Tuesday, October 20, 2015

URGENT~ Baby Girl Needs Her Family!


* This is a SPECIAL NEEDS placement... I have done my best to start this research for you and have inked to all pertinent information within this post, however Baby Girl's needs are extensive; PLEASE do your own research before inquiring about her. Educate yourself... no one has time to do it for you ;-)



* If you do not have a CURRENT, VALID HOME STUDY, are not approved for special needs, and are not ready to travel quickly, DO NOT APPLY for this situation.



* I am not representing this baby or this situation... I am simply doing what I can do direct anyone who's heart is pulled at this baby's story to the one's who are caring for her.


* The following is ALL of the information I have about this situation.


A home study ready, special needs approved family is needed for a precious 3 month old baby girl who has been diagnosed with Prader Willi Syndrome (read more about Prader Willi here).

A few things to know:

* Baby Girl is presently on Oxygen and is in a specialized therapy facility to try and help her core improve to the point where she will not need a g-tube. A g-tube is still a possibility, but there is hope that therapy can strengthen her enough to not need it.

* Fees will be, at most $13,000

* Baby Girl's First Family would like an open adoption and would like to find a family for their baby girl who will love and keep her name (name will be told to prospective, home study approved families.... but it's SUPER cute!)



If you're ready to commit to this precious girl, or learn more about her, please email Sara (at) specialangelsadoption (dot) org


If you're not in a place to welcome this sweet girl, please pray... for her incredible Mama and Daddy who love her so much and for her forever Mama and Daddy who are missing her, even if they don't know it yet.


And please share. Her needs are extremely special... and her family has been through so much already in their quest to find her Forever Family... PLEASE share and help us unite them!

Remember our Hunter? He wasn't supposed to walk or talk or live. And he is. God is good... and when WE faithfully allow ourselves to be His hands and feet for these precious creations, HE SHOWS UP. Let's do this, friends... we're SO good at it!




Thursday, September 24, 2015

The Girl on the Bridge

It's not a story my husband would tell many people... but it's not one that's easily forgotten.

And in light of Suicide Awareness Month, he has given me permission to tell you what happened that day;

He wouldn't want to be called a hero or guardian angel...

but that's what he was...

When he saw the girl on the bridge.

He drives over the same bridge every day, never really giving a second thought to what lies below.

That Tuesday was the same...

but a few short seconds changed everything about that every-day-drive over that bridge from then on;

She was standing on the wrong side of the guard rail...

a car was parked not far from her and a woman was standing on the sidewalk dozens of steps behind her...

talking her down... begging her to turn around.

If you know my husband, you know he's not one to interfere. This time was different. 

It wasn't curiosity or nosiness... panic? fear?

It doesn't matter... he turned his car around.

He pulled into a nearby parking lot and walked across the bridge...

the lady continued talking to the girl but said nothing to Joey as he passed her by; her phone was in her hand, signaling to Joey that the police were on their way...

but how long had it been... and how long would it be?

He walked slowly up behind the girl... realizing just now that she was probably 16 years old...

maybe 16 years old?

As he approached the guard rail, he glanced over the side...

80 feet down to a concrete sidewalk. Maybe more.

She was going to die.

He guessed that she didn't know that he was behind her yet and as he walked closer, he silently and slowly reached over and placed his arm around her waist...

a risky move, maybe... but if you know my husband, you also know that this young girl was safe the second he touched her.

She was shaking uncontrollably. Paralyzed.

"I'm not going to let you jump. You're safe. But I am going to pick you up."

And he did.

Up and over the guard rail... and as her body got closer to his, she melted...

relief? 

I don't know. I hope so. I can only imagine.

He tried to set her down so she could sit on the sidewalk but the best he could do was lay her against the street-side... the safe side... of the guard rail. She collapsed on the ground, head down... sobbing.

The lady approached her and put her arm around the young girl...

"You're ok. You're going to be ok."

Joey stepped back.

A police officer approached and nodded his thanks before Joey walked back to his car.

As he pulled away, he could hear the ambulance sirens approaching in the distance...

She would be ok....

for now. For today.

Joey came home early from work that afternoon and as he relayed the story to me, I could see in him the fear he felt for that young girl. I could sense the panic... but I could only imagine the emotions and thoughts running through his mind...

about his own daughter. The 'why's'. The 'what if's'. 

