A Time To Mourn. A Time To Dance.

Nearly a week ago, Elliot's godmother, and my dear friend Paige, traveled from her small-town home of Chesterton, Indiana, to Chicago for a routine pregnancy check-up. Alone, Paige found out that a heartbeat was no longer present in the life she was carrying within her. Early Sunday morning, Paige and her husband Bobby, returned to the city. Paige's water had broken and in those dark hours before the dawn, she delivered a little boy. Adrian Maddex was no larger than the palm of his mother's and father's hands, but still he was a life, departed before his time, and we mourn this tragic, devastating loss. Tomorrow morning, Jared and I will leave for Indiana to attend the funeral and burial of little Adrian. May His Memory Be Eternal. Please remember his mother and father and sisters, our goddaughter Isabelle, and her younger sister Jane in your prayers.

There is much sadness within me, not recognized at times as my daily responsibilities distract me, but then suddenly, out of nowhere emotions will be thrust upon me, and I cry for my grieving friends. In the midst of this, I viewed the pictures here and it gave me hope. It reaffirmed my belief in what can be done when a community of people come together to lift up their brothers and sisters who are hurting. Nearly one year ago, I opened up an email from my friend Tesi to learn about Charity: Water, a non-profit organization created and designed to bestow one hundred percent of the donations it receives for the building of wells in developing countries so that our brothers and sisters in these nations can stop suffering the horrific effects of unclean water. Jody Landers, an adoptive mother of twins born in Sierra Leone, founded Water for Christmas in Iowa, which has generated close to $200,000 for Charity: Water. May her pictures be a blessing to you, as they are to me. And please do not miss those pictures of clean water streaming from the pumps - amazing, beautiful, miraculous.