I wake up on this father’s day weekend in a hotel room in Jacksonville with Mom and Tonia.  We are here starting a new mother’s day tradition of going somewhere fun as a little getaway (and this was the first weekend we could all get away).  So I am here on the day set aside for fathers celebrating motherhood.  As I was looking through my Facebook albums for a new profile picture for today (one with Dad in it) I noticed even there that more emphasis has been placed on mother’s day than father’s day.

This causes me some guilt, but mostly makes me pause and ask my favorite question – why?

Why, when without my father I wouldn’t be a Daddy’s girl?  Why, when without my father I wouldn’t have my adventurous perspective on the world?  Why, when without my father I would not have learned that the very best way to wake your child is by gently rubbing their back and telling them you love them?  Why, when without my father I wouldn’t have had a man to stand up for me in my teenage years, a man to show me what a husband should look like,  a man to exhibit what a powerful presence a person can have in a room without being “powerful” in the worldly sense of the word?  This man, MY father, taught me to embrace life and fun and to really listen to people.  He taught me how to tie my shoes, to ride a bike, to sail, to change a tire, to make a mean breakfast.  He helped teach me math and science and helped me with homework every time I asked.  To this day, when I don’t understand a concept about weather or the earth or anything on it – I just have to pick up the phone and Dad will explain it to me.  He is truly one of the smartest people I know.  But the most lasting thing  my Dad taught me was how to pray.  He encouraged the use of the Lord’s prayer in me when I was a small girl.  He taught me to lean on those words for comfort and seek their meaning in my life.  He taught me how God wanted to comfort me to sleep through the use of these words.  My prayer life has developed through the years and is most often now my personal cries of thanksgiving and need – but sometimes I turn back to the Lord’s prayer and sit in the beauty of all it encompasses.

I think Father’s Day is a perfect day to reflect on The Lord’s prayer as it guides us to do so in it’s very first utterance – “Our Father, who art in Heaven”.  What a gift to have a man on earth who gives me a glimpse of what the love of our heavenly Father looks like!

It is inevitable, on this side of heaven, that we are going to face obstacles, that we are going to discover opportunities and that we are going to find ourselves at different forks in the road making a choice of which way we will go. These obstacles, opportunities and choices are the things that make up some of the most interesting aspects of the stories of our lives. They are also the things that create change of some sort. I look back and think of some of the really big events that have changed me: moving away from home, getting married, becoming a mom, going back to work when the boys were small, moving houses, Chris changing careers. At each of these points in my story something about my physical situation became different and change occurred.

There have been other times when it wasn’t as much my physical situation that changed as it was ME that changed. I look back at those times and realize God wasn’t just using the obstacles or opportunities to change me, he was using those things to renew me! I like the definition of renewal that says it is a conversion of one thing into something else, or another definition says it is taking something that is empty and re-filling it. Still another says renewal is a change of mind and heart. CRHP (which officially stands for Christ Renews His Parish) was just such a conversion, a true re-filling of my spiritual cup, a change of my mind and heart. The person I was last October when I started the process is NOT the person I am now that it is done. I started it with a fairly smug opinion of my spiritual closeness to Christ. I didn’t consider myself to be a Bible scholar or volunteer of the year – but I felt good about the little ways I was making a difference in the lives of those I came in contact with. I wasn’t looking for anything transformative to happen to me – but it most certainly did!