But I know my husband.

I know how safe his strong arm around your waist makes you feel...

I know that the sound of his deep voice is calming, even under the most stressful of situations...

I know the control you feel when you can sense his presence standing next to you...

I know that when he says something... "You're safe"... you believe him.

What we don't know is what happened... what will happen... to that precious girl on the bridge.

I don't know what events took place in her life that morning... Who had she spoken to? Where had she been? Had no one tried to help her... Or had many? Where had her hurt come from? Where had her hopelessness come from?


What I do know is that depression puts you in places where you don't truly want to be... it changes parts of you that you once truly loved... it places blame where it doesn't belong...


and it robs you of what you've always known... what you've always believed.


And your control? There is none when depression takes the reigns. You... the 'you' you always knew, is gone.


In the aftermath of losing our Precious #3, I found myself in a dark place that I can only describe as the closest to Hell that I ever care to be. That I never cared to be.

I was surrounded by people who loved me... my arms were full of the sweet babies that Jesus had given to me... and from the outside, my life was rich and busy and full of every blessing that some people never receive...

but where I was, was dark... and lonely... and empty... and scary...

and as much as I wanted to be present and whole for the babies I did have...

I desperately wanted the one I had lost.

And this is a hard reality for a Mama who became a Mama the way I did...

and it's an even harder reality to admit out loud... or in writing.

But also... aside from missing my baby...

I had let my husband down... My body had. Over and over and over again...

we had let him down.

So guilt set in...

I missed the baby I lost when both of the precious ones I still had were standing right in front of me...

and how could my husband still love me... want me... when my body had failed him time and time again?

And guilt led to shame...

and shame led to feeling worthless...

and worthlessness led to joylessness...

and joylessness led to hopelessness...

and that's where I was stuck.

Where I was sinking.

Those closest to me worried about me... they did their very very best to be sure that I knew every second of every day that I was loved, that our Precious #3 wouldn't be forgotten, and that Jesus loved me.

Because if Jesus loves you, everything will be ok.

My husband did everything he could to reassure me; he wasn't disappointed... he was sad... he was worried about me... he loved me.

As the weeks and months went on, I felt that my depression became a nuisance to those who cared about me...

In my mind, their faces told me to get over it.

In my heart, I knew they wanted to help... but how?

But their faces... that's all I could see. Their hearts were as lost to me as my own.

And one day, in a desperate attempt at helping me climb out of the dark place I was in, someone so precious to me... one of the most solid, encouraging, Godly women I know...

told me to "choose joy".

And within those 2 words, the dark hole I was in became a bottomless pit that I knew I would never be able to climb out of on my own.

I didn't see it coming.

Those simple words screamed at me...

"You can fix this if you'd just CHOOSE to be happy!"

"You're the only one who can fix this... so fix it."

And I couldn't.

I was saved... I knew Jesus and how much He loved me... how much He sacrificed for me... how faithful He had been...

I knew that if this... this Hell on Earth didn't work... if I never climbed out... if I couldn't find a way to live in it...

I would be in Heaven with my #3. 

I knew that.... and that's all I knew.

The only place to go from there....

is unspeakable.

I couldn't choose joy... because I didn't have any to choose from. I was sad... and lost... and broken... and depressed...

and society doesn't allow Christians to be depressed.

"Consider it pure joy when you face trials of any kind..." James 1:3-4

"Rejoice in the Lord, always!" Philippians 4:4

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

His Word screams it... demands it! CHOOSE JOY!

But friends, we make a huge mistake when we throw these verses at someone who has found themselves in the pit of depression.

We mean well... and we love them... and often times we just don't know what else to say, so we assume that peace and healing can be found in these sacred words.

In God's Word, joy is a common theme... as it should be! Those who know Him are gifted HIS joy...

but those who know Him also know how to use His joy as a platform ...

because what else can you do?!

"Jesus can fix it," we say.

Do you know someone in the throws of depression?! Do you know someone who is standing on that bridge?! Who is facing a bridge of their own?!

They can't choose joy.

They are sick.

No.

Actually... they WISH they were sick. Because being sick means you have a diagnosis and having a diagnosis means there is hope... hope for a cure or for help or at the very least, for understanding.

