He Has My Heart...

How could something so beautiful, so special, so captivating be so small? Tyler Kaleo, my nephew, was born yesterday...all 6 pounds and 11 ounces of him. I look at him and feel nothing but love. He has my heart! I look into those big blue eyes and can't understand how I can love someone so much.
Kaleo means "voice" in hawaiian, and how fitting that name is. Not because he is loud, atleast not yet ;), but because what a hope a parent should have for a child. May he have a voice to express his dreams, goals, emotions. May he have a voice to speak up for others. May he have a voice that comforts someone in need, that laughs with others, that is calming, strong, and helps him express who he is.
Watching Jess and Amos care for and love Tyler and Grace is just amazing as they are wonderful parents and just beautiful people. God continues to bless them, and I just look at their family, so very thankful that I am a part of their lives.

Restless...

Restless...anxious...anticipating the next step...

I once again have that feeling, that feeling that tells me I need to do more...to do something. I don't know what it is. I don't know what that next step is. So I wait...though be it some what impatiently, but I wait....hoping that little by little I will learn what that next step is...praying that I have the strength, courage, and confidence to move forward knowing that I am not alone and putting my faith in the One who knows what the future holds and who can use me to be His servant in some capacity.

I wait through this restlessness...

Five More Minutes...

I had an amazing time celebrating Easter with family this weekend. Though we all missed mom terribly as she had to celebrate Easter at her church, it was nice to meet dad's new church in Illinois. The drive was a bit long, but the visit was well worth it. Check out Jess' blog in a few days to see pictures. But I just wanted to share something I have been thinking about. Sunday, Dad preached a beautiful message. It was a message that made me think. Two words that he said rang true to me...to my life. Wake Up! You know that feeling you have when you hear that alarm in the morning and you roll over and hit snooze...just five more minutes and I will be ready to get up...just five more minutes and I will start moving...just five more minutes and... I can't count how many times I have hit that snooze button in my life. Five minutes has become ten, fifteen, half an hour, twenty-seven years maybe? It is time to wake up! It is time to wake up to the life I was meant to live. It is time to wake up to the needs of others. It is time to wake up to address the needs of the world. It is time to wake up to stronger relationships...relationships with Christ, with family, with friends, etc. It is time to wake up to see how my life can be used. My five minutes are up and it is time to Wake Up!

Sounds of the Night

As I am awoken from sleep by the swishing sound I hear as I toss and turn on the loveseat that is bit on the small side, by the sound of the train's whistle notifying me that the train has reached another intersection in the town I am visiting, by the sound of the clock in the room reminding me of the time as it chimes every 15 minutes...I hear the sound of jazz playing in the next room. It is the sound of comfort, the sound of familiarity, the sound of home...and I smile. I close my eyes and hear nothing but the sound of a trumpet, set of drums, and bass work together with the beat of my heart to create a masterpiece. I listen for a moment and then drift back to sleep.

Just One of Those Visits...

Last night I had a great visit with my sister and niece. It isn't that all my visits with them aren't nice or anything, this visit was just a little different. I can't pinpoint it really so I will just share what took place. My brother-in-law was playing basketball last night with the guys so Jess and Grace were at home staying warm from this April snow we are getting. I stopped by just to visit for a bit. And as we drank coffee, we just talked about a lot of different things...nothing deep, nothing serious, just had a nice conversation. Jess put Grace to bed, which was surprisingly easy even though I had wound her up by chasing her around the house and doing all I could to make her laugh...oh the life of an aunt is a difficult one ;). I stayed for a little while longer as we finished our coffee and conversation, and then headed home. As you can see, nothing big really happened. It was just one of those visits where you actually are relaxed enough to enjoy every minute...to just enjoy the opportunity to visit...to enjoy the company you are with. Though, I must say, when you visit with Jess, Grace, Amos and their family, most of the time it is just one of those visits...