Gratitude and My Talk Online

First, we cannot thank you all enough for your outpouring of love, support, and prayers during this week and on the 8th in particular.  

We had a sweet time together as a family.

 "Miss Judy," John's amazing physical therapist and our dear friend, shared part of her tradition with us by giving us the Kaddish prayer and a Yahrzeit candle to light all day in memory of Warren.  So special!

 We took a beautiful drive to Mackay's Island Preserve in North Carolina 

(but only 30-45 minutes away)

 We were so touched to receive so many sweet texts, calls, emails, and these beautiful flowers (the lovely arrangement on the right had the kindest note but did not say who it was from... if it was from you, I hope you will let us know who you are so we can thank you properly!).  Thank you all!

We closed out the night by celebrating Warren's BIRTH-day 

in heaven with dear friends.

Many of you have asked if there is a way to listen to or watch the talk I gave a couple of weeks ago in Virginia Beach at the Changing Seasons event.  Yes, there is!  The talk is now available online.  Just click on this sentence to check it out and pass it along to friends.  Really and truly, your prayers and support have made the miracle possible of my even being able to stand after our struggles and additionally speak of the hope, love, and grace that God instills. 

I really enjoyed Ann Voskamp's post this week entitled "What to Do in Hard Times" and feel it was very appropriate given our week of mourning and celebration.  I encourage you to read it.  A few excerpts that truly blessed me and I hope bless you:

God seizes the days: God seizes time and uses it as an instrument to transform. God seizes every moment to sculpt souls and shape lives and transform ashes into glory. What if isn’t so much about seizing kairos moments and surviving chronos moments — but seeing all as Christ-filled moments? That God seizes the moment to make me more like Christ and what if I seized more of the moments, because there is something of my Savior in them?

What if all that mattered was to live with the scars of the unanswered questions, leaning into the answer —leaning into the God with the scars deep in His side and my name nail etched into the palm of His hand? Our wounds may be our unanswered questions — answered only by the wounds of our God.

To wrestle with God because the hard times are holy times. To not escape time, but stubbornly, fully embrace time, because this is how we stay engaged with God. When we don’t know how to hang on in hard times, to just grip hard to God. The only ones who can rest in God are the one who have wrestled with God… I will not let you go until I you bless me. That is what the pastor said: There is no tighter embrace than the grip of the wrestle.

Last but not least: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing MAMA!!!  Thank you for displaying the love of Jesus and giving me a path to follow in order to express this gift to my own children.