How do we help the girl on the bridge? How do we talk her down?

The young woman, recently graduated, with so much in front of her... who just moved for her first job and doesn't know a soul.

The newly married woman who desperately wants to have a baby... but her husband isn't ready.

The couple who has been trying for months and can't get pregnant... but everyone around them is.

The woman who got pregnant so easily and imagined incredible plans for her future with their first child... and lost her baby.

The adoptive Mama who knows every single day how blessed she is that Jesus let her be a Mama... but stifles the deep desire within her to still experience pregnancy.

The friend who's husband just walked out... making her a single mom.

The ones who dreamt of retirement and years of enjoying each other... but her husband went first and way too early.

They're there... they're here. They're you ... and they're me.

This month... right now... I want you to know something...

you cannot save her with Jesus.

Yes, Jesus saves... yes, Jesus loves her... yes, Jesus has plans for her and hope for her future...

Jesus does.

Not you.

Depression has a way of sucking every ounce of joy from a life that is otherwise joyful...

it can steal your joy. Your happiness.

And it will.

But...

it cannot steal your hope.

Joy; a feeling of great happiness

Hope; a feeling of expectation and desire
(dictionary.com)


You can breathe HOPE into them.

Because we can choose HOPE.... we can touch it and feel it...

and as long as there is a future...

there is hope.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

"Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off."
Proverbs 24:14

"You will be secure because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid."
Job 11; 18-19

"The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his love."
Psalm 147:11

That last one;

our hope... gives Him joy.

Choosing hope forces us to look forward to what CAN BE.

While JOY makes us feel guilty for what is not.

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
Romans 12:12

That last one...

Rejoice in the fact that you have hope...

Be patient when things are hard...

And pray.... talk to Jesus.

When you're on the bridge and you're face to face with Hell... with the joy that you know you're called to have, but that you can't find even if it would save your life...

friend, you can't choose joy.

But you can choose hope.

I lost my #3. In this life, I will never know him or her. 

And there is no joy in that. There will never be ANY joy in that. 

And I thought I would spend forever feeling guilty for the simple fact that I could not choose joy... like I was supposed to.

The charge to me to 'choose joy' pushed me to take a step that I was certain only proved that I was weak...

I made an appointment with a therapist.

She listened to me... she questioned me... she made me cry and forced me to be honest... 

and then she asked me...

".. and what do you hope for?"

And in those simple words, I realized that Jesus' plan for me is good.

It might hurt...and it might make me sad... and it might be everything I wished it wasn't...

but beauty comes from ashes...





and from the ashes of some of the most terrible things we go through that are within His plan for us...

comes hope.

Are you hurting? Are you the girl on the bridge... or the one who lost her baby... or her husband... or just her joy?

There is hope. 


The girl on the bridge... Is she your friend? 

Show her what she CAN do... because there is so so much that she can't.

She can dream... and she can talk to you... she can feel your strong arms around her and know that she is loved and she is safe...

and she can hope.

And it's not beyond me that this ending... this hope-filled ending... isn't always the outcome for those who are hurting;

The girl on the bridge... I don't know where she is... or is she has found hope...

Because I do know that beauty can come from ashes...

and hope comes from hurt.

Let's be hope-givers.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

National Suicide Hotline; (800) 273-8255

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

He would be dead.




He was 3 weeks old when we met him... just a little over 3 pounds.


"Do you want to hold him?" She asked Joey...

"You'll be the first to hold him besides us..." 

and as she handed him to Joey....

"He has such wise eyes... he looks right into your heart."



"He's been through so much... he's such a fighter...." 



And she stood to the side as we got to know our new son.


In those 6 weeks, countless women and men loved on our tiny, precious boy...

 they loved on us, too.

After spending a week 6 hours away from home, getting to know our son, Joey had to go back to work... 

and most weekdays, I was alone;

My day would start and end at the Ronald McDonald House and every hour in between was spent with him... with them...

his first caregivers... some of the very first ones to love him... the first ones to pray over him... 

the first ones to pray for us...

the first ones to acknowledge us as his Mommy and Daddy.




They were the first to hold him... change him... talk to him...

the first to teach us how to care for him...

for this precious, tiny miracle...

they never left our side.

