Ponderings of a new foster mom

Well, really I'm a foster-mom-in-waiting. 

Over the years I have become more and more patient (thank you, Lord!) but waiting to start our fostering journey has been a test.  We've been ready for months already, and "official" for two weeks tomorrow.  Apparently there is a "critical need" for foster homes for infants in our area so we responded and started the journey and training over a year ago.  And we wait.  And wait. 

Sometimes I'm happy that we haven't started yet - and other times I can't wait.  I look forward to caring for a little one and giving them a safe place to be.  To love them.  To greet them and enjoy their milestones.  To use the time God has given me to do something important in addition to caring for my husband, family and home. To sharing our family life with someone not so blessed.  I look forward to singing to them, playing with them, snuggling them, teaching them ... oh so many things.  I am giddy with excitement. 

And then the fears come in.  Will I be able to do night-time feedings again?  Will I be a good foster mom?  Will I be able to let go when I need to?  Will I learn all the new things (swaddling? bottle feeding? car seat instructions? ...) What if...?  What if...?

I know it won't be an easy "job".  Most of these children haven't had the greatest start in life.  Some of them have roadblocks in their lives right away - the effects of being exposed to alcohol and/or drugs in the womb.  Neglected sometimes.  Not stimulated.  And possibly even abused.  For some our home will be a stop on their way to their forever adoptive homes. 

However, in all of my uncertainty I am calm in the fact that I know and trust God's plans for us and I have felt His leading throughout this whole journey - from wondering if we should take this path, to training, approval and feeling His direction all along.  Even from Him putting it on my heart years ago (when I still pushed it away, afraid I wouldn't be good enough).  From friends telling us over and over that we "should be foster parents".  I am calm knowing that He has a little one planned for us and that He will give us "the call" when His time is right. 

Still each day, as the "office hours" time comes around I start to wonder:  "Is today THE DAY?" What will the day involve?  Sort of like having my own children, minus the pregnancy! 

I guess not having a placement is a good thing - it means that there isn't a need for me at the time, and that is a good thing. 

So for now I will continue to "nest".  Get the work done that I probably won't get done once a baby enters our lives -- cleaning cupboards out, major yard work, etc. etc.

And dream.  (And sleep!)

Evil not Tragedy

definitions from
dictionary.com

I, like many others, have been deeply saddened about the recent events in Newtown, Connecticut.  Twenty young children shot dead.  Six staff members shot dead.  Parent(s) shot dead.  Suicide. And as bad as this event was/is, it annoys me to hear it being referred to as a "tragedy". 

Tragedy implies an accidental event.  Something mournful, a calamity, something unplanned.  Yes this was/is a somber event.  This event came to a tragic conclusion.  But make no mistake:  this event (and others like it) was and is EVIL.

 

2 Timothy 3 (NIV)

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

 

Evil, not because it was the killing of children (although that in itself is a horrible kind of evil).  Evil because it is wicked - and wickedness that caused it. 

There have been assertions that this mass killing in Newtown could have been avoided by having stricter gun controls.  Or better safety in schools.  Or many other ideas.  However, until humans have respect for other human beings and respect for life, nothing will prevent such evil. 

We live in an increasingly selfish world.  "What I think and I want is what I will get.  If I don't like something, I can do whatever I want in order to let my thoughts be made known."  Yes there might be implications for my choice of rage (legal or judicial implications), however "I have rights".  (Lots of talk about rights but not much talk about responsibility.)

On the one hand we hear all about peace and goodwill to one another.  Especially at this time of year.  And then in the next aisle from us in the store we hear someone going over the top because a certain toy that was advertised in the store flyer is no longer available.  People honk their horns because someone isn't going as fast as they'd like them to.  People make rude gestures to others who are in their way.  They huff and puff because they don't get their own way.  Adults act like unruly children.   Young people are rude to the elderly.  Middle-age people look down on the elderly.  Bullying in schools.  Bullying on the internet.  Bullying in the workplace.  Meanness in magazines.  Meanness in comedy. The sentiment "If I don't like you, I will show you, I can do whatever I want" is everywhere, if not in direct words, in attitude. 

