The Passing Storm

"Praise You In This Storm"
Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth


Even in the midst of chaos I find it comforting to know that God is still good, He is still present, and He is still praiseworthy! If left up to myself I would feel utterly hopeless and paralyzed with fear, however, God's power enables me to carry on!

Planning a trip to the Cinema

I must confess I want to see this movie! I use to watch this show with a dear friend from St. Louis and we got hooked. I wasn't sure if any of my friends would want to see the movie, so I recently told a friend in Arizona I wanted to see the movie and she was more excited about it than I am. I will let you know what I think! :)

Anniversary Surprise Getaway

My amazing husband surprised me with a 2 night getaway to Tubac Resort and Spa! He had been planning our 1st Anniversary for about 3 months. I was totally surprised and felt very pampered. Among the highlights of the trip include an 80-minute massage and pedicure, a rousing tennis match, games, a sweet letter hand written on graph paper from my husband, long walks to enjoy the surroundings, dressing up for a nice dinner, and champagne with chocolate covered strawberries. Our time was so well thought out and I wished it would never end. I felt so relaxed away from the fast paced life back home and the time spent with Kurtis was so much more intense and meaningful.

Happy Anniversary

Kurtis and I were married in St. Louis a year ago May 19th! It was so fun having all of our friends and family with us to celebrate. It has been fun to look back on this past year and see how good our God is...through joys and pain. Kurtis has balanced me as person and has given me love and encouragement in a way in which I have never received before. I am so thankful for what the Lord is doing through him. I love you, Kurtis!

Peonies and Tulips

May of 2007 was a time of celebration and love, but also heartache and loss. It is beyond my capacity to understand why God, at times, has us face trials from both ends of the spectrum in the same moment. Both seem to tug at our hearts in very intense and unique ways. What I do know is that God taught me a lot about the bonds between mother and daughter and sisters back in May of 2007, and these lessons I will cherish forever. At a time of overwhelming joy for me, as I was in the final weeks of preparing for my wedding day, my sister experienced the most intense of three miscarriages she has undergone in her life. Words cannot express building up and tearing down of the very fabric of our hearts, however I believe my mom comes closest in a journal entry she made at the time…

5/3/07

Peonies and Tulips

I planted three peonies today. I took great care in selecting them…two deep pink and one, almost white. They stand in a row, separate, yet together. Their stems are sturdy, yet flexible enough to gently bend when the wind approaches and the rain falls. Their beauty and aroma astound me.

How puzzling that a visit to the nursery provided the beauty that went into the soil today, yet, a hospital nursery never held the three babies we love so dearly. In the ER, Lynnie’s words, “I wish I was having a real baby” still my heart and gnaw at my hope. I am so sorry, my darling girl. So, so sorry.

It is the parents’ privilege and honor to name their precious children, so I do not presume to do so. Yet my heart whispers three names: “Lynn,” “Pete,” and “Samuel.” I will love them always. And each May, when the peonies bloom, I will celebrate their brief lives and their beauty. They are a gift from God.

Moments later:

Tulips. Will they hold up for the wedding just two weeks away? There is something strong in their fragility…needing support, welcoming it, yet proudly holding their heads and revealing their beauty as their vulnerable petals risk opening. Delicate. Sweet. Strong.

Lara, that is you. Delicate. Sweet. Strong.
As you prepare for your wedding day and your marriage bed, may you rest in your heavenly Father’s arms and take strength from your Savior who risked it all for you. May you glimpse your loveliness as a woman and a bride. Oh, such sweet intimacy.

Today I grieve grandchildren and at the very same time, smile for you, my darling Lara.

Ecclesiastes 3 says it all…
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
Vs. 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Spin in your bridal gown, dear one, and dance. You are a radiant bride.

Love You, Mom!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Thank you for loving me, believing in me, and

displaying Christ to me!

It is so great to be with you on Mother's Day! I love you!

