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A Lutheran Perspective on Stillbirth
By Genevieve Wagner Editors Note: Genevieve is a dear friend of mine for many years. She has graciously agreed to share her family’s recent full term stillbirth, and the hope and faith that her family has. After a trial run of labor the week before where the whole birth team had been called out to the house and hours of 3 minute apart contractions just… stopped… it was time for what would hopefully be my last prenatal appointment. Because I was so large and easily tired, my husband volunteered to drive me to my appointment, and I gratefully accepted. We don’t live near family and it was a last minute…
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Open Letter to My Non-Christian Family and Friends
Dear family and friends, I am sorry. I have failed you. Time and time again I have let you down. I have not cared for you as I should. I have been selfish, putting my own comfort ahead of your well-being. Even now, I’m choosing the easy route, typing this out rather than saying it directly to you. Please forgive me. I know it seems strange that I became a Christian, that I attend church every Sunday, that I teach our children God’s Word, that I believe in God’s creation of the earth in seven days thousands of years ago, rather than millions. I know it probably seems like I…
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The Many Interwoven Seasons of Womanhood
By Mary Abrahamson Often when we talk about seasons of life, we talk about things like young adulthood, which might include college or single life. Adulthood might include being a wife or mother or being single. It might include being a homemaker and/or having a paying career outside the home. And then perhaps later our children might leave our next empty, but give us grandchildren. And finally retirement. Old age. Perhaps assisted living or full nursing care. And the deathbed. The seasons I’m going to describe are less linear and more universal. My seasons are the kind that occur constantly and repeat throughout our lives regardless of the particular work…
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When Thanksgiving Disappoints
By Vanessa Rasanen This week I’ll be taking the turkey out of my freezer to thaw. I always try to do this earlier than recommended so as not to repeat the great disaster that was Thanksgiving 2011 when I discovered a still frozen turkey in the fridge, leaving our family to dine on a holiday meal of side dishes and no bird. Thankfully, there were only three of us around that table that year, one of whom has no lasting memory of my mommy disaster due to his being only two at the time. Yet this upcoming holiday holds its own shares of disappointment for that kiddo, now a when-did-he-get-so-big six…
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Longing to Belong: A Sheep’s Tale
By Debra-Lynn Swearingen We were lost sheep for a season. There is nothing like church shopping to make you certain you are shepherd-less. Especially if you are susceptible to being a part of the growing sad, mad, church alumni. In some churches we were greeted heartily, some put us through a grueling Q&A session, and some we passed through without notice. We knew little of what we were looking for, and more of what we weren’t willing to endure. We were unsure of how right doctrine and social-fit unite, but we wanted both. We were longing to belong. We just didn’t know what that meant. This was not a new quest…
