Five on Friday (May 3, 2019)

2019 is proving to be a difficult year. Brian's Papa Bob passed away this week, which means we've lost 3 grandparents in the last 10-12 weeks. Add in lesser challenges like totaling my car, an overbooked schedule along with heavier issues like rising cancer markers, heart procedures for my dad, friends and family going through incredibly tough circumstances, and it would be easy to feel overwhelmed. And we do feel overwhelmed, very overwhelmed. But we're also hanging in there, trying to communicate well, and choosing to find things for which to be grateful. I read this passage of Scripture this week and instantly burst into tears.

Lamentations 3:19-33 (Message)

I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,

the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.

I remember it all - oh, how well I remember -

the feeling of hitting the bottom.

But there's one other thing I remember,

and remembering, I keep a grip on hope.

God's loyal love couldn't have run out,

his merciful love couldn't have dried up.

They're created new every morning.

How great your faithfulness!

I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).

He's all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

to the woman who diligently seeks.

It's a good thing to quietly hope,

quietly hope for help from God.

It's a good thing when you're young

to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,

go off by yourself. Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:

Wait for hope to appear.

Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.

The "worst" is never the worst.

1. The kids had a color run at school recently. It was a perfect day to spend outside (not that I was there), and they enjoyed getting dirty more than I thought they would!

Before

2. Here's what I remember most about Easter this year: (1) eating lunch together with my parents, grandparents, sister, and family after all the hard work of Easter weekend was completed and (2) the joyful mood of Camden and Rory while we took these pictures.

3. I attended my first book club and it was so much fun. We read Ghosted by Rosie Walsh. Prior to this first evening, I could not have imagined that 4 women could talk about 1 book for nearly 3 hours. Can't wait for the next one - we're reading Long Way Gone by Charles Martin.

4. Although it's hard to imagine, we're only 2 weeks away from the end of the school year (school ends early when you begin August 1). The kids are knee deep in projects, and they're ready for a break. As always, Rory is slightly more ready than Camden. He is much too sentimental to truly enjoy the end of anything.

5. Because I totaled my car, we're car shopping for the second time in less than 6 months (Brian's least favorite chore for sure). Our MO is to buy a used car and then drive it to death. The challenge, of course, is finding the best used car so that we can drive it to death. Brian's headed to Uganda in a few short weeks so we need to find something sooner rather than later.

In other news - kids competed in state event and will move forward to the national in Bible memorization, group drama, and vocal solo. My CA125 continues to rise, but I feel well so we're keeping an eye on everything but holding off on chemo for now. My dad is having two stents put in later this month. While we wish they weren't necessary, I'm glad for good doctors. 

We're headed to West Virginia as soon as work is over tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing Brian's family; I just wish Papa Bob were also going to be there sitting on the porch in his overalls making fun of everyone.