Take That Spina Bifida

Check out Owen's latest feat of determination...

Riding a big boy bike with training wheels!

With the help of some adaptive pedal attachments from Turnstone

his feet can stay on the pedals.

Owen got his new bike from his friend Drew.

I watched him ride yesterday

thankful for this gift 

of seeing Owen ride a bike.

I thought of Owen's buddy Noah.

Drew's little brother has been with Jesus 6 1/2 years now.

Oh, how we miss him.

And I thought...

"Noah would be riding this bike if he were here."

And I was 

SAPPY.

Sad and Happy 

at the same time.

Proud to be watching this day.

Missing Noah.

Amazed as Owen whizzes by 

on this precious hand-me-down.

Thank you, Kristin.

Here he is in action...

Even figured out how to start himself!

Not so good at turning around yet.

And since his feet are stuck on the pedals, falling over is interesting.

He's not fazed a bit.

He lives for speed these days!

Rides and rides and rides.  

He can't get enough.

And I can't get enough of this sight...

 

So proud of my determined boy!

5

Happy Birthday, sweet Noah.

Oh, how we miss you.

 

5 years.

Seems so long ago

and yet

like it was yesterday.

with love, Mrs. Potter


(read Noah's mommy's thoughts today here.)

Thinking of you, Joanna

A Butterfly Lights Beside Us

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

- Unknown

2 months

oh, Emilie, how we miss you.

Dichotomy: Perspectives of a friend

My life seems to have so much dichotomy these days.

Where do we go from here?

Life keeps moving.

Yet half my heart

stands

still.

I live in a

continual

state of

disbelief.

Not of God—

my faith is sure.

But

disbelief

that

this reality

is really

happening.

Is this really

our new reality.

Did this really happen?!

It still seems

so surreal.

WHY, Lord?

I keep hearing

the opening to a song

in my head...

This is not how is should be

This is not how it could be

But this is how it is

And our God is in control.

[Our God is in Control by Steven Curtis Chapman]

He is.

He is.

I know.

I trust.

He is.

But sometimes it

doesn't feel like it.

So I read His word.

I remind myself.

Our

God

is

in

control.

He is.

And life does go on.

It will.

It must.

But it is hard.

There is so much

dichotomy.

My heart melts

when I see

a sweet smile from

my

baby girl.

My heart breaks

because my friend

won't

get to see the smile of

her

baby girl

this side of Heaven.

It's not fair.

We don't understand.

And it stinks.

But I know

our God is in control.

We had so many plans.

so much to look forward to.

This was supposed to be the beauty.

The beauty after the ashes.

but now what?

What are you doing, God?

When will we see?

I trust You are

in control.

How do I blog?

about the

funny

the happy

"normalcy" of life?

When half my heart is aching?

Such a dichotomy.

So bear with me as I

navigate this road.

This coin with two sides.

Our God is in control.

"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light."

Psalm 18:28

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

so that the surpassing greatness

of the power will be of God

and not from ourselves;

we are afflicted in every way,

but not crushed;

perplexed, but not despairing;

persecuted, but not forsaken;

struck down, but not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:7

Faithful

Please pray.

My dear friend Kristin lost her sweet baby girl unexpectedly yesterday. There is no explanation. She was perfect inside and out.

She was due in just a few weeks.

Emilie Alyse Koning

4 lbs 6 oz

19 1/2 inches

delivered unto the Lord Thursday, April 7, 2011 4:40 pm.

Emilie is beautiful.

Clinging to our faithful God. Even in this, Lord, we trust you. Even in this.

This is her third loss.

Noah. Joanna. Emilie.

I have no words.

Faithful

by Steven Curtis Chapman

I am broken, I am bleeding,

I'm scared and I'm confused,

but You are faithful.

Yes You are faithful.

I am weary, unbelieving.

God please help my unbelief!

Cuz You are faithful.

Yes You are faithful.

I will proclaim it to the world.

I will declare it to my heart

And sing it when the sun is shining.

I will scream it in the dark.

You are faithful!

You are faithful!

When you give and when You take away,

even then still Your name

is faithful!

You are faithful!

And with everything inside of me,

I am choosing to believe

You are faithful.

I am waiting for the rescue

that I know is sure to come,

cuz You are faithful.

Yes You are faithful.

I've dropped anchor in Your promises,

and I am holding on,

cuz You are faithful.

God You are faithful.

I will proclaim it to the world.

I will declare it to my heart

And sing it when the sun is shining.

I will scream it in the dark.

You are faithful!

You are faithful!

When you give and when You take away,

even then still Your name

is faithful!

You are faithful!

And with everything inside of me,

I am choosing to believe You're faithful.

So faithful...

Though I cannot have the answer

that I'm wanting to demand,

I'll remember You are God

and everything is in Your hand.

In Your hands you hold the sun, the moon,

the stars up in the sky,

for the sake of Love, You hung Your own Son

on the cross...to die...

You are faithful...

Yes, You are faithful...

When you give and when You take away,

even then, great is Your faithfulness!

Great is Your faithfulness!

And with everything inside of me,

I am choosing to believe You're faithful!

Oh, oh, oh...

Oh, oh, oh...

When you give and when You take away,

even then still Your name

is faithful!

You are faithful!

And with everything inside of me,

I am choosing to believe...

...You're faithful...

Our Hope Endures

You would think only so much can go wrong
Calamity only strikes once
And you assume that this one has suffered her share
Life will be kinder from here

Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear
But our hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged

How do we comprehend peace within pain
Our joy at a good man's wake
Walk a mile with a woman whose body is torn
With illness but she marches on

Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear
But our hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged

Emanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
Emanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
Emanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient

We never walk alone
This is our hope
Our hope endures, the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
let the earth quake
let the earth quake
let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged