In the Month of May

This May, I have had sunshine but now I'm experiencing snow! From Arkansas to Colorado we experienced every weather condition. Cool and calm in Arkansas at 5am, 92 and super windy in Kansas, and as we crossed into Colorado, rain that worked its way into being snow.  I woke up to this beautiful view out the window:

I have never seen snow like it halfway through May before and it is still snowing! I'm so excited to spend this time with my wonderful boyfriend Max, in his home town. Especially since he leaves for Spain in two weeks and will be there for 30 days for work. It does make me think about how much I will miss him and how much I want these next two weeks to be memorable and relaxing. 

You see, this man continually teaches me about love. About giving AND receiving love when neither person deserves it for whatever reason. How to just relax and enjoy the love we have for each other, and hopefully that will help other people see what unconditional love is. We have the perfect example in Christ to mold our relationship after and I want us to be able to encourage others by the way that we treat each other. No, we definitely aren't perfect at it and yes, we have a lot to learn. But we will never have a perfect relationship and always be the most loving. However, we can try and continue to love unconditionally because we are unconditionally loved by our Father.

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

It might seem a bit late to be writing on welcoming in the new year, but I have reason for this.
On Christmas Eve my beautiful mother had two aneurysms rupture and was life-flighted to a hospital 2 1/2 hours away from my brother's house. Myself, three of my siblings, my boyfriend, sister-in-law and my mother had all gathered in Georgia to celebrate the holidays together, for the first time. It wasn't quite the event we had bargained for. My mom had surgery Christmas day to fix the ruptured aneurysms, but they noticed that she had a third that had yet ruptured and would need to be clipped before it burst. Doing that would require another surgery two weeks after the Christmas Day surgery, and would consist of actually cutting into her head and going that route. Far more invasive than the first operation.
Our eldest sister flew in from England (where my mother and both sisters live) two days after mom's first surgery. The days following this ordeal were spent camped out in the Neuro ICU waiting room and watching as my mom battled on.

This amazing woman has been in the hospital for 23 days and has two weeks more to go. Following her second surgery she had what is called a Vasospasm. Blood vessels in her brain constricted and stopped the flow of blood, resulting in a set back that meant intensive monitoring and a longer stay in the hospital. This happened the day she was meant to be released. I'm thankful that she hadn't left when this happened, but I worry about her being in the hospital longer.
However, through these events she was able to have all five of her children in the same room. Something that hasn't happened in at least four years. We can take rest and reassurance, that even in the hard times, God loves us so much He blesses us with things that wouldn't have been possible under normal circumstances.
So, no, 'break' wasn't easy or relaxing but I got to see my family pull together and their strengths shined through. I saw God help my mother defy the odds multiple times and provision for various journeys made.

I look forward to 2014 with peace knowing that God is in control. I might not understand the way things are done and sometimes question Him, but I trust the One who holds my life in His hands.