My Miracle Baby Turns 24 and Continues to Delight and Surprise Us!

Today, I reminisced alot, thinking over the last 24 years and what a joy and pleasure it has been to watch my children grow. Greg, my oldest, is celebrating his 24th birthday today and I am celebrating his life.

It seems like only yesterday, that we brought him home and called him our Gift from God. To read more about how his life with us began, please read My Favorite Christmas Story.

He began as a miracle from God and even today, he keeps me on my toes, keeps me guessing, and keeps inspiring me to be the best me possible.



Today, Greg and his bride to be are contemplating buying their first home on five acreas of beautiful VA countryside and he has dreams of developing his own chicken farm.

Growing up in Northern VA, I would never have guessed that his interest would take him down this road. As he was growing up, we made sure that he had the opportunity to play baseball, football, and soccer. We provided tae kwon do and piano lessons. Each time, we were sure he would want to pursue one of these pastimes on a deeper level and each time we were wrong.

While he enjoyed each extracurricular activity, when he entered high school, he surprised us and went out for Lacrosse. We wondered where the inspiration had come from.

When he moved to Christiansburg, after pursuing college life, he happily reported that he loved the slower pace and the country life and I wondered where this fascination had developed.

As I looked through old photographs, a lightbulb lit up. I came upon a few pictures that both surprised and delighted me. When he was little, we enjoyed taking him to the Reston Petting Zoo. We introduced him to horses, goats and chickens. Looking at the pictures now, I can see now how his early fascination began.

As we begin a new year, I encourage you to think about the memories you are making. I encourage you to take time to reflect. I encourage you to enjoy your discoveries, your loved ones, and every day miracles!

Enjoying Everyday Wonders - The Power of Intent and Gratitude!

Seeing my smiling daughter and the Red Maple that has sprung up beneath the Azalea bush, my faith is renewed.  My heart swells with appreciation and I silently give thanks to God who always hears and responds to my heartfelt desires.  I am filled with gratitude and a sense of wonder!  Looking out, I see ample evidence of the biology of belief and the miracle of life.

Twenty plus years ago, I prayed for a blond, blue eyed daughter; fifteen years ago, God responded to my prayers and I brought this little beauty home from Latvia.  She has been a bright star in my life every day and a great reminder of the power of intent and belief.

For years I have marveled and appreciated the red leaves of fall and I have looked out my backyard window and seen primarily green and golden leaves.  Beauties of nature, but the landscape was missing the red leaves that I adored.  That is, until this Fall...

Last Mother's Day, my husband and youngest son, surprised me with a brand new Crape Myrtle.  Much to my surprise, its leaves are now turning a bright red!  Off to the left, my eye falls upon a Red Maple that has sprung up magically beneath an Azalea bush that was planted approximately 16 years ago.

My advice and expectation:

Enjoy your days and look for everyday wonders.  Focus on your blessings and share your gratitude.    When you share your joy, voice your intentions and express your heart felt desires, you can let them go and know that miracles will pop up, much like my Red Maple, my lovely daughter, Sandra, and my Daisies in the Fall.

My request:

I hope to hear about the everyday wonders in your life!  Please share!

Putting All Your Eggs In God's Basket!

Hope and A Quote for Today
September 30, 2010

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch. ~Ramona C. Carroll

I Believe in a Ray of Hope and I Believe in You and Me!

Have a faith filled day of Belief and Blessings.

For more encouragement, read about how I put this hope and a quote for today into action, 23 years ago, and learn how my life changed forever in December 1987

May you always strive to put hope, passion and gratitude in God's Basket and live in awe!

After the Disbelief, Frustration and Anger....You face Isolation or Another Choice!

In parenting a child with a disability you face a major choice.

You can choose to adopt limiting beliefs and believe that your child's condition is the death of your dreams...

or

You can choose to adopt empowering beliefs and believe that your child's condition requires bigger and grander dreams...

Your Choice!

Based on personal experience, I know that parents, like me, who chose to let their dreams die based on their limiting beliefs, often become frustrated, angry and ultimately isolated. Not only were my dreams drifting away, but my life lacked lustre.

After many frustrating uphill battles and many bitter disappointments, I realized that I was not winning the war I was fighting and my child was not benefitting from my efforts. We were both, slowly sinking into an even greater hole.

It was at this point, that I decided to make another choice. I decided to switch gears and joined the group of Parents who chose to dream bigger. Sure, I faced bigger challenges and sometimes, I just cried! When I hit bottom, I confronted my values and my commitment was renewed.

Over time, I grew stronger, more confident and more connected. With greater trust in myself and others, and a focus on win-win, I found myself more willing to share my experience and to reach out to others who may find themselves frustrated, angry and isolated.

Today, my mission is to give voice to the unspoken dreams.

Will you join me on Facebook in the support group for parents and educators? Together, we can combat isolation and give voice to those unspoken dreams.

Go to: Believe in a Ray of Hope on Facebook and add your voice and support to the dreams of parents and educators everywhere. Tell others about the hope and encouragement that waits for them!

Anything is Possible with Belief and Support!

I have been blessed with a wonderful family and fantastic friends. In hard times, they have encouraged and helped me get up. In good times, I have heard their cheers in celebration. In victory or defeat, I have been blessed with the love and support of others, making my success sweeter and my defeat only temporary.

When I was only a little girl, I remember my Dad told me that I could do anything I wanted to do. Being a trusting daughter, I believed him and pursued my dreams. When I got left behind or knocked down, I remember him telling me to get up and try again.

He had faced his own disappointments, shared his own stories and challenges and thus inspired me. The scenes were varied, and in his stories, he was often described as the underdog, the runt of the brood, yet he was brave and always sprung back into action! Following his lead, I got through algebra and geometry. Neither of us were going to give up until those problems were solved.

