For those of you who know me well, you realize that I should have titled this blog oink oink. However, bowing to the overwhelming dominance of the turkey, I concede. Upon further reflection, however, I think we can all relate to the oink oink since we'll all be pigging out tomorrow.
This is the first Thanksgiving of my life that I will be observing it with friends rather than family. Yes, Steve will be with me (thankfully he is both my best friend and my closest family) and we will be joining Brianna, Ryan and Elyse for dessert later in the evening. I'm sure the dinner and the company will be lovely and I will have a good time. However, like Dorothy says, there is no place like home. In my mind I will go back to my mom's unbelievably great gravy, my dad making the potatoes with a whole stick of butter, Cindy's creative place markers and the whole Warner clan together. In later memories, I see all of us gathered around the table in the desert with my new dad saying grace. I will always treasure these times as life goes on and new memories and loved faces are added.
I am grateful to God for keeping us all healthy this year and adding two little ones to our family: welcome Brendan and Ella. Perhaps someday we will all be together again around a BIG Thanksgiving table. Until that day, know that I love you and you'll be in my thoughts tomorrow...Mom, Dad, Kirby, Cindy, Brianna, Scott, Karen, Kevin, Rachel, Chris, Holly, Elyse, Brendan, Emily and Ella.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Miriam's Story
As most of you know, I volunteer Thursday afternoons at Lifeline Crisis Pregnancy Center. As a counselor I talk with mostly young unmarried girls about unexpected (and mostly unwanted) pregnancies. Up until last year one of my fellow counselors was Miriam. Miriam and her husband Henry are desperate to be parents but have been unable to have a baby. They are pursuing several avenues to adopt. Maybe watching the anguish of casual sex resulting in babies raised by unprepared young girls or worse left dead in a sink got to be too much for Miriam. Regardless, Miriam now only stops by occasionally to visit.
Miriam had no idea that God was about to change her life dramatically when she dropped in at Lifeline on November 10th. This was the day that a scared and frantic young man called to ask if Lifeline was a safe harbor. Upon hearing that he needed to go to a designated place like a Fire Station or Police Department the man grew more desperate and insisted on bringing the baby to Lifeline. He came in with a tiny newborn just a few hours old and still not even cleaned up after the birth. He said he loved the child but that he and the mother were not able to keep the baby. He had delivered the baby himself by reading a manual. The counselors at Lifeline that day tried to comfort the man and discover any solution to help this man be a parent to his child. He insisted he had to go as he had a warrant with the police and he left his son. It was Miriam who took the little baby, cleaned him up and dressed him for the very first time.
After the man fled, the authorities were called and Lifeline became a crazy place where police detectives, paramedics and child protective services vied for space with girls with appointments for pregnancy tests. In the midst of the chaos, one of the Directors of the center told the police detective about Miriam and how she thought that God may have brought the baby to Lifeline for Miriam.
Well, the baby was taken to the hospital where he received a clean bill of health and then on to a foster home. Miriam went home and called her adoption case worker to let her know about this baby and her desire to be his mom. Over the next week Miriam and Henry prayed and tried not to get ahead of God in His plans. All of Lifeline, friends and prayer groups prayed for the baby his biological parents and for Miriam and Henry. Word came down that the court would decide the baby's fate based on whether or not Lifeline would be considered a safe harbor even though it is not technically so.
I'm tearing up as I write these next lines because I know how many tears Miriam has shed at Lifeline during the past years and how God used Lifeline to answer her prayers. Miriam and Henry were given just a few hours notice that a nursery inspection was imminent. They rushed to the store to buy everything necessary for a baby with money supplied by hopeful grandparents. Shortly thereafter, little Peter Henry was delivered to his parents Miriam and Henry after the court decided to grant Lifeline the status in the case as a safe harbor.
God is good and He is definitely Miriam's safe harbor. Prayers continue to go up praising God for his miracle of this child and asking for comfort and healing for his biological parents. Miriam's story is just one example of God's miracles. I hope it encourages you as it did me to remember that God is always at work in our lives and that His plans for us will come to pass.