They helped us keep our heads above water... juggling the time we knew we had with our sweet girl...

and the time we had with him... 

not knowing how much of that time we had left.



As the weeks went by, we became family... I trusted them... and they trusted me.

I knew their stories...

and they were now part of mine.

The long shifts with short breaks... 

I was there for hundreds of them.

Take a walk... eat... get some fresh air... call their mom or their husband or their friend... read... listen to music that might break up the deafening sound of beeping monitors and crying babies...

they could have... should have... done anything with those short breaks....

but most days, they would sit with me.

I had held him for hours... skin to skin... begging Jesus to save him, to give him strength, to equip us to be his Mama and Daddy... watching monitors religiously as they put numbers on his life... terrified that today might be my last day with him, while it was really only one of my first...

and they would sit with me... making the horrifying sounds disappear within the soft words of our conversation.

They gave me purpose...

 and peace.

They gave me permission to love him... they placed him in my arms... 

they made me his Mama.



The doctors blew me off because I wasn't his 'real' mom... and she fought for me.

He needed to gain 3 ounces in order to start bottle feeds... and she knew he was ready so she added .5 ounces to his midnight weigh-in.

He needed to eat 30 cc's in order to keep the ng-tube out and be able to go home... she let me sleep and didn't stop feeding him until he had eaten it all.

He coded... and she saved him.



But they weren't just there for him....

I was cold... so she brought me a warm blanket.

I didn't want to spend another night alone... so she arranged to let me room in with him.

I couldn't do it on my own anymore... she let me cry and told me I wasn't doing it alone; that she was there with me.

I needed Joey to get there in time for rounds, but he was 30 minutes away and rounds had already started... so she changed the attending's schedule.

She trusted my Mommy instinct... she trusted that I knew him best... she trusted that my heart knew him... even though he didn't come from my body. 

The doctors told us he was going to die.... and none of them let him.


Lindsay.... Jackie.... Betsy.... Ellie.... Melissa.... Jennifer.... Rob.... and so many more.

They saved him.

I don't watch The View OR the Miss America Pageant...

I hate them both...

but since they're all clogging my news feed... and since so many of our friends and family have dedicated their lives to a profession as difficult as nursing...

this is the perfect opportunity for us to say "thank you" to every one of them...

but especially to the ones who saved our son.

And when this is your son... your precious miracle... your fighter...


the reality of who he is, of where he's been, of what could have been, and of where he is going...

 is never very far from your mind.

And without them...

without his nurses...

he would be dead.


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Droopy Eyelids, Small Kidneys, & Stiff Muscles... Parenting the Child With Special Needs

Droopy eyelids, small kidneys, & stiff muscles.

A *very* basic summary of the past few weeks in our house.

There's a definite ebb and flow to life as the parent to a child who has special needs...

it seems as if weeks and weeks go by when your *normal* is just that... normal... manageable....

When the 'disorders' and 'delays' somehow disappear in the *normal* that is your day to day...

your errands, and meal times, and play dates, and nap-times, and car-time sing-a-longs.

And then the flow.

The flow....

is never a flow.

It's more like a dam bursts....

literally...

One routine follow-up... one check-up... one meeting...

it bursts your bubble of *normal* and throws off everything you *think* you know.

Our ebb is over.

Hello flow.

Three years old is tough, friends...

in the world of every toddler, it's difficult... but in the world of a child who has special needs....

it's a turning point.

The past few weeks have been full of our *normal*, routine check-ups with various specialists (we have 17), a few new follow-ups, regular therapy sessions, as well as yearly evaluations, and pre-school testing and IEP meetings.

Our flow.

Hunter is a trooper... he works hard through every therapy session, patiently follows directions for whatever specialist is examining him, and keeps himself occupied while we discuss *findings* and *recommendations*.

And those things... we discuss them as if he's not there... as if he's not listening and comprehending.

As if.

Lately, my head spends most of the day analyzing and dissecting my son's movements and actions and sounds... It's impossible not to let the words of his team of professionals slither their way in to our *normal*....

and interrupt our ebb.

So we flow...

my mind flows daily... and nightly, too... my anxiety is high as I anticipate the next meeting or evaluation, the next appointment or set of labs....

it's all consuming, this flow.