We can blame these things on mental health issues, and there is sometimes an element of truth to that also, however in past history, people had mental issues, poverty, and difficult family situations etc. yet these rampages were not the norm -- in fact, they were unheard of.  In other areas of the world, even now, these rampages are not the norm.  Even though mental issues are and were part of life, and guns were a part of life, people respected others, and lived more respectful lives.  They recognized other people's property and respected that it didn't belong to them, to do with it what they felt like.  Yes there were the rebels.  Those who didn't care.  But there was a standard of expection in society, based on the God's Word.

 

People respected other peoples' children and even looked out for them.  Some still do (think the teachers at the Newtown school), but there is this mentality all around that "I will get what I need for me and mine and who cares about others anymore."  How sad.

We live in a society that glorifies violence and then works to protect those affected by violence.  Movies, television, and video games often depict the fight between evil and good - and often senseless killings are shown, over and over.  We are desensitized to the killings.  Our society even "decorates" homes with human hangings, tombstones and whatever else on Halloween each year.  (Halloween revenue is second only to Christmas in our society! $6 BILLION US in 2009.)

We cannot change people.  We can wish and wish for peace and happiness, but until hearts are changed, hearts become loving towards others, truly changed - and only changed by God - there will never be true love in this world.  Oh some will be loving.  Some will be caring.  But evil will reign. 

Sadly nothing will bring back these children (or the many others who have been senselessly killed in similar evil).  Nothing will bring back the child-like innocence in those who survived the killings but will live with the implications of living through such a nightmare.

 2 Chronicles 7:14

¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
 

Lord, turn our hearts to you.
Heal our land.  

The Ugly Tears Story

(Martin Keus Photography)

"THE UGLY TEARS", yah I never thought I'd actually voluntarily share this photo...but there's such a good story behind it so I needed to share it.

This past summer our oldest child, our son, got married.  It was a new experience for us, and an exciting one too.  THAT moment had arrived - the moment that one of our children actually gets married.  An event that I'd always envisioned - even when he was a child.  We always talked to our children about their futures - "when you get married, if that is the Lord's will for you..."  Having it arrive was exciting and humbling. 

Of course any mom would be emotional at such an event, and since I'm an emotional person anyway, I knew I didn't stand a chance of avoiding tears.  But I didn't think that my tears would be a torrent! I really didn't. 

When I was walking down the aisle with Andrew Peter just moments before he said his wedding vows, I glanced up at him and in that split second it was like God was saying to me "See, I had my hand on him the whole time!" and I saw the time when I was first pregnant with him and had started bleeding (6 weeks). I had an ultrasound to see if I was miscarrying ... but instead we saw his heart beating! ... In that split second, at the wedding, all my doubts from back in 1988 were shown to me ... it was humbling and amazing.

You see, the bleeding didn't stop.  It kept going and I waited to miscarry.  I wish I could say that I trusted God's provision for my life, but I didn't as I should have.  My faith was weak.  I hoped.  I wished.  I thought about other things.  And I tried to have faith.  Even when things seemed impossible. 

But I didn't totally trust. 

It was humbling to see myself way back then fretting and fearing, trusting in God but not the trusting that He wants and requires of us and that we're silly not to do. 

better days, 1989,
closer to delivery

And yet He still carried me all the way.

It's hard to explain but it has been amazing to see the tapestry that God has been weaving in our lives - a lot unseen by us - but He was always there, weaving His plans for us.

God not only provided for my life - He caused my pregnancy to proceed, albeit too "eventful" for my liking.  He provided us with a well-born son and our first child.  (And we realize that sometimes providing us with what we want isn't God's will - we did lose two unborn children and went through a total of five similar pregnancies.) But God provided our son with his faith in God, He blessed our feeble efforts as parents and made them good, He blessed my failings as a homeschool mom and teacher, and He answered our many prayers for our son's future wife ... He provided a good and godly wife for our son!

How could I not feel humbled?  Feel awed? 
Feel HELD by His hands?

He provided this experience to us and He has used that awful experience for His glory. Through it we have been given an empathy for others - for the value of unborn children, for an understanding of the angst that couples go through, couples who really, really would love to have their child in their arms one day.   And we were given a huge love for children - our own and others. 

It was an awesome experience to feel things come full circle.  To see way back then in the light of today's faith and spiritual growth.  And to view the future with the knowledge of my weak faith years ago, knowing that today's faith is also likely a weak faith in the future!  God grows our faith by our trusting in Him. 

