~*~* Judea *~*~

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of delivering gifts my school collected to a few families in need. One family has touched my heart and my life beyond words....Judea.... Judea is a beautiful boy with gorgeous eyes, beautiful curls, and the sweetest smile...and Judea should be a busy, running, jumping, singing 3 year old....but he is not. He is not a running, jumping, wild and crazy boy because while his mom was at school, his daycare provider gave him a grape...and he choked...and it got stuck....and he was without oxygen for 22 minutes. And...he lived!!! Yet, his life is not as his mother once new it to be...he is now paralyzed, brain damaged, and probably blind. Yet, he smiles, he laughs, he loves...because he LIVES! And sweet Judea and his amazing mom and brother are a reminder to me that it is not about me!!! Not about my trivial wants and needs!! See, Judea and his mom and brother live in a tiny one room in-law unit without furniture. Mom and big brother sleep on the floor and Judea gets to sleep in a crib. When we showed up yesterday with gifts, his mom was beyond words...despite her life...and loss, she is so grateful to GOD for allowing her to be Judea's mom. For allowing her to have a baby still to hold!! Because as she told me....at least I have my baby....at least he didn't die...WOW!! If only we could all take the time this day and tomorrow to thank the LORD for all of the "at leasts" in our lives!! Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to meet a true miracle...a true blessing from above!! Merry Christmas to all....

To read more about Judea go to http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11292810

~Welcome to the World~

Sweet baby boy!!! You were born today to the most amazing parents!! Will you have your mama's smile and your daddy's eyes? Will you love to play ball?? Or will you prefer to read books?

The world awaits you....you are a miracle and we are all so blessed to call you our own!! You have the most amazing mommy and daddy who love you beyond words. They have patiently waited for today...waited to hold you in their arms. You are entering a family filled with love....love and loss. Sadly, your grandpa and cousin are watching over you in heaven, guiding you gently into this world, and providing you with love from afar. You are so lucky to join a family filled with a brother and sister who love you so much. They can't wait to play cars, chase, and baseball with you...can't wait to tease you and love you, tickle you and snuggle you. Oh, sweet baby, the world is at your finger tips...your cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles can't wait to cover you with kisses, fill you with love, and snuggle you for hours. But most importantly, our little miracle, the Lord, your God has sent you to be a gift to all of us...to open our hearts and minds to HIS love, grace, hope, and joy...to open our lives to His path...His journey....His plans. May you be His beacon of light in our lives...may you bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to all of us who love and have been awaiting your arrival!! We love you sweet baby....Welcome to the world....and may your days be filled with dancing and your nights be filled with sweet dreams!!

We love you to the moon and back....

The Ice Rink...

Tonight we took the girls to the ice rink to take in a little winter cheer, a little winter memory...a little winter chill. We took the girls ice skating...Caroline's first time, Ella's second time. As I watched the girls skate at their varying speeds, varying levels of fear and in trepidation, varying levels of joy and gusto, I got to thinking about my life. Since the day I was born, I have always been a go-getter, a woman on a mission, a person with passion. I have always been the person to take an idea and RUNNNNNNNN with it!!! Now, I am in no way fearless...I DETEST roller coasters and skiing because I do not like feeling out of control. I don't like to drink alcohol to the point of not being in control....NOPE, this mama likes to be grounded...Large and IN charge Marge!! But, I digress, I have always been a person who takes the bull by the horns. And as I watched the throngs of skaters each attacking this adventure with their own levels of gusto and trepidation, I got to thinking about my life. I try to be the ever optimistic, always seeing the joy in the pain, the gift in the loss, the miracle in the moment...always trying to see the rainbow through the storm. I get passionate about serving other, serving the LORD with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my mind. And yet, today I realized that the Lord has laid before me another lesson to be learned...and it is not a lesson I am comfortable learning. The Lord has laid before me the need to minister to others we are unable to see the joy and blessings of their life. Those who are so wrapped up in their own unhappiness that they cannot realize the gifts in their life. And that...is the scariest job I have...the job of being a loving, patient friend in the midst of my own life. See, 9 months ago the Lord gave me a swift kick in the butt, and He ever so gently reminded me that I need to be thankful for the gifts in my life. I need to not take for granted the gifts He has given to me...although at the time I did not see them as gifts. Losing a child is the most painful experience for a parent....holding your stillborn daughter in your arms rips your heart out and makes you want to question the Lord. Yet, from that moment onward I have worked hard to keep my faith...to embrace the Lord with all of my heart...to be thankful for my blessings. And yet through this struggle to maintain my focus on Him, the Lord has called me again...He has asked me to reach out and help others to recognize the blessings in their lives....and so tonight, I ask you to take the time to list the blessings....to focus on the gifts...to live in the PRESENT and not in the future or the past. To live in the here and now and not in a fantasy...to recognize that a life devoid of joy is a sad and lonely life...a life where no one wants to "know" your name....So in the midst of the suffering in our world, the fear in our economy, the uneasiness in the job markets, the lack of health in our lives I ask you to focus on the gifts and blessings the Lord has given to you....
Do you have a job? Then be thankful because so many people are desperate for employment!!
Do you have a roof over your head? Then be thankful because there are people right now curling up in a FREEZING alley or doorway.
Do you have healthy children? Then be thankful because there are mamas right now holding their dying babies for the last breath...there are other women desperate for a positive pregnancy test....
Do you have a loving husband? Then be thankful because there are women right now suffering the abuse of their spouse!
Are you able to get up and walk across the room? Then be thankful because there are people who will never have the use of their limbs!
Can you see or hear? Then be thankful because there are people who will never get to hear their child's voice or see their beautiful eyes!

