Wednesday, July 25, 2012
...for a friend's son...
I have a special prayer request for you today. My "brother" (in Christ & African style!) Fofana told me this week that his teenage son, Tee, will be having another heart surgery in August. For any of you who do not know the story, Tee has the same sort of heart defect that my brother died from when he was a baby. Tee, however, was born in a different time and was able to be saved. But he has had to have multiple surgeries throughout his life, and this will be his fourth time having surgery on the same spot. Repeated surgeries on the same spot get more and more risky. So please pray for Tee's health and this family's peace in the Lord.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Spring
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| We got some more free hosta from a neighbor this year, and they are all looking great! |
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| The feeders have been very busy with finches, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, bluejays, cardinals, doves... |
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| Our lilac hedge bloomed in May and the butterflies and moths were loving it. |
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| This swallowtail hovered around from bloom to bloom for about half an hour one sunny evening while I was in the garden. |
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| This year's pink lily bloom has been awesome! They are just getting to be past their peak now. |
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| One of our four clematis vines - lots of blooms this year! |
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| Our newest clematis vine, just planted last year, is doing well and finding its way up the post. |
Monday, June 4, 2012
June 4
June 4. Today was the day Alfie and I met Emily when we visited our friends at the NICU.
June 4 was also the day my brother died, at about six months old, before I was born. When we visited Emily I thought about him, and as we took a picture of her with her parents I thought about how all I know of Michael is photographs, like this one. Many pictures of him are with lots of tubes and whatever else obscuring the view of him. My mom has told me that NICU nurses commented to her on her great ability to see the baby and not the tubes. Many people cannot get past the tubes, they said.
Technology. Today there are easier ways to capture a movie... Emily's younger siblings get to see her alive, though they never knew her when she was alive on this earth. That is special.
I do not feel sad about my brother dying. I have seen the pictures of him with tubes, and I have heard the stories of the constant crying from pain. He died and I have hope that he is now with Christ, with no more tubes, and no more pain. My mom has a sad moment sometimes, remembering what he went through, but she says they pass quickly because she knows he is in heaven. Her sadness is replaced with great joy.
Someone asked me once, "Do you ever wonder why your brother died of a heart defect and then you were born healthy?" I live because God allowed me to live. I woke up this morning by the grace of God. I made it home from work by the grace of God. I could wonder about those things just as much! But I don't, because God is sovereign, and my faith and trust is in Him and His plan and His timing which is beyond any human understanding. All I can do is pray for wisdom and grace to live the life He has given me in a way that brings Him glory.
June 4 was also the day my brother died, at about six months old, before I was born. When we visited Emily I thought about him, and as we took a picture of her with her parents I thought about how all I know of Michael is photographs, like this one. Many pictures of him are with lots of tubes and whatever else obscuring the view of him. My mom has told me that NICU nurses commented to her on her great ability to see the baby and not the tubes. Many people cannot get past the tubes, they said.
Technology. Today there are easier ways to capture a movie... Emily's younger siblings get to see her alive, though they never knew her when she was alive on this earth. That is special.
I do not feel sad about my brother dying. I have seen the pictures of him with tubes, and I have heard the stories of the constant crying from pain. He died and I have hope that he is now with Christ, with no more tubes, and no more pain. My mom has a sad moment sometimes, remembering what he went through, but she says they pass quickly because she knows he is in heaven. Her sadness is replaced with great joy.
Someone asked me once, "Do you ever wonder why your brother died of a heart defect and then you were born healthy?" I live because God allowed me to live. I woke up this morning by the grace of God. I made it home from work by the grace of God. I could wonder about those things just as much! But I don't, because God is sovereign, and my faith and trust is in Him and His plan and His timing which is beyond any human understanding. All I can do is pray for wisdom and grace to live the life He has given me in a way that brings Him glory.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Be Still, My Soul
Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul! when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
(written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel)
In memory of Emily Grace on her birthday.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul! when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
(written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel)
In memory of Emily Grace on her birthday.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Anniversary weekend
Last weekend was our sixth wedding anniversary! Alfie took Friday off and we headed up to Duluth for some time away. The weather was great on Friday, so we went hiking at Jay Cooke State Park first thing. Saturday was snow/rain so we stayed in for the morning at our lovely villa, then went to Canal Park for the Art Hop, and finally a wonderful meal at Va Bene. Sunday before heading for home we did the Lester River trails.
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| View from the swinging bridge at Jay Cooke |
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| Sunning on a tree... There were lots of moths out and about. We saw a pine marten this trip, too. It crossed the trail in front of us, stopping to stare for a while before disappearing into the woods. |
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| Staying warm by the fire at Mountain Villas |
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| Lester Park trails - we thought of you when we took this picture, Kristin! |
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| Down by the Lester River at "the shallows" |
Friday, April 13, 2012
One-woman cello orchestra
We went to see Zoe Keating in concert last night at The Cedar. It was amazing. One of my favorites was "Escape Artist." She creates her sound by layering many tracks of acoustic cello.
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