Blooming in the Desert

"The desert and parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy." Isaiah 35:1-2

Before I moved to Arizona I thought the desert was always brown and because it is so dry here flowers would not bloom and flourish. I was wrong. I have been in awe of all the beautiful blooms I have found in the desert. I love how the Lord designed each flower and made it so unique and beautiful. As I think of the flowers blooming, I also think of my move to Arizona two years ago. It was hard to adjust and to be content in a new city. I can say now, after 2 years of being in the desert, that the Lord is causing me to "bloom" and no sandstorm (trial) can cause my petals to wilt. God is so faithful and good as He continues to love and lead me. I pray He will keep blooming me!

Pray for Katherine Arnold Wolf

Katherine Arnold Wolf (a girl I went to Samford University with and had many classes together in Christian Women’s Leadership) is in need of our prayers. You might of seen her on "Smarter than a 5th Grader" a few weeks ago; it was taped when she was 8 months pregnant.

On Monday Katherine was rushed to the hospital after collapsing and underwent emergency brain surgery which lasted about 13 hours.

"It ends up that Katherine had a congenital condition called Arteriovenous Malformation, which as we understand it essentially means that she had a huge tangle of veins and arteries at the base of her brain, some of which began to rupture. It was the brain’s exposure to blood from this massive rupture which has potentially caused much of the long term damage. The surgeons would not speculate as to her potential for recovery, coma or time in Intensive Care.
Praise God! Katherine has started to respond. Last night a nurse was able to get Katherine to wiggle her toes and hold up two fingers from each hand. Later she repeated this for her husband and also squeezed his hand. When her husband told her his cousin was there, she turned slightly and opened her eyes briefly. We are all bursting with gratitude to God at this wonderful glimmer of hope. Katherine is not in a coma and in fact is not under any sedation any more. She's not awake yet, but things are moving in the right direction. Keep praying! That said, we want to emphasize that her situation is still VERY CRITICAL, and prayer is needed even more than ever today as swelling and complications are always the most serious on the 3rd day. The Lord is all we have to hold on to right now!”

Katherine lives in LA with her husband who is in law school at Pepperdine. She is the mother of a 6-month old baby. Please pray for her recovery and check the caring bridge site for updates and prayer requests.

Thank you for praying!

Fun Times

Here are a few pictures from this past weekend! It was so wonderful spending time with our good friends! It went by too quickly! I am hoping Avril will come in September when Kurtis is out of town and help me do a faux finish in our bedroom!

The tortoises at Kurtis' parents house

GQ Models

Avril is so funny!

A bobcat! What a rare sighting!



Playing golf at Starpass

They Made It!

After hours in the Dallas airport and many flights cancelled, our good friends from St. Louis made it to Tucson! They arrrived on Friday at 2 in the morning. I just can't believe they are here. I will blog more about our time with them, but for now we are having an amazing time catching up and just enjoying one another. After a few overwhelming weeks I was looking forward to refreshing conversations with Avril and Kevin! Sure enough I got what I hoped for!

Below are some pictures from Avril's Birthday Celebration at McClintock's!

Curious

I am interested in knowing about some events in your life!

What is a recent blessing you have received?

What has challenged you recently?

A Miracle Story

My heart has been touched by a family I have never met! One of my college friends had a link to their blog on their facebook page. I have been following their blog for many months and have been encouraged and inspired by this family's journey! I have wept many tears.
This amazing story can be found here!

The blog is written mostly from the husband's perspective! The wife has cystic fibrosis and has been waiting for a double lung transplant. They dreamed of having a family, but doctors told them it would be too risky. But God blessed them with a miracle baby! She was born 15+ weeks early! The baby remains in NICU and doing well. Today, they got a call that there is a donor for Tricia! She is in surgery! The match appears to be good. Tricia will wake up with new lungs tomorrow! God is so good!

Please visit their blog and pray for this family! It is amazing to see how God is using their story to touch millions of lives!