EVERY day we have a choice to embrace our blessings and gifts or to cast our eyes onto our fantasies!! How are you going to choose to live? In the PRESENT (which is a gift) or in a dream or fantasy? My prayer is that we can all sit down and examine our lives and if we are really not happy then we need to make a change!!! I can tell you right now that I am thankful for: I am thankful for my loving LORD who has blessed me with an amazing family, a job I love, friends who care about me, and Savior to call my own...and that my friends is all I need for Christmas!!!

So next time you lace up those skates, I urge you to think about how you embrace life? DO you go through it with Joy and Gusto? With fear and trepidation? With bitterness and regret? With envy and spite? If you answered the first one...then please pray that the Lord will bless you with an opportunity to share that JOY and GUSTO with someone who is lost and needs your road map!

Lord, I pray that you will allow me to be a beacon of light to a lost and weary traveller. Allow my joy and love to spill over into their lives. Allow me to be patient with my duties and to find peace in the process. Please help me to overcome my feelings of frustration with others when they do not see the blessings in their life. Allow me to be the fruit of your spirit...and allow the pain of my life to be a blessing to anther person's life. Allow my daughter, Leah Faith, to have a purpose...and allow me to dutifully serve you in the process of fulfilling her purpose! Amen!!

Mother Theresa once said....
"It is not how much we do...it is how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give...it is how much love we put in the giving."
~ May you put LOVE in your doing and giving today, this week, and always....

May you always LOVE what you are doing...and if not....then you have just 2 simple choices...make a change in your heart, or a change in your life!!

On another fabulous blog I love to follow....Bring the Rain...Angie posted the most BEAUTIFUL picture frame I have EVER seen!! It contains a quote from Albert Einstein that has changed my life....
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everyting is a miracle."

2000+ years ago a miracle happened in Bethlehem. Were the townspeople too busy to notice? Were they to caught up in their own needs and wants to realize? Were they to selfish to care? Did they even know that the Savior of the world was born in their neighborhood? I pray that I will be able to live my life as if every moment is a miracle. That the in utero life of my daughter and her stillbirth are a miracle....that the pain I feel every moment of every day is a miracle...that brings tears to my eyes...Let me live as though EVERY moment!! EVERY stinkin' moment of my life is a miracle!!! Lord...help me to stop, look, and listen....help me to recognize the beauty of the moment. Help me to be aware of your miracles...help me to be present in my life!!!!!!!

Here comes Santa Claus.....

We took the girls to see Santa tonight with their baby cousin Briana! We had a great evening filled with smiles and joy! I love the magic of wonder in their eye!!

Feeling sad...feeling weepy...

