99 Balloons

I've started reading my book, Plan B, and after getting through the first chapter, I am already holding back tears. One of the examples that Pete gives in the first chapter is of a young girl named Kelly. At Pete's old church in Kentucky, he became close to a married couple that was very devoted to the church and was there every week. When Pete noticed their absence several weeks in a row he called them.

After a visit with the couple, he was told the reason that they weren't attending the church anymore. Turns out, their twenty year old daughter, Kelly, was un-married and now pregnant. The couple felt that they couldn't come to church anymore because of this. After Pete told them to come back and to bring Kelly with them, the family returned to church and Kelly was welcomed with open arms. The church even threw Kelly a baby shower where she received a white gown with pink flowers on it that Kelly said she would bring her baby girl home in.

Pete was called to the hospital when Kelly was giving birth. While waiting in the hall with Kelly's dad for the baby to be born, Pete learned that Kelly had given birth to a stillborn. They buried baby Grace in that white gown with pink flowers instead of bringing her home in it. Just when Kelly started her relationship with God and finally accepted the fact that her life was going to drastically change at a young age, God brought little Grace home.

This reminds me of a sermon Pete did when I was at church at Cross Point. Lillian may or may not remember this, but it was also the first time she saw me cry. I can't remember the series, but I feel pretty certain that it was the actual Plan B series that the book was written about. We watched a video about baby Eliot. I put the video below. Moms out there beware, you will cry. But I want you to watch it and be thankful that God blessed you with a healthy child and you never had to experience what this family had to go through. Videos and stories like the one you're about to see is what scares me to death even start trying to have children. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do in this situation.



I'm only on the second chapter of Plan B, but can already tell I'm going to be blogging about it quite often, therefore I've made a label for it. There's a study guide that comes with the book. When I was doing disaster relief with my in-laws, I told Debbie, my mother-in-law, that a few girls and I were hunting down a good bible study group. She suggested not even finding a group, but finding a good book with a study guide, and starting one with this group of girls. I've got three other girls interested and we're all going to meet weekly to discuss the topics in the study guide for each chapter. If you're in the area and want to do it too, let me know. We won't start for a while because the other girls have just now ordered the book, so you have time to order it and join us if you want. It will be incredibly informal.

If you and your spouse are trying to get pregnant and it's not happening, this book is for you. If you are going through a divorce, this book is for you. If you are the last of your friends not married and feel left out and alone, this book is for you. But most importantly, if you are currently living Plan A of your life and haven't even thought you would ever need a Plan B, then this book is REALLY for you.

Sidenote: I put a status on twitter saying that I was only on page 8 and holding back tears. Pete sent me a message saying he promised it got easier after chapter one. I hope he's right :) Then again, if he's not...I may lose a TON of water weight from crying! That's the definition of optimistic :)