messymiraculousmommy

Growing up in a convent school, we were taught that abortion is wrong. But that's all we ever heard about being pro life. So it's easy to assume that's all there is to it. Over the years, having faced infertility and caring for our elders who couldn't care for themselves, God Himself has taught us so much more about being pro life: 1. God is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15) And only He has the moral authority as Creator (not creation) to decide the natural beginning and natural ending of human life created in His image and likeness. I am not God.  I can't create life.  And I can't decide when human life ends.  It's not just the five year long frustration of being unable to conceive that brought me to accept this. It's also the day my doctor told me that nothing else is working with me, so it's time to do IVF. We had already done our research and so I knew that it was fine to assist natural reproduction but definitely not to replace it by dissociating...

As my children grow and ask for a pet dog, I find myself revisiting every dog I’ve known in my life and what they’ve meant to me. Well, that was a quick revisit because I’m NOT an animal lover and animals mean nothing at all to me. (Pet lovers, please keep reading). But I have many friends and family to whom their pet dogs have meant a lot, surely even more than I mean to them. As I look upon their profound devotion to their dogs, I can’t help but wonder what it is that they get from that relationship. For me, an animal who can’t feed or clean itself just means one more being that I have to be wholly responsible for. In addition, unlike humans, pets will never grow up and start giving themselves a bath, so this is a long-term daily responsibility.   I’ve heard from dog lovers that their dog loves them unconditionally and is always attentive to their every emotional need that allegedly even other humans can’t pick up. I heard someone tell me once as we were discussing a family i...

THE FIRST NOEL began with a NO. She said NO to the fear rising up within her to say YES to the angel's command not to fear! She said NO to her own plans for that day, that week, that month, that year so she could say YES to God's astounding plans for her. She said NO to the comfort of delivering her child with her community's fold to say YES to do as Caesar told. He said NO too. He said NO to the cultural expectations of having a new bride who would serve him when he chose to say YES to serving an expectant mother. He said NO to a lifestyle that would have been convenient had he not married her, to say YES to caring for her and the baby. He said NO to his carpentry clients and his extended family's needs when he said YES to new instructions given in dreams. Together, they said: NO to complaining so they could say YES to praising God NO to self-entitlements so they could say YES to identifying with the disadvantaged NO to security in their la...

They started their journey in silence.  Because they barely knew each other.  But also, because they had so much to think about.    She had been on long journeys before.  She had travelled on a donkey before.    But she had never been pregnant before. She had never given birth before. And now as she travelled away from her mother and all the women who could have supported her with her delivery, she had a lot to be nervous about.   She looked at him as he led the donkey she was sitting on. He seemed to be a decent man. Responsible. Took the news of her unexpected pregnancy remarkably well, all things considering. Seemed focus on getting them safely to Bethlehem for the census and the delivery.    But could he really handle all that was to happen? Having a baby is hard enough. Then raising a child together, keeping such a huge secret together. Would he be up for the narrow road ahead?    "The road ...

There was a time that I could function without to-do lists. I cannot for the life of me, remember that time in my life but I'm sure it existed. To-do lists are my biggest 'keep calm' tool. As I'm typing this out, I remembered two tasks and added them to my to-do lists. Now I can free my brain for other important business like...hmnn... wait...i can't remember what right now but I'm sure I have a to-do list of the big  things I wanna do when I get through my to-do list for the day without reaching zero battery in my mind and body.  There are many ways you can do to-do lists. One way is to just make a laundry list of all the things sauntering through your mind and keep attacking them.  Another way is to make entries under headings like: urgent, important, dream stuff, etc. A third way is to just sit every night before bed and schedule things in for the next day/days/week as they come up. More exciting than my own to-do lists are the ones I make for my kids. Becaus...

Don't stop now. Keep moving. One step at a time. Let's keep going. Rest if you must because the journey is tough.  But know that when we reach Home we will have perfect rest in Him.  So hold onto that picture.  Him hugging us when we get there. Patting us on the back and saying: well done! Until then.  Don't stop now.  Keep moving.  One step at a time.  Let's keep going.  We are already a day closer than we were yesterday.  We are already a lot stronger than we were yesterday.  Remember the lessons we've learnt on the way.  Remember we are together to hold each other up in prayer each day.  Don't stop now. Keep moving. One step at a time. Let's keep going.  I'm tired and I want to reach the finish line. Only He knows how long it's gonna take.  Only He knows how it's gonna end.  But He's on my side. He's got my back.  He's working it all out for my eternal good.  He wants me to win. And He's gonna be wit...

This week 10 years ago, I was making the huge transition from ‘I’m a barren woman waiting for a baby’ to ‘I’m a mother and my 3-month-old daughter is coming home soon!’   This week 10 years ago, the sight of baby clothes, the smell of baby powder and the feel of baby diapers brought a huge smile on my face instead of the usual streams of tears.   This week 10 years ago, my life changed irreversibly and I have lived the best 10 years of my 42-year-old life. The heavens had opened and God showered on us a season of immense favour after what seemed like an eternity of wandering in the desert.   In these 10 years, I served through only two short hospitalizations for family members in comparison with 7 hospitalizations with family members and 6 times being hospitalized myself in the decades prior. I’m not even counting the very many accidents, surgeries not requiring hospitalization and other caregiving adventures. Through all these experiences, God had taught me ...