Lauren Sparks

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August is Gone

August 27, 2021 by Lauren 22 Comments

Transitioning a medically complex child from pediatric doctors and insurance to adult care is challenging.  And that’s me using my nice words.  I have others.  August 1 was Shelby’s start date and I have been working on it ever since.  Phone calls, emails, paperwork and internet searches.  Maybe one day I will get all this figured out.

 

Shelby and I got to go stay with my sweet PawPaw while my parents (who he lives with) went on vacation.  I could listen to stories of his younger days – especially his love story with my Grandma – a long, long time before tiring of them.  And he shared some I had never heard this visit!  Allie couldn’t go with us because she attended an invitation only PSAT camp.  Not my idea of camp as it’s really an intensive cram session for kids with potential to earn National Merit Scholar designation.  Crossing my fingers for that scholarship money!

 

One of the highlights of my summer is now our annual (I hope) trip to the lake with my best friend and her family.  I even got behind the boat this year for the very first time.  Fellowshipping and laughing with these folks feeds my whole being and brings such joy to me.  They are my happy place.

 

Several doctor and dental appointments readied us for the school year to start on the 18th.  Allie is now in 11th grade and Shelby, at 21, is entering her last year of eligibility for the special education transition program.  If you need me, you can find me in denial.

 

In addition to the book I reviewed last week, I read Confessions of a Proverbs 32 Woman:  How I Went from Messed Up to Blessed Up Without Changing a Single Thing by Kerri Pomarolli.  I heard Kerri on a podcast and I laughed unladylike all the way through.  The book is not nearly as funny.  And speaking of podcasts, I’ve added a couple of new ones to my playlist.  The RELEVANT Podcast quickly became a favorite full of humor, current events and music.  My new guilty pleasure is PEOPLE in the 90’s.  For clarity, that’s People Magazine.  It’s a mindless deep dive into the popular culture of my teens and twenties.

 

Haven’t spent as much time in front of the tube this month.  I did watch Schmigadoon! on Apple+.  My husband bowed out of that one since its full of show tunes.  The series parodies all the old musicals with big, bright musical numbers.  It has a little too much innuendo for my taste, but not much language.  Pretty funny.  The hubs and I did sneak in Free Guy at the movies.

 

That’s about it from here – except I’ll add, “Come on Fall!”.  I thank you, I love you, and I pray September treats you well!

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up.

 

My heart broke while I simultaneously found a kinship with Donna from Serenity in Suffering while reading When Gratitude Becomes a Sacrifice.  I wrote on the topic here.  As believers, we all have a choice to make in the midst of pain – curse God or praise Him.  Donna illustrates this point beautifully.

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

 

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We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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Calling All True Crime Fans – a Review

August 20, 2021 by Lauren 12 Comments

Friends, after finishing the book Taken at Birth:  Stolen Babies, Hidden Lies, and My Journey to Finding Home by Jane Blasio, I can still hardly believe the content.  A fellow reader described the book as “mind-boggling”, and I concur.  Though only 215 pages, the author packs enough outrageous details to satisfy an investigative journalist. 

 

Imagine learning that, not only were you adopted, but that your adoptive parents illegally “bought” you.  And then you discover that more than 300 babies were sold out of the back door of a country clinic.  Jane Blasio has spent much of her life in the details of this exact scenario.

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She spent years searching for answers.  How could this happen?  Who was to blame?  Who actually gave birth to her and her sister as well?

 

No spoilers here.  I won’t tell you what exactly she found.  But I will tell you that her journey perpetually surprised and horrified her.  And you will feel the same.  Without divulging the details that I promise you want to read for yourself, I share instead a profound piece of the peace she found:  “Home is when, not where.  It’s when you accept that love is kind and it’s almost always imperfect.  Finding home is when you reject the judgment, the hate, and the same, and you embrace the laughter, the frailty, the dance, and ultimately the love.”

 

But make no mistake, I liken this experience to reading an extended episode of 20/20 investigates.  You will not want to put this book down.  And thanks to the publisher, you may soon pick it up for free.  Revell generously provided a hardback copy for me to give away to one lucky reader.  Here’s how to enter.  Either subscribe to my blog over on the right hand side of this page, or follow me on instagram and comment below that you did!  Want two entries?  Do both.  The winner will be selected by random drawing and notified on Thursday August 26th!  Don’t want to wait until then?  Purchase Taken at Birth right now!

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

Since trust is my word for the year, I had to dig deep into Fully Trusting God without Hesitation by Karen Girl Friday.  Lots of great encouragement here!  Thank you, Karen.

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

 

Grace Truth_Button

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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