Rachelle… May 29, 2007

I thought it would work the best to make Monday’s my “Thought of the Week” day…the day that I would start sharing some of my thoughts on how we can “Expect Joy”…but after the phone call I received tonight, I thought it would be more appropriate to share something else…

Please pray for Rachelle, who lost her boyfriend (and father of baby Amari, who passed away in January) today in a swimming accident.  Tonight, her heart and spirit are broken and I am praying the Lord’s peace and comfort over her and her family!  Though we know her grief and struggles since losing Amari, most of us cannot fathom the additional grief of losing a partner, and for that, I am speechless…please keep her close in your thoughts and prayers, and know that we’ll keep you posted on arrangements and if there is anything we can do to help her and her 11 years old twin boys during this painful time…

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This Mother’s Day… May 8, 2007

As Kristin, Renee and I have worked on the Mother’s Day cards and packages that we send to our mom’s who have had new losses and to those who have no children here with them, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that though these will help acknowledge the day, they just weren’t enough… No words said by anyone will be the right ones, nor will those left unsaid be any easier on your hurting hearts…

Dawn Siegrist Waltman shares in her book “In A Heartbeat”…”This is one of the hardest days to face with empty arms and an aching heart.  It is normal to feel overwhelming grief and sorrow on Mother’s Day.  My prayer, though, is that you will not become swallowed in emptiness to the extent that you miss the honor of being a mother today and forget the hope of spending eternity with your child.” (page 57, “Mother’s Day)

Though other’s may not recognize you on this day, know that you are a Mother and that no matter how brief, you gave your precious baby life.  Choose to remember, this day, the highlights of your time with your baby–happy times during your pregnancy, when you didn’t have a care in the world or pull out the pictures of your baby and choose to remember the good things about the time you had with him or her.  Most of all, choose to be a Mother this day–no matter what other’s around you do or don’t do, say or don’t say.

We are thinking of and praying for you, and I can’t wait to hear at our next group how you chose to spend your Mother’s Day 2007. – Alaina