I pray that this experience causes my heart to trust God more and more in my life! 

Standing Up for Life

 

This year we did something different - something that we've never done before: we attended a political rally in Ottawa. 

Not that we've never been political - we've written letters to the government about various issues, both to local governments and to our federal government.  We've made phone calls to officials.  We've filled out petitions and surveys.  We've even called and written to radio shows and newspapers and magazines.  But this was different.

This was standing out - making a political stand.  In public.  In a crowd (of close to 20,000 people!).  On Parliament Hill.

And it was awesome!

It was awesome to be surrounded by so many who were like-minded.  I'm sure we all didn't agree exactly - but we were all there for one reason: to stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.  To stand up for life - from conception to natural death.

And a loud message was sent to Parliament.  We need a federal law regarding abortion in Canada.

It is sobering that in a world where we work to save the whales, save the trees and save whatever else - we kill our own unborn children.  In the name of  "choice" and "rights".  And the government covers the cost!  Many in Canada (and outside of Canada, I'm sure) don't realize that Canada ranks the same as China and North Korea in it's lack of protection for the unborn. 

We live in a country that won't cover the cost of routine eye examinations, some necessary drugs, eye glasses and other such necessary items - and items which are less costly than abortions, yet abortions are funded over and over! 

When Canada got it's constitution, our abortion laws were deemed "unconstitutional" and Parliament was asked to deal with the issue.  In 1988 (when I was expecting our first of five babies) it was brought up in Parliament, and yet Parliament failed to restrict abortions.  And we have sat since then without any protections.  Back in 1988 I couldn't deal with this issue: I'd seen our unborn baby's heartbeat at 6 weeks and knew he was a living being - how could people kill their unborn children?  While I was trying to hang on to my pregnancy due to complications - the rhetoric went on and on..."At what time is a fetus a human being?", "What about women's choice?"  "Women's bodies; women's choice".  As our baby grew, and as I felt him move within me (and eventually his siblings) - I still heard the rhetoric being debated back and forth and I was ashamed.

Abortion is not the answer.  There ARE alternatives.  Chastity.  Adoption. 

Will Parliament listen?  I  hope and pray so.  For the sake of our society, for our families, for our race. 

Read more: http://weneedalaw.ca/
Canada has NO abortion LAWS!

Canada is the only country in the western world without abortion legislation. Only China and North Korea are in our company.

The mission of weneedaLAW.ca is to build a groundswell of support from across Canada for abortion legislation.

10 Ways to Love

< working on it ... >

Old Memories, New Realities

"I Just Love Jesus and He Wants Me to Help You"

I love Proverbs 31 devotions! I receive them on my smartphone and sometimes I don't have the time to read them. So I save them for when I have some waiting time - like at a doctor's appointment. Yesterday I read this one and ended up re-reading it at our evening dinner devotion time. I love the reason that she gave for helping and had to share it here! (thank you to my faithful readers - sorry I haven't updated - somehow life always takes over and blogging gets put at the bottom of the to-do list!) D

Lumping and Loving
Karen Ehman
“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” Philippians 4:5 (NLT)

I usually cringe at generalizations … stereotypes. Lumping an entire group of people into a confining box. Like “The ________ (nationality) are so ________ (bad character trait)” or “Those ________ (age group) all are so ________ (strange habit or behavior).” However, every once in a while a compliment is paid in the lumping.

Recently, as I waited in line at a coffee house, a frail, elderly woman stood in front of me ordering a meal. She seemed distressed as she fumbled for her change, paid the worker, and then gathered up her bag of food and her drink. As she headed for the door, her large purse began swinging off of her shoulder, nearly knocking her, and all of her lunch, to the floor. “Oh … how am I going to do this? Oh my … oh dear … I can’t …” she mumbled to herself, trying to shift her weight and her cargo while pushing open the door at the same time.