The women who held my hand through this journey will be close to my heart for the remainder of my time here on earth and they will certainly dance with me in heaven!   They really helped encourage my renewal by allowing me to feel comfortable with the growth that was taking place and by giving me confidence to be the woman God created me to be. There was Angie who brought meaning and therefore healing to my guilty heart. There was Corelia whose love of the scriptures and submission to the calling of Christ gave all of us a glimpse into the obvious working of the Holy Spirit. There was Gaby whose strength through disability and family struggles was a testament to how beautifully God can use these things to bring people together. There was Grizel who was truly on fire for the Lord – I will never forget the dream she told and how that so perfectly fit into something Tonia was working through. I believe without a doubt that God gave Grizel that dream and placed it on her heart to share it so that Tonia would find comfort and strength in it! Haley and Theresa taught us so much about working through pain and disease and using that to bring glory to God. In spite of their struggles they stepped up to the plate and filled the leadership positions in our group and I am thankful for their committment to us. Beautiful Irene taught me not to hold back tears but more importantly she gave a voice to my thoughts when she called out to Christ to continue to teach her humility. Karen and Paula were in some ways to me like protective mother hens – I always felt their concern for each of us and their kind words were always so perfectly timed and placed. Kim – oh gosh, there aren’t words to describe the impact of her prayers and how much strength she supplied to me immediately before my witness. Kim’s story of her miraculous healing was a beautiful reminder of what God can do and that we should never stop praying or give up hope. God blessed our group so much by giving us Young!  Her steadfast committment to the Lord and her witty sense of humor are such a beautiful combination.  My prayers for her daughters to reach out to her and bring her much needed peace continue to this day.  The sweet gift of Tonia whose place in my life was written in God’s beautiful plan book since the beginning of time. She is a living example for me of God’s redeeming powers, a perfect example of his capacity to turn all things to good. There was Monica whose words have captivated me since our first weekend. She shows me what true trust in the Lord looks like and she gives me courage to submit myself more to his will for my life.  Lisa’s huge heart for her family was nearly broken in two at our first weekend and it was wonderful to see the healing happening in her life through the months of formation.  The deep love she has for her girls is so apparent whenever she mentions their names!  I was so blessed to be co-table leader with Michelle!  What a tremendous amount of quiet concern she has for everyone around her – her resolve and dedication to the Lord brought so much love to everyone at our table.  Thank you God for Yolanda being in our group!  So many of us are drawn to her because of her easy nature and contagious laugh, but what I also see in her is a complex woman with a deep love for family and friends and the Lord.  I am so thankful she allowed me the honor of doing the renewal witness – it was such a healing process for me.  This list would not be complete if I left out my Mom.  She joined our group towards the end of formation to be our facilitator.  I am certain I am not alone in thinking that we could not have done it without her.  Her sense of calm and her loving control over all aspects of the weekend allowed most of us to fully engage in the spiritual beauty of what was going on around us.  She took care of each small detail in the way I believe God wants us to handle things – with compassion and consideration and love. 

Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ephesians 4:22-23 – To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

I have always believed that everything happens for a reason – and for me as a Christian that reason is always a part of God’s big plan for us. I picture him intently reviewing this really big book he lovingly wrote long ago.  Sometimes this brings me comfort, and sometimes honestly, it confuses me. Why, for example, would he let bad things happen to me (or my family and friends)? I don’t dwell on that question long because it is quickly replaced with the realization that most all of the difficult situations in my life have worked out for good. I can look back on even the most painful times in my life and point to a way that it brought me closer to God or caused some better path to be chosen for me or my family or just simply taught me that I should not lean on my own understanding!
All of us have a handful (and if we are fortunate it isn’t much more than that) of lessons we have had to learn the hard way; trials we have had to endure. We have had disappointments, we have seen dreams dashed, we have buried loved ones too soon, we have been hurt by those we trusted, we have lost hope.
I have one of those kinds of trials, endured as a child at the hand of a trusted family member, that has just very recently been added to my list of “now I know why God did this”! It took over 30 years but I am certain I can now rest in the peace of knowing God planned yet another painful experience in my life to turn into something beautiful.

To tell the story of that redemption, I first need to set the stage for how it happened.

I am currently in the midst of a six month program at my parents’ church called Christ Renews His Parish. It is a wonderful and very effective way for the parishioners of their church to get to know one another, and God, much more intimately. I agreed to go on the weekend to support something that I know is near and dear to my parents’ hearts. I thought I was doing it for them, but it ended up being so incredible for me! The weekend I attended as a participant was in October of last year and it was similar to some other powerful, spirit-filled weekends I have been on before. I drew closer to the Lord and left the weekend feeling more determined to read the Bible more, pray more and do more for those in need. I wanted to be a better wife, a better Mom, a better person in general. Had the experience ended there it would have been good, but what made it great was the process that followed.  This next step is referred to as formation. During formation, the folks who were the participants agree to meet once a week for six months to prepare to be the leaders of the next weekend.

The flurry of all that goes on during the weekend didn’t give us much time to really get to know the other participants on the weekend – but formation has! I never intended to do formation, but after the weekend something told me (of course that something was the holy spirit giving me a little kick in the rear end) there was a reason I needed to be a part of this. I am convinced now that God, in his infinite wisdom, put me in the place I needed to be in order to meet Tonia.

