This Remembrance Is GRACE

I awoke to find you were the first thought on my mind

And I remembered you.

As I made tiny beds, and made sure mouths were fed

I remembered you.

As I heard little voices, playing and making noises

I remembered you.

I thought of your face, & all of God's grace

I remembered you.

And though this remembrance brings tears and pain

Each tear drop that falls, does not fall in vain

For each is filled with memories & gladness too

Reminding me that there was a 'you'

Some say time heals, and in some ways it's true

But remembrance is a gift for it links me to you

Some people say forget, move on, she's in a better place

But what they don't understand is that this remembrance is Grace.

Wisdom...from a Bear? Yes, a Bear named Pooh.

This adorable picture is of my sweet Olivia at about 12 months of age. Look at that smile - doesn't it just melt your heart? This Winnie-the-Pooh was a gift from a dear friend. Olivia loved this Winnie the Pooh. We loved propping her up against this big bear and using it as a marker for her growth as each month passed.It is in these little things isn't? These precious tender moments that string together to make up our life story.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

— A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)

Recently, I heard this sweet yet profound little quote at a Memorial Service. The service was a beautiful tribute to a beautiful Godly woman who loved God, her family and others with genuine love and grace. As I wiped the tears that kept welling up, I couldn't help but wonder what my husband, children and friends would say about me. Times such as these prod us to look deeper, and re-evaluate ourselves. The pastor aptly stated that perception changes everything. If you have been reading my latest blog entries you would know that I have been giving quite a bit of thought to just that...perception - the bigger picture. Ever since our beloved Gracie passed into the arms of Jesus, there is a longing for redemption like never before. It is a longing to see every hurt and tear erased, to finally be at peace in the presence of my Jesus. What a day that will be - to be at complete rest and peace. This treadmill of life can get stuck into over-drive and the exhaustion that comes from trying to keep up takes its toll. How I long for my Shepherd to lead me beside still waters and restore my soul forever. Don't get me wrong, I love my life. I am so deeply in love with the man of dreams and so thankful to be mothering such beautiful and insightful children. I am blessed to have such precious family and friends. I am blessed beyond measure and want to live to see my children's children. Yet, I know that even though this world holds all of these treasures, heaven will by far outshine them all. For life in heaven will be all the good that this world can offer - but redeemed, purified, and perfected. So in the mean time, I want to live my life heaven-minded, enjoying this beautiful life I have been blessed with - enjoying and savoring these precious memories that make up my life.

I'll leave you with one last Winnie the Pooh Bear quote....

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day." - A. A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)