Abortion Recovery Month

Last night I attended IPFW Students for Life's Abortion recovery Month's speaker Star Parker.  They are dedicating April to abortion recovery after a different group celebrated Roe v Wade all in the month of March.

A packed room at IPFW with speaker Star Parker

Star had a wonderful story to share and she was able to share that story with a full room!  I was so excited for the group.  It is awesome to realize that they are only in their 5th year as a group on campus.  But they are growing and expanding and showing the campus that they are there not just to save babies, but to be there for the mothers.

Allen County Right to Life was there and I think recording the talk.  I hope that they have a link to it soon on their YouTube page.  Please continue to keep Students for Life in your prayers, because they are doing some amazing things!

Taking me Back

I have decided that it is due time to start writing again.  Not like my life is really interesting, or that anyone would read this.  But I think that it helps also to provide clarity of mind.  Sometimes I think too much and all of my thoughts get jumbles and this helps a bit.

There has been too much going on since I last wrote, that I am not going to to a catch up piece, because that would almost take up toooo much time.  So we are going to start fresh.

Today at work we had Mass in our small chapel and I was transported back to Spain for World Youth Day almost two years ago.  This was my first big trip without my family, and it was across the ocean and I really didn't have contact with them other than the three times I blogged while on my trip and they had commented on the blog. And even though I was traveling with the Diocese, none of my close friends went, so it wasn't like any normal trip I had taken before.

The church we went to and what it looked on the outside - would you guess it was a church?

To say the least, I felt like I was a bit cut off from everyone. We traveled to Lourdes (which was amazing) and by the time that we got into Madrid a bit of home-sickness come on.  It was one of the first days there and I was having a bit of an off morning, not feeling like talking and interacting.  We had gone to this church in Madrid for English speakers and had a talk and then Mass.

One it was hot, two no air conditioning, and three we were in the loft area.... I was just trying to stay in my own little bubble.

Second level can be seen on the right

I was stuck....

But then came the point in the Mass that we said (one of the points that was changed in the new translation...) "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and i shall be healed." I was taken home and I felt like I was getting a big hug and that even though I was far away from everyone, I wasn't alone and they were right there with me.  I was across the ocean and we were able to hear the same Mass.

Even when we say the new part: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."  I am taken back to that moment, when I remembered that I wasn't alone then, and I can never really ever be alone.  

There is comfort in that :-)

Rest in Peace Birthday Buddy

Marge and her husband Dave were my next door neighbors my whole life up till earlier this year.  And they were the best neighbors that any young girl growing up could possibly have. I still look across the way sometimes and forget that they aren't there anymore.  It is one of those things that I never thought would actually happen.  But alas we all grow up and things just don't stay they same.

I have so many memories growing up with Marge and Dave in them.  They would always take care of the mail when my family was on vacation and we always knew the weather each day on the little post-it that Marge left on top of the mail.  Marge and Dave had a dog Barney when I was younger and my sisters and I would love to feed him.  I remember Marge was the type of person that would always tend to have "too many desserts" and bring them over to us because Dave couldn't eat them due to his Diabetes.

I could go on and on about the memories that I have about Marge, but there is only one more that I think that I should share.  The thing that Marge and I had in common was that we were birthday buddies.  Now that really didn't entail much, but it was that fun connection that made my birthday  bit more special.  We would take over flowers of a card to her and share a few moments of our birthday together.

Marge was Like an adopted grandparent to me and my sisters.  With me only even knowing my mothers parents, and my Grandpa and Grandma Sherburne being called away from this world before I was here, she was the best adopted Grandmother that I could ever know.  We never said the word grandparent with them, but When talking briefly to Dave at the Funeral Home he said we always felt like relation. It was just one of those unspoken things with all of us.

The world lost the greatest neighbor anyone could ask for on Christmas Eve.  And I will always compare any of my future neighbors to the Overby's.  One of God's many gifts to my family.  Rest in Peace, my birthday buddy, Marge.


Marge's Obituary

Only God can get me Through

I am only seven hours into covering a co-worker's job since Friday was her last day and already my head is spinning...

I keep reminding that though God all things are possible. I think I've told myself that a few hundred times already today... maybe it'll start sinking in.

I pray that the right person comes to apply for her job soon because I can only do both jobs for so long. I just hope that I'm up for the challenge.

Through God all things are possible

Sometimes you just wonder

I never thought that life could get so crazy. I never thought of myself in this position. The thing is that I never really ever pictured my future. I never had an answer to the question: "what do you want to be when you grow up?"

I always just made up something. Never knowing what my future really held. I never had a plan. I never really had huge dreams.

But now just even looking back to where my life has gone in 6 months. In just months, I realize that I'm in my future and I never realized it. I have plans. I have dreams. And ones that I am so excited for.

When did I start living my future?

One Year Ago

One year ago.... well one year ago I decided to take a jump off of the Grand Canyon of my life and I am so glad that i chose and followed that path.  Because my life now would not be the same if I didn't jump.

One year ago I went on my first date with Travis :-)  Leading up to that I had to make some choices, and I had to let go of some things that were holding me back.  But I jumped and my parachute opened. One year ago I thought that I was just lucky enough to go an a date with a great guy from school. Well, granted I didn't believe that it was a date and it took my younger sister to convince me that it was a date.

I became open to the possibility that God was going to work through me life, and He was going to lead me down the path that I should take.  Every day I feel so blessed that I am traveling this path in my life!  This past year wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for the friendship and love Travis has shown me.

I thank God for every moment, and while the past is a great story.  I will always look forward to tomorrow!