When I think on my childhood, I see my mother and I, hand in hand. I remember my Mom beside me in all my early ventures and I knew I had a powerful supporter next to me. I walked straighter and taller as a result.

These two influenced me and helped me gain the confidence and courage that would serve me in countless challenges. When I faced new experiences, I would often envision their faces, hear their voices, and know what I needed to do next.

They served as powerful role models. They encouraged me dream, provided support, and promoted action in the face of fear.

Their influence continue to inspire me. I realize that I was able to accomplish and bounce back up because I was given belief and support.

Now, when facing a challenge, I ask:

What needs to be done?

Why is this important?

What can I do today to improve the situation and move forward?

Who can help me?

Who can I support?

How can we celebrate?

Hope and Action Today, Trust and Miracles Tomorrow

Would you like to know how you can turn hope and action today into trust and miracles tomorrow?

Would you like to learn a formula to support you in transforming your hopes into your fondest dreams and the steps to follow in putting your own miracles in motion?

Would you like to hear a story illustrating how I used the Believe in a Ray of Hope Formula to create a true Christmas miracle in my life?

Believe in a Ray of Hope Formula:

1. Hope plus Action creates Belief.
2. Belief plus Action creates Trust.
3. Trust and Expectation create Miracles.

My Best Christmas Story!

Hope is Born
It seems like only yesterday... there I sat, a woman of 34, who had a ticking biological clock telling me that it was time to nurture my soul, it was time to open my heart and it was time to bring home my baby. The deep yearning I felt was magnified by two miscarriages and the sweet dimpled children I saw every where I looked. Hope was born. Now it was time for action.

Hope and Action Create Belief
I knew that my husband and I would be parents and that belief was reinforced as we sat in the FACE meeting all those years ago. We heard stories of success, we learned of other childless couples who had adopted children, saw happy family pictures and children who were growing up and thriving with love and attention. As we walked out of the seminar, in November 1986, I envisioned life with our baby.

Belief and Action Create Trust
Every day, I took another step toward my dream of creating a family. In taking action, we were providing evidence to ourselves that we believed in our dream. Our belief and action became our constant companions and we started to share our dream. While preparing for the holidays, we told our families and friends of our adoption plans; we wrote about our lives together, our hopes and dreams and composed a letter to the "woman" who would choose us to be the parents of her unborn baby. We had no idea who the woman would be and we knew in our hearts that we would be blessed. We met with an attorney who had adopted a child himself and learned more about the process.

After Christmas, we would draft ads to be put in college newspapers. With a clear intention in mind, we directed our focus to helping a less fortunate family to have a Merry Christmas. We attended church and were moved by Father Clark who seemed to be speaking directly to us when he said, "Put God in the driver's seat." We were being instructed to relax and trust. Father Clark's words were powerful and after church we approached him, "We enjoyed your sermon and would like you to assist us in helping another parish family. Can you connect us with a family thats need financial support over the holidays? We want to buy Christmas presents and food for a needy family." He replied, "When I get requests like yours, I always direct them to Hope of Northern VA, a social service agency in Fairfax."

Trust and Expectation Create Miracles
December, 1986, arrived and our hopes and beliefs had been shared. We had taken action to provide evidence of our intentions and rested with trust, knowing and expecting that our miracle would unfold at the right time and place.

We contacted the staff at Hope of Northern VA, told them that we wished to support a family and waited for a response, so that we could begin our christmas shopping. In the middle of December, the staff member called us back and said that she had scanned her client list and identified Natalie and her 2 year old son, Jason, as the family who would appreciate our support.

Natalie conveyed her telephone number and a desire to meet with us to the staff member. I called Natalie and learned that she, like me, loved arts and crafts and that Jason was a fast learner who loved to play and sing. I also learned that Natalie was expecting her second child in January. I said, "Natalie, what can we buy for your baby?" She replied, "Do not buy anything. My baby will not be coming home with me. I have made plans for adoption." In response, I said, "John and I hope to adopt and have written a letter that we hope to share with birth mothers like you. Would you be willing to read our letter and give us feedback on how we might modify it?" "Yes, " Natalie replied.

On December 23, 1986, we drove to a tiny apartment in Falls Church, with presents piled high and a letter for review. We met Natalie and Jason and were impressed with their warmth and hospitality. They were truly delighted as each package was laid to rest under their small Christmas tree. Before leaving, I pulled out the letter and told Natalie that I would like her to take a few minutes to read it. "Please give us any suggestions on how it might be received by a woman in your shoes who was looking to find a good home for her unborn child." Natalie read our letter over carefully and suggested that we not mention that we were Catholic as some women might not wish to have their child raised as a Catholic. We thanked her for her feedback and left her with the letter.

Christmas Eve arrived and we got an unexpected call from Natalie. She had been up all night; she had been thinking of us; and if we were still interested in adopting, she wanted us to adopt her unborn child. We jumped for joy, rejoiced like never before, and were with her when she delivered our son on January 7, 1987. On January 9th, Natalie was met by her mother, my husband, and me, and was discharged from the hospital. She tearfully released Gregory into my open arms and gave me a hug and a letter to share with him when he became of age. In that moment, we became a family and my miracles were embraced.

As you can see, miracles do come true. I hope you will consider using the Believe in a Ray of Hope formula to put your own miracles in motion. Remember the 3 step process:

1. Share your hopes and dreams;
2. Believe and take action in the direction of your dream; and
3. Relax and trust that your dreams will come true.

What hope and dream will you share? What actions can you take to demonstrate your intention? How will you set your miracles in motion and Believe in a Ray of Hope?