Another Year Older

This weekend I turned another year older, at least by calender years. I went down and spent Friday night with Layne and Amy. Then on Saturday Jeremy, Becky and Anna arrived along with a few other family members.

Anna kept us all entertained. Throughout the day I remembered it was okay to laugh and have fun. For Anna, she finds laughter so easy, and is so generous to give hugs and kisses... but in all of the days events I know that we all missed one: a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend.

The ride home was long and I had a lot of thoughts. This was a first with out Sherry, birthdays and other events were a big part of her life. She was always ready to have a good time with laughter, food, cards, and gifts. I remember last years at my birthday it was a lot of effort for her, but she did it.

It is hard to think that a year ago the tumor was changing rapidly, but she was still able to provide a birthday for me.

After I unpacked, gathered the mail and settled down, I did my Grief workbook. The scripture for the day was Psalm 147: 3, " He heals the broken hearted and binds their wounds". This verse caused me to stop and reflect on how God works. He removed Sherry form our lives when His work with her on earth was done. He has healed her totally in His presence.

Theres a song by Mercy Me that says: "I can only imagine what it will be like", Sherry and I would talk about this often. Never did we really talk about what it would be like for us left here after her leaving. We would talk about what I may do, but not how I or the kids may feel. Isn't it strange that the focus is always Heaven bond? Perhaps that is why I find healing in this Grief Class. It brings out the promises from God, that His plan for me and the kids had not changed. His goal for us is still in tact, even in the midst of our loss.

For me, the kids, and the family, He heals our broken heart and binds our wounds. It is a process that God places with each of us, that He will do for us when we allow it. It isn't an instance healing, I am learning the wounds need time to heal. I have a great family and many wonderful memories, and I am so thankful for that.

Thank you all for celebrating with me, another Happy Birthday.

-Dave

Inspiration of God

As I look at how my mother lived, to me, it seemed normal, it is only as I reflect on her life now, that I see it was not. Often our sense grow dull to those amazing things that surround us every day. It would be like living in Washington D.C. and losing that amazing feeling that a visitor gets looking up at the Lincoln Memorial.

My mother was an inspiration not because of who she was, but because of how she allowed God to use her. She kept a positive attitude when facing surgeries, she held her head high when confronted again and again with Chemotherapy and she focused on how God blessed her, after radiation.

It is because of this attitude that you and I can be secure in our faith. It is because we see her songs of praise that we can believe in Christ. She served as an example to us, that even in the lowest valleys of life, we can turn our eyes on Jesus, and He will provide strength. When we don't think we can continue moving, He will carry us forward.

(the picture is a cover the the Audio Adrenaline album "Underdog")