out of this setback. It really is up to the Lord from this point on.

As you might have guessed, Kristin and I are very tore up this morning. We have not lost faith that God can heal our little boy fully and we are walking by faith and not by sight. Even though his body and his situation looks bad, we are resting on our faith.

So today as you pray, pray that God completely heals Luke. Pray that when the doctors visit his room the next time, the only thing they can say is, "It's a miracle!" But also, give God praise and glory for what He has done. We have experienced many miracles in the last week. God has revealed Himself in many ways and thousands of people have been touched. God has used our little guy as an evangelist. People are on their knees for the first time in a long time - maybe ever, restoration has taken place, lives have been changed, relationships restored, brokenness made whole, people have reevaluated their priorities and the greatest of all - people are coming to know Christ Jesus! In my family's darkest hour, God is moving - and we pray that He continues to move. He is worthy to be praised!

Thank God today for all the small things in your life. Kristin and I would give up everything we have in order for Luke to be healthy and wake us up screaming and crying in the middle of the night because he is hungry; it's the small things in life that really matter the most. We pray that God blesses each and every one of you today as you draw closer to Him.

Luke is having a bad morning. His body seems to not be tolerating the blood thinner, Heparin, right now. His little arms and legs are really purple and it is a scary sight. Please pray that as the doctors and nurses work to change his medication that his little body begins to react in a positive way.

-- Benson

A huge step up the mountain...

Yesterday was a great day for Luke. He is a hit at Kosair and everyone that works here stops by to see him. His case is so rare that no one here has seen it...they have seen both issues before, but never both in the same baby...Kristin and I would have the baby with the most complex heart.

One thing I'm not sure a lot of you know is that Kristin and I see our baby's heart every time we look at him. I'm not talking about on a screen or through an ultrasound, but we actually see his little heart. The surgeons left his chest open and put a patch over it to allow room for swelling and other stuff. The patch looks like a piece of saran wrap. It's easy to tell who has seen a baby's heart open before and who hasn't...some of the nurses or students that stop by get very big eyes when they first see it. Kristin and I are so use to seeing his heart that it will be weird when they close his chest and we can't see it. This is the main reason that we do not allow anyone outside us and Luke's grandparents in the room. Not many parents in this world can say they have seen their child's heart.

Luke's lungs will be asked to work hard today. After a great test yesterday, his oxygenator on the ECMO will be turned off and his oxygen in the ventilator turned to 70% for as long as he can tolerate it. If he continues to experience supernatural progress, these settings will stay this way...this is a huge step up the mountain.

As for Kristin and I, we had a very rough day yesterday. One thing we promise to be is open and honest, and honestly, we struggled yesterday. The whole situation hit us both and we felt overwhelmed beyond description. One of the main things everyone tells us it to take care of ourselves, so we left around 7:00pm and crashed at the hotel. It was nice to just be together and to reveal our emotions to each other. We know that God is watching over us, but that doesn't always make it easy. We are going through this test in life for a greater purpose...one which we do not know right now...but what we do know is that God is and will continue to receive glory for His works.

The comments and storys that we hear about how Luke has changed people's outlook on life and how his situation has brought them closer to the Lord keeps us pressing on. Our prayer from day one has been that God is glorified and that people draw closer to Him...that is evident.

Stop by later for a mommy perspective from Kristin.

Luke 1:37

-- Benson

Supernatural Progress

UPDATE: The PICU doctor just came in with the results of Luke's oxygen test and he did great! The doctor walked in and had a big smile and said, "Well, I'm pleasantly surprised. His oxygen levels look beautiful! His lungs are functioning well!" From here...they will turn all the support back up to full levels and allow him to rest the remainder of the day. Tomorrow they will continue with tests...and continue to be absolutely overwhelmed by his Supernatural Progress! Pray for growing pulmonary veins, strong blood flow through the lungs and a lot of pee! By the way, the pee prayers are being answered like crazy! They are saying his kidneys are perfect and that he has become a peeing machine! 

Before I begin, I want to send a big congrats to Dr. Mascio and his family as he and his wife welcomed their new daughter to this world this morning.

My great friend and pastor at Great Oaks Ministries, Troy Long, has continuously prayed the words Supernatural Progress. Well...this morning I believe we have seen results. The cardio team is quite surprised by the past 24 hours and could not be more pleased. Luke's lungs are looking much better as the fluid is leaving his body. They are also seeing blood flow through the pulmonary veins, which is something that we have asked people to specifically pray for.

