So much to be thankful for (without sounding cliche)...

What an amazing week this past one has been. I am constantly overwhelmed by the grace, love and protection of the one who we call Abba. And although it is often said that He is the great healer, I have to give a hand over to modern medicine as well.

My mom received a liver transplant one week ago today. She is doing very, very well and had a hiccup in recovery that has landed her back in the hospital for tests, but nothing terribly worrisome. It is so overwhelming (I keep using that word but am at a loss of what else to say) to think about the fact that she now carries around, inside of her, a piece of someone else and that piece of someone else is what is going to give her her life back – it is what is giving her hope and perseverance. It is what is allowing her to know that her life will begin again and anew. Once healed she will no longer be homebound with illness, she will regain complete use of brain again, she won’t be so terribly shaky anymore that she can once again write, hold her grandchild, drive a car, be free!

We know nothing of the donor except that it was a male and that the transplant team had to go to Springfield, Missouri to get the liver. I know that somewhere there is a family that is grieving the loss of a friend, father, husband, son while one state away there is a family celebrating new life. But what a gift this person was able to leave in this life for someone else. This is my small soapbox to say, if you are not an organ donor, think about becoming one today. You could give a family the most amazing gift that they will ever receive, the gift of continued life.

I had an ultrasound on Monday and we got to see the new life inside of me. It is pretty cool to see that baby squiggling and moving around – it makes it seem even more real! The baby was being uncooperative (but given the stubbornness of his/her parents, I couldn’t imagine why…) and so, we still don’t know if we will be having a boy or a girl. We will have another ultrasound on December 18th to see if we get a little more cooperation. Everything looks great and he/she looks healthy – we are so blessed.

The husband has headed to the back of beyond, also known was West Virginia, for Thanksgiving and I am heading to St. Louis (where my mom is going to have to stay post surgery for 3-4 weeks) to have Thanksgiving with my folks. This year everything is thrown off a little but this year, we have oh so much to be thankful for.

Blessings to you and your homes this Thanksgiving season – I pray that you will be awakened to the blessings that each new day holds for you!

love...

Where oh where has dear Anna been, where oh where could she be….I’m not sure what has happened to her or minutes, hours, days and weeks in between.

I am just so overwhelmed today by love – and by love I mean pure, unabashed, unconditional, undeserving, raw and beautiful love. When the Bible talks about Christ loving the church like a bridegroom, before I was married that meant little to me. Since being married and going through the daily dregs of life, with this amazing and constant supporter, lover and friend beside me, it takes on new meaning. I am not saying that my single friends can not understand this metaphor but when you experience human love to this extent, it makes it so much more real and tangible.

God loves me so much and I never deserve it. I get dirty all the time, I mess up all the time, I screw things up, I hurt people and yet, He unconditionally loves me. My husband loves me the same way and it just overwhelms me that both of them can and do.

I read a blog today of someone who is connected to many of our friends in Ohio and I was so moved that I cried. The bond of marriage and the bond of love is so incredible that I can’t begin to get my hands or my brain around it.

I am overwhelmed by love today.