Joy

The psalmist definitely knew what he was talking about:
My morning finally came and I've been filled with joy ever since. :)

Thought of the day

Redemption can be found in honesty, vulnerability, and brokenness.
He doesn't just meet us where we are, He IS where we are.

Weeping and Joy

"Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30:5b

Three

I felt her heartbeat and her kicks before I saw her, then with flashes of pain she came forth and filled my heart with a love so fierce and strong. As I held her in my arms for the first time I looked down at her and took her in; My little ball of light, my little body of love, my little mini-me.

Then I blinked and suddenly she was three.

Happy birthday, K. :)
I love you.

Moment One

"The woman's body is made in the image of Love, from Love herself, Life herself, so she herself is of God...[it] is instrinsically good, perfectly good. Perfect from moment one." (Gungor, 2016)

As a woman, a daughter, and a mother of two daughters, this powerful blog post from Lisa Gungor really resonated with me. Beautifully written.

Running Adventures: still at it

Today I opened a bag of chips, ate way too many, and gave myself a stomachache. True story. Anyway, as a direct result of eating said chips I went for a run tonight and (for the first time in the history of forever) I ran 5k straight with no walking breaks! I felt immensely proud of myself as I walked through the front door and told J what I had accomplished. Sure it took me 37 minutes, but this just means that I ran 37 minutes straight and didn't feel like I was going to collapse on the sidewalk. I'll take it! *highfive*

This is us

Anyone watch the pilot episode for This Is Us? I did and I loved it. Interesting take on a family drama and I'm looking forward to see how things unravel from here. One episode in and it has already made me cry. Plus, Jess Milo Ventimiglia is in it so there's that too.

O is for one

Exactly one year ago yesterday, our sweet O came into the world with a healthy pair of lungs and flailing limbs. Last night, as we sat around the table and sang happy birthday to our youngest as a family of four, my heart felt so incredibly full. Thank you for giving us a reason to celebrate - we love you, O!

Book Nook: The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars
John Green

I've been on a reading splurge lately. I've read five books in the last month or two and it's been really nice getting my read on. Of the five, two were awesome, one was great, one was ok, and one was...no.  (Don't bother reading The Girl On The Train, it's just awful.)

The Fault In Our Stars fell into the awesome category.

The plot centres around the protagonist, Hazel (a 16yo female with metastatic thyroid cancer which has spread to her lungs) and the relationship she develops with Augustus Waters (a 17yo male with osteosarcoma and, as a result, one prosthetic leg). The book explores themes of life and dying, living with an illness, and love in the midst of all that in a way that makes everything seem lighter than it actually is. You can't help but connect with the characters throughout the whole book (love Augustus) and once I was finished I couldn't stop thinking about them either. If that isn't a sign of a good book, I'm not sure what is.

It's an easy read (young adult fiction ftw) but a worthwhile one. Definitely recommend. 5/5.

Carla

When I was seventeen I spent about a week on a native reserve in BC and while I was there I met the sweetest little girl, Carla. She must have been about 6 or 7 back then and had one of those contagious smiles that light up your whole face. I distinctly remember hearing her shout, "Shaaaarrrronnnnnn!" while running down the road towards me one morning with the hugest smile on her face; That was one of the best moments. I had never been on anything like that trip before - I remember feeling so much joy while I was there and literally cried on the plane home.

This morning, fifteen years later, K picked up my photo album and handed it to me saying, "Read this please," probably thinking it was a book. As I looked through the pictures I couldn't help but linger on a few of them, remembering and attempting to put the fuzzier memories into focus. It's been a long time since I've thought about that trip and the kids there that are now fifteen years older, and I can't help but wonder where they are and who they have become. They were all innocent little kids growing up in a harsh environment where they were at a disadvantage right from the start. My memories of them are hazy now, but Carla sticks out for me and I hope with all my heart that she is thriving. I really hope this for all of them.