Dr. Austin's words last week were along the lines of not giving him a chance, or very pessimistic, but today, he clearly says that he is cautiously optimistic. That is a sweet song to a mommy and daddy. Luke is taking small steps up this large mountain, but he is a fighter!

Leah Hayes text me late last night and told me I better sing The Blood to Luke before the doctors came in this morning. So...when I entered his room this morning, I leaned down to his little ear and we worshiped together.

The Blood Will Never Lose It's Power - Crystal Lewis

VERSE 1

The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary;

It's that blood that gives me strength from day to day,

It will never lose its power. 

CHORUS

It reaches to the highest mountain. it flows to the lowest valley.

The blood that gives me strength from day to day,

It will never lose its power. 

VERSE 2

It soothes my doubts and calms my fears, it dries all my tears.

The blood that gives me strength from day to day,

It will never lose its power.

As Luke climbs from the valley to the mountain, God is the same! He will never leave you or forsake you and He will hold strong to His promises! Here is another song that speaks about the presence of our God:

God on the Mountain - The McKamey's

VERSE 1

Life is easy when you're up on the mountain

And you've got peace of mind like you've never known.

But then things change and you're down in the valley.

Don't lose faith for you're never alone.

CHORUS

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.

When things go wrong, He'll make it right.

And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times.

The God of the day is still God in the night.

VERSE 2

You talk of faith when you're up on the mountain.

Oh but the talk comes easy when life's at its best.

But it's down in the valley of trials and temptation

That's when faith is really put to the test.

Luke has some very big tests coming up this week. In just a few minutes, his oxygen support through the ECMO will be turned down and his lungs will be tested to see if they can support themselves. Every doctor has said they do not expect this to go well today and just want to get a measure so they can set goals for his lungs. I go to a Higher Power and claim that Luke's little lungs will experience Supernatural Progress as the Lord receives glory and praise for His work. I praise Him ahead of time for the work that He has already started! So...here is something specific to pray for...great blood flow through the lungs! Pray that in the name of Jesus!

 

In addition, we still need more fluid to drain...so pee Luke pee! The BIG mountain is still the pulmonary veins, and even though they saw blood flow there this morning, they need to grow. I serve a God who created the entire universe...He is great at making veins! Pray for the growth of the pulmonary veins in Jesus name!

 

The rest of the day Kristin and I will sit here next to our son anxiously awaiting all the reports from the oxygen levels. While we sit, we will pray for our son, but our hearts are in prayer for a few more specific families as well. Join me in praying for my great friend Sarah Gardner, you can read her story here: www.caringbridge.org/visit/sarahgardner, our new friend Rhyan Beverly, you can read her story here: www.caringbridge.org/visit/rhyanbeverly, and our friend Crystal Wright as she delivers her beautiful baby boy today!

 

We serve an amazing God, and since I am on a song kick today I will leave you with one more:

 

Our God - Chris Tomlin

 

VERSE

Water You turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind

There’s no one like You, none like You

Into the darkness You shine, out of the ashes we rise

There’s no one like You, none like You

CHORUS

Our God is greater, our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, awesome in power

Our God, Our God

BRIDGE

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

What can stand against?

Holy Spirit, dwell in Luke's room. Bring the touch of Jesus, and expose Yourself through Supernatural Progress! 

-- Benson

Petition for Prayer

2nd UPDATE: Luke's gases and acid are normal, and for a baby on ECMO that is very abnormal. There is a Presence in his room...the nurses just smile. Now, he's stable and his body is resting perfectly. The most critical point in Luke's little body is his pulmonary veins. We have been told numerous times that they have to miraculously grow in order to do their job. So...we are turning to the Miracle Worker! Pray for veins! Luke 1:37

UPDATE: Luke's procedure is finished and he did very well. Dr. Mascio was able clean the chest out and said it looks quite nice now. He also said that it appears Luke is draining fluid well and that is our goal for the rest of the day.

So...when you are praying today...pray for...PEE! Pee Luke Pee!

This is a quick petition for prayer:

Luke has quite a bit of bleeding this morning. Dr. Mascio will explore the chest at 10:30am est. This is said to be a routine procedure for a baby on ECMO. However, for parents to see the little guy's chest patch full of blood is very scary. Please pray that it is nothing more than just a result of thinned blood. Today is suppose to be a restful day for Luke; please pray he is able to get some.

On a very positive note...