Though I’d just finally reached the front of the line, God used today’s key verse to tap me on the heart and shift my momentary schedule. I quickly hopped out of line. “Here, let me get that for you,” I uttered as I held the door open and steadied her drink. “Would you like me to carry your food to your car?” She stopped in her tracks, her bright blue eyes looking up at me with gratefulness. “Oh dear … you must have a grandmother living that you’re so kind to an old woman.”
“No ma’am, I don’t,” I answered. “I just love Jesus and He wants me to help you.”
Read the rest here: http://devotions.proverbs31.org/?s=lumping+and+loving

Power Verse:
Proverbs 31:26, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.” (NKJV)

Christmas Wish for My Children

My Christmas wish for MY children! A favourite!

Mercies in Disguise?

Laura Story - "Blessings"


We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

A Message from My Hubby!

Not So Dear Investigation

1st clue: a hoof-print in the mud

the calling cards

some of the evidence - hostas almost gone

more hostas eaten up

and more again

hopefully not the "next frontier"

my rose bush - buds all eaten (by a chipmunk)

my rose of sharon - still budding and so far safe

where the critters come from

Friend Therapy

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Encouragement: pouring courage into someone who needs it.
Yesterday, while driving, I heard Dr. David Jeremiah and "Friend Therapy". It was great to listen and meditate on these verses for a while and then to connect with a good friend this morning on the phone (she called me)!

Listen to "Friend Therapy - Pt. 2" also.

And I encourage you to reach out and give some "friend therapy" out yourself. Not to the friend that you usually reach out to - to someone else. Someone who doesn't have as many friends to reach out to them. Maybe a lonely neighbour. Maybe someone that you don't usually connect with at church or work. Give out some "friend therapy". "Minister concern for one another" today!

~~~

Thanks to Rachel for showing me how to post online pages... ;) I figured it out!

A Fascinating Read

A friend recommended this book to me and I hope to use it for our grade 12 homeschool this fall. Amazing!

The book contains some rough language and information - however, the story itself is a must-read. Henrietta's contribution to science has helped us all through the years - although she and her family had no idea of her important contribution.

Written by Rebecca Skloot.

Been away from Church?

I saw this the other day while casually reading the newspaper with my cup of coffee in hand. How sad!

"Whether you are the most active member of your parish, a Christmas-and-Easter Catholic...you will always be welcome."

Wow.

I always thought the "Christmas-and-Easter Catholic" was something that wasn't condoned. Just a situation that others have observed. People calling themselves people of faith - and yet never paying any attention to their faith in day-t0-day life.

"Connect with your faith and your heritage." In death?

How about connecting with your faith ... while you're alive?! It won't help you after death. Sorry to say.

Spring Glory

My Mother's Day 2010 from Andrew Rose of Sharon - so far no critters have
gone "buffet" on it...
When I was younger, spring was my least favourite season -

but it has become one of my most cherished!

I love the newness of spring - the wonderful smell of spring -

and even the rain in spring.

But this year's rain has been a bit too much!

I love my flowerboxes this year - every year I try something newish, and hope to love it...

but some years I like the colour combinations more than others

Alyssa's garden is coming along - see my lupin in there? It's in solitary confinement - away from the bunnies and deer until it's multiplied a few times, THEN I will let SOME of it out...and see!
Same with my Mother's Day 2010 rose bush from the kids - lovely pink - but in solitary confinement...until it's big enough to be a bit of a critter buffet AND enjoyment for us!
the lilacs have been gorgeous - but they have also been waterlogged
and haven't lasted as long as other years :(

Marigolds and peas - waiting to be planted...maybe I'll eat the pea sprouts - have you ever

tried them? YUM! (I'm hoping a deer doesn't find these before they get dealt with)

a few herbs - nothing like fresh chives or tomatoes...

My Prayper Route

Kind of a strange photo here, but I was trying to get a pic of my hair after coming back from my paper route last week. It was -27C outside when I left home at 7:30am - brrrr, and my hair ended up frosted. It looked like solidly gray hair!

Anyway, as you know, I have a paper route. In fact, I've had my route for over 9 years now. Most of the people in my neighbourhood know that it's my route, but once in a while I still get a comment like "doing your kids route?"

What started out as a way to exercise AND make a little bit of money (originally it was my scrapbooking money) has turned into exercise and making a bit of money as well as contact with neighbours. I know most of them and have seen many of them through good and bad times in their lives - and they also have shared my burdens. I shared a while back about Joanne, and I have good news to share again with you.

Joanne is doing quite well, although she hasn't heard back from her doctor's about her prognosis and health plan. She'd like to leave the cancer as is and go without treatment, especially if it's a slow-growing cancer -- but she doesn't know for sure if it is a slow cancer. I hope to hear more soon. But even if it's a faster cancer, she may end up opting out of treatment - since, as she says, "I could die of something else before cancer takes me!"

Joanne moved to a senior's residence not too far away and my husband and I went to visit her last week. She was so excited to see us! She looks good (she's 90 years old), never takes the elevators (stairs only!) and finds that the "old people with walkers" are quite slow! haha She seems to have a much happier attitude now - and is enjoying having her meals made for her and access to all sorts of activities and entertainment at her fingertips!