And it's so easy to think that this... this flow... is only affecting us... mommy and daddy. We're the ones who understand the implications of every diagnosis and ever recommendation... we're the ones who handle the follow ups and make arrangements for the other kids who can't come to certain appointments... we're the ones who consider what the future looks like for him and for our family while we juggle the necessary therapies and schedules to make sure he is receiving every possible resource that's available to him.

The flow.

A few weeks ago we posted a private plea for prayer on our personal Facebook pages... we were feeling desperate as we awaited lab results that would tell us if our son was in the middle stages of kidney failure. All labs we had received at that time led us to believe that his one healthy, growing kidney was failing... and when you have one kidney and that kidney fails...

the flow.

A few days later, Hunter was released from Physical Therapy for a much-deserved break... until the Fall when it will be necessary to cast his legs in order to break some bad habits he has developed that are causing his muscles to tighten...

the flow.

Two days later we sat in his Opthamologists office and heard about how his vision is excellent.... except that his moderate far-sightedness and his droopy eyelids will needs to be addressed at some time in the future...

the flow.

And then his IEP meetings with the special school district. Hunter was amazing through 3 hours of 'play' which being observed by a team of 6... OT's, SLP's, child psychologists, PT's, and special needs teachers who would ultimately determine the level of his developmental, speech, and physical delays in order to determine what resources he qualifies for in next year's pre-school program...

the flow.

In all of these meetings and evals and appointments, Hunter plays and listens and does what he's asked and does it all with such an amazing attitude.

He's 3.... so this flow.... he's not aware of it...

he can't be.

He's 3.

Hearing loss, Global Developmental Delays, operates on a 15-24 month level, non-verbal...

he can't understand... can't know...

Right?!

While Joey makes it to every appointment he can, this ebb and flow of appointments and diagnoses and testing is 'our thing'... mine and Hunter's. We do it all together... every time. We do it all together and I carry it all on my shoulders... that's my job... my privilege. And it's not easy... but it's an honor to be 'that' for him.

A few nights ago, the kids had been in bed for almost 2 hours... the house was quiet....

and then I heard Hunter cry...

it was his sad cry.

Do you know the one?

The one that starts as a sob and slowly turns into a sound that rips your heart at the seams ...

it isn't angry... or manipulative... or hungry... or 'wet'.....

it's so sad.

Before I could even respond, Joey went upstairs and held him for a while... he loves that time with his babies... he rocked him, sang to him...

"Are you ready to lay back down and go ni-night?'

"Yeah", he said.

Joey went to the gym shortly after and again the house was quiet...

the flow.

His cry was worse... it was high-pitch and gut-wrenching.

It was my turn....

and As I walked upstairs, 'slightly' annoyed that my 'job' was not yet done for the day... 'slightly' irritated that someone needed me, yet again... and more than slightly angry that Joey had gone to the gym when he did (even though he more than deserved his time!)... my irritation grew as I climbed the stairs to his room and I was prepared to pat his butt a few times, tell him he's ok and that I would see him in the morning, "I love you, goodnight".

He was standing in his crib when I opened the door and his arms went out for me immediately...

"Ok fine", I thought... "Just for a minute."

I picked him up and he clung to me as if his life depended on my strength and solitude to save him... to sustain him.

His sobs shook me to my core...

this wasn't sadness...

this was defeat.

My precious 3 year old... the one who recently consumed my every thought, whom I have lost so much sleep over, who's future I worry about daily, whom I invest so much of my time and energy into, the one who I carry all of this for....

the one whom I thought I had been feeling all of these feelings FOR over the past few weeks...

He was defeated, too.

And as I held him, the flow flooded over me...

Droopy eyelids, small kidneys, stiff muscles, casts, blood work, talking devices, 15-24 months, and on and on and on...

he had heard it all... he had felt it all...

and he was done.

He was drowning in the flow.

And so I layed down with him on my chest and I rubbed his back...

I cried as I did my best to speak life back into him...

"Hunter, you are strong."

"You are brave."

"Your life matters."

"You are so loved."

"You are not alone... you'll never be alone."

"We do this together, baby boy."

"We'll always do this together."

And I prayed over him...

