RAW(e)

Smiles and laughter are this week's theme for RAW(e). Who wouldn't smile while playing in the rain, or laugh at seeing Josh get splashed!?!

Sharing Grief.

This week has been a week of sharing the grief of others. While I am at a joyful, fulfilled place in my life right now, I am also sharing the burdens of my friends. I share them with you today so that you may also pray the name of Jesus over these dear ladies, that their hearts may be comforted. For it is those who know sorrow, grief and pain that can help shoulder the burden of such in the lives of others.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. ~1 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV

These are the burdens I'm sharing:

Linny, at A Place Called Simplicity, has a dear family friend, "K", who is suffering in a situation that only God miraculously intervene to rescue her. Linny has the biggest heart I believe I've ever met.

Second is Jami who said goodbye to her precious, unborn daughter, Eisley, this week after a long battle to save her life.

And third, my friend, "C", who just a few weeks ago shared great excitement with me over expecting twins, and shared with me this morning that her twins also went to be with Jesus this week. Her second miscarriage this year.

Dear friends, I have grieved great loss nearly alone, and it is overwhelming. God didn't mean for us to suffer alone, isolated and imprisoned by our grief. He made us to share in suffering, because suffering together, sharing each others' burdens makes the burden lighter, life's blows softer, God's presence palpable.

You may not know these dear ladies, but you can pray the love of Jesus over them, pray His peace and share in their sufferings so that the comfort of Christ may flow over into their lives. God bless you, and if you have a burden that you would like to share, please feel free to leave a comment or to e-mail me. I will gladly pray over your burdens too.

I Speak Peacock.

No really, I do! Not as well as my mother, but well enough to turn a peacock's head.

My mother grew up on a farm. They had peacocks. She learned how to mimic the sound close enough to fool a peacock. I learned this one day about 10 years ago when we were at a living history museum here in our city. They had peacocks and without warning my mother let loose with this horrendous, "HEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEELLLLLLLP!" I thought she had gone out of her ever-loving mind! Before I could say so, from the roof of an out building came a response, "HEEEEEEEE-EEEEEELLLLLLP!" My mother speaks peacock!

She gave me lessons. And now, much to the chagrin of my teen/tween children, I speak peacock!

RAW(e) - Snacktime

This is my first RAW(e) post. RAW(e) is a fun blog contest where participants post an unedited photo in line with the week's theme. The entries are judged by the previous week's winner. Here goes nothin'.

Wordless Wednesday - Feeling Lazy

Rebel Thoughts.

I recently passed my 2nd blog-iversary. Somehow it's not a date that sticks into my mind. Speaking of blogging, I'm a horrible blogger. I would love to be a professional blogger, to speak my mind and have readers that think I'm witty and wise. But alas, I'm just not that self-disciplined. *sigh*

Today is the 14 year anniversary of the day that I became a mother! I remember that day as if it were just yesterday. It's my yearly ritual to casually watch the clock on my children's birthdays and remember about where I was in the process of having them at any given time throughout the day. For my daughter the process was much longer, an induction with 15 hours of labor compared to all the boys who were born by ceasarian section. My tiny 6 pound 9 ounce, 41 week baby is now in high school, planning for a career, she has had 2 surgeries, broken 2 bones, had stitches 2 times, been to 3 foreign countries, and is only a year+ away from a driver's permit! Heavens, time flies!

I began sponsoring a boy in Kenya through Compassion International in March. I chose this particular boy because he has the same birthday as my due date for the twin boys I lost through miscarriage in 2004. Today I chose to sponsor a girl in Guatemala, who has the birthday of my due date with our little girl we lost to miscarriage in 2003. I hope soon to sponsor another little boy in memory of the other twin we lost. It feels good to give life in memory of lives lost! Compassion is a great ministry, they help children and families, but they do so by educating them and helping them help themselves. They develop leaders. And they love them through Jesus! I love that!