Buddy and I would like to invite you to join Team Thomas and participate in the 7th Annual Baby Steps Memorial Run benefiting the Amelia Center of Birmingham, Ala. The Amelia Center is a comprehensive grief counseling center that provides free individual and family counseling to children and teens who have experienced a death, or to adults who have experienced the death of a child. It is a non-profit program of Children’s of Alabama that has been serving grieving families since July 1997. The Center operates by donations and continued support from community members. All proceeds from the Baby Steps Run benefit the Amelia Center. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Amelia Center.

Buddy and I have received exceptional support from this organization over the past several months and would like to help support its cause. We would love for you to join us and run in memory of our precious Thomas! The Baby Steps Memorial 5K and One Mile Fun Run will be held Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015, at Tannehill State Park, 12632 Confederate Parkway, McCalla, AL 35111.

How to join Team Thomas
CLICK HERE to log-in to Active.com to register. Click Baby Steps 5K – Team Registration ($20) and then select Team Registration again. Once you log-in and begin filling out the form, please mark “Yes” that you are running in memory of someone and then provide the following: Thomas Alexander Lambert V, 5/22/14 – 12/5/14. Then, click that you would like to join a team and select “Team Thomas” from the drop down menu. The team registration is for the 5K only. If you would like to register for the One Mile Fun Run but still be a part of Team Thomas, no problem! Just register for the One Mile Fun Run and then e-mail us at: changedbythomas@gmail.com to let us know.

Participants will receive free admission to the park, a race T-shirt and swag bag. The 5K will begin at 8 a.m. and the One Mile Fun Run will begin at 8:15 a.m. Door prizes, awards and a balloon release to our angels in Heaven will follow the Run. This will be a fun day for the entire family! There will be games and various activities for kids. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Baby Steps Memorial Run.

We hope you will join us on Saturday, August 22, to run in memory of our sweet Thomas. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to seeing you at the Run! 

Oftentimes, and especially recently, I have heard people say that God took their baby, or parent, or sibling, or friend away from them, and then proceed to express their anger towards God. I would be lying if I said I’ve never been mad at God, and if we’re all truly honest with ourselves, I’m sure everyone has been angry with God at some point in their lives. I was extremely immature in my faith when I was mad at God and only cared about myself and my plans for my life. But thankfully God used my husband to give me truth and I found myself begging God to forgive me for my frustration with Him. I do not and have never blamed God for what happened to Thomas. He didn’t take Thomas away from me; God healed Thomas. Our sweet baby was heartbreakingly sick and we knew it was going to take God healing Thomas either on this Earth or ultimately in Heaven. Obviously we wanted Thomas to be healed on Earth, but God had other plans.

Just in the past week, I have been reminded yet again about the story of Job in the Bible. Even after losing all of his livestock, servants and children, Job did not curse God; he praised Him instead. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” – Job 1:21-22. Job was even afflicted with painful sores and still did not sin against God. Job did, however, question God. In Job 38-41, God quickly put Job in his place and he recognizes that God’s ways are best. The verse that spoke to me recently is Job 41:11 when God said, “Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under Heaven belongs to me.” Thomas was God’s all along; He lent Thomas to us for six and a half months to be his earthly parents. I will never understand why this time was shortened and I find myself saying over and over again, “I just don’t get it, I just don’t get it.” While I will never be able to comprehend God’s plans, I will chose to trust Him and cling to the promise that He works out everything for His glory and my good. Thomas will always be my son and I will always be his mother, and I will be reunited with him one day. God didn’t take him away from me; He healed him, and it’s such an amazing feeling to know that my baby is no longer suffering and will never suffer again. He is praising our Heavenly Father and waiting on his mommy and daddy to join him soon.