Prayers in the Sun

There's an amazing room in our home with a section of wall running along the south edge of our property. It spans from east to west and is outfitted with six windows where I grow our plants and garden starters each spring. During this time of winter, when our outside temperatures regularly sink to the single digits, the sun falls far south in our sky and we are rarely dazzled with its brilliance. Nevertheless, there are days, like today, when the heavens open and the entire room is engulfed in light and warmth.

Feeling a bit under the weather this morning, I arranged my chair so that I sat directly facing these windows, allowing the sun to beat down against my pale skin. The rays soaked into my face and I lost all my concerns, momentarily. Such bliss.

Then, quite suddenly, the unexpected happened within my spirit. And before I could stop it...

I wept.

And I prayed for...

• A friend and classmate from our old church and university in Texas, Jenny Bizaillion, who contracted pneumonia not even two weeks ago and is now in ICU on a ventilator. Her family was notified this morning that they must amputate her legs this afternoon at 3pm.


• My cousin, who is now on his way to Iraq (after the Fort Hood incident in November where he was stationed).


• My uncle who has had 14 back surgeries and who lives in unimaginable pain every day of his life.


• Our friends, Matt and Shelly -- Matt is heading to Haiti tomorrow. Enough said.


• Stephanie Nielsen who (with her husband) endured a horrific plane crash and still faces a long road of pain and healing.


• My dear friend who is recovering from the shocking loss of her husband which left her the single mom of four children.


• Many friends who are currently job-searching and in need of immediate income to help sustain their families.

The longer I sat in front of those windows, the more prayer requests flooded from my heart. And while uttering each name before the Creator, such an emotional weight was lifted...my petitions were heard.

I traded my sorrows for joy today.

And I am grateful and humbled for the light and warmth and love I experienced as I whispered my prayers in the light of the sun.

Nebraska Friends of Midwives 2010 Video

Nebraska Friends of Midwives (NFOM) is a consumer-based organization working to educate women in an attempt to better our prenatal care and birthing outcomes. We're currently lobbying for three proposed bills that would allow more options and greater safety measures in our state. Niecey of The Monkeys and Me created the following video for our group, leaving us breathless in her wake. As you'll see in the 8-minute video, there's an overwhelming amount of research and statistical data which show Nebraska (and our country) to be in a serious state of crisis when it comes to achieving a safe, normal birth. So take just a few minutes to watch the video, contemplate our current statistics, and meet me on the other side to learn of ways you can help out this month!!



Today, February 11th, NFOM is hosting a luncheon at the capitol to meet with our legislators regarding LB 406, LB 457, and LB 481 (you may click on each one to go directly to the official bill in PDF format). These bills are only the first steps needed to help catch us up to most other states. Here's how YOU can help:

• Read and sign our brand new online petition HERE (best viewed with Explorer or Chrome).
• Find your senator HERE and call to ask where they stand on "the midwife bills." Sometimes that's all it takes to pique their interest (and get their vote).
• To stay in the loop, join the Nebraska Friends of Midwives FREE e-list HERE or our FREE discussion board HERE.
• If you feel inclined, we could sure use a few new members. It's only $10 for a year, but it increases our numbers and power exponentially. It doesn't matter your gender, age, experience, etc.

There are many more things I could tell you to do, but these really are the best steps to take in order to get involved in bettering our birth climate. Currently, Nebraska and Alabama are at the bottom of the barrel on these liberties. We'll soon see which state is the last to get this liberating legislation passed. We're so close, people.

If you live here, please lend a hand (or if you know someone who lives here, please send them a link to this post!). I'll beg if I have to.