Not Forgotten

It's Mother's Day!

I haven't quite been able to articulate my thoughts for a few weeks, but when I realized that today is Mother's Day, I had no trouble thinking of a host of things to say.

First of all, I am very blessed to be the daughter of Suzanne Thomson, one of the greatest mothers who ever lived. Earlier, I was looking at a vase filled with carnations that adorns the buffet in our dining room, and thinking about the generations of Godly women in my family.

My Dad's family lived in this house before we did, so my Grandma was the lady of this house, and she was known for being a prayer warrior. The vase belonged to my Oma, who was a hardworking, Godly Mennonite. My Mother has set an excellent example of following Christ and following the leadership of her husband. Now, three of my sisters have small children, and I am seeing the trends of love and humility continue.

I have to sit back in awe, and thank God for the incredible women in my life. I aspire to follow in their footsteps.

But my Mother's Day thoughts don't end there. I'm reminded that on every occasion for celebration, there is also grief.

I know that there are many people today, grieving the loss of their mothers. My heart goes out to you. I know that there are many mothers today, grieving the loss of their children. My heart breaks for you.

I am a part of a group, (I've mentioned before) that does activism on the streets of Windsor, talking about the truth of abortion. During one of those days, I spoke with a young man who told me that his girlfriend had had an abortion years earlier. Until our conversation, he had never thought of his child as a baby. It was both heartbreaking and amazing to be able to watch him begin to deal with it. It was hard for him to realize what he had done, but he knew if he never faced it, he would never be able to find peace about it.

I know that there are many women who have chosen abortion, because they didn't see another way out of their situation. Some have faced it, as the man I mentioned did, and found closure and restoration. Others have never had the courage to think about it. Some have never told anyone. My heart aches for you.

I can't imagine the grief that would come with the loss of a child, but even more, I can't imagine how hard it would be to bear that grief alone.

This Mother's Day, I want to remember the mothers who feel alone.

Whether you are raising a child by yourself, whether you had a miscarriage, or whether you had an abortion, you are not forgotten. If you feel lonely or hopeless, know that you are not alone, and there is hope!

For all of us, let's become the kind of people that would inspire confidence from those who are facing such a heartbreaking decision like abortion. Let's be the people who will comfort those who are grieving, and who will support those in need. We pray that abortion will become unthinkable in our society, but let's replace the feeling of despair that drives people to it, with an assurance of support that will encourage people to keep their children.

After all, the kind of parents we aspire to be like are the ones who love most.


Just a note: If you are a mother (even if your child/children are not living) and you do feel lonely or you really need someone to connect with, please send me an email! If I feel that I can't relate enough to your situation to truly be able to encourage you, I have friends who have been through really rough circumstances, who would love to be able to listen to your story, and love you.

You can reach me at keturahthomson12@gmail.com

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matt 11:28-29)

Keturah's Summer: Ballet Magnificat

Hello everyone!

This post is going to be a little different than usual, because I really just want to tell you all about my newest exciting adventure. Or at least, what I hope will be my newest exciting adventure.

You may have heard of a ballet company called Ballet Magnificat. If you haven't, they are America's premiere Christian ballet company. I saw their performance of The Hiding Place once when I was little, and have been inspired by them ever since.

Every year Ballet Mag runs a dance intensive in the summer, they have a 2 week and a 4 week program.

I've set a goal to go next summer.

The company is based in Mississippi, so that is where the intensive will be. The tuition is $1,931 and then there are travel expenses on top of that.

(You can watch a video and find out more about the intensive HERE)

I've tried for the last few years to earn enough money for classes, intensives, and equipment, but I've been finding more and more that this is quite a challenge. To really earn enough money, I would need to stop spending and just save money for at least a year, but I can't afford to lose that time of training.

All of the money I'm making from working is going toward classes for September-June of 2018, so I have to come up with some creative ways to raise money for the Summer Intensive.

One of my ideas is a Gofundme page! Super original, I know. ;)

I had to have a picture for my page, so I took the opportunity to have a little photoshoot just for fun. I thought you might like to see some of the pictures!

I feel like I look like a ballet-modern version of a Jane Austen character.

For all you concerned dancers out there, yes, my pointe shoes are fine.

I'm just going to take this opportunity to promote my brother Jon, he has a juice/smoothie business. He also sells apple cider. Go to the City Market on Walker Road, buy it.

My niece wanted to wear one of my ballet shoes. How could I resist? (She was previously playing with that stick on the ground. She gave that up for the shoe. There's a true dancer at heart right there.)

Anyway, if you'd like to support my trip, please consider donating HERE. :)

Here are a few IQWATWPBFA's: (If Questions Were Asked, These Would Probably Be Frequently Asked)

-What if you don't raise all of the money, or your application is denied, what will happen to the donations you did get?

Good question! If for some reason the trip falls through, the money will still go toward my ballet education. As I mentioned earlier, I have been struggling to just pay for regular classes, so if I can't make the trip to Mississippi, the donations will still be really helpful.

-....I had another question I thought of, but I can't remember now. So if you ask, or if I remember, I'll just update this later.

Even if you don't donate, (I know a lot of you have donated to help me with things before, so I am not expecting anyone to twice) please consider sharing this post, or just my Gofundme link on your Facebook!

Just one last note: Gofundme is a great tool, but it does deduct a small percentage from each donation I receive. If you see me in person semi-regularly, it might be better for you to find a way to get it to me in person, with cash or a cheque.

Thank you in advance for any way you are going to help me out!

~Keturah