'Tis The Season... for imagination, truth, and a Savior

This Christmas, as we usher in yet another year of glitz, glam, and gingerbread, I was searching for a task which would direct my heart towards Christ.

Although this holiday was not originally a Christian holiday, it has since become associated with the birth of Christ, and serves as an excellent opportunity to marvel at the all-powerful God becoming a "wee-small baby."

Amidst all the glitter and wrapping paper, I often find my mind too distracted, too wrapped up in happiness and tradition, to meditate on the beginning of the Gospel message. So, this year, as we journey through the chaos of December, I am going to try something new.

Over the next few weeks, you'll find several posts (hopefully), with a tag "Imagining Christmas." These posts are based on the scripture found in the beginning chapters of Matthew and Luke. But they will be expanded (i.e. fictionalized) from the original texts. I want to feel the sand in the wisemen's tunics as they crossed the desert. I want to hear the angels' chorus with goosebumps of awe along with the shepherds. I want to tremble in fear at the unknowns before the Savior's young virgin mother.

And my hope is, this Christmas, that the terror, awe, dirt, praise, peace, darkness, pain, and glory of God becoming incarnate will be a startling reality. For the Gospel entered the world in a startlingly simple way, and love began to work in a very humble crowd.

My prayer is that we would be gripped anew with this truth.

 

Merry Christmas.

When Everything Falls Through... And Stays The Same

Well... I suppose that it's time for another adoption update.

Clearly, we have no baby.

The mother we were talking to has continued to take her time. She had two months in which to finalize the adoption. But after multiple meetings with us, a weekend visit, and countless texts/phone calls,  she has chosen to continue to put off the adoption and refuse to set a date to sign any papers. At this point in time, our agency has communicated with her that we will now be shown to other moms. If we are still available when (and if) she ever becomes ready, then wonderful.

Until then, we will be shown to other moms interested in placing their children/babies for adoption.

We're back on the market, folks!

And we are both very calm and at peace. God has granted a wonderful amount of grace, and we are resting in His sovereignty. I'm thankful that as we walk through this, God is helping us grow in ways that I never before would have realized. Times of uncertainty are not a waste. God can redeem everything...

And I hope there's a baby (or two, or three) out there for us!

But lock up your babies... I'm going cuddle-crazy over here!

Weeping Responsibility

This morning I wept as I looked at the election results.

I did not weep for national debt. I did not weep for governmental health care. I did not weep for the degradation of our military strength.

I wept for the babies.

Since abortion was legalized in the United States, 55.6 million babies have been killed.

That means today, as I am writing this, 1, 086 babies have already died. Today. Just today.

I was hoping, all last night, as I peered anxiously at my Google election tracker (the downside of no television), that there would be a Republican house, a Republican Senate, and a Republican president. Then maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance for the babies... Just maybe...

But when I heard, yet again, that a party which believes women should choose who is allowed to live and who is allowed to die, my heart curled up into a hard, tight ball, and I cried.

I am living amidst genocide. And I am standing still, doing nothing. I am waiting for a political party, a president, or a judge to change the current status. After all, my hope was resting in a man who was only pseudo-pro-life (yes, Mitt Romney).

I feel like a German in 1940.

“When all this is over, people will try to blame the Germans alone, and the Germans will try to blame the Nazis alone, and the Nazis will try to blame Hitler alone. They will make him bear the sins of the world. But it's not true. You suspected what was happening, and so did I. It was already too late over a year ago. I caused a reporter to lose his job because you told me to. He was deported. The day I did that I made my little contribution to civilization, the only one that matters.” 

(The Dream of Scipio, Iain Pear) 

 I am watching mass murder. And I am hoping that my vote (in a state that was going to be Republican anyway) would be enough. How foolish.

I was convicted while reading this story about my lack of love and support to these women facing this decision. I have been appalled at the numbers (there have now been 1,130 abortions on today's date), but I have been motionless. I have watched the death and suffering, and I have said nothing. I have held no hands. I haven't wept with grieving women, or pleaded for a child's life. In my self-righteous laziness, I have never moved beyond "appalled" into action.

May God forgive me.


1,197 babies and mommies... and counting...

Our Story: Coffee?

Precisely one week after being gifted with the lovely pumpkin, "Bub," I was once again at church. The counseling class I was taking was riveting (and the intern in children's ministry was very attractive). How could I miss?

After soaking up wisdom (which I promptly forgot as soon as I saw Scott), I bumped into this handsome intern in the hallway. We exchanged a few awkward pleasantries. Very awkward. Poor Scott. He was fumbling all over himself, and I hardly perform well under pressure.

"So... another counseling class?"
"Yes... How were the kids?"
"Great. Did you enjoy the class."
"Yes."
"Good."

**awkward pause**

"Okay. Well..."
"Yeah... umm... have a nice night!"
"Will do. You too!"
And we parted in breathless exhaustion at that very strenuous exchange.

A very few minutes later...

Scott, wheeling a cart past me, "Hey! Wanttograbcoffeesometime?" He blurted it out. Fast. And still pushing the cart.

"Yes!"

And that was it.

Apparently we were getting coffee sometime. I had no idea when or where, but I knew with who, and I got a little thrill of excitement at the idea of coffee with Scott.

What we were going to talk about, I had no idea. But coffee (plus a cute intern), definitely sounded like a good idea.