Luke's output of urine was very good last night. That is a sign that his kidneys are working and that his body is attempting to push the fluid off it. Let's hope this keeps up!

While you are praying, make sure you give God all the praise and glory that He deserves. Praise Him for the small things in life that we too often take for granted.

NOTE: DO NOT miss out on Kristin's post from last night right below this one!

Luke 1:37

-- Benson

6,000+

We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of the love of family, friends and complete strangers. Yesterday alone, our visitor calculator was off the charts with 6,000+ visitors! Our son's story is touching the hearts of many people and we are confident that God is using Luke to bring glory to His name!

Keep praying folks. Luke had a rough morning with a lot of fluid build up and were told a couple times that his chances do not look good. However, after Kristin and I went to the hotel to cry, pray, clean up and gather our thoughts, we returned to the hospital to find out that he is much more stable now and that he is doing as well as can be expected.

We are told this is how most of the weekend will probably go and then starting Monday morning they will see how well his heart and lungs will function after turning down the ECMO.

Were are holding strong to God's promise that 'Nothing is impossible with God!' -Luke 1:37

Stop by late tonight or tomorrow morning to see pictures of Luke!

-- Benson

48 hours into Luke's life...

Luke has been in this world for 48 hours and has already endured more physically then most adults. Today has been a wild day, and it all started when Kristin and I met the cardiovascular team at 7:00am est.

All of Luke's doctors gathered around for one more deliberation before performing the Norwood procedure. They discussed everything in detail with Kristin and I and then finished their rounds with the other heart patients. All of Luke's machines and bed were transported from the 3rd floor to the 8th floor to prep for surgery.

The two of us and our families were then taken to a private waiting room on the 8th floor. It is here where I have to pause with an update on Luke to discuss an incredible blessing to Kristin and I. Kristin wrote a few days ago that we would allow people to know when visiting would be appropriate. In doing so, we knew that a lot of people would still come by because when you are blessed with so many friends in your life you just can't keep them all away...haha! By 9:00am est the 8th floor of Kosairs was taken over by the Sexton family support system...or should I say 40+ dear friends and family! We had 4 pastors from 3 different denominations who are so dear to our heart...let's just say that prayer never ceased the entire day and there is a rumor of a church service that took place in the hospital chapel. Another great surprise was that my band, Steadfast, came to show their support. I cannot explain how much these people mean to me and Kristin. In addition, 3 of my best friends from college and their wives came to be with us. Plus, several members of mine and Kristin's families came to show their love. We were overwhelmed by our support system, not only at the hospital but by all the phone calls and texts that we were getting from family and friends throughout the day.

So...back to Luke...surgery started around 8:30am est. Dr. McDowell came to update us on the progress each hour. The second visit brought a surprise. Once they opened up Luke's heart and began repair - they took an extended amount of time to explore the anatomy of Luke's "one of a kind' heart. By doing so, they found out that his heart was different from what they assumed by the ultrasounds, echocardiograms and the even heart cath. Luke still had HLHS as expected, but the pulmonary veins from the lungs to the heart were extremely small. Since these veins were attached to the back of his heart they were hard to see in  previous tests and were mistaken to be the "wall" that we posted about earlier. These extremely small veins are a huge risk for Luke and, honestly, decreases his chances of survival even more. However, our surgeons felt like we had come so far and needed to give Luke every chance possible so they decided to continue on with the surgery even though things were worse than expected. The prognosis was really hard to hear. So.. we cried...and cried...and cried...and prayed...and prayed...and prayed.

Kristin and I were in a daze at this point because we knew the possibility of what might happen. After a couple hours I took Kristin back to her hospital room to take some pain medicine and freshen up a bit. We were not there 5 minutes until I received a phone call from Dr. McDowell. He proceeded to explain that Luke had a lot of bleeding and they did not know if they could get it stopped. He told me they would try a couple more options but to come back to the waiting room because things were not looking good.

Again...our hearts dropped. We didn't think our spirits could get lower...but they did. Kristin and I must have seemed like zombies. However, after about an hour Dr. McDowell came and told us that the bleeding was under control and surgery would be wrapping up soon. FINALLY, some good news!

An hour or so later, the entire surgical team visited Kristin and I. Dr. Austin, the lead surgeon, discussed the findings and all the steps of the procedure he performed. He then told us that he is very concerned for Luke because the pulmonary veins are so small and he does not believe they will allow the proper blood flow for Luke to survive on his own off the ECMO. In order for Luke to pull through, these veins will have to grow. They are hoping that since his heart is now as corrected as it can be surgically, the increased blood flowing through these veins will help them to expand.

