Lament is not the absence of praise. It is simply the path through pain to praise.
Tag: trauma
Adoption
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Holding Onto Hospitals and Hope
The last month has been nothing like I planned. We spent almost half a year preparing for a major spinal surgery for my son, whose scoliosis suddenly curved to 100 degrees and was in the beginning stages of compromising his heart and lungs. CJ carries on his small shoulders a…
Christian Living
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The Suffering Table
God has repeatedly brought a verse to mind over the last few weeks. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Isaiah 53:3 My husband, Chris,…
Triggers and Therapy
Our culture and social media are flooded with language that would have baffled the population a mere decade ago. The trend of therapy and working on the self seems to climb upward every day. I, for one, find it to be a fascinating swing from what was considered the norm…
The Basics of Loving a Traumatized Child
Childhood and trauma is a sobering paring of words. Events painful enough to cause a wound to the mind and nervous system can rock the strongest adult, but how much more devastating trauma is to a developing child! Statistically, almost every adult in the United States is in some sort…
Adoption Memories July 2015
Learning to Laugh One year ago today, Little Man’s case was brought before a judge on the other side of the world, and he was legally declared our son. I think back to this time last year and I can remember the overwhelming flood of emotions- the relief that he…
Adoption Memories – 9 months home 2015
Always Victorious Little Man has been home for 9 months now. I marvel at the changes we see in him on a weekly basis. It seems that things have truly settled into a normal routine. Things do not feel “new” anymore. Instead, life has become a beautiful phase of rest…
Adoption Memories – 8 months home 2015
Then they will be brave and free… Little Man has been in our arms for just over 8 months now. Can you believe it? I can’t. He has learned SO much in the last two or three months. We were recently at an appointment with a new doctor when he…
Adoption Memories – December 2014
The Light of the World Today is 4 months since Gotcha Day! It honestly feels like an eternity ago. I don’t really even remember life with just one kid, although I am trying to figure out why I used to think I always had my hands full then. I had…
Adoption Memories- 3 Months Home 2014
You Make Beautiful Things We have been home with Little Man for just over three months now. I fully intended to post regularly on this blog, but it seems that each month-iversary is the best I can manage. Ha! Life has settled into a much better routine. Little Man has…
Adoption Memory- Pickup Trip Day 1
Day 1 Good morning! Or good evening…I’m not entirely sure which time zone I am addressing. 😉 Welcome to the musings of my sleep-deprived brain which is also functioning under a recent dose of Benadryl (I will beat jet lag this trip!)…hopefully that kicks in soon. It is 5:15 am…
What is Trauma?
Trauma. It’s the new cultural buzzword. As it gains traction in popularity, it carries with it benefits and potentially harmful outcomes. If we are going to have a discussion about trauma, we should first identify an accurate definition. In his book, The Myth of Normal, Gabor Mate M.D. says, “Trauma…
