Courageous

This is the word I use to describe my five year old daughter.  

Her life has been full of many things already. 

Anyone who knows her well, knows her heart.  And it is amazing. It has been through so much and yet screams love and hope to a broken world. 

She has become our joy when times all we had was tears and loss. 

She is a tiny Asian princess and yet has the faith and love of a giant. 

Fear and anxiety fills her heart at times still.  And we all pray and can see God filling her heart with faith, hope, and love once again. 

Movies, change, and noise overwhelm her still.  And yet when she is ready we will watch a movie in complete silence.  And this is huge.  And it may take weeks to move the volume even to a whisper. But she does it and we celebrate because she is tackling another mountain. 

School was extremely hard for her at first.  But she has braved everyday and has had Scriptures in her heart and mind, resting safely in His palms.  

And today she won an award for outstanding effort, always trying and succeeding in her work.  And this is huge. 

She prays at times I don't even think too. She knows the One to go too and that He is for us. 

Her Chinese name means "good news" and oh my how she lives up to that meaning. 

And she is indeed courageous.

Loving and Serving in the Meantime

Death.

It is apart of us. It is apart of our life here on earth. Everyone is facing their funeral a wise friend told me and that is the truth.

It wasn't God's plans. We sinned and wanted more knowledge than God and brought death and sin upon ourselves. We wanted more when we had all we needed. Our hearts were full but still weren't satisfied.

But God is the gracious one. He still loved us. He still rescued us. He sent His own Son to die for us when we were still sinners. 

Death is no more because Jesus defeated death and the grave.
And we have this promise of eternal life too if we believe in Him.

We buried my sweet grandma last week. She lived a life full of serving and loving others. She was a woman of great faith and prayer. She was the caregiver for my grandpa when his altheimzers came. She loved when she wasn't loved back at times. And when he passed, she kept loving. She kept serving even when she was broken.

When my son Gavin died I wanted to crawl in a hole and just stop life. Many times I would call my grandma to talk. She knew death, she knew heartache, and yet she still loved and she still served.
She encouraged me greatly to keep going. She was kind and gentle and loving. 

She raised an amazing daughter who portrays all these qualities as well.

And I am incredibly blessed to have her daughter as my sweet mother.
I watched my mother serve and love others even while she was broken and aching for her own mother.

A picture of love, grace, and a true servant's heart. 

Thankful for these women in my life.

Thankful for Jesus making a way and that He will welcome us all home one day.

We just have to wait, and keep loving and serving in the meantime.