Seasons of Love

Okay so today is a twofer on the blog (yes, I'm actually posting two today...sorry!). I just have always loved this song from the musical RENT, and was reminded of it many times in the last year. But, perhaps more so yesterday, in a new light....as I reflected back on the significance of a year of life without Mom.

The year didn't come all at once, but one day at a time. God's grace and mercies were fresh each day and coupled with the prayers and support of so many that love us....we made it! Lot's more ground to cover in the days, months, years, and lifetime ahead....but we know we are not alone! Thank you for all of you who blessed us in so many different ways!

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure,
measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In
inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you
measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of
love.

525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan. 525,600 minutes - how can you measure
the life of a woman or man?

In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried. In bridges he burned, or
the way that she died.

It’s time now to sing out, tho the story never ends let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends. Remember the love! Remember the love! Remember the love! Measure in love. Seasons of love! Seasons of love.

Simply the best: Mom

So, yesterday marked an entire year without my Mom. Quite hard to believe! A sweet friend of our family, from church, sent this via my Dad. Such precious words that somehow bring comfort.

God saw her getting tired and a cure was not to be.

So He put His arms around her and whispered "come to me."

With tearful eyes we watched her, and saw her pass away.

Although we loved her dearly, we could not make her stay.

A golden heart stopped beating, hardworking hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best

Mamacitas

Okay, so my sister just sent me this link to another blog with a devotion for moms. I just felt like it would encourage any of you, who like me, feel like you are royally screwing your kiddos up each day:) It gives me hope to know that I don't have to be June Cleaver to avoid big therapy bills for them later in life! Ha! Hope you enjoy and are encouraged by "Embracing Who I Am" as much as I did.

Sweet eWe!

Our sweet eWe officially completed her year at Miss Kate's Pre-K (MKPK) this week. It seems like just yesterday I posted her "first day of school" picture on this very blog! My, my! I must say, eWe was not one of those children that I felt like needed preschool for the learning or the social aspect. I did, however, feel like it would be helpful for her to sit under someone else's authority....someone with whom she couldn't pull the drama/emotional card. Miss Kate was definitely the right choice!

I also never intended to send her to everyday preschool. I was really looking for a 2 day/week program. It was a bit of a shocker for me to have her gone so much. I kind of feel like I went through what so many will go through when their kiddos go to Kindergarten. But, in the end I feel like it was great for her and very appropriate for me for the emotional year we've had. Thank you, Lord for knowing just what each of us needed and providing for it perfectly!

So, before I share the pictures let me just say to eWe....We are so very proud of you sweetheart. Certainly your biggest academic accomplishment this year has been reading. You decided that you loved words at a very young age. You talked non-stop, asked to be read to, pretended to read, and showed great interest in learning letters and their sounds. Then this year you truly took it to a whole new level by teaching yourself how to read. You amaze us everyday with your abilities!

You've also done such a great job respecting the authority of your teachers, following instructions, including other children and even pursuing them in friendships. You've learned about famous artists, foreign countries, numbers, letters, and all sorts of fun things. Perhaps, though, what I hope you take away most from this year (and me too, as I seem to struggle with this very thing) is that you can be most proud of yourself, not for succeeding, but for trying. You are so able and capable that you will not often meet with failure. And while that amazes me, I also pray that you don't find your worth in your abilities. I pray that you learn to handle failure well. I pray that you will take risks by trying things you don't think you will be good at. I pray that you will know that without Christ, all of your accomplishments are but rubbage. Do it for Him and through Him always, honey!

Okay, so on to the pictures.....

Their last day was "Pajama Day" at school. Here she is dressed and ready to go...





Here is our gang (minus me behind the camera) at the MKPK graduation pot-luck dinner.



And here is the dynamic duo serving up some yummy Shake's to all those parents and kiddos....I love that one kid asked for "just sprinkles, no ice cream". Way to know what you like and go for broke!



And last, but definitely not least....here is Miss Kate (a.k.a The World's GREATEST teacher) handing eWe her "diploma" and a little advice tailored just for her...."have fun in Kindergarten and keep on reading!"

55 minutes that might just change your life....

There are NOT words. The next 55 minutes of your life will not be wasted if you choose to follow this link and listen to what Rachel Barkey knows....

I'm trading it in, layin' it down....for the joy of the Lord is my strength!

A year ago today we were traveling down here to surprise my Mom for Mother's Day. That seems like ages ago. When we arrived at their house on Saturday morning, we tiptoed down the hall to her bedroom where she was just getting up. My Dad had intentionally left the double doors to their bedroom closed to help with the surprise. Yesterday as I opened those same doors to get something from Dad's room the sound of the creaking door took me right back to that moment. We opened them and she was standing next to her bed and we said, "Surprise, Happy Mother's Day!" She was surprised! And, although my Mom was not a woman given to expressing a lot of emotion outright, she spent the rest of the day telling others about her surprise visit. It was obvious that it blessed her.

We stayed for a few days. The next time I saw her was only a week later after having received the call from Dad saying that we need to come right away. I'm so thankful for that last visit at Mother's Day 2008! This one will probably prove to be my hardest, for sure. Will they ever be the same? But I was encouraged by the message from another blog I read, "Girltalk". If you have a chance to read it, click on the link and do so, but if you don't here is what I took from it as treasures...

"If He has purchased our salvation through the suffering and sacrifice of His son, we can trust that He is working good in the midst of our suffering.

May I encourage you to pour out your heart to the Lord of love? He knows, He sees, and he hears. Your tears are not lost on your heavenly Father. He is the compassionate Lord who urges you to draw near to Him. “I, I am he who comforts you” he declares (Is. 51:12).

It was said of Jonathan Edwards that even in the midst of being falsely accused and persecuted his “happiness was out of the reach of his enemies.” Your loss may be much greater, but the truths of the cross can also put your happiness out of the reach of your sorrows."

So, can I have a HAPPY Mother's Day? I'm not sure. I'm one who LOVES any reason to celebrate others, and even have loved seeing the creative things my hubs and kiddos have come up with in past years. Well, except for that one year where the hubs broke my blender in April and then gave ME a new one for Mother's Day...what in the world?? Ha!

My favorite gift was a cross that the hubs help eWe paint and put glitter on for my cross wall! I cherish that and she still knows that it was something special she did for me. Precious!

So, while it may be quite sad....I'm praying for myself and so many other women who find this day hard for various reasons....that the truths of the cross will put our happiness out of the reach or our sorrows....that we could trade our sorrows, our pain, our anger and bitterness, our loneliness or despair all in. That we could lay it all down for the joy of the Lord. My favorite verse for quite some time is Nehemiah 8:10, "..for the joy of the Lord is my strength." May that be true for all of us this Sunday.

By the way....does anyone want to share what their favorite Mother's Day gift to give or receive has been?