Tonight I sit here...with a sadness in my heart. The same sadness I feel everyday...yet today it is creeping up....into my evening....my normal energy and enthusiasm is not keeping my sadness hidden. I know my girl is in heaven...I can only imagine the joy and peace she feels....but darn it...I want her here with me. I want her enjoying the lights on the tree...I want to be dressing my 3 girls in matching dresses...I want to be kissing her sweet face....and I know one day I will...but it is so hard to wait...so hard to wonder...so hard to trust...so hard to be patient. I want her here today!! My sweet Leah Faith Davis ~ you are the only gift I want for Christmas. And yet, as I feel as though I am sinking....losing my focus, my faith, I am constantly reminded to fix my eyes upon the Lord and TRUST in Him, TRUST in His purpose, Trust in His path....Trust in His GLORY!!! Trust that He know the plans He has for me....knows the plans for my family...my heart...my womb...my babies....I pray that the God of all hope may give me the strength to fix my eyes on HIM, focus on the purpose of this season...the real meaning of Christmas....I pray that when my hearts starts to weep that I will find the peace that comes from being in the moment...being with my girls...enjoying the beauty of this month...this season...this year....my baby girl....

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas...

This is my favorite time of the year! The smells, the sights, the sounds, the JOY, the LOVE, the PEACE...Christmas!! We had the most wonderful and amazing Thanksgiving with Tim's family. The cousins spent the day loving each other up while the adults spent the day sipping wine, playing cards, eating, and enjoying each other's company! That is what holidays are all about!! After a wonderful weekend out on the farm a my parents house, we headed home to put up our decorations and kick-off the month of December with spirit! All of my shopping is done, gifts are wrapped...and I am ready to enjoy the month, celebrate the birth of our Savior, embrace the joy and wonder of my girls, and remember with love my angel baby Leah Faith Davis!! Happy December!! Peace on Earth....Love to all...and Joy to the World!!

Thankfulness!!!

No words are needed....



























I am thankful for my awesome God, amazing family, my supportive friends, my loving co-workers, my caring students....There are so many people that have been a beacon of light to me that I don't have pictures of....
My brother Kevin and Susan
My brother David and Jessica
My mom and dad
The entire Davis Family
The Taylor Family
The Scafe Family
The Ross Family
The Hernandez Family
The Zimmer Family
The Justice Family
The Madden Family
The Bennion Family
The Gamez Family
The Toulous Family
The Payne Family
The Montalvo Family
The Olsen Family
The Madigan Family
I know without a doubt that I forgot someone....and for that I am so sorry! Please know that you have all played a vital role in my life, giving me the love, support, strength, courage, and peace I have needed to travel this road, embark on this journey, live this life! Many wishes and prayers for your families. May the blessings of our Lord touch and shape your lives!!

One year ago....

One year ago I was laying on my couch sick from my all day "morning sickness", just trying to survive the holidays. I was excited, yet nervous, about the prospect of being a mama to three kids. I was anxious about meeting our baby, discovering if we were going to be a family of three girls, or if a beautiful boy was going to join our lives. I knew, no matter what, that this baby would be a defining member of our family, would most likely be our last baby. And then March 18 came. A seemingly normal day...complete with a doctor appt. I remember at the beginning of my appointment I was talking with my doctor about my c-section date, joking about my need to plan everything in my life. Then, just 5 minutes later, my life would change forever. My need to plan everything in life would take on a new meaning. I would begin my journey down this new road. Little did I know, this journey would bring me here...to a blog...to a place to share my innermost thoughts and feelings. I was never a writer...never enjoyed it...not even for a moment. Even though I teach writing, a journal was never a thought in my mind. And then I found myself in need of an outlet, a place to share my hurts, fears, pain, loss, joys, FAITH. A place to keep me focused on my faith, my hope, my peace....And through this need, Whispers of Faith was born. I became an official blogger :) The most amazing thing about this journey is the people I am reaching, the hearts I am touching, the faith I am sharing, the support I am receiving, the friends I am making, the joy I am sharing and receiving from others. I have been so humbled in these last 2 weeks by two special people....friends that I have never met, and very well may never meet. Friends who pray for me and care for me....friends who share my Faith! Thank you to Angie and Michelle for each honoring me with my very first 2 blogger awards!! Thank you so much for allowing my sweet baby girl Leah Faith Davis to have a purpose in life, a voice in this world, a whisper of faith! I appreciate both of you and am blessed to have you has my friend.

