My heart is aching for several women this week. Between friends in real life and online friends who I have never actually met in person but am blessed to know, I know 7 women who have lost a baby in less than a month's time. Seven. Some of them had miscarriages and somebarely knew they were pregnant. One of them, Kristi, lost her little boy, Eli, around 16 weeks, and he was delivered still-born this morning at the hospital.

This song carried me through the grief of my own early miscarriage, and I am posting it with prayers for each of these women and their loved ones who need the arms of the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit's peace to surround them.
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Also, please keep a couple of other ladies in your prayers. Kimm is a Mom I met online who is 30 weeks along. She'll have some testing done tomorrow... she has had preterm labor, but is home now, and we're praying that her little guy will stay in a few more weeks! Click HERE to visit her new blog.

JoJeanne is a girl I went to elementary school with, and we reconnected online. She has had several miscarriages and recently learned she is expecting again.

Stick babies stick!!!

Casting Crowns "East to West"

what if?
(nichole nordeman)

What if you're right?
And he was just another nice guy
What if you're right?
What if it's true?
They say the cross will only make a fool of you
And what if it's true?

What if he takes his place in history
With all the prophets and the kings
Who taught us love and came in peace
But then the story ends
What then?

But what if you're wrong?
What if there's more?
What if there's hope you never dreamed of hoping for?
What if you jump?
And just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise?
What if He's more than enough?
What if it's love?

What if you dig
Way down deeper than your simple-minded friends
What if you dig?
What if you find
A thousand more unanswered questions down inside
That's all you find?

What if you pick apart the logic
And begin to poke the holes
What if the crown of thorns is no more
Than folklore that must be told and retold?

You've been running as fast as you can
You've been looking for a place you can land for so long
But what if you're wrong?

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O praise Him, alleluia
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along
O praise Him, alleluia
Thou rising moon in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice
O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O praise Him, alleluia
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, Three in One
O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Alleluia!

Have you ever wished there were more verses to the song, "My God is so big!" I have! Well, crt's friend Camille and some of her friends wrote some.... click HERE to read the lyrics!

Anyway (Martina McBride)




You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might never come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea - sing it anyway

I sing
I dream
I love
Anyway

Has anyone else ever thought of inviting someone to join you at a special event when it's already too late? That happened to me today. I thought of three people in particular who might possibly have been able to come, as they would not have to take off work or fly on an airplane to get here. Unfortunately, I thought of them while I was sitting at the registration table helping other moms find their name tags for the monthly Mom's HEART(Hearing Encouragement and Rejoicing Together) meeting at our church. This meeting usually consists of brunch, a speaker or two, door prizes, and a discussion group with your table at the end. We're assigned to the same table every month to help us get to know one another a little better by the end of the "year" (May).

I had heard of the key speaker. I had heard some of her songs on the radio, and knew I liked them. But I had not realized how much I would like the rest of her music... until today. The petite brunette with the Minnesota accent and adorable pregnant belly fit right into the room full of Moms, most of whom have pre-schoolers. She shared from her heart, and I'm sure all of us teared up at one point or another, if not bawled. I had heard her sing an offertory during a worship service at our church a few months back, and it turns out that she toured with the husband of one of the Mom's HEART coordinators. I know we are blessed to be in Music City, but still...

I don't know how I've made it this long without buying one of Sara Groves' albums. I am sorry I didn't think to invite any of you. While I know most could not have made it anyway.... I'm still sorry. Her songs were about real life... relationships, parenting, God... she is a very gifted songwriter and musician. One thing she shared that touched me the most was that she is learning to not look back at the specific moments (especially of struggles/perceived failures) as a mom, but to look at the patterns of how she spends time with her kids, etc... She has already learned that looking back on the big picture can be a lot more encouraging to her. Or something of the sort. That's some of what I got from it, anyway.

I'm going to try to catch up on some things around the house this week, so I may ground myself from blogger... although we all know how well that worked last time around.

Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and wandering heart reconciled.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

I confess, this is not the first rendition that came up when I typed in my pseudonym. But it is the most fitting!!!! "I saw Mommy kissing wandering heart" made me laugh. But if that were about me, we'd have some serious issues here.

Thanks for the fun link, Farm Wife!