Miriam had no idea that God was about to change her life dramatically when she dropped in at Lifeline on November 10th. This was the day that a scared and frantic young man called to ask if Lifeline was a safe harbor. Upon hearing that he needed to go to a designated place like a Fire Station or Police Department the man grew more desperate and insisted on bringing the baby to Lifeline. He came in with a tiny newborn just a few hours old and still not even cleaned up after the birth. He said he loved the child but that he and the mother were not able to keep the baby. He had delivered the baby himself by reading a manual. The counselors at Lifeline that day tried to comfort the man and discover any solution to help this man be a parent to his child. He insisted he had to go as he had a warrant with the police and he left his son. It was Miriam who took the little baby, cleaned him up and dressed him for the very first time.
After the man fled, the authorities were called and Lifeline became a crazy place where police detectives, paramedics and child protective services vied for space with girls with appointments for pregnancy tests. In the midst of the chaos, one of the Directors of the center told the police detective about Miriam and how she thought that God may have brought the baby to Lifeline for Miriam.
Well, the baby was taken to the hospital where he received a clean bill of health and then on to a foster home. Miriam went home and called her adoption case worker to let her know about this baby and her desire to be his mom. Over the next week Miriam and Henry prayed and tried not to get ahead of God in His plans. All of Lifeline, friends and prayer groups prayed for the baby his biological parents and for Miriam and Henry. Word came down that the court would decide the baby's fate based on whether or not Lifeline would be considered a safe harbor even though it is not technically so.
I'm tearing up as I write these next lines because I know how many tears Miriam has shed at Lifeline during the past years and how God used Lifeline to answer her prayers. Miriam and Henry were given just a few hours notice that a nursery inspection was imminent. They rushed to the store to buy everything necessary for a baby with money supplied by hopeful grandparents. Shortly thereafter, little Peter Henry was delivered to his parents Miriam and Henry after the court decided to grant Lifeline the status in the case as a safe harbor.
God is good and He is definitely Miriam's safe harbor. Prayers continue to go up praising God for his miracle of this child and asking for comfort and healing for his biological parents. Miriam's story is just one example of God's miracles. I hope it encourages you as it did me to remember that God is always at work in our lives and that His plans for us will come to pass.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Morning Musing
Not being a slave to "the man", I have time in the morning to do pretty much whatever pleases me. Gererally, part of my morning routine involves a game of spider solitaire, zipping through new email, checking yahoo weather to see just how much colder it is here in Star than So. CA and lastly smiling at my grandson on my daughter-in -law's blog. Who would have known watching him grow via my computer could bring me such joy. I have actually met and held Brendan at his birth last July. I knew immediately that another piece of my heart would be staying with this precious little person.
God in His wisdom created us with a ferocious bond called family. It illustrates for me how important, strong, essential and necessary it is to be called God's child.
God in His wisdom created us with a ferocious bond called family. It illustrates for me how important, strong, essential and necessary it is to be called God's child.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
I'm a blogger! Who would have known...
The world is going crazy. I realize it's gone crazy before, but now I'm one of the adults. This begs the assumption that I have some wisdom to offer or that minimally I can control my emotions and act like I'm under control. Therein lies the rub. I'm a babyboomer born in the 50"s. My parents worked hard to make sure I had the material things and opportunities they never had. Being a good little boomer, I have grown way too accustomed to my priviledged lifestyle. I've seen hunger on the pages of Life Magazine, but sacrifice to me is eating at home versus going out. I know that I sound like a total spoiled brat, but I don't think I'm that different from my fellow boomers.
If "normal" keeps spinning out of control, it will be interesting to see if we boomers can stand with fortitude and set an example of living with hardship that would make our grandparents proud. Will we lead the way in fighting for the values of America that are quickly being swept away or quietly continue to pretend it will all get better. I see the America of capitalism, rugged individualism, self sufficiency and gratitude to a loving God being replaced by a desire for the government as god to take over all aspects of our lives.
Well, I guess I've ranted enough for my first blog. Since I didn't know I had anything to say, it will be interesting to see what comes out next time!
If "normal" keeps spinning out of control, it will be interesting to see if we boomers can stand with fortitude and set an example of living with hardship that would make our grandparents proud. Will we lead the way in fighting for the values of America that are quickly being swept away or quietly continue to pretend it will all get better. I see the America of capitalism, rugged individualism, self sufficiency and gratitude to a loving God being replaced by a desire for the government as god to take over all aspects of our lives.
Well, I guess I've ranted enough for my first blog. Since I didn't know I had anything to say, it will be interesting to see what comes out next time!
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