Life is an amazing journey...

Friday night I received a very late phone call from my Aunt Ruth in Hawaii, telling me that my mom had been hospitalized after suffering what was possibly a minor stroke.  Mom remains in the hospital while they determine what exactly is going on with her almost-85-year-old body.  She is being well taken care of and, although her speech is slurred, she is very coherent and was able to carry on a conversation with me yesterday full of her usual questions about family and how I was doing.

My mom is a special lady.  She has spent 55+ years in full time Christian work, dedicating herself to raising her 3 children (alone, I might add) and God's calling on her life.  Most of those years were spent as a kindergarten teacher in a small Christian school on the North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii).  She has lived on a very limited income and sacrificed much to dedicate her life to the work there.  Currently, she is the acting librarian for the school, sharing her special love of books with the children there.  I don't expect God to take her home this soon, but, when He does choose to call her to be with Him, her reward will be a rich one because of a life well-lived in His service.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, is another brand new life.  Jennifer & Tony (yes, they're the ones that just adopted Ellie in March) were given another baby a week ago.  Little Zoey was born 9 weeks early, weighing in at 3 1/2 lbs. and testing positive for Marijuana.  Her mother left the hospital shortly after giving birth and has not been seen again.  No family members visited or called about her during the first 4 weeks of her life that she spent in the hospital.  She weighs 5 lbs now, but seems so incredibly tiny. 

Zoey's entire life is still in front of her; my mom's mostly behind her.  I pray that when Zoey reaches the last season of her life she will be able to look back on a life that has been lived totally in commitment to God and His special calling on her.

Thank you, Lord, for Mom.  Thank you, Lord, for Zoey.

Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King

His love endures forever.