ahora

First of all, Happy Pentecost. :) There is a lot in our lives (i.e. the godly example of many of our mothers) that would not have the impact that they have had without the Holy Spirit living in and working through them. So, on this Mother's Day, let us not forget to celebrate the presence and power of the Holy Spirit first and foremost. Ok, I'm off my soap box now. ;)

Today I think especially of my mom who is far far away in Michigan. I believe this is the first Mother's Day in which I could not give my own mom and hug which brings tears to my eyes and makes my heart ache a little. My mom has by far been one of the most influential people in my life. She is a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, a loving mother and grandmother who always puts her kids' and grandkids' needs before her own, an encourager who has always helped me see the best in me and has put her love, time and money into helping me develop my gifts and passions, a prayer warrior, warm-hearted, generous, patient, fun-loving (and a great dancer when you put 60's and 70's music on!), and the list goes on.

So, Mom - I want to honor you in a special way today and thank you for being my mom. I love you!

Here are some pictures of us that I love:

Today, myself and three of my girlfriends from Bible study drove for about an hour to see rows and rows of beautifully colored tulips. It was amazing! As soon as I saw the flowers (well, I really just saw the huge blocks of color out in the fields), I immediately felt happy and excited for summer.

It was difficult to choose between the 100+ pictures I took (thankfully, on my digital camera), but here are some pictures from today's adventure:

Today in Lynden, the weather was incredible! 72 degrees and sunny! Kent cleaned out the garage while I weeded the flower bed and listened to the radio. If we didn't live right on a golf course, I totally would have worn my bathing suit, but there were many golfers outside today. Needless to say, we felt really proud of ourselves. After working hard for about 4 hours, we decided to walk a few miles to one of the local coffee shops to meet Kent's dad and sister for an afternoon coffee treat (in my case, a strawberry banana smoothie - delightful!).

After the working and walking, I actually got some color!!! :) I got a definite tan line from my tank top and my shoulders are even a little red. I feel so good for the first time in a long time - got some sun, got some work done, got some walking in, and - best of all - got to enjoy an entire day without rain and with the sun!

Too bad it's not going to last long (according to the meteorologists, anyway). They're already forecasting rain for tomorrow and back down to the 50's...oh well. I thank God for the gift of today and for the taste of summer. I think it put everyone in a good mood: the golfers are laughing a lot, kids are selling some lemonade from their driveway for $0.25, people are washing their cars, mowing their lawns and weeding their gardens, kids are playing softball (or tee ball?) games down the street where many cheers can be heard from the comfort of our back yard. I hope that we have this weather frequently very soon.

So about 16 years ago, Sara's mom and my dad got married...our families had been friends for a long time and then we became sisters! :) Sara and I were the closest in age between the step-siblings so we experienced a lot together: going up north, camping, telling bedtime stories to each other, burying Rocky Raccoon together, tanning on the deck of the cabin...and much much more.

Although we've experienced a lot of hurts and frustrations, I am so thankful that Sara, Mike, Lia and Dan (and their families) became a part of my family.

Happy Birthday, Sara - I hope you have a great day and know how much you are loved and missed by those who aren't around you. Love you!

Your sis,

I have this picture as the background of my computer - it's my niece, Bella, with her mommy helping her make a silly face. It makes me smile every time I turn my computer on and just had to share it with you!

for SPRING BREAK!!!


too bad I won't be seeing any of this all week:

ah well...at least I can do some more of this (minus the snoring):

9 years ago yesterday, my friend - Kevin Jay Lucas - passed away after a 3-year battle with cancer. I have posted about it before, but his absence still touches my heart deeply - especially as I remember his family who still misses him tremendously.

Below is a portion from this website (which also has a picture of him) that talks about Kevin - his life, struggle with Ewing's Sarcoma, and his death.

Kevin was born February 27, 1984. His two older sisters were delighted to have a baby brother, as were his parents. Kevin was an active boy who loved doing anything and everything with his dad, he loved to down hill ski, play soccer, baseball, basketball, hunting and sledding behind the four-wheeler and driving a four-wheeler through the mud. He struggled in school and needed extra help. He worked hard in school and got along with most everyone. He liked his teachers and his teachers cared about him. Kevin had many friends.

In June of 1996 Kevin didn’t feel well and his chest and back hurt when he breathed. Four days after taking him to the emergency room with the thought that he had pneumonia, Kevin was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. Six months of treatment with high doses of Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and a stem cell transplant left Kevin without an immune system to fight infections. With the help of our church and Dutton Christian, Kevin attended school through a tel-video system in our home. This helped Kevin stay in contact with his friends and classmates as well as the necessary schoolwork. He was able to go to the seventh grade with the rest of his class the following school year.

Although for over a year Kevin was cancer free, the cancer did return. Again radiation, surgery and an experimental drug was used to destroy the cancer. All through the three-year battle with cancer Kevin’s friends, family, school, church and many who didn’t know him, prayed for his healing. The Lord gave Kevin a strong faith. Kevin knew that Jesus loved him so much that He (Jesus) came to earth to live, went to the cross to die, and to heaven to prepare a place for those who love and believe what Jesus did for them.

Kevin went to heaven to live with Jesus on March 30, 1999. He is now healed of all diseases and pain.We miss Kevin so much but we find hope and assurance in what Jesus said to Martha and says to us in John 11:25, 26 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

Yes Lord, we believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who came into the world so our sins can be forgiven and we can be with God for eternity!

I love you, Kevin, and will always miss you until I get to see you in eternity.
Your friend and classmate,
Shelly

Only one more week until Spring Break! I think I'm just as (or more) excited about it than the students. :) I'm really looking forward to a break where I can completely relax and get a few more things organized around the house...maybe get some fun reading done...maybe - MAYBE go running. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. :)

Thankfully the snow didn't stick around for long. It was around 50 degrees yesterday and sunny. We had burgers on the grill along with grilled veggies - it was delicious!

Oh, and I decided to go for a new look on my blog - what do you think? To go with the rest of the recent changes in my life, I figured a new look for my blog would do, too. I like it. :)