Secret to Survival

I knew Monday would be a hard day.  I was dreading the emotions  I would face going back to the house one last time, visiting the cemetery, and helping with the blood drive.  How did I get through it?
That morning I paraphrased 1 Peter 1:1-13 and wrote it on the palm of my hand.  It was right there all day as a reminder to maintain an eternal perspective.

"We have a living hope in Jesus Christ
and an inheritance in Heaven that can never perish.

  Therefore, set your hope fully on what is to come.

There is great joy ahead
even though now for a little while you have had to suffer grief."

That is how I survived Monday and how I survive every day when I want to crawl back in bed and give up.  I press on.
And so should you.

Two Years

Five years is too little
We let her go
We had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from her mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we'd be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We're asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it's unfair

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior?

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

We are held


("Held",  by Natalie Grant--with a couple of changes by me)

Blood Drive Pics

Here are a few pictures of all the fun you can have at a blood drive.  Thank you again to everyone who came.

Nicolle putting up signs.

Kay and Sittie decorating the sign-in table.  (K is giving me "the look" for some reason.)

Teri, Me, K, and Jennifer making Anna ornaments

"Hugs and Kisses from the Salamy Family"

Autographed football, pink roses, butterflies, and books for the hospital

Sittie's beautiful hospitality table

It was Teri's first time to donate and she had to have both arms poked.  Notice Austin in the background--this was before they had to elevate his feet!

This is Nicolle laughing at Austin.  (He was fine!)

Stacy left her 5 boys at home and came to "relax" and give blood.
 Anna's nursery teacher Ms Mary worked the sign in table for the second year in a row.
 Ms MaryAnn and Papa Tom stopped by to say hi.
 Lance "The Man"  gave double red cells and his beautiful wife Shawna  took me to Sonic happy hour.  Thanks Shawna!

Pastor Ben couldn't decide which t-shirt to take, so he took one of each!

Butterfly face painting by Susi

Emily hates needles but did it for Anna.

Spencer, who saw the sign while driving by and stopped in to donate, won the autographed football.

Anna Salamy Memorial Blood Drive

Just a reminder that Anna's blood drive is tomorrow at Northwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City from 2-7pm.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone there.  If you can't donate, you can bring a book or a snack food item to donate to the Ronald McDonald Family Room at OU Children's Hospital.

A thankful heart

Yesterday Will's journal topic at school was, "Name a place that you are thankful for."  Will told me about his friend Katie who said that she was thankful for China because that is where she was born.  I asked him what he wrote.  (Thinking of course that he was going to say "Oklahoma".)  His answer,  "I said Dominoes."  Dominoes Pizza?  You are thankful for Dominoes Pizza?  "Yep.  It's good."

Today's journal topic was "Things you are not thankful for."  Will's answer to that was "broccoli and bleu cheese."

Today I am thankful for the 12 men outside who are cleaning up the leaves in our yard and parking area.  Leaf removal is a HUGE deal when you live in a forest.  The city actually has machines that clean the leaves off the streets.  The trees are beautiful, but they are a MESS.

Don't forget Anna's Blood Drive on Monday from 2-7pm.  If you can't donate blood, you can donate a book or snack for the Ronald McDonald Family Room or you can donate your time as a volunteer.  Hope to see you there!

Don't faint

Today in the mail we got the final bill for Anna's grave marker which was installed last week. Ugh!  Ordering and installing grave markers is NOT something I should have to do.  But I do.
The next thing I opened was a package from my friend Marianne.  I haven't seen her in 10 years, and we've never exchanged gifts, but for some reason she just happened to make me a cute little clip board with butterflies on it and it just happened to come today.  It has this verse on it,
"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
And so I will renew my hope.  I will keep walking.    I will be strong in the Lord.  I will not faint.

Quote from Will (who is no Charles Spurgeon)

Yesterday Will decided to wear his pajamas until dinner.  When he went to bed I told him, "Don't put those clothes in the dirty-clothes."  He asked, "Why?"  I explained that he had only worn them  for a couple of hours.  He said, "But I got them OUT of the dirty-clothes."

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my favorite husband.  You have a strength and wisdom you cannot see, but I am thankful I get to live with you and lean on you when times are hard.  I look forward to pressing on together to the future God has in store for us!