I read an article in yesterday’s New York Times about a study that showed that women who had abortions did not experience the pain and trauma that is often spoken of as a reason to make abortion illegal. “Researchers followed nearly 1,000 women who sought abortions nationwide for five years and found that those who…
I went ahead and contacted one of my aunts and uncles (my birth mother’s youngest sister and husband). They did not know I existed, but have been kind enough to answer some of my questions about the family genealogy. They have sent me two books of family history, including photos of people who had previously…
I haven’t played the Friday Five in a while, but these questions were a good ‘thought exercise’ this morning. 1. What is your favorite Bible verse? Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things, God is working for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” This is the…
I blogged the other day about how the shame my birth mother carries is sticky and how her request for me to keep her secret (by not contacting her children, and by extension, my birth family on her side) is becoming more and more difficult for me. First, let me say thank you to the…
I’ve been doing some good and hard work in counseling ever since I got my original birth certificate and found my birth family a few years ago. One of my recent discoveries is that I have a Voice in my head that tells me things. The Voice isn’t new. It’s been with me for awhile.…
I’ve had a conflicted relationship with Mother’s Day since 1989. Before then, it was the day I made my mom a card and bought her some plants for the garden. It was a good day. Church, lunch, time with family. My family adopted me as an infant, and I grew up thankful for my family,…
Two Sundays ago, during the time with the children in worship, I was telling them about how Jacob wrestled with God and how his name got changed to Israel in Gen 32. I mentioned other biblical characters who also went through name changes. I told them about a couple in our church who just got…
In Monty Python’s “Meaning of Life”, a father sings a song to his 50 plus children crowded around their living room. “Because every sperm is sacred Every sperm is great If a sperm is wasted God gets quite irate” When Monty Python performed the song, I’m quite confident they didn’t intend for anyone to hear…
I’m doing some genealogical research about my birth family and I found my maternal grandmother’s birth certificate application that her parents filled out when she was born in 1899. The seventh question asked about her was this: “Legitimate or Illegitimate” I can’t quite fully describe how offended I am by that question. When I read…
Radiolab is one of my favorite shows on public radio right now. I was listening to one of their podcasted episodes the other day while out hiking and it about stopped me in my tracks. The episode is called Tell-Tale Hearts. And the Oliver Sachs interview is as good as all of his interviews are.…
Glass Overflowing 