Little Life, Strong Faith

Some of you may remember what I shared last December about a little girl named Riley who had cancer and all she wanted for her birthday was to have cards mailed to her.

I signed up to get messages for when her family puts up an update on her CarePage. It may seem a little weird to some of you, but I really looked forward to getting that message in my inbox saying "Update." Sadly, yesterday Riley died after living with cancer for 5 years. This little girl was pretty amazing. Her faith in God never waivered and the family was so strong through it all. I wanted to share with you something Riley's mother wrote back in October:

I was bathing the children Saturday night and Ella said, “I sure hope this treatment works for Riley because if it doesn’t you know what will happen…” I then said, “I sure hope it works too.” And Riley responded quickly, “Well, either way it will be good.” When I asked Riley what she meant she replied, “Well, Isn’t Heaven good?”

Pause and let that soak in: either way it will be good. Her faith and trust just awed me. I have a very strong faith, but I don't know how I would have reacted at her age. Of course Riley wanted to get better, but she knew that what waited for her after death was just as wonderful, more so.

Below is part of the update from yesterday...

"Into His Arms"

Riley woke this morning feeling good. She had a great morning at home with her mom and grandparents who are visiting. She encouraged Kirk to go to work. At approximately 1:30 this afternoon, Riley got up and moved toward Kelly with her arms raised. As Kelly lifted her up, Riley moved from Kelly's arms into His open arms.

We are grateful that Riley passed from this earth without pain and suffering.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. this evening, Riley's grandfather (Kelly's Dad) joined Riley in Heaven. Kelly was able to speak to her Dad and let him know that she loved him before he passed away. We know that Riley was there to lead her grandfather on His path.

Details for Riley's memorial service and funeral will be posted once they have been finalized. We thank you for your continued prayers.

"Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." John 14: 1-6.

God never promised that life was fair. People are going to die before we feel like it is their time, but God has a plan. At first this doesn't make the pain feel any less, but hopefully along the line you will come to realize they are in a better place. Riley had a short life walk of only 10 year, but what a life! Through all the updates on her CarePage you could see that she lived every day as fully as she could. She made an impact on me and she didn't even know me. What a blessing Riley was to those in her life!


(Old video of her, but check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDav02OXxQ)

A Season for Changes

As my sophomore year of college comes to a close I have thought about all I have done in these past 9 months of classes... more than I ever thought I would.  If you asked me this time last year what I thought I would have done, I wouldn't have had a clue!

I have learned to handle class loads that I thought were impossible and worked my hardest to gain respect from those who judged me as young and not able -- proved them wrong. I have grown closer in my relationship with Christ and worked on that little thing called trust. I have gone to another country with a group I hardly knew and worked with some of the most humble people. I have learned that I actually really like research (I am probably 1/385,290,117 who does). I get a little thrill from receiving that excellent score after spending weeks grasping at straws with lack of sleep (I know, nerdy). I found out that sometimes it is okay to bomb a test - no one is perfect. Surviving on 3 hours of sleep, often, IS possible. I have met some great people through Campus Crusade and learned how to shag (before you freak out, the Carolina version is dancing). Greek food is something I now adore and I really dislike papaya... never again (the one thing in Belize I didn't like). I still haven't figured out that I can't drink caffeine...

In cleaning out a drawer last week I found a piece of paper I had ripped out of a magazine almost two years ago. The paper is creased and faded, but the words really speak to me:

I've come to realize that just as seasons come and go, the flowers bloom, and the leaves change, the landscapes of our lives are constantly changing. Just like nature, life has seasons. Some are bright and cheerful and bring so much joy laughter, you wish they'd stay forever. Some are just dull spots. Some are long, hard, and painful. We all go through these different seasons, and as I look back on the good ones and the tough ones in my life, I realize they have all been important. Many have been life changing; all have shaped who I am. I am happy to have experienced them all.... Find a reason to smile everyday, no matter what, because we've got so much to be thankful for.

Paul Deen, Cooking with Paula Deen, Sept./Oct. 2009

Hey y'all, there is more to life than "just add butter." Imagine that... ;-)

Sometimes I feel like I am walking a tight rope blindfolded. Do I lean left or right? How much farther can I go? How much can I juggle as I balance? As the fear tries to swallow me up I feel that familiar hand gently steady me on the rope and guide me. I don't need to keep all the worries to myself, because He knows them before I do. So, finish your tight rope walk with a smile and a ta-dah, but don't forget to give Him the glory!

So, my smile today is a smile of contentment, because I have crossed the tight rope once again. I am thankful for His presence as it never leaves my side. This feeling of elation with the semester being over will fade, but hey, life has it seasons and God has a plan. I can't wait to see what He has planned for me soon!

The Face of Terror is Dead

I got chills when I saw this news headline late last night: Usama bin Laden is Dead. I felt this shock followed by a sense of elation flow over me. The master mind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people was killed on May 1, 2011. He was killed in a fire fight courtesy of the USA Navy SEALs, a group called Team 6, which was led by CIA intelligence. The United States was in possession of his body and did DNA testing to ensure that it was in fact his body. As of news from this morning he was buried at sea.

Usama bin Laden was located near Islamabad, Pakistan in a compound or what looked like a mansion. None of our troops were harmed on this specific operation. However, April was a very deadly month with a high loss of American troops.

Someday my own children might read this and not understand the significance of bin Laden's death. It is hard to put the emotion into words. So many lives have been affected by this hateful man... not just Americans. Many people living in the Middle East have been living in fear, been kidnapped, tortured, and/or murdered. The Americans, British, and Australians have fought together. Brave men and women have died. I was in the 5th grade when the 9/11 attacks happened and I know I will never forget the images and the horror of what happened. The fact that the man responsible for the planning of that terrible day is dead is a little mind numbing.

Usama bin Laden's death is not the end of terror, but I can guarantee that men and women were rejoicing last night... they probably still are today. The Al Qaeda has been dealt a major blow that I pray will weaken them to a point of overpowering! Their leader may be dead, but they are still an active extremist group. There is no telling the information we will be able to get from the evidence in the compound bin Laden was staying in that can help lead us to them or divert future attacks.

America does not run from a fight. If you feel bold enough to attack our country, know that you will never be able to outrun us. I think with the death of bin Laden we have shown that we don't back down. Pray for the people who still stand in harms way. God bless our troops!