Where did time go?

10 years.

Today my baby boy is 10 years old. Where in the world has the time gone?

From an itty bitty 7 pound one ounce baby to a 78 pound young man who's head fits just under my chin when standing.

From having major surgery at 3 months and being told he may never be able to play sports, to being a lover of all sports and is outside every single moment biking, boxing, playing soccer, basketball and football fearlessly.

From being dependent on mom and dad for his well being to becoming independent, making his own choices and learning about life in the world we live in.

From not being able to utter a word to communicating thoughts, feelings, conversations and abstract ideas.

You have grown up so much Sam. Now you start the preteen years and so much is ahead of you. You are learning and figuring who you are and where you fit. The mom in me wants to shelter you in a bubble so no one or thing hurts you. But I know that would only hinder you growing into a teenager and then into an adult.

I love you so much and am so honored that God chose me to be your mom. He has an amazing purpose for you and being able to cheer that purpose on is a wonderful gift.

I look forward to the next 10 years and the adventures life will bring in these preteen and soon-to-come teenage years. You are loved so much and I pray each day that you will experience God's deepest love more than anything.

Review of Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews

Revell sent me this complimentary book to review for them.

"When her beloved grandfather Isaac dies, Dinah must follow his final command: Travel to Job's house to marry his son. After Job's world comes crashing down, Dinah finds herself drawn to this great man brought low. What will she risk to fight for his survival?"

This book was pretty amazing. Based on the book of Job, this story was very insightful and based on scripture. The two main characters were Job and Dinah and how they endured Job's time of testing. It made the book of the Bible come to life. It wasn't light or overly romantic either. I now want to jump into the Bible and read the account of Job because of reading this book.

I honestly don't know if I could continue praising and trusting God after suffering for over a year. Suffering with worm infested disease, living atop an ash heap while being spit upon, having my entire family taken and being mocked by family and friends. For over a year!

Fantastic book! Great read!

Available March 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

another milestone

Today marks another milestone for my amazing husband.

Internship complete.

He has pushed himself beyond the sanity line and has clocked over 600 hours in the past 6 and a half months.

He said the other day he was burned out. Rightly so! I added to his comment the fact that the majority who are doing their internship right now are completing 5 hours a week. He has been pushing between 25 and 27 hours a week. I think that helped put into perspective why he is so weary.

And not only interning 25 hours a week, going to school full time and throwing in a part time job along side of that. And then topping it off with being a dad and husband. And the cherry on top of looking for a job. And he still does all the laundry!

You are my hero babe.

Why?

"There is a very strong possibility that during your time here, one of your fellow students, someone you know, will pass away."

I remember these words from Dan Allender during one of the few classes I visited with Ed during his first year at Mars Hill Graduate School.

Never did I think they would come true.

In a blink of an eye, a life ended. Too soon. Unexpectedly.

Sonny was one of Ed's closest friends at school. They were a part of the Silverback's: the small group of guys who were in their 40's traveling through graduate school together. A different sort of group than the majority of the student population. Ed and Sonny had several classes together and bounced so many ideas off of each other, edited each others papers and became close over the past years.

He was less than four months from graduating. Leaving behind his wife. He was only 44 years old.

To some that is "old". When one is close to 40, 44 years is anything but old.

It's one of those "why God?" questions that quite possibly will never be answered. Why was his time up? Why now? Why?

So one lives between the tension of wondering and never knowing. It's not an easy place to be, but I think it's more genuine than explaining it away.

As Paul Steinke wrote in his letter to all students, "And now, with the absurdity of Sonny’s absence, death’s “sting” can feel like the final word. . .it is not. In the midst of our grief, I pray each of us might know something of the wildness of Jesus Christ’s love for Sonny and each of us and may such a love lead us all into the wide and deep embrace of His grace and peace."

You will be greatly missed Sonny.