"Thank you for Hunter's joy... for his life... thank you for choosing him for me. Jesus, he is so strong... please keep him strong. He is so brave and some of our days are so hard... please protect his spirit. Let Hunter feel you. Amen."

We sang 'his' song and I laid him back down...

he grabbed his blanky, rolled over, and went to sleep.

Some of our days are really hard... and it's easy for me to get caught up in dividing my time between all of my babies, managing invoices and bills, scheduling appointments, reminding children to use the words they know, trying to understand cues from those who don't have spoken words, making our days fun and playful, practicing patience, and finding time for myself and my marriage...

there are days when finding a balance is almost impossible...

And it's so easy to make these things about me....About keeping myself afloat in our flow.

My son reminded me in the most precious way that he knows... he feels... he hears (a miracle for this boy!)... he understands...

And he reminded me that we all need those words... affirmative, life-speaking words that sustain us and keep us going when that sad cry threatens to break through...

and I'm thankful for the sad cry that allowed me to speak life back into him...

because of the One who breathed life into us both.

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

John 7:38

Another thing....

Hunter's kidney is strong... in fact, it's perfect.

And God is so so good!




Sunday, May 17, 2015

On Christ The Solid Rock I'll Stand!

My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name!

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand...
All other ground is sinking sand.

Did we tell you that we're building a house?!

It's a dream come true!

 When Joey and I first started dreaming of building a house for our family, I knew I wanted it to be covered in His Word. I wanted its' walls to scream His name... the floors to echo His Word... and our rooms to be surrounded in His promises.

Friday night is a night I will never forget! As I walked through each room, writing scripture on the walls of our home, I prayed over each room, each precious baby that will sleep or play or eat or bathe in those rooms, for every argument and for every moment that will define our marriage and our family, for every friend who will walk through our doors.... I asked Jesus to protect them, keep them healthy, bring our babies to Him when they are young, and guide us as we love them through so many hard things... And so many exciting things. 



Our walls will be nailed in place tomorrow and as they are, Hannah's Daddy's writing will echo in her new room that 'The Lord is with her, and she will not fail (psalm 46:5)', that 'She is more precious than jewels (proverbs 3:15)'...My prayer will be on our boys' walls that 'Our sons will walk beside the Lord, on a straight path in which they will not stumble (Jer 31;96)'... God's promise will be seen on our master bedroom walls that 'What God has joined together, no man will separate (Matthew 19:6)'... Hannah's precious handwriting will echo the long-cried prayer of our hearts, 'For this child, I have prayed! (1 Samuel 1:27)'... Visitors will walk under Hebrews 13:2 and will feel our love and hospitality because one never knows when they are entertaining Angels.... And those who walk through our front door will enter into the covenant we made when we said 'I do' almost 10 years ago.... 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! (Joshua 24:14)' I can't wait to walk through those doors in a couple months, knowing that our home and our family will be surrounded by His promises!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we walked away from our home... only hours before crews would arrive to dry wall over the verses that will surround us for the next 20+ years, I posted the above on our Facebook page...

the response to that short post has been overwhelming and SO many of you have asked for a list of the verses we chose for our new home...

And I am more than happy to share :-)

Each person received a sharpie and a printout of all of the verses we wanted in our home (even Hannah!).... some of the verses are written over and over again on the framing of the house, in various handwriting!


On the pillar to our front porch;

Joshua 24:14




'But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!'

In our main living spaces, we wrote;

2 Corinthians 5:1




'For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in Heaven, not build by human hands.'

Micah 6:8


'Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.'

Proverbs 24: 3-4

'By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it's established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with precious and pleasant riches!'

1 Samuel 25:6

'Say to him, "Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!"

1 Kings 8:13

'I have indeed built a magnificent home for you, a place for you to dwell forever!'

Deuteronomy 28:6




'You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.'

In our entry way;

Hebrews 13:2




'Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it!'

In our master bedroom;

Matthew 19:6




'What God has joined together, let no man separate.'

1 Thessalonians 5:11




'Encourage one another and build each other up.'

1 Peter 4:8


'Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.'


In Hannah's room;

Proverbs 31:25




'She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future!'

Psalm 46:5


'The Lord is with her, she will not fail!'

Proverbs 3:15


'She is more precious than jewels!'

In the boys' rooms;

Jeremiah 31:96





'May our sons walk beside the Lord, on a straight path in which they will not stumble.'