So...in the grand scheme of things...our approach to Luke's situation does not change: we are praying for and fully believing in a miracle from God. Those veins need to grow and get bigger for Luke to even be a possible candidate for the next round of surgeries if he is able to live on his own off the ECMO. We believe this will happen and claim it in the name of Jesus!

Around 4:00pm est...Kristin and I rush to Nortons for her to be discharged from post partum.

Two hours later...we are standing over our beautiful baby boy in Kosairs PICU. He is the most adorable little guy in the world and he has a glow about him. He has been anointed by the Holy Spirit and is touching more lives then we could even start to know. The nurses asked us if the machines bother us...he is on A LOT of machines...and we smiled and said, "Absolutely not, we are just glad to see our son." Kristin and I get to spend the night by his bedside and stare at him and touch him as much as we like...it feels so good to be a daddy and mommy!

Rewind to a few minutes before Kristin and I went in to see Luke...many of our family and friends gathered around us in the hall of the 4 floor at Kosairs. They joined hands and started lifting prayers to Heaven for us. At the conclusion of the prayer they started singing the chorus of How Great is Our God. The halls were ringing and it appeared that everything stopped on that floor to soak up the movement of the Holy Spirit! He swept through the building and touched many lives on His way!

Luke is going to be healed, we already know that. But in the meantime, there are a lot of other types of healing taking place because of this little guy's strength. I feel in my spirit that family relationships are being renewed, broken friendships are being restored, spiritual healing is taking place and people are drawing closer to Jesus! Like Kristin said today in front of all the people that were at the hospital, if just one person comes to know the Lord through Luke's story...it is ALL worth it! That is how much salvation means to us! We fully believe in the power of Christ and honor Him in all that we do. It was early last year when we started praying, "God use us in any way possible so that we may bring glory to Your name! Use us to minister to the world." Well...we did not expect this to be it, but that prayer has been answered. Luke is ministry to the world!

In the midst of this horrible storm, we know that we must walk by faith and not by sight. We have received a peace from our Lord that passes all understanding. We will take each minute as it comes, and we will give Luke every chance we can to become a healthy little boy. We are so blessed that God has placed him in our lives and we cannot wait for all our friends and family to meet him!

PS. Kristin will post pictures tomorrow! Wait till you see the head of hair this kid has - it's awesome!


-- Benson

Luke's first 24 hours...

Hey everyone, it's Benson. It may seem like you have waited an eternity to hear about Luke. I will start by saying that my wife is an all-star when it comes to labor. She was fantastic all day, never once complained or even showed a hint that it was difficult. Labor and delivery went extremely well as Luke was born into this world around 9:30pm est. The delivery room was full of doctors and nurses awaiting our precious 6lbs 10oz, 21 1/2 inches long boy.

Let the madness begin...

Kristin and I held Luke for a total of around 3 minutes. He was then whisked away by the neonatal team to Kosairs NICU. My father-in-law and I followed Luke as the rest of the doctors made sure Kristin recovered well. After I found out where Luke would be, I returned to Kristin.

From this point, chaos and confusion took over...

We were told it would take a couple hours until we were relayed the diagnosis...those two hours seemed like a lifetime. Finally, Dr. Rod McDowell, a pediatric cardiologist, entered the room and delivered the news. The first thing we found out was that Luke's oxygen levels were extremely low, in the 30's, and that was the number one concern. From there he proceeded to tell us that instead of Luke having one large right ventricle, he had one large left ventricle...and a lot more. However, we were encouraged that the doctor's did not believe it was HLHS, but were terrified by the fact that Luke's oxygen was so low. Dr. McDowell continued to explain that Luke may need a blood transfusion and several other things to stabilize him. Dr. McDowell left and, while weary, we were confident that Luke's condition was better than what we originally thought.

Fast forward an hour...

Kristin was being transferred from labor and delivery to post partum when we received a phone call from Kosairs NICU to come over. My father-in-law and I went ahead of Kristin and her mother as she finalized the move to her new room. When Raymond and I arrived, we were met by a team of doctors that asked us to wash up and put on gowns. The only way that I know how to describe the scene around Luke in the NICU is by saying it was like a very intense episode of Grey's Anatomy. Raymond and I were terrified as doctors told us of the worsening condition of Luke. They indicated that he immediately needed to be put on ECMO for any chance of survival. I was terrified and wanted Kristin so badly. Finally, after 20 minutes, Kristin arrived to the scene and went into fits...she just knew that Luke was in big trouble. We spent a few minutes loving on him and then the doctors began the procedure...the ECMO saved Luke's life last night.