Michelle at When God is Silent nominated me for the I love your blog award!

I am totally going to cheat because I am just not a one word person!! Sorry :D
1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Where is your significant other? on the couch on his laptop

3. Your hair color? lite brownish with blond highlights

4. Your mother? -home watching my two girls

5. Your father? Biological dad is in heaven, step-dad at home

6. Your favorite thing? my girls

7. Your dream last night? - No Idea

8. Your dream/goal? to raise happy, healthy children who have an innate love of learning and have an active relationship with the Lord.

9. The room you’re in? Dining room

10. Your hobby? blogging, facebook, photography

11. Your fear? losing my family, spiders

12. Where do you want to be in six years? not sure

13. Where were you last night? On a date with my hubby at a yummy Turkish Restaurant

14. What you’re not? calm

15. One of your wish list items? to hold my baby girl Leah again

16. Where you grew up? Palo Alto, California

17. The last thing you did? wrapped some Christmas presents

18. What are you wearing? clothes

19. Your T.V.? on

20. Your pet? Joey

21. Your computer? on

22. Your mood? content

23. Missing someone? always

24. Your car? Yukon XL

25. Something you’re not wearing? jewelery

26. Favorite store? Target

27. Your Summer? family

28. Love someone? with all my heart

29. Your favorite color? blue

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? Sunday

I nominate the following people for the I Love Your Blog Award!!

1) Angelica Grace Designs
2) Bring the Rain


Angie at Angelica Grace Designs nominated me for this award! Thanks :)


The rules are to list 6 things I value and 6 things I can live without. Then, I'm supposed to pass the award along. So...here goes...

6 THINGS I VALUE:
1. God
2. Family
3. Friendships
4. Snuggling in bed with my girls and hubby on a Saturday morning
5. My job as a middle school teacher at Redeemer Lutheran School
6. Water, ice water, bubbly water, and vitamin water! I cannot function without!


6 THINGS I "COULD" LIVE WITHOUT
1. Road rage drivers
2. alarm clock
3. Spiders
4. Gaining weight
5. Grumpy, rude, or judgemental people
6. bills

6 BLOGS I NOMINATE

1) Because Life Doesn't Stop, Capture It
2) Erica's Cafe
3) A Day in Our Life
4) When God Is Silent
5) The Pioneer Woman Cooks
6)

I pray that you all have a most wonderful Thanksgiving! May you take the time to reflect on the blessings in your life, to recognize the beauty in your pain, and may you remember that God has a purpose for you, for each and every joy and sorrow in your life. May the God of the universe give you peace, love, and joy this Thanksgiving day! With much love, Melissa, Tim, Ella, Caroline, and Leah Davis

Mama got a new camera lens!

Yesterday I headed to the fancy camera store to get a new "portrait" lens for my camera. I went with the bargain camera lens as I am just a novice...but wow it still takes great pictures! I headed to the park to take some pictures of my friend Christine's family. This is an addicting hobby!!!

The Most Beautiful Place on Earth...

There is a place in this world...a beautiful place in this world...where God's beauty and wonder is amazing. And I have the privilege of going to this place every November with my family. It is the most sacred weekend of the year...the weekend where we come together...take time away from our lives....from our computers...from our demands...and come together as a family...in the most beautiful place on earth!! YOSEMITE!! Yosemite...where the Majesty of His creation is overwhelming. Where the simple views of nature bring tears to your eyes. Last year on our drive up to Yosemite we told my parents we were pregnant with baby #3. This year we filled the car....without an infant seat. There were many times this weekend when I was drawn to the reality of my life...the road I am on...the pain I live. I felt it when I unpacked the car into the "family" room that was supposed to be filled with a baby, toddler, and kindergartner...I felt it when I held my beautiful niece in my arms, carried her in the backpack, walked her through the trees. I felt it as I sat and looked at the Majesty of Half Doom from the banks of Mirror Lake. Why oh Why, are my arms empty, my heart aching...my baby gone?!?! The Majesty of Yosemite is what gives me hope for tomorrow and peace for today. It is through Him that I breathe...that I live...that I love...that I hope.... Here are a few pictures from our beautiful weekend....