The Gift of Family

Lately, I have been starkly reminded of the great gift that is family. No, many of us don't get to choose our family, and growing up, we may feel that life is unfair to be saddled with such totally embarrassing parents (my dad used to do a Brittany Spears dance in restaurants when we went out as a family :D). But the truth is, family has been to me a truly amazing and wonderful gift. I have two parents who have always been there for me, always tried their hardest to remind me that I am lovable and loved, that there are at least two people in the world who really and truly believe in me! And I have a wonderful sister who has grown into a close friend, someone I know I can depend on, someone I can look up to and be proud to claim as my "big seester!" And now I've started a new family with a wonderful man. Learning how to do life together has been one of the greatest challenges and one of God's most precious gifts to me in the past (almost 2!) years. And beyond these immediate members of my family, there extends a whole network of love and support. Through Mikey, I gained a whole bunch of people living nearby to claim as family. And my own family, also, branches out. Although many members of my extended family do not live close, I have always been so blessed at times when we can gather together, share memories, share jokes, play games, and eat!

This past Thursday evening, my Aunt Julie (my dad's sister) passed away after a massive heart-attack. She was only 39-years-old. At the funeral, my dad spoke and reminded us that the worth of a human life is not measured by how long a person lives, but it is measured in how much the person loved. My aunt gave and received incredible amounts of love throughout her life, and there was evidence in her last few days in the hospital: the battalions of friends, family, and coworkers coming in and out of her room. The masses of people gathered at her funeral to look at the pictures put together by her best friend since 1st grade. They gathered to remember Julie, to laugh at their old jokes, to reminisce about good times. The funeral home was filled with laughter because Julie left so much joy and fun in her wake that even in death, it kept overflowing in those she had loved. We will miss her and mourn our loss, but we all rejoice at the great gift God gave us to have her here for 39 years.

Here's my single sentence summary (since it is sunday):

Family is an amazing, incredible, frustrating, fortifying, and treasured gift!

Moitle Moitle

This past weekend, Mikey and I went to Myrtle Beach for one night on a last minute getaway. We wanted to take advantage of my looser schedule due to Spring Break, and on Friday night, we got a chance to sneak away for some time for one another. It was such a fun trip! We went to the aquarium (notice the shark swimming towards us in the aquarium picture). We walked around Broadway on the Beach and saw Alice in Wonderland. And we also went to Rioz, a Brazilian steakhouse, which Mikey claims was exactly like the one he's always told me about from his trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil! It was DELICIOUS! :) We slept in on Saturday, walked on the beach for a while, and then went to lunch at a cute little bakery before heading to back to the real world. Even though we were only gone for one night, it was such a refreshing trip! I look forward to finding time to squeeze in one night getaways in the future--it is so worth it!

Is your faith worth catching?

This is a quote from a missionary from Senegal, Africa who spoke at Genesis a couple week ago. It really touched and motivated me to be real in my faith:

Luke-warm Christianity acts as a vaccine to the true Way of Christ.

Most of you probably know what a vaccine is, but I'll explain quickly just to make sure you can fully understand the impact of this statement. A vaccine is the shot you get with a dead version of the bacteria or germ you are hoping to prevent yourself from getting. The dead version doesn't make you sick, but it gives your body a way to identify the real version of the germ if it gets into your system later. Your body can recognize that version based on the dead version it knows, and it works to expel the real version from your system before you can get sick. Now think of faith as the "sickness" and our lives, our versions of Christian living, as the vaccine or the real thing. Which one are you spreading?

In Memory of a Wonderful Lady

Everyone who has ever met Barb Baur could instantly tell what a wonderful and loving person she was. Mikey's grandmother (on his father's side) Barbara Baur graduated, as Pastor Fred says, late Sunday night to be with the Lord. The craziest thing for those of us who were blessed to know, to love, and to be loved by her is the realization that she will no longer be around.

But while we may not hear her laugh or her Pittsburg phrases or see her constant smile or hear her encouraging words, I am certain that she will live on in this world through the legacy she has left behind. In the last days of her life, she was surrounded by family and friends-who-felt-like-family through their experience of her amazing love and acceptance. Her husband of fifty years held her hand and stroked her hair, taking care of her and all of the visitors. Her sons and daughter and daughters-in-law stood by her bed, telling stories of all of the fun times and wonderful memories they have had with her. Her grandchildren remembered her constant presence in their childhoods. Mikey remembered her "way to go!" screams at his baseball games. He recalled his love of music being birthed in her home, playing her piano and giving concerts with his cousins. The youngest grandson, Luke (Mikey's youngest brother at 5 years old), played and slept nearby, reminding us all of the wonderful gift of life that continues on.

And through all of the tears, fear, and sadness, God whispered in all of our hearts the glory of his love and his Way. God used the life and even the death of Barb Baur to remind me of the lasting significance of a life of love. Love for God. Love for family. Love for friends. Even love for strangers. Love is her legacy, and it will live on in our memories of her and in our love for others. And in that sense, Barb Baur will always be with us.

Single Sentence Sunday Dos

Sorry for the late Single Sentence Sunday post, but I was busy with a stomach virus all day yesterday. Here it is:

Being sick for real makes one question the worthiness of the "that's sick!" phrase in describing something fun or good.

Single Sentence Sunday!

I know. I know. 2 posts in one day?! Have I gone mad?!

The answer: possibly, but i think not at least :) One of my best friends, Sarah Rogers, just started a new trend: single sentence sunday. She is a terrific writer, and in an attempt to share more of her thoughts in a more concise way, she's started a single sentence post once a week. She has encouraged some of her blog readers to participate. So from now on, I'll be posting every sunday with just one sentence. I just decided to start, so please excuse today's double posts :)

Here's my sentence for the week:

Life is full of pain and darkness, and we can choose to live as if it does not exist, to live a life dwelling in its filth, OR to live to make a difference by loving where there is no love, forgiving where there is no forgiveness, and extending grace to the graceless.

What do you choose?