Psalm 127:3


'Sons are a heritage of the Lord.'


In all of the kids' rooms and bathroom;

John 1:12




'I am a child of God!'

1 Samuel 1:27


'For this child I have prayed!'



1 Timothy 4:12


'Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.'








Thursday, May 7, 2015

Mother's Day is for First Mom's, too!

Mother's Day is just around the corner and if you're like me....

you've done nothing to prepare :-/

If your family has grown through adoption, I am begging you not to forget the First Mom's in your life.... not only does she deserve to be recognized on one of the most profoundly difficult days of the year for her... but your child NEEDS to see you acknowledge and love his/her First Mama, too!

Every year I try to find a few gift ideas the I think any First Mom would LOVE! Here are 2 super simple, inexpensive, and more than meaningful gift ideas for the First Mama in your life.... pick one and do it... you will never regret doing it, but one day you might regret it if you don't.

And please, if your precious gift is late, it's ok! Do it anyway.

(**I am not a representative for any of the companies below... I do not get anything from them for posting these links... I love their products and think they make amazing First Mom gifts**)

Canvas photo and easel (this is what our First Moms will get from Hannah and Hunter this year (sorry ladies, I ruined the surprise ;-))... and me.... cause I ordered extras ;-));

$11.96





Bangle Charm Bracelets; these are so beautiful and the charms represent so many different moments in your First Mom and child's life!

$5.95


Don't like my ideas? Fine. :-) Send some flowers... who doesn't love flowers?!


Which one did you order?! She's going to love it!



Wednesday, May 6, 2015

First.


First.

(dictionary.com) coming before all others in time or order; earliest; 1st

The most coveted position one can hold... in a job or a contest.

It's what happens 'before'... the beginning.

What has to happen... in order for anything else to happen.

First.

My babies have First Moms.

Women who's position I will never be able to fill.

Women who came before me.

Women who had to be first... so I could be next.

They were First.

I have referred to my babies' 'birth moms' as their 'First Moms' since the birth of this blog....

I am not, and will never be, a 'birth mom', but that term has always hurt my heart for those who hold it's title...

but it didn't occur to me until recently that maybe 'First Mom' hurts them, too?

Because at the end of the day, who wants their name to have a qualifier?!

But this one.... 'First Mom'... it's so special to me. It comes from a place in my heart that uses the term *almost* reverently...

because my babies First Moms?!

They did not just give birth.

The first people on the face of the Earth who knew about our precious babies' existence...

the first one's who loved them...

the first one's who cared for them and sacrificed for them...

they were first.

They chose life... they sustained life... they changed their life for those precious lives... 

they were our babies' Moms... First.

In today's society, 'First' is something we desire in our daily lives... being the first one in line, the first to be promoted, the first to the finish line, the first to order...

Please hear me...

I didn't carry 2 of my precious babies... I didn't see those 2 pink lines.... I didn't hear their heartbeats.... I didn't feel them move inside of me... I didn't struggle to bring them into the world or hear their first cry... I didn't witness their first breath and I wasn't the first to hold them....

but I will never spend one minute wishing that I had been first.

There are 2 women in this world who came first.... and they deserve to be first. 

Those memories? Theirs. The feelings? Theirs. The moments? Theirs.

And I can't imagine any 2 women who are more deserving of those memories and feelings and moments....

My babies have First Moms, not birth moms...

Because they came first.





Thursday, April 30, 2015

First Mama's and Adoptive Parents...



This weekend, I have the HUGE honor of speaking to an amazing group of First Mamas at the BirthMom Buds Retreat! I am SO excited for this opportunity and my prayer is that Jesus allows me to speak truth and encouragement into their lives... 

And I could use your help :-)

Are you a First Mama?

What do you need to hear from your baby's adoptive mama? If you could sit down with her, what would you ask her? What words, if there are any, would make your heart happy? What do you want HER to know?

Or maybe you're an adoptive parent...

What do you want your baby's First Mama to know?! When you look at that precious face every day, do you think about her? What do you need her to hear from YOUR mama heart?

