Friday, January 25, 2008

"99 Balloons"

The value of Life. The love of a child. A baby with special needs.

To end this week celebrating the sanctity of Life I wanted to share a precious story that clearly demonstrates God's plan of love and admiration for ALL children.

Baby Eliot was born with a genetic condition called Trisomy 18. His family didn't know how long he would be with them, but they loved him with abandon during his time on earth. How the Lord must long for every child to be cherished like this!

Here is a short excerpt from their blog "99 Balloons":

"So today we propose a new standard.
How do you measure a life? By years? By esteem? By productivity?

Eliot Hartman Mooney
99 days, 98 birthday parties (& today makes 99)
18 nurses
17, 557 visits to his website
0 minutes unattended

Although these statistics are fun. They all fall woefully short of a metric whereby to judge Eliot’s life. We propose that Eliot’s life be measured by impact.

Thus, truly his was a full life."
(Matt Mooney-Nov. 1, 2006)

In discovering this story my heart was touched by the faith of a family and their trust in the Lord amidst uncertainty, pain, pure joy and ultimately death.

For only in Christ are we able to lift up our hands and submit our lives to His loving plan.

Video warning: Kleenex required!

ELIOT'S STORY

Thank you Matt and Ginny for letting me share your story. May the Lord bless you richly in the days to come!



99 Balloons

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Sanctity of Life Week


This week marks the 35th anniversary of a very dark day in our nations' history. The day that abortion legally started taking the lives of children in our country. Today, January 22nd, approximately 50 million babies have been killed by abortion. These children would have been American citizens. They might have grown to be leaders, doctors, teachers, mommies and daddies... if only they had been given the chance to LIVE.

I have recently become familiar with the music of a Christian artist (Ginger Millermon) who is a huge pro-Life advocate! Her story touches me on many levels. Because of our experience with Abby and her early arrival we are even more aware of the miracle of life. I am naturally drawn to other stories involving prematurity because I think it touches a fundamental truth about human development... the premature baby IS the unborn baby, separated only by a matter of minutes.

I don't understand how someone can look at a perfectly formed prematurely born infant and think that somehow through the act of physical birth this child became a "person." Micro-preemies are in fact fetuses, born into the world long before they are ready... but they are very much alive! I know because I had one. Abby only weighed 1 lb 5 oz and she was a tiny little person with a will to live like nothing I have witnessed before.

Today I heard Ginger Millermon share her testimony of the struggles her family experienced when their premature twin boys were born. Like us, their family was also faced with a heavy decision in the face of a very uncertain future. Her testimony is one of Faith in the Lord and a trust that His plans are perfect, and his ways are good... although they are not our ways.

Many of Ginger's songs are inspired by her experience with her premature son and his severe illnesses. In light of Sanctity of Life week I wanted to share a song she and her husband wrote, called First Breath. This song was written for a pregnancy support center and it speaks out on behalf of the unborn child. The lyrics in this song are also true for women who choose to place their babies for adoption... giving their children a chance at Life.

If you have a moment, please listen to Ginger's testimony here: http://www.gingermillermon.com/

Just click on the link resources, and then American Family Radio interview
I hope you will be blessed as I was!

First Breath

Mommy, give me a chance
To say I love you

To hear you singing a lullaby

Holding me close when I need to cry


Mommy, give me a chance

To hear your laughter

Watching me as I giggle and coo

Taking my first steps to daddy or you

There’s so many things that I want to do

Give me my first breath


Chorus:

For I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Fashioned by God’s hand

And my days were written in His book

Long before time began
And He’s making me perfectly in His sight
There’s no one else like me

So give me the chance to see the light
To find out who I might be

Oh, you never know who I might be

Give me my first breath

Mommy, give me a chance
To make you smile
To run in the rain on a warm spring day

To bring you flowers on the first day of May


Mommy, give me a chance

To see the sunset

And watch the fireflies dance in the night

Wondering how God gave them their light
Holding your hand and squeezing it tight

Give me my first breath

Copyright Ginger Millermon 2002

© 2002 Anothen Music All Rights Reserved.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Our Christmas in pictures