Remembering Seth Timothy

Those we have held

in our arms

for a little while,

we hold in

our hearts forever.

One year ago today I delivered Seth Timothy at 23 weeks.  As you most likely remember, he was already present with the Lord before we ever got to meet him.  To see his precious prints, you can click this link:  http://sethtimothy.blogspot.com/.  

I wish I had something profound to type for you to read... something that would help draw you closer to our Lord... something that would help you draw closer to your children, family, and friends... but honestly I don't.

I don't really know how to feel or what to think.  I'm not angry.  I might still be a little numb.  Occasionally, I'm still sad.  But mostly, I'm at peace.   

This last year has been a roller coaster.  Only 8 weeks after delivering Seth, we were expecting again... our sweet Virginia.  We wouldn't have Virginia if we had Seth.  If *I* had to choose, I couldn't.  I'll never understand God's plan here, but I don't want a God I can understand.  I rest in the fact that He is sovereign, and I really am okay with that.  I would never choose to have neither.  They both have been a blessing in many ways.  I know when we're in heaven that our family will be perfect and complete.  In the meantime, we'll do our best to love Virginia and train her up in the Lord.  We know Seth is already perfect in the presence of the Lord worshipping Him.  According to the book we used... Seth means "chosen" and Timothy means "to worship," and as we see it, our Seth Timothy was chosen to worship the Lord now in His presence.  One day we'll be by his side worshipping.  Oh, what a day that will be!  

You may recognize the tree above.  It is the little dogwood tree we planted last summer in my father's yard in memory of Seth.  Isn't it beautiful?  My sister took these pictures for me about 2 weeks ago when it was in full bloom.  I sure wish I could have seen it in person.  Something I just realized as uploading these pictures is kind of ironic, I guess you would say.  If you notice the white rocks at the base of the tree, my father put those there.  The ironic thing, I guess, is that those were my grandma's rocks (she collected lots of pretty rocks).  My grandmother is who we named our Virginia after.  So Seth's tree has Virginia's rocks around it. 

Well, I hope today you will lift us up as we continue to remember our Seth Timothy and continue to work through some grief.  We don't have any special plans for today.  He doesn't have a grave to visit.  Our only memorial is in TN... the tree.  We hope to get a rock of some sort with something engraved on it to put with his tree.  So, I don't know what we'd do if we decided to do something.  

I don't want to forget Seth.  I know I won't.  But I don't want to make a shrine out of him or his tree or anything like that.  He was a precious gift that we got to enjoy for a brief time... but love for our lifetime.

Thank you for your support over the last year.

Love,

Melinda 

PS  If you scroll all the way down, you'll see three songs (2 videos & 1 audio) that have really blessed my heart and/or been "my words" during this time.  I hope you'll be able to take the time to listen to them and love the Lord they speak about.  

SC Homeschoolers & Future Homeschoolers Take ACTION TODAY!!

======================================================================

From the HSLDA E-lert Service...

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April 28, 2009

 

South Carolina -- Calls Needed to Pass Tax Credit Bill

 

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

 

Now is your chance to speak out in favor of a tax credit bill in South Carolina that could make a significant difference to your family. 

Senate Bill 520, legislation that would create a tax credit of up to $1,000 per homeschool student for instruction-related expenses, is scheduled for hearing by the Senate K-12 Education Subcommittee this Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

 

Senators on this subcommittee need to know that homeschoolers want them to vote in favor of this bill.  Please contact members of the subcommittee today!

 

Action Requested:

 

1. Please call and/or email members of the Senate K-12 Education Subcommittee with this message in your own words:

 

"Please vote for Senate Bill 520 to create school choice in South Carolina and provide equitable tax credits for home educators."

 

The members of the Senate Education K-12 Subcommittee are as follows:

 

Senator Wes Hayes (R-York), Subcommittee Chairman

(803) 212-6410

set@scsenate.org

 

Senator John Matthews (D-Orangeburg)

(803) 212-6056

JWM@scsenate.org

 

Senator Luke Rankin (R-Horry)

(803) 212-6132

LR@scsenate.org

 

Senator Mike Fair (R-Greenville)

(803) 212-6420

FAIRM@scsenate.org

 

Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee)

(803) 212-6430

MED@scsenate.org

 

Senator Phil Leventis (D-Sumter)

(803) 212-6000

PL@scsenate.org

 

Senator Larry Grooms (R- Berkeley)

(803) 212-6400

STR@scsenate.org

 

Senator Gerald Malloy (D-Darlington)

(803) 212-6148

MALLOYG@scsenate.org

 

Senator Joel Lourie (D-Richland)

(803) 212-6116

JBL@scsenate.org

 

Senator Tom Davis (R-Beaufort)

(803) 212-6008

TomDavis@scsenate.org

 

2. Please forward this email to every family you know who is not a member of HSLDA and urge them to contact members of the subcommittee.

