Five years goes by quick...

HE is still with me. . .a rose!

Looking back at this blog I saw that I had not posted anything since Oct. 31, 2009.  God has done so much in my life since that time.

6 months after that post - God clearlylead me to move to Ohio to be part of my grandchildren's lives!  It has been wonderful to

experience God's blessing on Kevin, Brandy and their precious family.  I love the fun dinner times with the jokes and "jinx blackout".

And listen to them memorize their AWANA verses and play sports brings tears to my eyes because I know Steve would have loved

EVERY minute of this!   I won't describe it any further or I will never finish this post without having all of us needing a box of tissues.

Stepping out in faith with the move wasBIG and leaving Kimberly was very hard.  But I knew that she would be able to handle anything

God sent her way.  God directed her to a wonderful organization to grow her professionally.  If you would ask her how her job was she

would reply - "I love my job"!  

Living life without Steve has been BIG,but I serve a BIG God.  And believe it or not - God took me to Morocco and Indonesia to provide

childcare in those countries.  This "queen of fear" trusted God to fly her to the other side of the world.  The airline messed up and I 

received a free trip to Oklahoma City to see my sister who I never could afford to do before.  

In the fall of 2012 God placed me at "All the Children of the World Academy".  It is really cool that God allowed me to care for the children around the world then gave me a job with that name.  God has lead me on all these adventures and more!

Saturday, Oct. 5, 2008 was the day that Steve went home.  There were pieces of that day that will be forever embedded in my mind.  

Since that time when life would get difficult, God would whisper to my heart, "I will be with you".  Five years is a long time and I wanted

to remember Oct. 5, 2013 in a special way.  I did not want to work at Kohl's (I work there part time), I didn't want to be alone and Kimberly

was too far away.  I just wanted to be with someone who knew Steve.  Sometimes it is hard to remember happy times and I wanted to

remember some of the fun times we had together!

Our friends, the Hills, from Bethel Baptist Church moved to West Virginia just before Steve's passing.  I worked with Nancy and Steve

served on the Shepherd's Council with Matthew.   I think Matthew ate more soup at Soupy's than he did at home.  I contacted them to

see how far they were from Columbus and I asked if they had any plans for the weekend.  It was only 4 hours and they had no plans so

I invited myself!   They welcomed me with open arms and Abby's warm bed.   Abby was one of my students once upon a time.  Nancy

began to offer things to do but I said that this was God's weekend and whatever you plan - I will take it as God's plan for me.  The drive was

easy and the weather was perfect.  It was fun seeing the school and church where they are serving.  Saturday the plan was to have lunch

under the arch bridge at the New River.  We packed a picnic lunch and headed to the big boulders on the river bank.  After lunch I ventured

out on the boulders for a walk being careful not to make a "memory" by breaking an ankle.  I felt great and it was fun!  Ahead of me was Kayla and Josiah (another one of my students).  Kayle yells back, "I found a rose".  I thought it was an old plastic or silk one.  She came

to us and showed it to us!  It was realand it even had thorns.  There it was - a beautiful long stem red rose!  I took off the thorns so we could hold it without drawing blood.  I began to wonder how a long stem red rose got in a little pool of water that far from the riverunharmed.  It

was beautiful!  If someone had dropped it from the bridge it would have gone downstream from us.  If it was thrown from the other small bridge it would have traveled through white water and would have been crushed going to the boulders.  There was NO explanation for this

rose and Nancy verbalized my thoughts - GOD sent me a rose!  Five years from Steve's homegoing - God sent me a rose!  This rose confirmed to me that HEloves me, HE is with me and I am right where HE wants me to be!!  WOW!!  The rest of the day it was in the van

with us and never wilted.  Abby put it in a vase for me when we got home and now it is in the process of drying out so I can keep it as a reminder of God's gift to me.  I am so glad that GOD is alive and still cares for us.  He loves me and He loves you.  Please seek Him now because there is coming a day REAL soon when He will return to judge this world.  I would love for you to be reunited with Mr. Steve someday.  Read John 3:16.

Oh, by the way, Saturday nightcontinued to be AWESOME as we laughed at Steve stories.  One time I could almost hear him laugh and many of you remember that laugh!!  Sunday was AWESOME also as Matthew lead us in worship at church.  Matthew chose the song, "In

Christ Alone" - one of my absolute favorites!  Check it out on YouTube.  

I will never forget October 5, 2008 nor will I forget October 5, 2013!!  GOD will never forget me either!!

     "I will be with you;  I will never leave you or forsake you".  Joshua 1:5

May GOD be with you as well - I love you all!       

I wanted to send this to you because - just because!!    I will have this posted hopefully with a picture of the rose enclosed!!

Thanks for reading this and being such a blessing to me during these last 5 years!!   I love you all!!