Adulthood

What does it mean to be an "adult"?

When do you know you are an adult?

How does an adult think, feel, and behave? Should thoughts and/or feelings have an influence on one's behavior as an adult?

I've been hearing the phrase "I'm an adult now" quite a bit lately, as you can imagine. Gone are the days of looking up to me, of admiring me, of treating me with kindness and respect. And it hurts.

Adulthood does not have anything to do with chronological age. It has everything to do with the knowledge that decisions are based on reasoning rather than feelings. I'm not saying that a person totally dismiss feelings out of the decision making process, but you do need to step back from them and be objective before running full-steam-ahead into a situation.

Adulthood implies freedom, but along with that freedom comes a ton of responsibility in many areas - the responsibility for your behavior and how it affects other people's feelings and how they view you as a person, the responsibility for developing your character, the responsibility that your individual wants are not the most important thing in the whole world (in other words, it's important to put other people first before yourself), the responsibility to be grateful for all the gifts God has given to you and never take them for granted, the responsbililty to be humble in all of your interactions with others and with God, the responsibility to say "I'm sorry" and "I forgive" when needed, and the responsibility to listen to God's voice and what HE wants you to do rather than what YOu want to do both in your life and with your life.

I know I fail in my responsibilities as an adult. Nobody is perfect - so it's a good thing that God invented forgiveness and redemption. But I also know that I can't live my life without God's help, or without help or guidance from others who have walked this path. If I tried to do it alone, or if I thought I knew everything there was to know about life - then I would be a lonely fool.

A Thanksgiving Greeting

I am in the midst of preparing a meal and getting the house ready for company. The potatoes are peeled, the pumpkin pie and apple pie and cranberry salad and Waldorf salad and pumpkin bread and sweet potato casserole have all been made, and the turkey is in the roaster.

There is so much for which to be thankful - my daughters and my husband, my friends and family, my health, my daughter's continued remission from lupus, my husband's job and my job, a warm home, a tiny dog named Katy who is permanently attached to my leg with Velcro, and my blogging friends from all over the world. Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg of God's blessings which appear throughout everyday life as tiny miracles - the miracle of a beautiful sunset, of a warm hug, of an unexpected kindness from a stranger, of a dog's excitement when her mistress comes home, of healing from life's hurts. The list is vast and endless.

So, today is about giving thanks for God's faithfulness and graciousness, for His protection and comfort, and for his love and forgiveness. May God bless you and yours, and keep you safe within His graces. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

Go Blue!!!!

Guess what the girls, the hubby, and I will be doing this afternoon at 3:30?!

We'll be cheering on Michigan in their game with OSU. Both hubby and I are from Michigan (born and raised), but I'm a grauduate of OSU. What can I say? Once a Wolverine, always a Wolverine.

This games takes on a bittersweet quality to it, as our beloved coach, Bo Schembechler, died yesterday at the age of 77. May he rest in peace with the risen Lord, and may the Lord comfort his family and friends.

Okay, Blue, you've got a job to do! Win this one for Bo!

In My Daughter's Eyes

To my daughters in honor of National Adoption Day - I hope that my love will always shine in your eyes. You have brought so much joy and happiness and meaning into my life, and for that I thank God that he chose me to be your mom.

Sweet Scent Blog Awards

To recognize members of the Christian Woman Online blogroll, editor Darlene Schact has decided to honor the women who, each in their own ways, have been a sweet savour unto God, and to other women in the blogosphere. CWO is hosting their first blog of the year awards, which serves to honor women in several categories.

Nominations will take place between now and November 20th at 11:59 p.m. Central Time, after which the nominations will be tallied to find the three blogs in each category that have received the most nominations. Anyone is free to vote, but the awards will only be given to the members of the CWO blogroll. You are free to nominate someone in each category. You may vote for the same blog in several categories, but only one vote per category will be accepted. The three nominees with the most votes in each category will be posted at CWO on December 1st, and I will announce them on this blog as well. At that time, the polls will be open once again so that readers can visit and vote on the nominees. The voting polls will then close on December 15th at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. The votes will be tallied, and the winners will be announced in the January 2007 edition of CWO, and each winner will be given an award graphic to place on her blog. CWO's own columnists who have maintained blogs throughout the year are elible for inclusion in this contest, provided that they are part of the CWO blogroll.

The categories are as follows: Best Friend Award, Most Joyful Among Us Award, Best Homemaker Award, Most Humorous Award, Best Group Blog, Best Mommy Award, Best Home School Award, Best Scrapbooker Award, Artistic Blog Skin Award, and The Unified Heart Award. Please click on the link above for additional information, to find the blogs which are on the blogroll (I am!), and to cast your ballots before November 21st!!