I remember Tonia being on the weekend; she was at a different table and my hunch was someone had twisted her arm to get her to attend.  From a distance, I felt that she was uncomfortable and maybe even sad.  I didn’t have an opportunity to reach out to her during those couple of days other than to smile across the room.  We started to talk a little bit once formation started and on the night she did her “History Sharing, Faith Giving” I learned that we had a particular hurt from our past in common, and the friendship began.  I felt drawn to talk to her at the end of the meeting that night and she then sent me the sweetest card in the mail.  When I got the card I contacted her to see if she might like to meet for dinner one night before our meeting.  We did meet, and we talked and talked and it is so apparent that God lovingly devoted an entire chapter in his big book to “the friendship of Peggy and Tonia”!

I realize now that the reason some friendships have faded away or have simply settled into a routine is because of me – I have needed to humble myself before these friends and focus more on what I can give than what I can get.   I have needed to let God sit in the midst of those friendships, even the ones where Christianity is not something shared between us.   I believe that God is working even in those relationships and that I am called to be true to my heritage as a daughter of Christ at all times.  I am incredibly blessed to have many friends whom I love dearly,  I can’t picture my life without them.  They have held my hand through some of my most difficult struggles.  The process of CRHP has made me reflect on how blessed I am to have all kinds of friends and how empty my life would be without them.  It is a treasure indeed to have friends who never hesitate to pray for me, who don’t look at my shortcomings with a worldly view, who are willing to hold me Biblically accountable and who look forward to spending eternity by my side.

Tonia has in these few short months come to be a friend like I have never really had before.  The transparency of CRHP set the standard for our conversations and so there is never a need to sugar coat things or try to minimize hurt, or disappointment, or joy!   This friendship has set the bar very high for me.  It’s not that I expect more from my other friends now, I expect more from myself.  I feel like God has given me a glimpse of what (in the context of friendship) true acceptance and love looks like and I believe it is what he wants us to strive towards.

So, to bring this thing to a conclusion I need to circle back to the way God redeemed the story from my childhood.  I don’t think its necessary here to go into any detail regarding the specifics of those events. I have moved on and forgiven and the only sadness I have over it all is the division it created in our extended family.  But I had never been able to look it square in the eye and acknowledge the way it turned into good – until I met Tonia.  I am convinced that if we did not have those shared experiences, I would continue to smile at her from across the room.  Instead, she enriches my life and has made me a better person – I am 100% certain of that.  God didn’t write the sin done to me and Tonia in his book – I don’t believe that, but he saw men making human choices and he took that and wrote out an ending that would bring glory to his name and grace to those of us open to receive it.

Tomorrow I will wake up and head to a local park to walk with hundreds of other supporters of A Women’s Pregnancy Center.  I am excited to take part in the walk and show my support for a place women can turn in times of crisis.  I want to financially help keep open facilities where women can go to lean on the shoulder of someone who will promote the good news that there is hope and grace even in the midst of struggle and shame.

I have found myself very focused on the subject of abortion this week.  It must be because this walk has been on my mind.  I don’t seek out controversy and so this subject rarely comes up with anyone whom I think might have differing opinions than me.  I know that is the coward’s path, and that it is not pleasing to God, so I wanted to write down some of the strong thoughts I have had this week and hopefully by virtue of doing so I will be better prepared for a conversation should the opportunity present itself.

The most dominant thought for me has been an argument for accountability.  As a child we (well, most of us) learn that if we take something from a store we are going to have to return it and apologize.  We learn that we will face more serious consequences if we do that when we are older – so we learn not to steal.  In school we learn that if we cheat on an exam we will get a zero and that might cause us to fail the class – so we learn not to cheat.  From all kinds of places we learn the dangers of drinking and driving and that if we selfishly still choose to engage in this behavior and get caught we will suffer very severe penalties – so most of us don’t drink and drive.  Obviously there are a ton more examples, but the point is, we understand that there are true consequences for our actions.  Abortion being a form of birth control creates a consequences loop-hole that way too many people take advantage of.  Just like you should not steal unless you are prepared to go to jail and you should not cheat unless you are prepared to fail and you should not drink and drive unless you are prepared to lose your license and possibly your life (or someone elses), you should not have sex unless you are willing to be a parent.  I know that is very simplistic and naive in some ways – but it really is that simple.  Sex was not created for recreation but for procreation.  God did give us a beautiful and pleasurable act, but he never intended for it to result in the murder of millions of babies.

