Faith, Family, and the beauty of Everyday Grace

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not anymore, dear little one
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

not anymore, dear little one

Do you have one loved little one, like me, that’s always screaming for your attention ... always interrupting things? 

Do you have one that no matter how hard you try and how calm you attempt to make your surroundings, will always squawk just as you’re sitting down to dinner or getting settled in to read a book or play a family game at night? 

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find their way
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

find their way

"Just turn on the power and everything is all set. You don’t need to change a thing. I have it on the correct setting and volume."

"If it’s not turned on," she said, "he won't sleep and will be distracted by the children playing outside."

I was babysitting for my niece and nephews and followed my sister's instructions to a T.

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the essence of big love
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

the essence of big love

The risk of loving big is that big goodbyes can wreck you.

If you've lived long enough, you've experienced it. The reverberating pain of saying goodbye to someone you love.

I've been to more funerals than I can count. My beloved father passed away when I was a teen and three more people I loved completely, my husband's mom, dad, and sister, Denise, all died within a handful of years from one another.

But these are not the kinds of letting go I'm referring to.

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a legacy of love
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

a legacy of love

What do you think people will say about you after you’re gone?

What do you want to be remembered for?

What will your legacy be?

Back in high school, my classmates and I once had to write our own obituaries for a homework assignment. I remember feeling it was extremely morbid, but now I see the value.

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homesick at home
family Debbie Prather family Debbie Prather

homesick at home

I once read that you start saying goodbye to your child the moment you give birth.

Trusting another to watch them for an hour, their first crawl and first steps, the beginning of pre-school, start of kindergarten, first time sleeping away from home—on and on the goodbyes go.

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