The Sweerin's

It has been about 8 months since our last post. Our family is doing well and continuing to experience God's love in so many ways. The highlight of our family is the new addition that arrived on September 3rd, Clayton Hans Sweerin. Being 6lbs 9.8oz's and perfectly healthy our hearts were overjoyed. Melanie is also doing well and was very strong through the delivery. As I have been soaking in the experience, I want to reflect on the lessons God has been teaching us. As many of you know, losing Elijah in September last year has changed our view of God in many ways. As Christians, we need to understand how when tragedies happen it isn't necessarily God punishing us, forgetting us, or a result of our own mistakes, but a result of the curse man brought upon itself.    Now September 3rd, 1 year later we have experienced God's grace in a new way. Clayton (meaning "from the clay") is an image that comes to our mind as we think of how God created us from the dust of

    Being a part of Christ's family is a beautiful thing. After loosing our son, we were surrounded by our family in Christ. In the midst of all our sadness, God was near. He was present in our time of trouble.  In order to help with the grieving process, I was given a devotional that would help me sort through my emotions. In the devotional it mentioned writing a letter to our son. Nate sat down and began writing as I could not get too many thoughts together. I am always impressed at how he can put his thoughts down on paper.  Below is our letter to Elijah. We want to share it with you all. We pray that you will be encouraged  in your walk with God . Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we try to discern what God has in store for our future. In Memory of Elijah Dale Sweerin “the Lord is my God” To our son Elijah, Your life is a testament to God’s love and provision. From the day he formed you in your mother’s womb, God had a plan for