Please help me, friends... share your heart with me... tell me the most precious words that maybe you can't even say! I want your feedback so badly, no matter what phase of life you're in so everyone who gives me feedback will be entered to win a fun giveaway from me :-)

Leave a comment below, on Facebook, or email me (OnLoanFromHeaven at yahoo dot com)... I can't wait to share with you after this weekend!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

BirthMom Buds... Opportunity to Serve!

Have you heard of BirthMom Buds?

If you haven't, go check them out...






I'll wait...


:-)



BirthMom Buds is an amazing group of Birth Moms who have joined together to support and encourage each other and also provide support to expecting moms who may be considering adoption for their baby....

And as an adoptive mama, I've learned SO much from them over the years!

This group has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years and they host an incredible retreat annually for First Moms of all backgrounds... some who placed years and years ago and some who placed within the past few months... some who are part of an open adoption and some who are part of a closed one... some who have reunited with their babies and some who have not. For 3 days, these women come together in Charlotte, North Carolina and spend time in a haven that is build specifically for them... for their hearts and minds and souls. 

Can you imagine a better place for your babies' First Mama to be?!

I can't.

I am MORE than honored that the staff of BirthMom Buds have asked me to speak at this year's retreat! A chance to stand in front of women who are so much like my babies' and brother's First Moms is the chance of lifetime and I can't wait to pour love and encouragement into them in May!

But here's the best part about this retreat...

2 nights in a hotel... amazing food... fun games... a special goodie bag for each Mama... 

and it's free of cost to every Mama who attends.

Free.

The staff of Birth Mom Buds relies completely on donations to host this special weekend for these Mamas... and they could use our help!

The cost incurred for each woman's attendance for 3 days is approximately $70... and so far, over 35 women have committed to attending! (SO EXCITING!!)

If you've been looking for a way to serve some First Mama's, please consider heading over to their support page and making a donation! They need at least $2,450 to come in over the next few weeks so they can make this the most memorable weekend for their girls!

And if it's just not a good time to donate monetarily, that's ok! They also need a few more things from us...

* Each First Mama who attends this retreat will go home with a special goodie bag! If you own or run your own business, please consider donating 40 items to these bags! Businesses will be mentioned by name in the retreat program and I can't think of a better way to make these ladies feel special and loved by so many people!

* There will be dozens of contests and giveaways throughout the weekend and the staff of BMB needs door prizes of any and all shapes, sizes, and colors! I'll be donating some of my favorite essential oils :-) Do you have something sitting around that you could donate?! Or how fun would a gift card be??

If you're led to donate goodie bag items or door prizes, those both need to be received by April 28 and you can contact Nicole Strickland at BirthMomBuds@gmail.com! (And she's awesome... you'll love her :-))

And if nothing else, please be in prayer for this special weekend... that these Mama's would feel special and loved, that the staff would be refreshed and equipped to support them, that hurting hearts will be healed and that lifelong friendships would be made! Pray that God gives me the words that these Mama's need to hear from an adoptive Mama... that they would resonate deeply and bring healing where it's needed.

Thanks, friends... If I know anything about you, it's that you are the best at allowing God to use you to change lives... and I've seen you change SO many! Thank you for being His hands and feet!





Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Not just another day....

The pain of losing our precious #3 will always be fresh ... it will always hurt... and we will always miss him/her. 

People say that the pain lessens....

I just don't think so.

And I don't want it to.... I will hold on to whatever tiny pieces of that baby for as long as I live... it's all I have.

Our #3's due date will forever be a day on our calendar that brings me so much pain... and also so much hope.

Because we will see our #3 again.

Losing our #3 was a process... he/she just didn't want to let go... I bled for weeks but ultra-sound after ultra-sound would show that tiny, faintly fluttering heart beat...

the one that never got stronger.

And then it stopped.

I'll never forget 'that' ultra-sound... my world collapsed. 

We had never even HOPED to experience a home-grown baby...

and then this precious baby we had never even allowed ourselves to hope for was being ripped from our grasp.

Tomorrow is our #3's second due-date-birthday... 


It's the day we conceived our #3...

our precious Abe.

Our #4.



Tomorrow will hurt... it will be full of painful memories and tears and 'what ifs' and 'should have beens'... but it will also be full of the babies Jesus let me keep here with me... the ones he gave me to hold...

the ones that are simply On Loan From Heaven....

until we can all be together again.