On October 15, at 7:00 pm in all time zones, families around the United States will light candles in memory all of the precious babies who have been lost during pregnancy or in infancy.  Too many families grieve in silence, sometimes never coming to terms with their loss.

If you or someone you know has suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss due to SIDS/SUID, prematurity or other cause, we hope you will join us in this national tribute to create awareness of these tragic infant deaths and provide support to those that are suffering.

Help us create a ‘wave’ of light across our nation!

Learn more at www.october15th.com


4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”


Revelation 21:4-5

Doggish Cat

My daughter has a Barbie movie in which there is a cat that is referred to as a “doggish cat.”   Most likely because it is a tomcat and barks.  We all know that cats in Barbie movies are usually girls.  😉

My husband and I adopted 2 tiny kittens a few months after we were married.   Non-pet owners will not understand, but before we had children, they were like our babies.  Unfortunately for them, after we had children, they lost a bit of rank in the house.  😉

One was abused in her first month of life.  The shelter found her on the side of the road with her whiskers pulled out.  Stormy was the size of a snowball when we saw her.  She loved us right away, but would go into hiding when others would come into the house.  She is definitely a cat cat…she has cuddled with me since she could fit in my shoe, but she is a bit overly skiddish and has a mind of her own.  She is beginning to warm up to others now…slowly but surely.

Riley was our doggish cat.  We chose her from the shelter at the same time as Stormy, and though they look identical, Riley was born at the shelter.  She and Stormy were great “friends.”  Riley would come when called, would thump her foot when we scratched her ear, would follow us around, and sleep in my daughter’s bed each night (sometimes as the pillow).  We even were able to play fetch with her when she was young.

We had to say goodbye to Riley this weekend.  Pets are loyal and love you unconditionally, they let you cuddle them when you need comfort and “forgive” you when you ignore them.  It is hard to lose a pet, hard to lose anything that has been a positive part of your life for 13 years, but it is even harder when you have small children.  They knew she was sick, they knew she was not likely going to get better, but in the end she went much faster than we thought.  That is a blessing, especially for her sake.  It was hard to watch her in the end.  Kids are troopers, though, and though they miss her, they have an ability to put things in better perspective than adults sometimes.  Again, I know pet owners, or even simply dog owners, may not understand, but our hearts are heavy this week as we miss our doggish cat.


Today is a special day for many women across the globe.  A day where they can either celebrate their mothers or their children…in some cases both.  Sadly, for some, it is neither.  My prayer for those women is that they know how special they are, how loved they are, and how important they are to the people close to them and to their Lord and Savior.

Today is a special day for me.  My mom is the greatest.  She is such an example of a Proverbs 31 woman.  She works hard, gives much, sacrifices, loves, is patient and has a love for the Lord.  She is pretty perfect when it comes to moms.  Today is a day I can celebrate her and how blessed I am to have her in my life.

I am doubly blessed in that I also get to celebrate my children.  My 4 children.  Today is a bittersweet day for me.  I have so so so so so much to be grateful for…a great mom, other great women in my life (grandmas, aunts, sisters, cousins, nieces, friends), and children that melt my heart.  (I have great men in my life, too, just am focusing on women today)  It is also a day that hurts my heart.  I miss my Joshua…every day, but today hits harder than most.  We will be going to the cemetery (or Joshua’s Park as we call it) as we do every Mother’s Day to make sure his area is the most decorated in the cemetery.  We will go through the explanations again as to why we are there when he is not, why we leave him presents that he can’t play with, and why sometimes we are sad even though he is in the best place he could ever be.  These topics are difficult for adults to make sense of, but the kids grew up with their brother in Heaven and have accepted it in their own way…they make sense of it in their own way…sometimes I think they understand it more than we do.

My day will be happy, too, because I can just hang out with my kids.  My oldest son at home with us is a miracle.  We put a lot of effort into getting him home…all of it worth it for sure.  He has a giant heart and a lot of love!  He loves God and people.  He is great!  My daughter is close to Jesus.  She loves to learn, is super smart and is good at caring for others.  My youngest is a bit of a goofball.  He also loves Jesus and cuddles and life.  He is in a testing phase right now, but we love him anyway.   All our miracles are truly miracles, none arrived easily, and each is a tremendous blessing.  I am grateful for my children even when they push their limits….I am blessed to have children to hug and scold and discipline and teach and LOVE.

For all those who are saddened today…you are in prayer.  For all of those who have reason to celebrate, let those loved ones know how blessed you are that they are in your life.  And for everyone…enjoy a beautiful Sunday…a gift from God.

Happy Mother’s Day!