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Showing posts from 2018

Merry Christmas | 2018

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Encouraged in the Everyday.   Merry Christmas from our family to yours. Love, The Balentines from heaven and earth

Horse flies

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In late August, the five of us took a brief end-of-summer vacation to our family cabin in the Ozarks.   Peter, Teddy and I were able to take an afternoon canoe trip on a Monday, when nobody else was on the Niangua River.   Goldie wasn’t quite ready for her first river experience at (almost) 1 year old so she and Amy stayed behind.   The boys and I had an awesome time.   The river is fed by Bennett Spring, so the water is wonderfully cool on a hot day.   If there is a breeze, there is a natural air conditioning effect that takes place as the wind pulls cool air off the water.   There was plenty of time with complete silence, where not a car or airplane engine to be heard.   Just the soft dipping sound of my paddle in the water.   I was the only one paddling for 7 or 8 miles.   Turns out 2 and 5 year old boys are eager but unreliable rowing partners.   The beauty of the river was breathtaking.   There were several points where it looked like a mirror reflecting the lush greenery t

Hold and take Simon home, Dear Savior {re-post}

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This morning on the fourth anniversary of the day after Simon's death I'm reflecting on what it was like.  How did we did we walk this journey?  How did we stay awake for seven days straight?  How did we know when he was dying?  How did my hands who held him when he took his last breath also walk his body down our front path and place him in a white van, saying our last goodbye? The answer to all this is simple - it wasn't us.  We were lifted, guided, strengthened and carried by something that is positively beyond this world.  We are far too weak.  Far too broken.  Far too selfish.  Far too human to have walked the journey as just Adam and Amy.  Without a doubt in my mind we had a source of strength welling up inside us that only came from the divine - God our loving Father, Jesus Christ our Holy brother and advocate, and the Holy Spirit our helper. I remember receiving a message from someone who was a mere acquaintance just a few days after I posted the below that

THANK YOU | Simon's Gift of Time 2018

YOU did it again.  And we are so very thankful. Thank you for serving the bereaved and loving our family.   To God be all the Glory!

Simon's Death

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{donate here} We are in the final stretch of #simonsgiftoftime bereavementcampaign 2018 and we are about $1,400 short of our revised goal for a second bereavement cradle.   I am urged to share (again) publicly Simon’s death in an effort to remind friends and family why these bereavement cradles are important.   While we were able to bring Simon home, so many families leave the hospital with empty arms.   Would you consider donating to serve the bereaved family?   {donate here} Tonight, we will celebrate Simon’s fourth homegoing anniversary.   We’ll probably watch his celebration of life video and talk about what it was like to usher our son into the Kingdom.   Adam’s been fasting all week so we are looking forward to having a very late meal at 10:17pm – chicken tetrazzini and a glass of champagne.   In a world where death is hardly spoken about - though it happens to all of us, I feel compelled to share (again) some intimate moments of Simon's life and de

5 more days...one more cradle?

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{donate here} In 37 hours our donors managed to raise enough funds for another bereavement cradle - THANK YOU! We have five more days of #simonsgiftoftime. Therefore, I am bolding asking to try to donate two cradles this year! We did this once in 2015.  Spread the word to others...we have upped the new goal to $8,400!   St. Luke's North Hospital has their bereavement cradle fully funded!!!! Yay!!! Thank you for serving the bereaved, loving my family and believing in this mission. ~Amy   {donate here}

#simonsgiftoftime2018

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Simon Adam Balentine  May 14-21, 2014 {donate here} Tonight we begin the fourth anniversary celebration of Simon’s life.  On May 14, 2014 at 9:55pm, we welcomed  Simon Adam Balentine into this world. Year after year, my mind travels effortlessly back to the moment Simon was born.  We weren’t sure if he would be alive as we decided to forgo fetal heart monitoring during labor.  We thought if he died before/during labor, it might be hard for me to continue to labor knowing his soul had been taken already.  He was moving at birth, arms and legs squirming – I didn’t even have to ask if he was alive.  I could see, he was!  Dr. Amy Carter placed Simon on my chest and all of the prayers from the previous five months had been graciously answered in that moment.  He breathed!  I shouted praises to God thanking Him for his mercy.  It wasn't long after his birth that we finally heard his voice.  It was heavenly (this  video  shares his sweet cries). Following Simon’s birth, all we w

A new year, some new scars

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As I was reflecting with Amy on 2017, the theme we had for the year was "scars."  We're all emerging into 2018 with some new scars, but we're thankful for them.  Scars tell a story.  Our stories are ones of healing and grace.  The stories have plenty of hardship and pain.  They also include feeling isolated and frustrated - even scared.   “But we all suffer. For we all prize and love; and in this present existence of ours, prizing and loving yield suffering. Love in our world is suffering love. Some do not suffer much, though, for they do not love much. Suffering is for the loving. This, said Jesus, is the command of the Holy One: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." In commanding us to love, God invites us to suffer.”   ―  Nicholas Wolterstorff , " Lament for a Son."   I'm not huge on New Year's Resolutions.  I guess that is because I don't really believe in self-improvement for self-improvement's sake.  Meaning, I don