NOTE: Kristin has been praying that Luke would not have to be on ECMO the whole time. This machine pulls blood from the body into the machine, oxygenates it and then returns it to the body. The blood is extremely thin and there is a very high risk for bleeding, especially in the brain.

7:00am this morning...

After 1 hour of trying to rest, Kristin and I left her room in Nortons to visit Luke as the cardiovascular team made their morning rounds. We were surrounded by a team of prestigious professionals as they discussed Luke's case and pitched ideas as to what to do next. The resulting was idea was to have a heart catheterization today to determine a final diagnosis.

4:15pm this afternoon...

Dr. McDowell visited us following the heart cath. His concerned look allowed us to know quickly that something wasn't right. He proceeded to tell us that Luke does have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome with both major arteries, aorta and pulmonary, coming out of the right ventricle. One would think this was the worse news...but it wasn't. Luke's heart has a wall between the two atrium's of the heart that is preventing blood to flow correctly. The wall causes blood to back up into the lungs which increases the pressure in the lungs. With increased pressure in the lungs, the heart has trouble pumping blood to the whole body - a problem that, unless somehow corrected would be fatal. We were then told we were faced with two options.

Option 1: Go through with surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30am est. This surgery will be the normal first surgery for HLHS patients (Norwood procedure) and include fixing the wall that causes blood to back up in his lungs. However, with the condition of the high pressure in Luke's lungs, his risk factors are much greater. We were told that typical HLHS patients have an 80-95% survival rate, but Luke's condition makes his chances of survival at around 20%. They believe that he will be able to make it through the surgery. The difficulty will come in weening Luke from the ECMO and seeing if his lungs will be able to hold up.

Option 2: Make Luke comfortable and pull him off the ECMO.

As you could imagine, our hearts dropped. Kristin and I spent time alone crying and discussing what to do. In the end, there is no way that we cannot give Luke a chance...he will have surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30am est.

About a half hour later...

Dr. Mascio and Austin visited our room; they are the two surgeons that will take Luke's extremely complex heart and make it usable. They told us the same things that Dr. McDowell did and agreed that we had to give Luke a chance at surgery.

So...here we are...

The first 24 hours of Luke's life have been extremely unfair. I have left out some of the drama and news we received only because my head is spinning and I cannot think very straight right now. However, Kristin and I stand firm on our promise to completely rely on God. Yes, we question why, but we do not place blame.

We need your prayers. Please pray that surgery goes well tomorrow. Pray for the surgeons and doctors, that God gives them knowledge and wisdom in Luke's case. Pray that Luke's lungs receive a touch from God and are able to function normally. Pray that Luke comes off the ECMO with no complications. Kristin has had a rough recovery day, so please pray that tomorrow is much better for her. Pray for our parents as they tirelessly look after our family. And when you pray...give God all the glory and honor and He deserves! He is an awesome God that never leaves us or forsakes us. He is the ultimate physician, He is the Most-High Doctor! In the midst of life's worst storms, we praise You God!

God has a special plan for Luke's life and through it all, no matter the outcome, He will receive glory. We are terrified at what might happen tomorrow or in the week ahead but we completely submit our son to our Lord and Savior because we know that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. -Luke 1:37

-- Benson

Luke's Amazing Grandparents

Having a baby in itself is more work than two young people have ever experienced, and when you add a diagnosis of HLHS it multiplies greatly. Kristin and I are strong people. We love the Lord and we face each day with a renewed strength because of our faith in Him. However, there is no way that we could do this alone.

God has blessed Kristin and I with the most amazing parents that anyone could ask for.  I am going to be the father that my dad taught me to be. My dad never experienced the love of an earthly father because his dad died when he was 3. However, he learned to rely on the Heavenly Father and through that he became an amazing dad. It's not fair that Luke will never see his papa Sexton on this earth, but as Luke will learn as soon as he takes his first breathe, life is not always fair. My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer 2 years ago right before his retirement and passed away 9 months later. However, I am confident that Luke has already met his papa and they are best buddies. Papa will always be his guardian angel and protect him throughtout his life.