I don’t know what the exact statistics are on abortions that are performed after rape or incest, but my hunch is that is a very small number.  I am not in favor of that option being eliminated.  I do believe however, that even a baby created in such a way, if given the chance to be born, would be a gift!   Not aborting that baby would give God the opportunity to do what he loves to do – turn all things to good.

How crazy it is that our youngest is now 16 years old?!  It is so cliche to say “it feels like only yesterday” he was wondering around with a bottle in one hand and Conner’s hot wheels in the other but it is true – it really does feel like only yesterday.  We spent a really fun weekend in Gainesville celebrating Chase’s big day.  He invited several friends, we got a couple hotel rooms, borrowed Scott and Crista’s suburban and went to one of the boy’s favorite skateparks.  Unfortunately Chase was pretty sick all weekend (turns out he had the flu but we didn’t know it) but he stuck in there and still had a great time.  We went to a really fun place for dinner called Satchels and on his instagram Chase actually thanked all of us there for making it the “sickest birthday dinner ever”.

On Friday when Chase was able to go get his license I picked him up from school a little early and we headed out for him to take the driving test.  I should preface the next part of this story by saying that the number 22 has long been my favorite number (I’m really not certain why) and so when the time 2:22 appears on the clock or the date 2-22 comes around, it makes me smile for no good reason – it just does.  The boys (and in particular Chase) have picked up on that and will sometimes send me texts right at 2:22 to say hi.  I will sometimes do the same and say something like “It’s 2:22 and I’m thinking of you” or “It’s 2:22 and I love you”.

Okay, so back to the story – as Chase and I were driving for him to take his test he was playing a song from his iPhone and very randomly (for no apparent reason) the song stopped.  When Chase looked at his phone to try to find out what happened he noticed the song stopped 2 minutes and 22 seconds into the song.  When we arrived at the place where Chase was to take his test we had to take a number – take a random guess what that number was?  Yep, 22 and then, to our amazement (and if it hadn’t happened to me I might not believe it) the driving test guy called his name at exactly 2:22!!!

The other day Chase and I were texting after he sent me a 2:22 message and I said that well into his adult life he is going to be reminded of me everytime he happens to see that time of day.  He smiled (by text) and said that when he’s 50 he will still be sending me messages telling me he is thinking of me – I certaintly hope so!

Back to the birthday story!  So after he passed (of course he passed with all those good luck 22’s!) I told him I would really love to go get a Starbucks so could he drive us there.  What he didn’t know is Chris, Conner and Chase’s girlfriend Brittany were meeting us there with the truck to surprise him.  There had been this uncertaintly about what vehicle Chase was going to drive and of course he wanted to drive his Dad’s truck, but what would that leave Chris with?  We had been given the restored VW Bug by Chris’ parents, but we didn’t feel that was a safe car for a new driver, we didn’t have the money to purchase anything else.  So after much deliberation we determined we would let Chase use the truck for six months without paying for anything but the gas and then we would decide what would happen once the six months had passed.  Chase didn’t know we had made that decision though so when we drove up and the truck was there filled with balloons it was a fun surprise!

Sad doesn’t begin to describe how I feel as I sit and watch hours of coverage on the hideous, senseless deaths of children in Connecticut by a twenty year old madman.  Are we getting crazier in our society?  What is it that would cause someone to decide to do such a thing?  I can’t even imagine how those parents, grandparents, siblings and friends feel right now.  How do you make sense of this?  I am so hopeful that in the coming days God can provide these families what they need to make it through.  I hope they feel the love and prayers pouring in from around the world.  I don’t know how you are able to process that kind of loss as a parent, how does that broken heart ever fully heal?  My guess is it never does.  Thank you God for every day I have been blessed to hug my children good night.  Help me not lose sight of how quickly that simple joy can be taken away.