One Year Ago

The autumn sky was a brilliant blue, and the leaves were being kicked up by the wind as she walked towards my car. Her glasses were perched on a reddened nose (thanks to a nasty cold), and the circles under her eyes were remnants from pulling a late-nighter. She walked slower than normal, but more confident than ever. There she is, I thought, and who would have ever dreamed a year ago today she was fighting for her life in PICU at Children's? If you're interested in the story, go back to my archives from last year at this time, and read the miraculous story of TP's recovery from a severe septic infection.

TP and I have a new tradition now - we go out to lunch every Thursday. I pick her up at 1:00 and we spend an hour or so catching up on news at a nearby restaurant. I am so grateful that we live less than a half hour from the university where TP is at - we're close enough so that we can keep in touch, yet far enough away so that she can have independence. Today, her voice was reduced to a whisper due to possible laryngitis - but that didn't stop her from talking about her life as a college student who's finishing up her first quarter. She's doing well academically and socially - and she's learned the art of doing papers while simultaneously handling several IM's all at once and sometimes talking on her cell phone at the same time. Multi-tasking is a useful skill to have as a college student - and a future nurse!

I'm somewhat concerned about the cold - but she'll be home tomorrow for the weekend so I can kind of keep an eye on her. Old habits die hard - I'll always worry about her and her health, I suppose. But I am not worried about this young woman's desire and ability to do well at college. She's proved herself time and time again this quarter that she is a great student, and is willing to do what it takes to be admitted into the nursing program this spring.

All I can say is - I am grateful to God for TP's continued remission. I am grateful that she loves college. I am grateful that I am no longer feeling like there is a void in my life with her departure from the nest - rather, there is a new level to our relationship that could never have been achieved if she was still living at home. Granted, I still miss her like crazy, but I am content in knowing that she is quite able to take care of herself - even when she has a nasty cold.

TP - I know you're reading this - how does homemade chicken noodle soup sound for dinner tomorrow night?! :-)

You are Loved/Don't Give Up

This video is dedicated to both of my daughters. They are remarkable young women filled with hope and dreams for their futures. Sometimes, however, when life deals them a blow, they need a gentle reminder that they are loved, and to not give up. I will shine to guide you, Sara and Danielle!

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

From God's Arms, To My Arms, To Yours

So many wrong decisions in my past, I'm not quite sure
If I can ever hope to trust my judgement anymore.
But lately I've been thinking,
Cause it's all I've had to do.
And in my heart I feel that I
Should give this child to you.
And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

If you choose to tell him,
If he wants to know,
How the one who gave him life
Could bear to let him go.
Just tell him there were sleepless nights,
I prayed and paced the floors,
And knew the only peace I'd find
Was if this child was yours.

And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

This may not be the answer,
For another girl like me.
But I'm not on a soapbox,
Saying how we all should be.
I'm just trusting in my feelings,
And I'm trusting God above,
And I'm trusting you can give this baby
Both his mothers' love.
And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

~Michael McLean~

This song brings tears to my eyes. What a pure and selfless gift adoption is! Thank you, dear Lord, for the birthmothers of my girls. Please continue to bless them and watch over them, and keep them safe in your graces. Amen.

Everything To Me - Mark Schultz

Here is a touching video about a birthmother, and her son's song of gratitude for giving him life. Thanks to Shawnda for introducing me to this song!

November is National Adoption Awareness Month

November is National Adoption Awareness Month! According to the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), "The primary purpose of Adoption Month is to raise awareness about adoption, adoptive families, and children who need adoptive homes." In particular, November 18th of this year has been designated as "National Adoption Day." This day is "a collective national effort to raise awareness of the 118,000 in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving families," per the organizer's website, located at www.nationaladoptionday.org/2006/index.asp .

I speak of my personal experiences with adoption in the spirit of Thanksgiving, over at the new edition of the CWO ezine, which can be found at http://www.christianwomenonline.net/Chosen.html . Go and get a cup of hot cocoa and browse through this wonderful magazine. Thanks, Darlene, for your hard work and dedication to making the e-zine such a success!!!

I will leave you with this poem/song, entitled "What Was I Supposed to Be?" which is the voice of an aborted child. I do not know who the author is, unfortunately.

What Was I Supposed to Be?

When Jesus walked upon the earth
on the shores of Galilee
He'd say to his disciples
Let the little children come to Me.

I wonder if up in Heaven
Do you suppose we'll see
Little children ask Him
What was I supposed to be?

CHORUS:
What was I supposed to be
What were my eyes supposed to see
And why did I taste of death
Before I even drew a breath
Or laid my head
at my mother's breast to sleep
Oh Jesus, What was I supposed to be?

REPEAT CHORUS

Was I to be a prophet used in the ministry
A doctor who would find the cure
For some terrible disease
Even if I'd been born imperfect
Why couldn't my parents see
That I'd been made perfect
When You came back for me, Oh Jesus?

REPEAT CHORUS

What was I supposed to be
Jesus, What was I supposed to be?

Thanks to the wonderful gift of adoption, my girls are finding out what they are supposed to be. . .