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Showing posts with the label prenatal life

Prenatal Memories and Ancient Hebrew Wisdom

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A young child, who knows enough words to communicate, can describe their prenatal memories and their birth from their own unique perspective, not as an observer. Most of my nine children were able to verbalize their womb and birth experiences if my husband and I posed questions before they were three and a half or four years old because most children can no longer remember after that age. Although my claims about prenatal memories might strike many modern readers as fanciful stories exaggerated by a proud mother, the truth is even the ancient Hebrews understood that prenatal infants were capable of interacting, not only with people but with God Himself.  Jeremiah 1:5  tells us, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,/ before you were born I dedicated you.” The preverbal, prenatal Jeremiah sensed the voice of God and was capable of receiving a call and appointment to be a prophet.  Psalm 139  also describes a relationship between the Holy Spirit and an unborn baby. “You f

Connecting Spirit to Spirit With Infants

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Contemplation is learned at the mother’s breast.” St Bonaventure I was delighted to discover that it is possible to connect with infants,  not simply with their hearts but with their spirit as well. It is a gift to connect with a newborn, knowing that they know, that I know, that they are not idiots but vibrant souls who are in communion with God. Somehow understood, right from the start, that we were relating to another intelligent, perceptive human being when we communicated with our babies. I stopped and listened when they cooed and then I answered them when they finished cooing. It might sound foolish but I believe that this attitude instilled respect for themselves and others. I tried to treat them as people, albeit  little people. I learned that we can bless our unborn child. pray over them, relate to our babies while they are in the womb just like the women in the Old Testament who prayed psalms and were often in seclusion. read more>