Loving big...

The world is often a place so full of sad stories and broken people... When we are constantly bombarded by stories of violence and hurt and destruction, it can be easy to forget that not everyone is is hardened to the people around them.  There are still people who love big and who act on that love for others in extravagant ways.

This is one of the most beautiful cases of that sort of love that I've seen in quite a while...

The short version is this:

A 5 year old girl loses her police officer father a couple days before she is to graduate from Kindergarten.  The level of that sort of tragedy is completely unimaginable and, while his fellow officers could do nothing to turn back the clock, they did what they could.

They came to her graduation.

Hundreds of police officers - nearly 300 to be exact -  came to this precious child's kindergarten graduation in the stead of her Father.

They wrapped around the building to wait for her arrival and gave her and her classmates 

standing ovations when they received their diplomas.

They couldn't bring back her father but they could take something awful and do something good... They could love big.

Check out the article if you haven't already...You'll be blessed =)

Miscellany Monday - The Other Mothers...

Sooooooo....

In case you slept through yesterday,it was Mother's Day =)  I am apparently going for daughter of the year and didn't get our mother's gifts in the mail in time which made me AWFUL (And slightly more confident that I do, in fact, need an assistant.) Anywho, as I did some blogging this week for the fabulous shop where I work, I knew I wanted to write about Mother's Day but felt really led to address two 'other' groups of women who would celebrate Sunday...

the other mothers.

I wanted to share it here as well and pray that it touches you and also that it makes sense as we all know that my brain can flit around like an ADD housefly =)

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Mother’s Day is such a precious holiday…

The day when the country pauses to celebrate and thank women everywhere for filling the vital roll of “mom”.  The value of thanking the woman who birthed you, raised you, and , God willing, continues to speak love and life into you is endless and I know we would all agree that there aren’t enough “Thank you’s” in the world to truly repay the sacrifices she’s made so willingly and endlessly over the years!  As we all wake up on Sunday and celebrate our mama’s, there are two other very special groups of “mom’s” that my heart is drawn to think about and pray for this week and weekend…

The first is the “stand in mom’s”… The women who, though they didn’t actually grow you or bring you into the world, have willingly and eagerly stepped into a place of “Mama Bear” in your life.  Maybe your mom is miles and miles away, maybe the Lord called her home, or maybe it’s not a relationship that is healthy enough to be in your day to day life but, no matter the reason, the Lord has been faithful to bring a woman – or women – of faith, love, and wisdom to walk the road of life with you and not leave those “mom” needs unmet.  If that is you today and you have volunteered to be ‘mama’, we thank you and say to you that the role you have chosen to fill is vital, important, and is making a difference.  It is always impactful when we choose to extravagantly love another person… If you are desiring a woman to come alongside you in that way , know I am praying for you and asking that our Father – who is ALWAYS faithful – guides the most perfect woman into your life to meet every “Mom” need you have!

The second group of sweet mama hearts I feel so drawn to this week, are those who are waiting patiently for the Lord to make their dreams of becoming a mother a reality.  Maybe you have seen numerous Mother’s Day’s come and go since you began the journey to motherhood and the idea of another one passing you by sends the deepest of aches into your already hurting heart…. Or maybe you are just beginning the journey to being a mama and are haunted by the fears of “what ifs”.  In both cases,  I just want to say to you that He sees you and He hears you.  It is easy to doubt His love when we feel like He is ignoring our cries but – please hear me sweet friend – He never ignores us.  I a, praying that His presence wrap especially tightly around your tender heart this Sunday and that, for every ache of loss or emptiness, He meets that void with a surge of hope in the plan He has for you.

To ALL the Mama’s out there, the ones rocking babies or whose babies are heads of their own households, the ones who willingly fill the needs of love and advice to ‘adopted children’ whose mothers aren’t present, and the ones who are waiting for their babies to come home ….

Thank you for what you do, for praying faithfully and loving endlessly.

No one else can fill the role you do.

PS .... I'm linking up a couple places today... The first is the ol' trusty Miscellany Monday...

And the next is here:

 I know I'm not the only blogger mourning the upcoming demise of Google Reader and I'm trying to fall in love with Bloglovin' =)

Thoughtful Thursday - His Great Name

Being at a lose for words is not something that's common for me.  I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many of my elementary school report cards included some note about me talking too much and I can promise you that I have heard EVERY long-winded joke out there....  My mom likes to remind me often that "once I started talking I just never stopped". Um. Thanks mom.

