Day 84

Today I opened a gift we had received in the mail from far away. It was a present from Jacob’s original foster family. IN the package was home made cookies, yum, a sleeper that I assumed was Jacob’s when he was a baby, a book for us to read together, some girl guide cookies, which was a treat because I didn’t buy any this year, and last but not least pictures. Baby pictures of Jacob! What a treat. I have realized how lucky I am to have any baby pictures of Jacob. So many children of the system have moved so much or not been cared for enough to have pictures taken of them and then follow them. Can you imagine not having any pictures of yourself for years at time? Not knowing what you looked like as a baby, or when you are asked to bring a baby picture to school for a project and you have none. When it seems like in today’s day and age everyone is taking pictures and posting them somewhere a child has none of themselves. I am truly fortunate to have these gifts and I’m sure one day he will realize it too. These pictures are my miracle of the day and the relationship that I have with his foster family that they would want to share them with me. I am truly grateful for both.

Day 87

We had church today.  It's Sunday, my favorite day of the week.  I know I mentioned a while ago that my mom and dad have now decided to come to church on a regular basis.  Well today sitting in church I became overcome with emotion that my dad is still coming.  That he's still hearing the message each week.  I think the reason why I was overcome this week was that I noticed him actually focusing in on what the pastor was saying versus looking around and focusing on the crowd.  My dad is such an old busy body buy I love him to death and wouldn't change who he was for the world.  In the past when my mom has made the initiative to come to church it was an independent effort and now he respects that she wants to go and he joins in.  Him coming each week that he isnt' working is my miracle of the day.

Day 86

It's Christmas Day!!!!  The whole day is my miracle.  From watching Jacob oh so carefully open his stocking and play with each toy for a few minutes before moving on to the next.  Waking up with my mom and dad and Jacob this morning and it being just focused on the day and each other versus presents and what you got.  The time we all spent together as a family, inside and out.  Getting to give my brother his present, a dog, without him finding out about it first, so that to was a miracle, that when he and Lisa came over that the dog remained quietly asleep in the downstairs bathroom.  Playing outside, tobogganing and quadding with the kids.  The fact that Jacob got to celebrate his first Dunlop Christmas.  Really the whole day is miracle after miracle.  Thanks God for a perfect Christmas!!

Day 85

It’s Christmas Eve and the miracle of the day/my life is that God sent his son on this date to save me and anyone else who chooses to be saved. Acknowledge that he came, he died for you and ask for forgiveness of your sins and you are saved. How can that not be the miracle of today?! It is really the miracle of everyday, every moment that we are on this earth that is the miracle. That God loved each and everyone of us so much to have come to earth in human form and endured pain and suffering and accepted dying for each and everyone of us.
Thank you God.

Day 83

I was driving today to a meeting, its cold, there’s snow everywhere you look and then out of the blue I see it…. A rainbow. In the dead of winter, actually the day after winter begins I see a rainbow. Its full of color and then I notice another one going in the opposite direction. What beauty in the dead of winter. Don’t get me wrong winter is beautiful at times, the snow makes everything look so clean and crisp, the frost on the trees looks pretty, but then reality sets in of how cold it is too kind of dulls the beauty for me. Seeing these two rainbows though kind of took my breath away and made me realize that there is beauty in winter too. Oh skeptics can tell me that the rainbows I saw were a reflection of something blah, blah, blah. I’d rather believe in the promise that God made after the flood of Noah’s Arc. That He would never flood the earth again to destroy it and his promise was made to us through the rainbow. Thanks God for that promise and the beauty you showed me today.

Day 82

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday.  I dedicate my miracle of the day to her and her in my life.  I know i did this a few months ago but she really is a great friend and deserves at least two posts!  We are a family that still gets together for birthdays, we do the whole cake and presents and everything.  Some people may think that we should start to stop since we are all adults but why?  We all still turn another year older, the birthdays don't stop if the parties do.  We don't do pinatas and the bumps anymore, just cake, the song, and a few presents.  I think its unfortunate for people who don't do anything special for birthdays once they reach a certain "adult" age.  So our families tradition of continuing to celebrate is my miracle of the day.

Day 81

Tonight we went and did something that a lot of people talk about wanting to do at the holiday season but never seem to get the nerve to go and do it, or don't know where to start, or are scared to, I'm really not sure why they never do it but it just never transpires.  Tonight though we did it.  We went carolling!  We all met up at a house a block away from me and then we sang at that house then a few more and then we went to Extendicare and sang there.  We sang a few songs there and then the staff asked if we could come back in half an hour and they would have gathered all the residents into the dining area and we could sing for everyone.  That's exactly what we did.  It was a heart warming night to do this.  So thanks God for the miracle of friends to do this with, with friends that aren't rock star singers either but realize that it isn't about the caliber of the voice but rather the meaning behind going and trying to bring some cheer to people during the Christmas season.