Celebrate the Woman Pregnant

Celebrate the Woman Pregnant

A woman pregnant,

I long to be seen

belly protruding,

life invisibly visible

churning inside

I want to be seen

honored, revered,

Exalted

not as my person,

but as the Miracle itself

of life begetting life

of human birth

Celebrate the woman

pregnant

don't set her aside

nor cast her off as disabled,

or ever less woman;

Revel with her

feeling her firmness

knowing her softness

Carve her rare beauty

in smooth white marble

Look upon her.

Celebrate the woman pregnant

Hers is to know

the creative moment

of Life incarnating


By Ani Tuzman

What is a fireman?

He is the guy next door - a man's man with the memory of a little boy. He has never gotten over the excitement of engines and sirens and danger.

He is a guy like you and me with wants and worries and unfulfilled dreams.

Yet he stands taller than most of us.

He is a fireman.

He puts it all on the line when the bell rings.

A fireman is at once the most fortunate and the least fortunate of men.

He is a man who saves lives.

He is a gentle man because he has seen the awesome power of violence out of control.

He is a man who appreciates the simple pleasures of life - hot coffee held in numb, unbending fingers - a warm bed for bone and muscle compelled beyond feeling - the camaraderie of brave men - the divine peace and selfless service of a job well done in the name of all men.

He doesn't wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities.

When he marches, it is to honor a fallen comrade.

He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man.

He lives it.

I am...

I am thankful. This has not always been an easy walk for me.

I am disappointed. We have missed family gatherings, weddings, dinner engagements, birthday parties, and holidays because of shift schedules and overtime.

I am patient. There have been dinners spent at the firehouse waiting for him to return from a call while the food gets cold.

I am nervous. I awake at 3:00 A.M. hearing creaks in the house and don't have the comfort of my husband beside me.

I am tired. The yard needs attention, the light bulb has burnt out, the trash is overflowing and there is no relief in site because he is on a seventy-two-hour shift.

I am jealous. Jealous of all the women whose husbands came home at 5:00 P.M. to have dinner and hold them at the end of their day.

I am worried. I worry that he may not come home one day. This I try to tuck away.

I am content. I love having him home for 4 days in a row. It is the greatest freedom we have ever known.

I am incompetent. There was a time when I considered myself moderately intelligent. I now struggle to remember how many days he has been gone, how to fix a leaky faucet, and, occasionally, if I fed the dog.

I am waiting. Knowing the phone may one day ring for me.

I am doubting. Doubting that God hears all my prayers. Doubting I am the kind of wife He needs me to be.

I am trusting. Trusting that my husband will come home again and that God will calm all of my emotions with his unconditional love.

I am confident, I am embarrassed, I am lonely, I am surprised, I am overworked, I am underpaid.

I am...The Fireman's Wife.

I am a Fireman's Wife :)

A friend asked me if it's hard or upsetting when my husband gets called into work unexpectedly. She asked me how I cope with the fact that suddenly we are faced with a complete change of plans. She then told me she couldn't imagine living with a schedule like ours...having a husband whose job calls him away from home, sometimes for days at a time, the ever-changing schedule, working holidays, etc... I told her I totally understand! lol While I am so very thankful for my husbands job (and the fact that he loves it), his crazy schedule often drives me, well...CRAZY!

But you know...the thing that really gets me through the long absences--besides the Lord's grace and His constant protection over us--is my husband's wonderful attitude. He loves his job, but he makes sure I know that he loves me more...and it's never easy for him to be away.. When he gets the call from work and has to drop everything to come in, he just does it. He never complains. He just accepts it as what the Lord has for him. I can tell as he races around getting his gear together, he is also thinking about what he's leaving behind...the unfinished chores he wanted to do, the hike we were going to take, the church service he really wanted to attend, our small group bible study we've been looking forward to or the conversation we were going to finish later. There is always something.

I confess there are times when I don't have that same wonderful attitude as my husband. But then the Lord reminds me, He has called me to be MY Fireman's wife...crazy schedule and all. : ) I need to be supportive and not make it harder on my husband. I need to be a blessing to him.

So tonight as I spend another evening without my hubby home...I am missing him and I am praying for him. But I am also thanking God for him and his example of accepting whatever the Lord has for him, without complaint. I am a blessed woman, indeed! : )

Firefighter Hero

For all those who haven't seen this amazing performance...please take time to watch it.
Inspiringly wonderful!! What talent and what a wonderful way to use the talent but for the gift of those committed to making the world a better place!
Grab a tissue! It is so much more personal when you love a firefighter....and we all do...

note:
to stop playing the background music on our blog click PAUSE TWICE on the music player towards the bottom of our blog. This will insure that you will only hear the VIDEO's music.

America's Heroes

There is no simple answer to the question of what drives someone to be a hero. Some experts say that people spurred to heroism are that way because they have a profound respect for human life...or because they have a strong sense of empathy and self-esteem. Moral courage and physical strength also are important contributors to the trait of heroism. There may even be a biological component: some people just have it in their blood to be heroes.

The trait of heroism lives somewhere inside all of us. Hopefully, we never have to face a moment that requires us to act heroically. But as they events of September 11 showed the world, when that moment arrives, America's heroes respond without hesitation.

Thank you to all our heroes. Thank you to those of you who were nowhere near the attack sites and still did all you could do. You gave blood. You donated money. You flew flags. You said prayers.
Today and for years to come, our heroes will never be forgotten.
More importantly, Thank you to all who still choose to become firefighters. Being a firefighter is not a profession, it is a way of life. It's not a job that they perform, it's what they believe in.


Lord, I pray and thank you for the heroes that gave so sacrificially on Sept. 11. Help me to remember their courage and learn from them. Lord, heal all those who lost their loved ones, their heroes that day. May they come to experience your presence and know your peace. In Jesus name, Amen.

Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

God Bless you all!


There is not one but two heroes in my life. First is Jesus, my savior. Second is Joshua, my Husband. Thank you Joshua for being my hero. I give tribute to you and pray that God keeps you safe as you work so hard to keep people safe. I love you!!