That said, I have found myself in moments of my life where - believe it or not - even I am without words.  They are often those moments where the ache in my heart was so deep that I would have sworn that, had I had opened my mouth, all that I would have been able to utter would have been a sob or seven.  They are the moments when the hurt has simply... knocked me speechless.  

I have nothing to say.  The pain has swallowed me and I am tired and knocked on my back.

In those instances, there is one simple word that I know, if I can utter it, that the process of healing will begin... There is one, simple, two syllable name that - if I can force it out of my frightened and worn out soul - will be all it takes to give me the strength to breath for another moment.....

Jesus.

Jesus.

JESUS.

The name above all names.

The love of my soul and my hiding place.

Jesus.

When I first heard the song below by Natalie Grant I was reminded of those moments of utter speechless dispair and the simple truth that, sometimes, all you can do is cry His name. That's all you have in you...

Those of you with little ones know the desperate speed with which your feet move as soon as you hear one of your babies utter your name in a moment of hurt.

"Mama."

That's all it takes and you are where they are in an instant.

Our Father in heaven works the same...
Rest in His Great Name...

Thoughtful Thursday - Change of Plans...

So.
I had big plans today to share with y'all some of the awesome goodness that I felt like I walked away from the weekend away with.

Well.

Apparently my camera and computer are giving each other the silent treatment and are not supportive of said plan as they are giving me a FIT trying to upload my photos! Sooooo, that post is now on the back burner until at least tomorrow when I will have hopefully been able to reason with the electronics in my life.

(Don't hold your breath as I am fairly convinced that trying to reason with electronics takes the same level of skill as hostage negation....)

In lieu of telling you about my QT with Jesus this weekend, I'm going to rattle on for a sec about this book:

 Oh gracious... It has been a looooong time since a devotional style book has impacted me the way this one has. (Shout out to Elly for turning me on to this gem!)   As someone who believes whole heartily in the super relational aspect of God's heart, I am beyond touched and ministered too by the first person way this book is written.  

(Side note... the story behind it is PHENOMENAL! Get your google on...)

 I can't even begin to tell you how many time I've sat, slack jawed, in complete shock by how closely the day's message applies to me in that. very. second.

I mean... if I didn't know better I'd just about swear that Sarah was following me around =)

I really urge you to check it out if you can... 

Tuesday, was yet another of those days where I opened up the book and sat in shocked awe as the conviction of the words soaked into my heart...

The phrase "Secret things belong to the Lord, and future things are secret things" about knocked me to my knees.  While it is right to listen and seek the Lord on your next season in life, that line can become fuzzy when we suddenly can't settle into His peace without knowing it ALL.  

Those things aren't always ours to know but He is always ours to trust.

 Oh, how often I have missed the journey and doubted His promise to care for me... My words may say YES but my actions and the fear and anxiety in my heart can speak so differently...

Do you read Jesus Calling? Have you been impacted by a book lately that we should know about?

He is not overwhelmed...Thoughtful Thursday

I ADORE my job. 

Like - LOOOOVE with all capital, blinking letters.  

There are countless things that I adore about the place I spend my days.... Besides the beautiful clothes and other various lovelies, it is a faith based business and I am surrounded by Jesus day in and day out.  Late last year, we began a prayer wall in the store and I can't even adequately express what a blessing it has been.

There is a lot of hurt and burden and need out in the world on a daily basis, people - A. LOT. I think I knew that logically but to see a segment of it all written out and corraled into one area of the world can truly take my breath away. 

 It can be too much.  

I stand and look and...simply.... I am overwhelmed.  

In recent days, the wall has become so full....the MULTIPLE prayer needs dangling from each nail.  Illness, lost loved ones, salvation, babies, jobs, living situations... some are scrawled in the misshapen letters that come from a child's pen and other are written by desperate parents and friends who are furiously searching for a moment of relief, intervention, and breakthrough.  The list is staggering and as I looked and read and "listened" to each voice tell me their story....

I am overwhelmed.

I am overwhelmed at the hurt.  I am overwhelmed at the level of need....overwhelmed at desperate heart who need a miracle to pull through.  In a still moment of prayer, a gentle voice speaks to my heart...

"I am not overwhelmed."

Oh Lord.... How good you are.  He is never overwhelmed at our needs.  We can NEVER reach the end His ability to hear and handle our hurts.  He is NEVER tapped our and never - EVER - do our prayers fall on deaf ears.

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There, we will receive mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

~ Hebrews 4:16 ~

What is the need that is hidden deeply in your heart today?  Approach your loving, gracious Savior today with boldness.  He is waiting for you... ready to meet you with boundless mercy and endless grace just when you need it most.

He is never overwhelmed...

Updated 2/28/13 - Linking up here =)