Friday, March 28, 2014

Sadness........A Time to weep.....a time to rejoice!

I awoke to the reality of today! Autumn McConnell's funeral service....." A Celebration of Life." Such a beautiful woman...inside and out!!! She, like so many others, lost her battle with cancer!

It brought me to the realization that God is no respecter of persons! Sadness and tears fill my heart...but rejoicing that she is fully alive, in no more pain, in a city with 12 foundations! Her mansion in Heaven complete......in a place where there is no darkness! I can only imagine her walking through those pearly gates.....on streets of pure gold!

She lived and love The Lord! Jesus was and is her Savior! Rejoicing that she is now in the awesome presence of God! The One she hoped for, longed for and loved!

Her beautiful spirit impacted and touched countless lives....I know she touched mine! No doubt the ripple effect of her will not soon fade!

Rest in peace Autumn! Until we meet again!!! And we will!!!

                      Maranantha!!!


Monday, March 3, 2014

Happy 27th Birthday to my Son Christopher

I can hardly believe that it's been 27 years since the day my youngest son was born! How the days slipped into months... months into years.....and even more years!  Oh my......soo many seasons to reminisce.....so many years gone by! If only to capture time and store it in a treasured bottle and revisit those precious - but all too quickly passing moments!  If only!  I f......o n l y!!!!!  I wish sometimes.....we would get a do-over....one or two or more......but sadly, we do not.  What is done is done - and what we missed - we've missed.  I have to sigh......There is no turning back in time!

What would I change?  I would sit longer and read more bed time stories.....pray more....laugh more! Have pillow fights and tickle fights, play more games, eat ice cream and watch more movies together, outings just to have an ice cream cone, sip hot chocolate with extra marshmellows, build campfires and sing songs, have more picnics and trips to the mountains.....oh how I miss those moments in time.....How I miss such precious innocence! Little voices, sweet embraces, and eyes that dance with excitement and wonderment! I miss....how I miss.....

 My sweet little boy....now a grown man .........  He towers over me!

I remember once panicked because we could not find him!  We looked everywhere - only to discover that he had put himself to bed for a nap! Ha ha!  I have to laugh! I nearly called the police to file a missing child report!

And always seemingly to open the kitchen drawer to dump its contents so he could sit inside the drawer.....or the dishwasher.....or the cupboard.....or (YIKES) even the toilet! Yuk!  He thought it was a swimming pool! lol

Oh and the memories of the perfect arrow head cut out of his leg after playing around on a sheet metal truck!  I still cringe at the thought of it.....and how my brother-in-law poured alcohol, (YIKES!) onto his leg.  Good gracious! I wasn't quick enough to stop him!!! But nothing like going to the hospital in first class! The doctor that stitched him up -  held him in his arms while I drove us to the hospital! It was the doctors house we were painting at the time. Thank God he lived a few blocks away and came immediately!

All the football games where I froze my toes watching him play from the bleachers in rain, sleet or sunshine!!! #74.....I still have his jersey! The soccer game where he stopped the ball from going into the goal post, but was knocked out in the process!  The boy who used to plead and beg to go play golf with his brothers and could not wait until he was 8 so he could! Oh the tears!!! And once in PeeWee ball hitting a foul ball that landed right smack dab in my dad's forehead! Knocked him silly! I still can't believe he walked after that without passing out! (My dad - that is!) Ha!

And going away to college - only to get hurt in football and needing surgery before the school year actually started! Oh wow! That was such a costly sport.....the surgeries became too numerous - that I cannot recall how many now! Between his back, (the most severe), his arm, wrist and knee! I think I grew to have a strong distaste for school sports!!!  It is far too over-rated!

And the time he was fighting over holding the cat with his brother - and told him if he could figure out how many seconds in a week - he could hold her! Ha!  He DID too!  I had to get the adding machine out just to see if his answer was right too!  He added it in his head in a split second!  Smarty pants!!! :)

From his youth group days at church - and his "accomplishment" of throwing me in the swimming pool IN FRONT of the entire youth group while I was in a DRESS was where I really wished I had a taser or something! Ha! Stinker!

He grew up before I realized it!

There were good days.....and bad days.....

Life - in its all-too quickly passing moments - should not be wasted away in worry or stress or family hardships! Instead -  every moment of every day - should be lived to its fullest.  Have fun, be joyful, be happy!  Because all too quickly - the moments disappear as if a vapor and all that is left are faded memories! And they do fade.... Hopefully though - someone helped to capture those times with pictures! Let's hope! :)

Happy 27th birthday to my precious son.....my sweet little boy - now full grown - and balding - to boot!

God has great things in store for him - I've no doubt!  I'm waiting with eager anticipation to see what all the Lord brings into his life.  Hoping some day....maybe a wife?!  Time will tell!

Meanwhile........I love you Chris!  You mean the world to me - and so much more!  Even if you did throw me in the swimming pool in front of EVERYONE! Ahhh!!! lol

xoxoxoxoxo