ketchup

No, not that kind of ketchup, I meant catch up.

Vacation is awesome! But, coming back to reality is....well....busy. Time to catch up on everything I left behind.

But, it is also eye opening. After spending 10 days without a computer, I realized that I don't need to be on it very much. And, living out of suitcase for 14 days shows me how little I need on a day to day basis. And, although Timm and I are very independent, that's a long time to be apart, and we both missed each other a lot.

So, that is all good.

And, referring back to my last post, life sure does proove to be a constant contradiction between joy and sorrow, life and death, celebration and sadness.

A few days before I was to leave my parent's place in Florida to head back to Michigan, we recieved a phone call that my aunt in MI was sick in the hospital with cancer. Not good. Her condition went from bad to worse quickly, and by the time I arrived home on Friday and called my parents to tell them we arrived safely, they informed me that they would leave the next morning to travel back to MI as well. They didn't make it in time to have a final visit with my aunt, as she passed away late sat night/early sun morning. In her home. With her best friend and two children by her side. Ugh. Death. It's so hard. So hard.

Lot's of fond memories from childhood that I am reflecting on as I mourn the loss of my aunt. They are the family who took me skiing up north in the winter, to king's island in the summer, and to the drive in, or whatever else they did for fun. They lived right across the field from us, so my cousins and I could walk or bike to each other's houses all the time to play. So many memories of my childhood involve her, my uncle (who passed away almost 20 years ago from a sudden heart attack at age 44), and my cousins. It's fun to reflect on the memories, and horribly sad to know that we will never again be able to get together at Christmas time and reminisce about all those fun times.

At the same time that this is happening, Timm is finding out at work that they are definately moving him to a position in Brooklyn, NY for the 2009 school year. So, one HUGE piece of the puzzle has fallen into place for us to move our family out there and start ministering to the needs of the city and bringing the light and truth of Jesus to a place with lots of darkness. So, we celebrate that. And, any day now, we expect a new cousin to be born and celebration of a new life! And we have to sell our house, and we had a showing scheduled this weekend, and they didn't show up. Ups and downs.

Life is so strange.

I thank God for his offer of peace. Without the peace that he offers, I don't know how I could handle the ups and downs and constant weaving together of various emotions.... success and defeat, decisions and plans and unexpected turns in the road.

OK, I'll quit blabbing and get back to my to-do list.

My life is good. It is blessed. I can sing God's praises, as well as weep tears of sorrow, all the while thanking God that it's HIM holding me through it all.