This morning Aunt Joy’s fight with cancer was over. She stopped breathing here on earth and breathed her next breath in the presence of Jesus. I can only imagine what that moment was like…meeting Jesus face-to-face. She will be missed by so many people here. We will remember the good times before she was sick, and also the good times when cancer fell upon her earthly body. I am grateful to God for giving us those beautiful memories.
My dad went down to visit her over the weekend, and returned to Knoxville early this morning. My dad has always been such a great comforter to people, so I know his visit to see his sister and mother was all part of God’s plan. I am reminded of verse John 14:15-17Our hope is that the Holy Spirit who dwells within us will bring comfort during trouble times.
A song I’ve heard many times before has become a song of devotion for me over the last week. God is, indeed, faithful forever. He is the true Healer. Praise be to Jesus!
I Lift My Hands lyrics Songwriters: Christopher Tomlin;Matt Maher;Louie Giglio
Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weak
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over me
Let faith arise
Let faith arise
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
(From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/chris-tomlin-lyrics/i-lift-my-hands-lyrics.html)
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
And I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God
You are faithful, God, forever
Makayla and Jackson are growing so fast. Now that Jackson is up and crawling, the two of them are interacting a lot more. I just love it!! Here are some of my favorite recent pics of our sweet little ones!
Well this last week has had many ups and downs. My Aunt Joy was diagnosed with breast cancer about 5 years ago. Recently she learned it was back and spread to her liver, lungs, and chest. She has been through her share of pain over the years and it has been difficult witnessing that struggle. This week she was transported to the hospital by ambulance where she still is today. I pray for God to give her strength, comfort, and peace. God is our steadfast comforter. Our hope is that the Holy Spirit who dwells within us will bring comfort during trouble times. (John 14:15-17)
My Dad fell at work a few weeks ago and injured his knee. He is feeling a lot of pain, and trying to fully recover. He is also hurting for his sister (Aunt Joy) and wants so badly for her to get better. I pray that he will feel the words God has laid before us: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
My older sister Summer and her husband Joe had hoped to start a family soon. They recently learned that having children of their own may not be in God’s plan. However they remain hopeful for the One who performs everyday miracles will perform a miracle for them. Summer told me that she is reminded of Elizabeth in the Bible; God blessed Elizabeth with a child and we are reminded how nothing is impossible for God. I pray for their continued sense of peace in their hearts, and that they would find God’s grace in the everyday lives.
My sister April and her fiancé Scott are expecting a baby girl in January. We are all very excited to meet this precious angel sent from above. This week they learned that the baby has a medical condition which requires surgery right after birth, and a 4-6 week stay in the hospital. Naturally, my sister is scared, stressed out, and uncertain about the future. I pray that April and Scott will seek God in their times of emotional struggle. I pray they will find comfort in each other and feel God’s agape love through this journey. I pray for their little girl’s health as well. I know God’s love for His children is much more than our minds can comprehend, and He will take care of her. I know that God has a plan for this baby girl, a plan far greater than any of ours. Sometimes it’s hard to see the Big Picture when our world is so small. Scott and April haven’t decided on a name yet, but for now April is calling her Hope.
I typically don’t publish these types of entries about my family on the internet, but it’s been on my heart to publish this blog entry regarding these specific things. I don’t want to sound like only sad things are going on because trust me there are also many wonderful things happening right now. But hurting people need prayers and my hope is that anyone reading this will lift up my family members in prayer. Also, pray for my mom as she feels the weight of all these issues right now. Please join me in prayer for each person written about; that they will feel God’s grace, goodness, mercy, joy, comfort, peace, and love. For there doesn’t have to be suffering for there to be grace…but where there is suffering, grace overflows.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
There is always hope with God. :-)
God Bless, Shawna
p.s. I want to thanks several of my co-workers who have known what’s been going on over the last week. Every person has something going on in their life, and it’s important that we lift each other up. It was so special to me when several women greeted me at my classroom door with hugs, words of encouragement, and just to say they are praying for my family. Wow! I am blessed to work with them.
We have been a little too busy lately, but that’s very typical every year when August hits. August is “Mommy Goes Back to Work Month”…haha! No really it’s like every routine I’ve worked on and mastered during the summer gets thrown under the bus. Man it really sucks and I will never get use to that. Tim and I have been in prayer over a lot of important decisions lately. While I might not mention them on my blog, I will ask for friends and family to pray for us as we seek to follow God’s direction, and to see the path God has laid before us. We whole-heartedly want to do what is right for our family, and especially our children. Children are like sponges; they soak in everything they are taught. My opinion is that these early years shape and mold them into who they become as tiny individuals. We recently started going to a class at church on Wednesday nights; Intentional Christian Parenting. It is exciting to dig into scripture and specifically search for answers on parenting. Being a mom is hard work…really hard work. It is also the biggest blessing I have so graciously received.
Tim has been working hard and has finally recovered from a shoulder injury he got a few months ago. I think it’s time for him to start mowing the grass again. Yay! Tim is in his 4th semester at Western Governors University, and is working hard for his degree. He is so smart and I admire him for his hard work and dedication to our family.
Makayla and Jackson are getting so big, so fast. Makayla is already wearing a toddler size 7 in shoes. We joke that she has her daddy’s feet, but that’s okay. She is at the stage of learning ways to express her emotion so it has been a learning experience for all of us. What I can say is that our daughter has excellent manners and listens to us most of the time. In fact, I think some older kids I know could learn a few tips from her. She is a beautiful child who more importantly has a beautiful heart. Jackson has mastered crawling and pulling up. It’s only a matter of time before he ventures out, with one foot in front of the other. He will be 8 months old in a few days, which means he is only 4 months away from his 1st birthday! Time is flying by and I’m so glad we are treasuring these precious moments. The kids go stay with their Nana during the day while Tim and I are working. They are learning so much over there while getting lots of love from their Nana. We are so thankful that they are able to stay there.
Well, I have a lot of other updates to write about as well. But I’m going put those in another blog entry; this one is already long enough. So to all my friends and family that have been wondering what we’ve been up to, there you have it in 519 words.
