If you remember and have a heart to do so, then please lift my eldest son up in prayer today.

Today is the day that determines the start and shaping of his future. For today is the day his A Level results come out and based on them will be what university and what course he does.

He is a very clever and able child – I know all parents say and believe this, but we have results and statistics to back us up. At age 16 he did his GCSE’s (16 is the earliest age a child can opt to leave school in the UK) and for the part of the country we live in, he placed in the top 10 of students with those results. In his school only one person bettered his results and it’s no surprise that was a girl.

What I continually remember to give our God thanks for and never forget is that Owen was born 3 months premature at 28½ weeks gestation and for those that don’t know, that’s just half a week after he could legally have still been aborted in the UK. We were told that if he survived at all, he’d never walk, never talk and (rather oddly I thought) that he’d never play a musical instrument. He weighed a fraction over 1kg and could fit in my cupped hands. In the first 7 weeks of life he “died” so many times we lost count. Had that many blood transfusions that I gladly give my pint back every 6 months or so.

Well Owen is now 18 – a walking testament to the power of miracles. He was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at the age of 18 months but due to the brace of God he is ‘mostly’ like any other teenager. He talks too much and other times not at all, he has long hair, he doesn’t always wash properly…. etc. On top of this he is a very gifted musically and plays piano and trumpet to concert standard – additionally he can play by ear (remember he’s deaf) and pick up just about any instrument and play it. He has recently taken up the violin for fun!

To cap it all – back in March he was hospitalised with glandular fever and is still suffering its effects now.

As you may guess – I am very proud of my eldest (and my other two) and he’s had a lot to fight for and against. It seems somehow appropriate that we named him Owen as it means “a youthful warrior” – so, if you remember then please do pray for him. God obviously has huge plans for him.

Oh, and as if he hasn’t done enough, he wants to do a double honours in Physics and Computer Science