These days...

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.” 

― Oswald Chambers

Its hard not to read a blog or see a post on FB that doesn't mention Boston. Its so hard to know how to react and how to help. I loved my friend's post (Link Here) who reminded us to look for the helpers. And we are blessed to have those heroes that step up in those moments. The Firefighters, the Doctors and Nurses, the Police, the Brave and the Good who are there and willing to protect and serve.
So for Boston....for the places we don't hear of as publicly that are also suffering...and for the individual people who are hurting for all kinds of reasons--- we do remember you.

I'm thinking lately as the days tip toe closer and closer to a momentous and special day for me!!!( 40 days away now) that there are always things on peoples hearts that are large...even if its just to them... and through the past few months I've had these big things on my heart that have been so large that I haven't been able to see past them very easily. I was really reminded-- when some of it was blowing past---  that when I take my focus OFF myself its such a relief to look around and hear and listen to people that I care about. Even those I don't really know sometimes can teach and widen my eyes and views and relieve some of the worry and pressure I put on myself when I am only looking at myself.

There are so many things I am thankful for in the past few months that (yes, have been hard) so I will say a few things that have been very good:

• Sunday School. I always look forward to telling Bible stories to the kids. I got to share about Palm Sunday and Easter this year. I love looking at their faces and seeing that they are really interested and retaining the information! I love asking them questions and hearing them talk about God/Jesus! I love that.
• Art Gallery Parties: I have recently retired from this position!!! which frees up my Sunday afternoons, but I have enjoyed completely the opportunity for the last few years of doing birthday parties in our gallery and leading a craft. This helped me develop my method of teaching Art and also exposing children to our amazing Gallery we have so close by.
• Family: April and May are very busy months with a lot of birthdays, anniversarys and special days for our family so we start having get togethers and organized meals alot more at this time of the year! I look forward to and sometimes (Dread!!!) the chaos that ensues when we are all in the same room. But more and more when I realize the GIFT it is to live so close to my family. I am so blessed that I see my siblings at least a few times every week and and my other sister usually comes down a few times during the month...I wish my Grammie and Aunt and my cousins lived on PEI...but I have always been really blessed to have a few siblings close by!
• My apartment. I will be SO sad to leave my little haven by the river. I seriously am still THRILLED every morning when I look out and see such a beautiful view. I have been so blessed to have a roomie that I have NEVER fought with even once! I love living here and will miss it soo much when I move.....
• Speaking of moving....Danny and I have found a sweet little house up the road in Cornwall (conveniently near most of our family as well) and we will be closing on this house this Friday!! I can't believe it. We looked at lots of houses, but really we only looked for about a month or two before finding this and have an extremely fast closing so Danny will be able to move in a month before our wedding and we can start working away at it! I am so relieved we have a place to live that is ours and we have lots of plans and goals to making a rental basement apartment to help with the cost!!
• Friends. As I have made our wedding guest list and finalized who our bridal party is I am honestly in AWE of the kindness and help that people have given us in these past few months. We got engaged in December. I was overjoyed that I could finally be married...but honestly...even on that night I had this sense of dread and wondering HOW CAN I PAY FOR THIS WEDDING!!!! It seemed like an impossible dream because I wasn't getting steady subbing and my car died....and I just have these student loans and debt that I can't seem to pay down very easily...but in so many circumstances (some from my sweet fiance himself) I have been utterly blessed with helpers.....people have come along side us and offered (insisted!!! and sometimes FORCED) us to accept help...and I am so excited to see how things will turn out. If I had my way I'd be paying for all my guests travel and buying extravagant gifts for my attendants and going all out with flowers and decorations...but I am reminded over and over through Danny and through my marriage books and through a still, small voice in my heart that my wedding isn't about STUFF and THINGS and FOOD...but about vows, and witnesses to support our marriage and about Danny and I committing to a marriage for life. So the details aren't my favorite but as some of the stress is relieved, I am finding joy in planning even those little things like seating charts!! 
• Subbing. