Update 2/14/10 13 weeks since crash

Dear friends,

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you check out yesterday's post for some photos of some of your blog compatriots. I wish I had a photo of every one of you! That would be some great Valentine card for me.

It's the beginning of a new week, with the kids home from school and a few sleepovers planned for all three here and there. I'm taking the kids skating this week, and I really can't wait to lace up my own skates and glide over the ice. (Speed skating at the Olympics is on TV. I'll be pretending I'm one of them at the rink at Hudson Valley this week, albeit a little slower. OK, a lot slower...) Stephen, of course, will have to miss this particular recreational event. Originally I had big ideas about taking the whole family to NYC to visit the Museum of Natural History, but I realized I was putting the cart before the horse. Too long in the car for stiff legs, lots of walking, need a wheelchair, strength still limited, endurance still limited. The whole thing could be a bit of a disaster. So, we have to wait. What else is new?

Pastor Dave the Humble gave a message this morning that I gripped and got. The theme: Walking in the Holy Spirit. (Galtians 5 is all about this subject). Two points he made will live with me this week. Walking implies:
~ A destination
~ Forward progress

Wow, how everything in the natural world imitates the spiritual world! Art imitates life. Life imitates the True Life. I can tell you this: that without the gracious Spirit of God I have no idea how to do life in general, and especially how to do life with catastrophe. But the beauty of it is this: The Great One gives us strength and power to do this thing. It may sound a little corny, but we are His valentines! He so wants us to walk strong. And he enables us to do it. Even when we feel crummy. Even when the destination is hazy. Even when the forward progress is slow. In Stephen's recovery, I sometimes feel we're moving quickly and sometimes it all seems endless. But we are moving forward. It's like that in our souls too. We're too close to it to see how we're growing. You can't xray someone's inner life. But by faith we can count on gaining ground. Because the Great One loves us, and he's always at work where nobody sees. I believe it. Even if I don't always have the courage to trust Him enough to risk greater faith. But that's my goal. Trusting Him all the way is my destination.

Miss Rejoice is at Walmart with a couple of her girlfriends. They have decided to buy some anti-valentine candy. The girls seem to be unfavorably disposed to this whole hearts and flowers holiday. They're 14. They were muttering about the how they really dislike Valentine's day, and how they refuse to get caught up in the whole thing. With all we are struggling with since the nightmare of November 8, it's such a joy, a present from the Great One, to see Hannah being goofy with her pals. I must be circumspect when it comes to her in order to protect her privacy, but I have no need to hesitate in sharing the everyday glory of the power of friendship. So many of you have prayed for my baby girl, and reached out to her in love. I owe you forever for this. Our children can't possible understand how our hearts are entwined with theirs, can they? By the way, (forgive me if I've already mentioned this), Hannah made the Columbia honor roll for the second quarter, even though she missed almost 2 months of school. God is going to give that child back everything and more. We only need to keep walking, with a destination, moving forward...

I've eaten way, way too much chocolate today. (I know some of you would ask if such a thing is possible). A figure skater on the Olympics just stepped off the ice. Her red skating suit is beautiful, and her red, sparkly lipstick looks so wonderfully shiny. She's all bright and cheery. I wish I was wearing a sparkly red thing, and had on some shiny lipstick. I think it would perk me up. Sigh, I'm wearing a gray fleece and gray sweats with no makeup at all. Oh well, tomorrow is coming. There's lipstick to put on, hills to climb, roads to walk. There's today's chocolate to walk off.

I love walking with you friends. You keep the momentum moving forward. Walk on!

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann