May you find Peace and Comfort
in God's Arms.
"The bible is not a book of science.
It does not teach us how the heavens go.
Rather, it teaches us how to go to heaven."
"GOD'S EMBROIDERY"
When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal.
I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what
she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her
that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside,
I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that
she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy
from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say,
"My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished
with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from
my side." I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with
the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few
minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come
and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to
see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from
underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to me, "My son,
from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that?
there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only
following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what
I was doing." Many times through the years I have looked up to my
Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered,
"I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to
me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be
bright?" The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business
of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and
put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
Author unknown
"Let the children come to me and do not hinder them.
It is to just such as these that the kingdom of God belongs....
And He blessed them."
Mk 10, 14-16
Why Me?
When we first found out our daughter had anencephaly
and would not live, we immediately asked ourselves
that common question…Why me? I only asked myself that
once, for as soon as the question had been formed in my
mind, I remembered a story my priest had told us during
our Religious Education classes just a few months before.
You see my husband had just made his Baptism, first
communion and confirmation at the same time we found
out we were pregnant with our 5th child. Father B
always seemed to have a story for everything and when he
told this story, I didn’t realize at the time, the impact it
would have in our lives.
Father B was finishing his studies as a seminarian
when a fellow classmate took ill. It turned out that his
classmate had a very fast acting cancer and was given
just 6mths to live. When Father B went to the hospital
to visit his friend, his friend turned to him and asked…
“Why Me? Why did this happen to me?”, Father B was
taken aback. He didn’t know what to say to his friend. He
wasn’t prepared for this type of question. What should he
say? He sat for a few moments and then he heard himself say,
”Why Not you? … If this had to happen…. if it had to
happen to someone…. who would you have it happen to?
Who would you trade places with? … Who would you give
this illness to instead of yourself?”. His friend laid his
head back upon his pillow, closed his eyes and reflected
on the words of his friend. After a short while, his
friend opened his eyes and said, “ No one. You are right!
Why not me?”
Sometimes things just happen, sometimes life just happens. We
automatically ask “why me”. We want to know what it is that
we have done to cause this misfortune upon ourselves.
We wonder why God has chosen us to suffer, to experience
sadness, or pain. I don’t believe God says to himself, “Hmmmm,
so and so has sinned, so lets put this obstacle in his path.” I
believe that there are forces in this world, whether you want
to call them evil is up to you, but forces, none-the-less, that
influence the path we travel and the obstacles placed in
our way. I do believe God is able to make good come from those
misfortunes. We may not always be able to see what that
good is, or realize it, but He does. Who would have thought
that Father B’s story of his fellow classmate would have
touched another’s life so many years after his death?????
Ahhhhhh, God did!
God's Rainbow
Rainbows appear after mighty storms
when things look their very worst.
Just when the skies are darkest grey,
look for the rainbow first.
The rainbow is a sign of God's promise,
that He will guide us through any storm.
That He will see us through all our troubles,
no matter what their form.
When you feel battered by life's storms,
and you are filled with doubt and dismay;
just remember God's rainbow is coming-
It's only a prayer away.
(My Rainbow Angel is adopted from Touch of Heaven
Click here to adopt an angel for yourself)
The New Footprints
Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus walking down the
road together. For much of the way the Lord's footprints
go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying in
the pace. But your prints are in a disorganized stream
of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures
and returns.
For much of the way it seems to go
like this, but gradually, your footprints come in line with
the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently. You and
Jesus are walking as true friends.
This seems perfect, but then
an interesting thing happens: your footprints that once etched the
sand next to the Master's are now walking precisely
in His steps. Inside His large footprints is the smaller
"sandprint," safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoming one.
This goes on for many miles. But gradually you notice
another change. The footprints inside the larger footprints
seem to grow larger. Eventually it disappears altogether.
There is only on set of footprints. They have become one.
Again, this goes on for a long time. But then something awful
happens. The second set of footprints is back. And this time
it seems even worse. Zigzags all over the place. Stop. Start.
Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints.
You're
amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream.
Now you speak.
"Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzag and fits and starts and so on.
I was a new Christian, just learning. But You walked on through
the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."
"That is correct."
"Yes, when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to
walk in Your steps. I followed You very closely."
"Very good. You have understood everything so far."
"Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with Yours. I
suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming
more like You in every way."
"Precisely."
"But this is my question, Lord. Was there a regression of something?
The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse that the first."
The Lord smiles, then laughs.
"You didn't know?" He says. "That was when we danced."
For He will turn your mourning into dancing!
Author Unknown
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisified.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peace makers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Keep Looking Up
A housepainter was at work atop a tall ladder,
that leaned against the second story gable of a
house. A small boy playing in the yard, discovered
the ladder, and as is natural for small
boys, started to climb. Coming out to check
on her son, his mother shocked to find that
he was more than half way to the top of the ladder.
As the woman stifled a scream of panic, the
man at the top looked down, saw the child,
and instantly percieved the danger. Signaling
to the mother to be silent, he calmly said to the
child,"Look up, son, look up here to me, and
keep climbing." Rung by rung he coaxed the
child even higher;"Come on now,keep looking up,
keep coming." At last, with the child safe in his arms,
the painter carried him safely to the ground.
Each of us is somwhere on the ladder today. If
we look down, we may be terrified; but we are
to look up. God says: Look up to me; keep
looking up, and you will never be dismayed or
undone by whatever is down there!
"How does one become a butterfly?", she asked pensively.
"You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."
"You mean to die?", asked Yellow . . .
"Yes and No", he answered.
What looks like you will die,
but what's really . . . you will live!"
from "Hope for the Flowers" by Trina Paulus
~ Desiderata ~
Go placidly amid the noise and haste
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,
even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery
but let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be Yourself
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune
but do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and stars;
you have a right to be here,
and whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive God to be,
and whatever your labours and aspirations.
In the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful
Strive to be happy !
Max Ehrman, 1927.*
(My Mother had a copy of this in our home and I would often read it
and contemplate it's meaning. Especially the italiczed portion.
Little did I know then, how much those words would mean to me as an adult)
"God is Love.
He who abides in love abides in God and God in him.
Love has no room for fear. Rather, perfect love casts out fear..."
(1 Jn 4:16,18)
Our Links
Jessica's Journey
Our main page.
Our Jessica's story page.
Anencephaly Awareness 
Links for Support and Beautiful Memorial pages
I would like to thank Artist Greg Olsen
for allowing me to use his awesome
inspirational portraits of Jesus. Please click on
the portrait above to learn about the artist,
as well as, view his other works of art.
*From the Alt.Usage.English FAQ:
"Desiderata" was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann (1872-1945).
In 1956, the rector of St. Paul's Church in Baltimore, Maryland,
used the poem in a collection of mimeographed inspirational material for
his congregation. Someone who subsequently printed it asserted that it was found
in Old St. Paul's Church, dated 1692. The year 1692 was the founding date
of the church and has nothing to do with the poem. See Fred D.
Cavinder, "Desiderata", TWA Ambassador, Aug. 1973, pp. 14-15.
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