~~~
But back to my paper route - as I was walking the other day, I realized how I pray for those who I know are living with difficulties. I don't know their names many times - but I do know some of their "woes". At one home in lives a couple about our ages with kids around the ages of our kids. I know they're a Christian family because I had some contact with the husband years ago but he wouldn't remember me (he used to chair an organization that I was a part of). When I saw him and his wife at the store a couple of months ago, it was obvious that his wife is going through chemotherapy. I have no idea what type of cancer she has, but I pray for her and their family every week as I pass their home.

At another home - a man just lost his wife suddenly just before Christmas 2010. I pray for him.

A neighbour family is very strange - I don't know why or what's going on, but instead of trying to figure them out, I pray for them instead now.

There are two people on my route whose spouses have left them. They are each hurting and alone.

I just heard from Joanne that another family - one living across from her old home, is going through a cancer diagnosis. The wife has some sort of brain tumour. They have three young boys.

An older man on my route is busy as caregiver to his sick wife.

We live in a beautiful world - filled with great things - and filled with lots of sad things like sorrow and sickness. And God has given me a huge compassion gene - which I don't like many times, but I know that He has a reason for how He made me. For now, I'll just reach out to those who surround me, help when I can, and I will certainly pray for them!

Prayer might not seem like much - but I know that God works in amazing ways. He may not choose to heal those who are going through these times, but I know that He will comfort them and be there for them. Maybe even through me. Use me, Lord.

From now on I'm going to call my route my prayper route!

Winter Art

There's another gorgeous design on our window today - as Ontario is in the midst of a blizzard. Thought I'd post a pic, referring to this post in 2008! Can't beat God's artwork!

"How could I say there is no God,

when all around creation calls?!"

(Brian Doerksen)

Incredible Basement

I received this from a friend who always sends a lot of emails...you know the type! Usually most emails end up in the deleted file, but I took a peak at this one and I'm glad that I did! Pretty neat - take a peak.

Grass

As you know, I have been a "paper-girl/woman" for quite a few years. What started out as some outdoor walking (and getting paid for it) has turned out to meeting neighbours that I normally wouldn't meet and growing relationships. It's been good, but also difficult, because those who I usually meet are people who have no one else or those who have family but come from very broken relationships. One such lady is Joanne.

I met Joanne quite a few years ago - I'd say at least 8 years. She was an elderly woman at the time (in her 80s) but she was so active. She'd be outside cutting the grass (seriously!) and even trimming her hedges. While her face looked like she was in her 80s, her body and movement did not. She kept active and loved being outdoors. We'd often chat.

Sometimes we'd chat about God. She was very angry at God. She had no use for God. But I'd still tell her that I was praying for her (and I was) and I showed her the hands of God through my life. She never shied away from me when I mentioned God - but a wall definitely came up.

I learned that her husband passed away almost exactly when my dad did, in 1990. He died of cancer. Joanne and her husband had one child - a son - and that son passed away a few years later. He lived in Europe and his wife (her daughter-in-law) and children stayed in Europe. They had contact over the years and sometimes they'd come to visit Joanne. But Joanne tired of taking them to the tourist attractions (or so she said) so they stopped coming. She said she encouraged them to spend their money on the places that they'd like to visit, rather than visiting her. I wonder if she really meant that.

While Joanne was a nice woman, she was also bitter in many ways and knew exactly how things were. Or how she thought they were. A lot of the people that I meet are like this.

Anyway, a few years ago Joanne told me that her daughter-in-law had cancer. It wasn't long before she told me that her daughter-in-law died. She was quite sad. The only family left were her grandchildren.

