LOVE STORY, Be Mine, I'm Yours

Be Mine, I'm Yours

Valentine's Day is happening this month and thoughts of little candied hearts with sayings like "Be Mine", "I'm Yours" and "Love You" come to mind.  It gives us a nice warm feeling inside to know you're loved by someone.  The true benefits arrive when the love felt is mutual.

A bond that cannot be broken and unconditional love are a couple of benefits that come from sharing love with someone special.

How great our Lord's love must be for each of us!  He created us out of Love.  His true Love was with us in the beginning because He loved us first!  Since the days of Solomon, people have praised Him saying, "His love endures forever!".

Psalms 2 5:7

....According to Your love, remember me, for you are good, Oh Lord! 

January

January 2017

January has come and gone.  

It was a special month despite the familiar feelings of grief.

Our family tip-toed through the process each day.

Most days it began in the morning.  Then changed to the evenings when things settled down.

With each new day, we heal and remember to be grateful and to love each other in a big way.

January is a big birthday month around here...Brandon - 1st, 

Anna - 2nd, Paul - 8th, Kelsey - 23rd 

and then there's my birthday towards the end of the month.

While sitting at our kitchen counter, Jonathan asked what I would like to have for my special day.

I replied, "I don't need a thing, I have all I need and I'm so very grateful".

With a full heart, I sincerely meant it.

And then, God opened the clouds and dropped sweet surprises at my doorstep for two solid weeks!

I still shake my head in disbelief...it's that formula of being grateful that I've known about most of my life.  I've been content and grateful for many years, however, this year was different.

Maybe God's surprises came at the exact time I needed a pick-me-up.

God knows my heart and my every intention.

He knows what we need to make us smile.  

I give God the glory for showering me with His love.

LOVE CAME FOR ME

Love Came For Me

If You had not come, Tender baby King

And humbly left your throne to reach someone like me

If You had not walked upon this broken ground

Where would I be now?

If You had not come, to seek the sick and lame

To set the captive free, to break the prisoners chains

I'd still be in the dark, grappling for the door

Longing for some way, somehow

Love came for me, Love rescued me

Love called my name, Love took my place

Sweet Lamb of God, I'm bowing down

My eyes have seen

I'm finally free

Love came for me

Lyrics by Shannon Wexelberg

Brandon and Daisy

I cannot begin to write in my blog again without sharing the passing of Jonathan and Debbie's son, Kelsey's brother, Paul's brother-in-law, my step son, Brad and Adam's step brother, Shirley and Geneva's grandson, Jack and Tina, Melinda, Melissa and Sherwyn's nephew, Anna, Kate and Joseph's Uncle, Jasper and Cora's step uncle, Isaiah, Chloe, Sadie, Kirk, Kate, Kristy, Jordan, Parker and Heather, and Mallory and Jon's cousin, Ryan's friend like a brother, Keith, Darren, and Jason's best friend.

You see, Brandon was somebody.  He was huge.  He had intensity and sensitivity that will not be matched.  He walked through this world with a unique energy and a different beat wanting a different outcome wherever he landed.  He faced demons along the way.  At times, he conquered them.  At times, he played with fire.  

Brandon was a beautiful young man.  He understood that he had faith in God who loved him first.  God gave him almost 40 years on this Earth.  Perhaps He looked down and said "Enough, my child".  He called his name, He took his place.  He took Brandon as he was.  "But, oh, the blood of Christ that washes over me, flowing from Your hands and feet".  He indeed set the captive free.  

Psalm 31:4-5

Free me from the trap that is set for me, 

for You are my refuge.

Into Your hands I commit my spirit;

redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.

Learning to live without Brandon in our lives is not easy.  We have to fill the void with positive things.  We're all trying as we remember the good times.  One great story Ryan shared with us recently happened during the Christmas Holiday in Kentucky.  Ryan and his family had gone back home for Christmas.  This happened to be where Brandon was living and where the two of them grew up together.  Ryan picked Brandon up one day before Christmas and they ran a few errands.  While driving down Winchester Avenue decorated with Holiday garland with red bells and jewel toned lights, Brandon asked Ryan to play a particular song from their past.  They decided to roll down memory lane as they rolled down the windows (even though it was a Winter day). They rested their elbows in the opened window area of the door and tilted their seats back as they listened to the Rapper rap to a funky beat.  After the song was over, Brandon said, "Can we play it again?".  Ryan agreed, turned up the volume and two friends like brothers enjoyed some special time together for a little while longer. 

We love you Brandon. The longing to be with you just a little while longer will never go away. So, we'll carry on the best we can and look toward a better day when we will all be together on the other side of the River.  Our days spent rejoicing and praising our Lord with a renewed energy to the beat of a different drum in a better place.