A Precious New Pumpkin!

A special announcement and prayer for new life

We have a 5th Thursday in the month of October and I just wanted to share a short, extra note with you. This is going to be more fun and personal today!

Today is Halloween. You may have many different feelings and beliefs surrounding this day, but to my family—we just enjoy spending time with friends, dressing up, and watching our kids get way too much candy. My children have had quite the variety of costumes over the years, ranging from Frozen’s Olaf and Anna, various superheroes, and even a homemade Army tank and Trilobite fossil. It feels like we have covered it all!

But this year is a little more special! My kids have never been interested in a family costume (and I’m not one to enjoy dressing up) BUT they’re reading through Harry Potter (as am I) for the first time this year and have been set on a family costume since the spring of some of the book characters. So I have donned long hair and crazy glasses—all for the love of my kids. This is not an article today sharing the depths of my theological views on the good vs. evil in the books of Harry Potter… but it’s just a way my family wanted to share some pretty exciting news.

So we thought—what better opportunity than a family Harry Potter costume to share with the world that we are expecting a new baby GIRL in February!

We are over the moon excited to welcome a new bundle of life to our family soon! Our family has held so much grief and so much joy over the years and we have learned (and will always be learners) of how to hold and navigate both at the same time.

But today, we hold joy high like a banner—waving our testimony to the world of God’s goodness.

Below I am offering a short prayer over new life and new beginnings. I hope you are able to hold this prayer up to your Father today as you may be experiencing new life in an area of your own journey. May it be a song of thanksgiving and celebration for you today.

A Prayer For New Life

Oh God who formed the stars in the sky and the dust of the earth.

You also care enough to form the beating heart of new life.

You create and You design.

You breathe life into lungs that have felt so void of fresh air.

You see and You know the intricate desires and depths of our souls.

You breathe life.

You breathe hope.

You breathe with us.

You breathe within us.

May we traverse this world knowing that new life is possible.

That what feels dead and broken—always has potential of new life in You.

That what seems hopeless is never too far lost.

That what we hold on this earth is just a taste of Your forever wholeness.

Open our eyes to new life.

Open our eyes to Your love.

Open our eyes to the way You are surrounding us—right here, right now.

Open our eyes to new life that may feel “normal” but radiates of the holy.

Open our eyes to more of You.

Amen.

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Substack always offers their writers the option to open up for paid subscriptions. I know many writers on this platform offer this to their subscribers, but for me, I hope to always keep what I offer here in this space free of charge. My husband and I serve in support-based missions work in diaspora ministry, specifically in refugee care. If you want to support my writing—you could give a one-time or recurring donation to our ministry and that would be a huge blessing.