It’s interesting how innocuous words can conjure up extreme emotions in folks one day and be just run of the mill words the next.  Undecided is one of those words right now.  A little under two weeks from now we will all proudly wear our “I Voted” stickers because everyone wants their voice/vote to be heard in this Presidential election.  The candidates are tirelessly working to reach every one of those undecided voters.   I see on the internet everyday the most contentious posts on Facebook.  I guess it gets heated every four years, but never before have we all had such quick and easy access to places we can blast our opinions.  One of the things that makes America truly great is our freedom to speak our minds without fear of retaliation by the government.  I am not suggesting that freedom should not be exercised, but I am suggesting people consider using slightly more tact and consideration.  A friend of mine on Facebook actually went so far as to tell everyone who was not voting for Romney to go ahead and de-friend him.  I think another thing that makes this country really great is our desire to be inclusive and non-judgmental of someone based on their religion, race, gender…  I would think political affiliation would fall in there as well.

This election I find myself in a different emotional and spiritual place than before.  I want to know that I am voting for the person God wants me to vote for!  I have spent a lot of time praying for the right answer, asking for a sign, doing my research, talking to friends and family I respect on the issues.  I have even read all those rants on Facebook trying to glean out anything that might be noteworthy.  I have a hunch God would want a person who is driven to help the poor (he does mention them in 2,100 verses of scripture in the Bible!) and I also have a hunch he would want a person with a goal to only use force/war when it is the last option.  What about the death penalty – that sure does seem like it should be left up to God.  I have no question how God feels about abortion.  I would think he is concerned about the Earth he created for us and would prefer a leader who wants to exercise control over its use and abuse.  I have spent time on the websites for both candidates and I have looked at how they spend their personal money (because as we read in Matthew 6:21 – where your treasure is, there will your heart be also).  Are we not called to be our brother’s keeper?  I know there are a lot of legitimate complaints about the rampant misuse of government assistance, but there is also rampant need.  Do we penalize everyone doing the right thing because of those who aren’t?

So, I find myself undecided with not much time left.   There are arguments (in my head at least) to support the platforms on both sides.  I am not worried about fitting in, or doing what my family is doing, or even what will be most profitable for me personally.  More than anything I just want my vote to be pleasing to God.

Today I listened to a video devotional series done by Mike Donehey of the band Tenth Avenue North.  The series is on The Lord’s Prayer and K-Love has been talking about it all week.  I am so glad they have continued to encourage me to go and check it out because it provided a much needed spirtual boost for me today and also brought back a really wonderful memory of my Dad. 

When I was growing up and would tell my Dad that I had trouble sleeping, he would suggest I try saying The Lord’s Prayer slowly, thinking about what each part meant as I closed my eyes in bed.  He told me that the prayer is so deep and meaningful and that falling asleep thinking about it will bring peace and comfort.  I am not sure if my Dad suggested this activity because he himself did it (my guess is he did) but it worked so very well!  I would rarely make it to the end before I was fast asleep – and what a wonderful activity to be engaged in as my mind drifted off and my body surrendered to it’s need for rest.  I intend to pick back up on this practice tonight!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im1BvWSFsIE&feature=bf_prev&list=PLYwAyIr4aZNOzAhZ-2XBARsUR36zPHllw

Last night the boys were out with a skateboarding crew doing some filming.  When filming is involved I know that the stakes are higher because the reward is greater.  It’s one thing to land a really awesome trick when just a couple of guys at the park will see it , it’s quite another to land a big trick when it is being taped and has the potential to end up on the internet or a video!  I respect that, and actually love it when those tricks are filmed because then I get to see them too, but the extra level of danger does cause me to stop and say a prayer that usually goes something like this: Dear Lord, please watch closely over Conner and Chase and all the friends they are with today.  Give them strong legs when landing the ollie over the nine stair or the gap, give them sharp minds as they roll up to the rail, make their reflexes quick when they have to bail on a trick that doesn’t go well, keep their ankles in the right position for the crook, the front feeble and all the other tricks they try.  Please Lord pay special attention to their necks and their heads and their spines  – those things that when injured could change their lives in an instant.  Thank you for the strong, able bodies they have.  Thank you for giving them the ability to do something that brings them so much joy.  Help them use that talent and skill to give glory to you.  Amen.

