Day 200 (wow) Miss Rejoice and her Starbucks...

Dear friends,

I just drove 3 happy teenagers to Starbucks for a yummy Friday nite treat. Of course my daughter was antsy for me to get out of there, which I did, AFTER purchasing a Strawberries and Cream (triple yum!) It was a joy to see Miss Rejoice having fun and leaving her troubles behind for a while. She is truly a wonder to me, brilliant, beautiful and alive with youth. Despite the terrible trial she has endured, she carries on as a regular kid. There are things she will need to unpack as time goes on and she is ready, but the Great One has her well in hand, and He knows the perfect timing of all these things. The Momma sometimes struggles through much more clumsily, because Momma's can carry burdens they ought to give to the Great One when it comes to their children.

Heather and Greg have both been wonderful friends to Hannah (among others who are too many to name here), and visited her at Sunnyview when things were not at all certain. I love all these wonderful kids in my daughter's life! There are so many loyal companions by her side. It's like a Tolkien book, where a whole band of wildly different personalities come together to stand side by side with their companions. In a world where the under 20's are looked upon with little hope, I see powerhouses for the future. I see relationship oriented people who care deeply when one of their own is down. I see the kind of true friendship many adults long for.

It was a beautiful summer day, and I took my gift card to Troy's Landscaping and picked up a beautiful hanging basket of red impatiens for my shady front doorway. This basket was like none I've gotten in years past. It was huge, and filled with flowers, bursting with color and fullness. (Hopefully I can keep it that way, given my track record with plants...). It made me feel blessed. Really blessed. Like a message from God about His abundant goodness to me here in the land of the living. Absolutely takes my breath away.

Extra kids in the house tonite, one out for the night, and tomorrow Smitty and I can sleep a little later. We don't deserve the extravagant grace we experience, but that's just the way our God is. He gives us something good, many somethings good, every single day. May I always have eyes to see that, even on my darkest day.

I feel like a happy teenager tonite. Must be contagious!

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann