Looks like it is time for the bi-yearly blog...

Each Thanksgiving after dinner we go around the table and share ... drumroll please ... what we are thankful for! It's not original, but it does give us a chance to share with each other what we have been the most thankful for in the past year. My thanksgiving was that since last November Michael and I went from being a couple to being a family. Our daughter is the sweetest gift from God and she is the start of what we hope and pray will be a BIG family! We are blessed beyond measure.
Reflecting back on past shared Thanksgivings I recalled this story: Five years ago my parents started renting a house on a lake or in the mountains or on a lake in the mountains :) for Thanksgiving. In 2003 we were in Highlands, NC : mom, dad, my three sisters, my brother, and a random freshman girl my sister Shawna brought with her from college because she couldn't fly back to South America for a four day weekend. On Friday we went into town and stopped at an outdoor craft fair, Santa Claus was there so we decided to take a sibling shot with him. Santa asked us what we wanted for Christmas and my dad shouted out, "How about some husbands for my daughters!" . Thanks dad. Well, five years later all four of us girls are married and there are four granchildren under the age of 26 months old. Thanks Santa! Thank you Lord!
This is our second Thanksgiving without my brother, David. My favorite memory of David at Thanksgiving is when we were at Lake Murray in 2006 and we woke up Friday morning to pancakes compliments on David and my cousin Melissa. It was a simple and sweet gift. Thank you, Lord for David.
"Give thanks to the Lord, who is good, whose love endures forever!" Psalm118:1

My Answered Prayer

I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. So many of the memories I have revolve around this desire. Countless stories come to mind that I would like to share at some point. However what I want to share with you today is the prayer I began praying when I was 19 years old. Whenever the desire to be a mama filled my heart with a longing that made me catch my breath, I prayed, "Let it be done unto me according to Your will". Mary's prayer 2000 years ago was my prayer for over a decade. The Lord used that barren season of my life to bear much fruit. My desire for children spilled into the lives of many others and I am a "mama" to so many little ones whose real mamas I helped to toss out the pills and open themselves up to LIFE. Glorious life! As I hold my answer to prayer in my arms I thank my heavenly Father for answering my desire AND for using my desire. How good is God?! What ever your unfulfilled longing is, the Lord will use your passion to fulfill His will and, trust me though I know the ache of longing, His timing IS perfect.

Starting up for real this time

When I attempted to start this blog last fall I hadn't decided what I would primarily use this blog for - updates on my life or spiritual/philosophical musings or random funny stories or observations. Apparently it has taken me a year to decide - Why not do it all?