My mom should have been a high-flying acrobat. She can't stay still and has more energy than a kid. One of my dad's nurses use to say that she was like a rat on acid...get the picture? She is the most humble person and will give anything she has to her kids or anyone in need. I am so thankful that she is able to live close to my sisters and help them with my 3 nephews. Without a doubt, she will always be there for Luke and he will be spoiled by nana real quick. If anyone knows how to take care of a sick loved one, it's her...we will be able to turn to her during the good and the bad times.

What can't I say about Kristin's parents? We are beyond blessed to have them in our lives. I never dreamed that I would have a father-in-law and mother-in-law that I was so close to. Raymond is beyond amazing. The man can do or fix anything in the world. Kristin will not even let me hang a picture because she knows that her dad will get it perfectly square...I'm serious...haha. He has a heart of gold and he backs down from nothing that he truly believes in. The past 4 years he has shown me more than he will ever realize, from correcting my golf swing to finishing a basement, and everything in between. Luke is going to gain so much wisdom and knowledge from his papaw. I don't have very many of the skills that Luke's papaw has but I pray that he gets them all. There is no doubt in my mind who Luke's best friend will be.

Arletia is the hardest worker I have ever met in my life, and I don't mean just around her house. I honestly believe there is not one second that goes by that she does not think of Kristin and how she can help her out. She lives for her daughter. They are just like every mom and daughter and sometimes it's comical, but at the end of every day they are best friends. Arletia's passion to be the best mother she can be has certainly transitioned to being a grandmother. From the time we told her Kristin was pregnant until now, she has not stopped preparing. Kristin and I will get home from work and she will have cleaned the house or washed a load of laundry just because she wants Kristin to be able to rest and not have to worry about wearing herself out. She doesn't do it because she doesn't think we can't do it ourselves, but she does it because she loves us and wants to help us out. When Luke arrives in less than 2 weeks I am certain that he will be her everything, because he already is. He gets new clothes, books or toys every day already, so I can't imagine what it will be like when he is actually here. After the first surgery and we are settled back at home, Kristin and I will have to go back to work. However, I am completely at peace with that because I know he is in the best hands in the world while his grandma is taking care of him.

I don't want to imagine what life would be like without the love and support of our families. I know they are the people they are because they put God first in their life. Our parents agree with us that without Him we are nothing. So, as our journey continues to unfold, we thank God for the help he has provided us and we want to say,

Dad, mom, dad, mom...We love you, we thank you and we can't wait for Luke to meet you!

- Benson

He Has a Name!

Yesterday was a HUGE day in the Sexton house. We finally arrived at a name for our son. Honestly, I thought he would not have a name until he was born. It wasn’t that we couldn’t find a name we liked, but that we had several that we really liked! However, atop all lists from day one was one name, Luke Aaron Sexton.

God gave me a verse last week and when I read it I was amazed. Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing is impossible with God.” I shared the verse with Kristin and we left it at that. Yesterday Kristin called me and said that she had prayed over the verse all morning and she knew 110% that our baby should be named Luke.

Let me break it down for you: God chose a man named Luke to spread His message and the life of Christ. Luke will be our 1st son. The pediatric cardiologist informed us that they will induce Kristin at 37 weeks. Is this cool or what???? However, it gets better! Luke 1:37 is referring to where the Angel of the Most High God is speaking with Mary about the conception of Jesus Christ. What a miracle!

Now, we are definitely not saying that our son is Jesus but we are saying that God still works miracles just the same. He gave me that verse and everything about it lines up with our situation. So, since Luke has been on top of our list from day one, and God has chosen to use that verse to comfort us in time of fear and anxiety, our son’s name will be Luke Aaron.

Also, you can’t spell Luke without UK!

Give God praise for the miracles in your life! They are all around you; all you have to do is take the time to see them!

-- Benson

Peace Be Still

After talking to my sister on my way home from work today I started to turn on my radio. I pushed the button but quickly decided to ride the rest of the way in silence. However, I heard a voice say turn it back on. The station was set to 91.7 and the first note of the following Rush of Fools song hit as soon as I turned up the volume. These are the words God had for me at that moment:

Peace Be Still

Verse 1
Come to Me, you who are weak
Let My strength be yours tonight
Come and rest, let My love be your bed
Let My heart be yours tonight

Chorus
Peace be still, Peace be still
Please be still and know that I am God
and know that I am God

Verse 2
Come empty cup, let Me fill you up
I'll descend on you like a dove tonight
Lift your head, let your eyes fall into Mine
Let your fear subside tonight

Bridge
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

My God is in complete control and He is molding my baby boy in His perfect image.

-- Benson