A little more than a year ago, Joanne took me aside to tell me that she had been diagnosed with cancer. It was a rare form of a "woman's cancer" and she had a hysterectomy (at almost age 89). I still remember her fear, asking me if I could Google her cancer and find her some information. She'd been given various websites to check out but did not have access to the internet. I sat with her and went through her sheets from the doctor, trying to calm her down. It must be tough to live alone and have no one to support you at such times.

Joanne was healthy enough to go through the surgery so she did. Everything went well and although it took quite a bit out of her, Joanne kept at it. She had someone cut her grass for her (which drove her crazy) but she got back at the hedges. She didn't open her pool last season, because she knew she wouldn't be able to keep up with it. She missed her swims.

I rarely saw someone visiting Joanne. But I was happy to see that her closest neighbours were able to take her to her radiation appointments (she'd asked me but I wasn't able to) and a couple neighbours were taking turns cutting her grass. It was encouraging to see neighbours supporting one another in an old-fashioned (not seen a whole lot today) way.

A couple of months ago Joanne again took me aside. Her cancer had come back. She was angry. I tried to encourage her. But she told me that fear had taken over. Fear of cancer (she'd watched her husband and son die of it), fear of dying alone, fear of dying. I tried to console her. I tried to support her.

I saw her about 6 weeks ago and she looked good. I thought she must be doing well, despite her sadness.

And then a couple of weeks ago a "for sale" sign went up at Joanne's house. I could see that someone was still around because I saw her tire tracks in the snow (coming out of her garage) as well as her garbage/composting/recycling being put out and put away again. So I knew that she was still around. On December 17 Joanne had her 90th birthday. I didn't see her but I left her a card and note. I never heard from her again.

Last week I saw that the house was "sold" -- and a few trucks were in her driveway. A dumpster has now joined the trucks. I see Joanne's "life" in the dumpster. I went inside Joanne's house a couple of times and it was like a timewarp. The 1950s all the way. Panelling everywhere, chrome everywhere, various shades of yellow and orange everywhere. It even had a musty smell. Joanne said it wasn't worth it to update anything. It would be a waste of her money.

So I haven't seen Joanne, and since she doesn't have any family here, I don't know if she's okay. I haven't seen a death announcement but I don't know who would put one in for her anyway. (I hope to talk to one of her neighbours soon.) I'm hoping that she's in a senior's home now, getting some tender-loving-care. I miss seeing her - and seeing her house be demolished has been quite an analogy for me. Of how fleeting this life is. It is here and it is gone.

I hope most of all that Joanne has a loving person beside her, showing her of her need of a Saviour.

You sweep people away like dreams that disappear or like grass that springs up
in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it
is
dry and withered. ...
Seventy years are given to us! Some may even
reach
eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and
trouble; soon
they disappear, and we are gone.

Teach us to realize
the brevity of
life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalm 90:5,6,10,12

Is this for Real?

This just came to my attention via Facebook. I really don't know what to think.

First of all, the blog address is birthornot so that would mean that when this couple started this blog, their intent was to bring this discussion to the forefront. Obviously they weren't a couple who was excited about their expected baby and then were faced with a difficult pregnancy and began to think about whether or not to abort the baby.

Which makes me wonder why they started the blog - is it a publicity stunt? Is it for information? Is it a genuine quest for guidance?

If it's a genuine request for guidance, I can't believe that they have stooped this low. Is there not anyone that they can trust - who will give them guidance?

I haven't read all of the posts here, but I have read quite a few and looked at their ultrasound pics. This obviously isn't a "blob" but a human child being formed in his/her mother's womb. He/she is fearfully and wonderfully made.

How can a parent kill their own child?

I just don't get it. I know there are always "reasons" - and in certain circumstances, these "reasons" might seem legitimate...but they are never right in my opinion. I know this debate brings out the worst in people, but there are so many options available to couples today. So many families wishing for a child - so many homes open for an unwanted child.

How will this child think about him/herself when/if they are born and find out about their parents pregnancy blog? WOW.

I pray that these parents will see the truth for what it is - abortion isn't an "answer", it's killing a viable human being. I pray that God will have mercy on them, and that they will have mercy on the child that is growing.

Children are a GIFT.