Love you from Heaven

Love you from Heaven

An Eternal Memory

An Eternal Memory

Memorial Day 2013

Memorial Day 2013

I wasn't able to post anything on Memorial Day but wanted to share my thoughts.

Our freedom and those that gave their lives for it should be celebrated ever single day of the year.

I was able to spend some time recently with a WWII vet and it was so special.

Thank you for your faith in a country and a willingness to die for our freedom.

Grief made me feel like time stood still....

Grief made me feel like time stood still....

School is out, life goes on......

School is out, life goes on......

I can not begin to describe the feeling I get each year near the end of May.   It used to be the time of excitement.  The end of the school year meant it was time to enjoy our family time and plan our next summer adventure.   Those are great memories.  Honestly, they are great, bittersweet, memories of a life that once was.  It is such a sad time of year for me.

Life is so unbelievably short.  I look back and now realize that I took so much of those family moments for granted. Never, ever, did I think they would come to a crashing end.   You just don't plan for that kind of thing to happen.  You can't plan for tragedy.

I realize that I am blessed with a lot of great memories.   If given the opportunity I would trade all the memories in for just one more sunny, summer afternoon with Will and my family.  But I know that is not a real option.  God's plan is greater than that.

Enjoy your summer!  Hug your kids every chance you get.

I thought this was perfect for today

I thought this was perfect for today

A prayer for the Grieving

A prayer for the Grieving

Lord,

I am crying out to you.

Lord, my emotions are screaming at me.

Lord, I feel alone.

Sadness surrounds me, and depression is pulling me down.

I long for what I have lost. I ache.

My loss permeates my mind and my emotions. My grief aggressively tries to influence the course of most of my waking moments.

Father, help me process my loss. Help me move forward. Help me to welcome joy into those places of pain.

Lord, I need to draw nearer to you. You are my hope and my salvation through this dark valley.

I pray in Jesus' name,

Amen

Take lots of photos!

Take lots of photos!

I take great comfort in the hundreds upon hundreds of photos that we took.   We documented a great portion of Will's life and ours as a family in the photos.   Everyone has a phone with a camera now so there is no reason to miss your opportunity to document a special occasion, a day at the park or just a bunch of goofy poses as a family.  Life passes by way to quickly.  

Love that never ends....

Love that never ends....

Three years and I still miss his hugs.

It truly is a love that never ends.

Not again!

Not again!

This look was in response to asking him to smile for the camera.  At one point he hated his crooked teeth.  As he got older he grew into them and was just about to get braces when he passed away.   

So glad we took a lot of photos!

Will lives on

Will lives on

Team WILLpower recently got together for our annual Special Olympics of Haralson County benefit show.  It is one of my favorite shows to do all year.  

I know that there is no way this would have happened had Will still been alive.  

He continues to pay it forward.

Real talk from Linus

Real talk from Linus

Never stop jumping the waves

Never stop jumping the waves

Everybody has waves in their life. 

You don't have to be grieving to feel the impact of the waves on your life.

Just like the waves in the ocean, sometimes you can actually see the waves lining up.

If you see the wave coming, jump it!

Not all of them are small enough to jump.

Anticipating the larger waves and riding them to shore takes some practice but you can do it.

WILLpower! Philippians 4:13

Some people say that is just takes time to heal from your loss.

Some people say that is just takes time to heal from your loss

Different people heal in different ways.

Time just makes me feel like it was all a dream at times.

A dream that I wish I could get back to in my sleep but never do.

Happy Heaven Day!

Happy Heaven Day!

Although there are many, today is not all about the tears. Today is about Will making his way home. Today is about the story of a little boy that loved life and loved Jesus.

Life is short. Spend as much time as you can with the people you love. Slow down once in a while and remember not to take life for granted.

May 6th is Heaven Day! Celebrate Will's life with your friends and family by spending some time together, loving each other and sharing HIS story.