I had a horrible day yesterday. One of my lowest in a long time. The last week grew progressively more difficult/challenging and then a surprising and sad event Saturday morning knocked me completely off my feet. Onto my face, again I fall. There are many observations I could make about the combination of factors that went into my (inconvenience? suffering? sadness?) experience, but I’ll just note these few: 1. I think that my hormones are REALLY out of whack. I looked at the calendar and this will be my second cycle since the miscarriage and MAN–I just feel OFF. I’m tempted to not even mention that because I don’t want…

HT to Barbara Curtis (again!) for posting this sweet, poignant video. (And she thanked “Spunky” too … so who knows who posted it first?) It totally reminded me of our own church’s sweet Liam–who lived only twelve hours, but was deeply and dearly loved. (And Liam is missed today!) I remember marveling at the packed church, the tiny white coffin, and the sobbing that our pastor (Liam’s uncle) led us all in even from the pulpit. And I’ll never forget the astoundingly long line of cars crawling slowly through town to the cemetery … I remember thinking, “If people saw so many cars for a funeral procession, they must be…

I read this essay by Jill Carattini (of RZIM ministries) and thought, “Hmmmmmm … why AM I crying?” So now I’m going offline–the good ol’ fashioned prayer life on my face before God to write it out and cry it out and hopefully come to some insight and repentance and Godward focus again. Take a minute and read her essay. It is time well spent.   Happy, Blessed Monday to you! — Tara B.  

I know that I should say a heartfelt, “Happy Mother’s Day!” to all of you mommas out there … and so I will. “Happy Mother’s Day” and God bless you! But to all of you mommas AND to all of us who would LIKE to be a momma but aren’t yet (or can’t ever be by birth)– to all of the women who are mommas of babies in Heaven (even those whom we killed by our own hands through abortion but whom we now miss and long for and regret our heinous sin)– to all of the mommas who would LIKE to love their children / step-children / in-law-children ……

I am in a VERY odd place physically right now–having been up since 6AM Wednesday morning in Hawaii; being up right now at 10:15PM Thursday in Montana and about to leave for the airport to pick up our new Golden Retriever puppy, Lilikoi (“Lilly”); and having to wake up at 4:30AM (tomorrow? my body wonders what DAY IT IS!!??!!) to take my parents to the airport to head home. Seriously. I set three alarms: one for 10:00PM (get the puppy); one for 4:30AM (take parents to airpot); and one for 7:30AM (must get Fred to a meeting!). Weird. ANYWAY … I’ve been thinking a lot in my sleepless state about…

(HT to Jill Carattini. Again!) “Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave.   Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it.“ (John Chrysostom’s Easter homily)  

I was SO SICK in the night. I almost called for Fred to have him take me to the hospital … gastrointestinal distress with such an EXTREMELY HIGH level of pain that I thought, “This can’t be good for the baby.” But thankfully, after an hour or so writhing in pain with the window open in the bathroom (even with the snow! but I was SO nauseas I couldn’t bear it), things calmed down enough for me to get a little more sleep. Until I got up an hour or so again, sick some more, but without the distress. So why am I telling you all this (icky) stuff? Two…

Another STELLAR daily devotional from Ravi Zacharias Ministries. (Do you subscribe yet? 🙂 ) Please check it out–you’ll be blessed! I’ll tempt you with just one line:   “G.K. Chesterton makes a significant point: there is a world of difference between sorrow and pessimism. He explains, “Sorrow is founded on the value of something, and pessimism upon the value of nothing.””  

The Peace of Christmas-Time “Dearest, how hard it is to say That all is for the best, Since, sometimes, in a grievous way God’s will is manifest. See with what hearty, noisy glee Our little ones to-night Dance round and round our Christmas tree With pretty toys bedight. Dearest, one voice they may not hear, One face they may not see — Ah, what of all this Christmas cheer Cometh to you and me? Cometh before our misty eyes That other little face, And we clasp, in tender, reverent wise, That love in the old embrace. Dearest, the Christ-child walks to-night,  Bringing his peace to men, And he bringeth to…

If you’ve tried to join our discussion board and NOT received a password/login, would you PLEASE email me and let me know? As some of you may have noticed, we’re having a bit of a struggle keeping SPAM (especially pornography SPAM! Ick!!!) off of my blog and our discussion board, so some legitimate friends may have been denied a login. SO sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for letting me know.   (Oh — and if you email me, you’ll probably get my “out of the office until 8/22” autoreply, as soon as I can get to my computer and Fred is awake, I’ll try to cancel that. But please trust…