It has been about 18 months ago since my friend, John Paul Basham, called me on a Friday afternoon to say he had given my short story to the publishing board where he worked, and they wanted to make a book of Stephanie's story.

Now that book is finally a reality. I got to hold my first physical copy yesterday afternoon. This is a road I am certainly unworthy to have been on. For me to have a published book feels about on the same level of miracles as The Parting of the Red Sea! It is surely something that only God could accomplish. I have read that God is a God of Surprises and my experience confirms this for me. My God is truly a God who can do anything, even through a plain ole' guy like me.

I am not a heavy sleeper and am usually up early in the morning. And for 35 years, I've had the habit of just getting up and gone and off to work. I would then attempt to have a devotional time when I got to work. But at the start of this year I decided to commit myself to starting each morning off by just reading some of God's Word and a small daily devotional at home, while the entire house is still dark & quite. I set out this year with the goal to try to experience God's presence and His peace. When I go on into work I allow the daily stuff; the chores, the business, the noise, the worry, etc. make me miss what God may want to speak to me in that gentle whisper.

When I make this small change, by placing God and His Word first, I am able to remember that He is above all of those other noises. In our lives we experience tribulations. Sometimes they are simply the daily stresses and disappointments other times they are life-shattering devastations. We should not be surprised when it happens. God's Word tells us that we will face those times. But his Word also tells us that God is sovereign and has a plan. We must remain faithful and trust in His promises. God never breaks a promise. God will never forsake you. We must always remember that.....Especially in the devastating experience of losing a child.

And that is what I hope to accomplish with this site. I hope it will allow us to talk to each other and encourage each other through the difficult time of losing and burying one our children. We can see how he continues to bless us and enables us to move on. For some, this is a longer process than it is for others, but regardless of how long it takes, God knows your loss and your grief. And God will never leave your side. Never!

That is the promise that we must fight to believe and trust.

Thank you for allowing me to share the story of our daughter with you. I want to show that God was with us through the entire difficult time and has continued to be with us today. I look forward to hearing from you. Please let me know if there is ever anything that I can pray for you about. God bless you.

Bill Sanford

Jeremiah 29:11