Happy Birthday Hudson! (We miss you)

Today's a special day for our family - one year ago today we welcomed a very special Warrior into our hearts and into this world.  Hudson Alvin Skiff - born at 5:19 am on 22 December, 2008.   He weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz and was 19 inches long!  We knew from the start he was a Warrior and would fight to stick around for a while.  As many of you who have followed his journey know, he truly embodied the spirit of a Warrior and fought with all of his HEART (his very special heart) to stay around just long enough to fulfill an amazing purpose in the lives of so many.  We experienced every emotion known to man throughout his time here (and continue to experience them today).  But the overwhelming emotion that will never leave, nor forsake us, is that of ufailing JOY - joy that is only found through our faith and trust in an Almighty God.  We believe and have faith that Jesus is holding our precious Warrior close today, along with each and every day - keeping him warm and comforted until we can hold him again.  But what truly brings us comfort and Joy is the fact that He not only holds Hudson close, but in our deepest, darkest hours, Jesus holds us so very close - when we need it the most.  And THAT is true, unfailing Joy.  Happiness fades away and is dependent upon external environments - JOY is constant, never-failing, not dependent upon or swayed by any external circumstances.

We know our Warrior Angel is smiling down on us from his perfect place... and we smile back, knowing we will hold him again soon.  We miss you and love you Hudson!!!  Thanks to all for sharing in our journey - we look forward with anticipation for what the Lord has in store as a result of this valiant Warrior coming into our lives, and touching the lives of so many.  From Hudson's Heart... stay tuned...

"For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him." - 2 Corinthians 5:1-9