 

To view the text of this bill, please go to http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/bills/520.htm

 

Please call or email today!

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Dewitt T. Black, III

HSLDA Senior Counsel

Under His Wings April Newsletter

In order to view the newsletter larger, click on the image.  After reading the first page, you will need to click the back button on your browser to come back here to read the second page.

Love & blessings, 

Melinda  =0)  

PS For some reason I can't click on this to make it larger!  If you would like to read it, please post or e-mail and I will e-mail you a copy.  Hopefully, I can figure this out!  UGH!

Please Pray for Ethan

Please pray for Ethan.  He is 8 years old and has brain cancer.  He needs a miracle.  He is the son of a friend from high school and our youth group.  Please pray for their entire family.  Ethan has an older sister, too. 

You can learn more & get updates by going here:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bibb

Thank you for lifting them all up!  

Blessings,

Melinda 

Reading Through the Bible Update

I must confess, I have fallen very far behind in my Bible reading plan.  Boo hoo.  I really wanted to do this this year.  I just don't think it will happen!  Dano is behind, but he is still pressing forward.  How are you doing?  

Right now, I am listening to the book of Matthew on my ipod as I nurse Virginia in the mornings.  I am listening to the first 5 to 8 books over and over.  I would really like to be so familiar with them that when I hear something from those chapters, I would think "that comes from Matthew chapter 3" (or whatever).  Then I will move on to other chapters.  

What do you do for your Bible study?  I'd love to know!  =0)  

Blessings,

Melinda  =0) 

More on Pancakes

(An addition to the previous post)

I meant to come back the same day and add a little something about pancakes... well that didn't happen!  There was something written in the directions that stuck with me the rest of the day... and still.  It said, don't stir too much, the lumps will work out in the cooking (or something like that).  What this says to me...  I don't have to try to make my kids perfect or "lump free" because that is God's job during the cooking... the applying of heat, you know the refining fire.  I DO have to do some stirring, I have to add the right ingredient, and I do have to tend to the cooking... but thankfully, I'm not doing it all alone!  God is the head chef... if I let Him be!  

Hope you're having a great week so far!  

Love,

Melinda  =0)   

Making Pancakes Is a Lot Like Raising Kids

This morning I was making pancakes for Derek's birthday breakfast.  These were the easy pancakes that you just add water to the mix.  A friend brought them over as part of some breakfast meals for us!  But as I was making them, I realized that making pancakes was a lot like raising kids... it requires PATIENCE!!  

Dano is normally the pancake maker in our house.  I know why, too... HE'S MORE PATIENT than I am.  I know you've heard this before.  

When you make pancakes you have to kind of stand there and wait and wait and wait (which seems like an eternity) for the pancake to look just right... dry around the edges and the bubbles in the middle... then you can flip it.  If you walk away to pass the time, you will probably end up being gone too long and burn them (I didn't do that today, thankfully).  So, you have to be disciplined and be patient and wait.  

So, how is this like raising kids?  

Well, before you even get the pancakes to the pan... you have to make sure the batter is just right.  Not too thick... not too thin.  You also have to make sure the pan is just the right temperature... not too hot... not too cool.  

With our children, we have to be sure and get the "batter" just right.  We have to make sure we add the right stuff in... keep the bad stuff out.  Sometimes it is hard to determine how much is "enough" and what can be bad.  The world around us has a lot of bad influences.  Maybe some are harmful enough to really spoil the batter.  This is where a lot of prayer comes in asking for wisdom and guidance from our Heavenly Father.  

Also, the pan has to be just right... we have to make sure WHERE we put our children, where we allow them to go is just right for their formation, too.  I don't want to burn them in the process of forming them.  But I don't want them to not be formed by too cool of a pan either.  

Lastly, patience... oh boy, parenting takes that!  Waiting, waiting, waiting... not flipping too soon, but not walking away and letting them burn.  We have to know when to intervene and when to wait.  

I realize this is a pretty simple analogy, but it was something the Lord was whispering to me this morning as I was WAITING on the pancakes.  

I love how the Lord can speak in the little things in life.  Lord give me ears to hear.  Help me to heed your advice on patience.  I surely know you are always whispering this lesson to me.  Forgive me for being a slow learner.  

May you each have a blessed day and weekend.

Love,

Melinda  =0)