Fill My Cup

There has been a lot of talk of death and sadness on here recently.  And there is a season for that.  Ecclesiastes tells us that.


Yesterday I got sucked into a new blog.  It's funny how that happens.  Someone links somewhere and you follow it and then it's like a little rabbit hole.  Before you know it you have gotten into someone's story and life.  It's one of the things I love most about the blog world.  I'm a lover of voyeurism like that.

This blog that I got sucked into was written by an astonishing woman.  Her name was Sara and she had a debilitating disease, one stricken with pain and illness.  And even in the posts about her daily life and the trials she faced, you could see the joy.  It was actually at the top of her blog.  Choose Joy.  It was so clear from her words that she really did and didn't just write about it.

She passed away on Saturday.  She was way too young.  For the people that she left behind, I'm sure there is so much pain and so much heartache. And yet there is joy because that's what she taught them through her life and death.

In the midst of all that has happened in our lives over the past year, it's nice to see a fresh perspective.  The funny thing is that God has already been working on us in this aspect and we didn't even know it.  I don't think that either Ryan or I have been living out of grief in the past 2 months.  We certainly could have been.  And yes we miss Grandma and we miss Libby.  But it's not all consuming like grief has been before. 

We have been given great gifts in our lives.  And it is those gifts that we are focusing on now.  Even though the pain of loss is there, the cup is full of joy.

My prayer remains the same...Lord keep my cup full of joy regardless of the circumstances.

Goodbye My Girl

You came into our life 5 years ago.  Ryan picked you.  I wanted a hyper young dog but he wanted you.  He could tell you were super sweet.  He wasn't wrong.

You were already old.  You used to be a breeder.  We have no idea how many puppies you had.  You were sold for a price because you were no longer wanted.  But we wanted you. 

You were sweet and you filled a void in my life.  You were my baby.  You followed me everywhere. 

You barked at people you didn't know.  Strangers never liked you.  But people who got to know you, loved you so. 

When you got sick, you never left my side.  You loved me and I loved you.  It was unconditional.

Then you got better

And we took you on vacation and you had the time of your life.  You had never been happier. 

And then we came home.  And you got worse again.  And we have watched as you started to struggle. 

And tonight we couldn't let you struggle anymore.  You were too good of a dog to go through the pain you were going through. 

And so I bid you farewell, my sweet Libby girl.  You will definitely be missed.  You will never be forgotten.