Sometime in early 2008 a sweet friend of mine mentioned that she and her husband were going to seek out a gestational carrier in order to try to become parents.  As she was telling me the steps they would go through to try to find someone, my thoughts were on another dear friend of ours.  This friend became an amazing parent because someone had been willing to carry his children for him.  Before I knew it I was offering to carry a child (or children) for my friend and her husband.  Initially she laughed, and thanked me, but left it at that.  I remember telling Chris about the conversation at dinner that night and he also laughed a little, telling me that was something he could see me doing, but not saying much more about it.  A couple of months went by and no one brought it up again – until one day she showed up in my office to ask if I had been serious.  I told her it wasn’t the kind of thing you joke about, and on that day we found ourselves starting to journey down a road that would twist and turn but would eventually lead to the birth of two perfect little angels.

As we started down that road we found it marked with legal contracts and life insurance and physiological questionnaires and blood work and medical exams and even a medical procedure.  Once we really got moving we found ourselves making multiple trips to Jacksonville, wearing hormone patches, giving ourselves injections and having conversations about how many embryos was the right number to inject.  The first attempt didn’t work out and that was heartbreaking.  We took a couple of months off and then started everything back up again in January of 2009.

There will never be a Valentine’s Day for the rest of my life that will just be about hearts and flowers and candy again because that was the day that I did a home pregnancy test (several actually) that indicated it had worked!  At the moment when I saw the positive result I felt the deepest joy for someone else that I have ever felt before.  I can’t even describe it.  All the things that my friend had been through in her life with her own medical struggles and all we had been through together to get us to that point disappeared into that tiny blue line.  I sobbed tears of joy like I have never done before and might never do again.  When I called to tell them the news I couldn’t even say anything more than the word positive – but that’s all she needed!

The months that followed required lots of blood work, lots of self injections, lots of ultrasounds and lots of extra sleep – but those little miracles were growing and thriving.  It was a tremendous honor to witness my friends as they fell in love with those little people on the ultrasound screen, to hear my friend as she would talk to my belly in the mornings at work and to sense her compassion and care for me as I helped make this happen for them.  It wasn’t always easy and everyday wasn’t ideal – but this wasn’t a road that had a lot of maps to help lead the way for us.  Sometimes we were on uncharted territory and just had to do our best to make it through.  I respect my friend in ways I don’t any other person I know because of what we went through together.  I watched her be as strong as a person can be on the days that were tough and I watched her manage all the details so I didn’t have to.  I got the attention she likely longed for as I got bigger and I can only imagine how hard that was.  I pray there was never a day that I did something that made that harder than it already was, but I probably did.  What matters though, is on delivery day she was a rock for me and she continues to be a rock for me to this very day.

If there was to be a map created of our delivery day it would contain a lot of u-turns and yields and again – uncharted territory.  At 37 1/2 weeks labor was induced because my blood pressure was all over the place.  I wanted desperately to give birth vaginally.  Throughout the entire pregnancy one of the babies was always flipping.  It seems like every ultrasound would find her in a new position – even up to that very last day she was constantly moving around.  The problem with that on delivery day was of course – where was her head?!  Some random complications from the medications to induce labor combined with those to keep my blood pressure down caused me to have a couple of seizure like episodes and when I came out of one of them I had temporarily lost my vision.  There was not much time to dwell on that though because whatever had just happened had also opened me up and it was time for the girls to be born.  Much of what happened next is literally a blur because of all the voices and the activity and pain and bleeding – but my Dad was there with me on one side and my sweet Chris was on the other.  My friends were standing by in another part of the room waiting to meet their baby girls.  I remember hearing the girls as they cried that first time – it was such a beautiful sound, and then they were gone.

I knew that was the plan, I didn’t have a problem with the plan – but to say the next few days were not full of tears of hormone release and confusion and sadness would be a lie.  I remember lying in the hospital bed staring at the place on the wall where the clock was, just waiting to be able to read it.  My vision was coming back slowly, but I had to have a lot of tests and see doctors that don’t have anything to do with giving birth to babies.  This part of the journey was not going as I planned and I just wanted it to be over.   Selfishly, I wanted to move on and get back to my family and my life but I think this part of the road might be what shaped me the most.

I love this quote by Robert Frost, “two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”  The road I walked down was the one less traveled, and it did indeed make all the difference.  My capacity to love, my perspective, my goals, my priorities, and most importantly my faith have all been affected by this journey.  As I reflect on it now, three years after their birth, I can’t help but get a huge smile on my face and thank God for the roads we are allowed to travel with friends and also for the roads we are privileged to travel just with him.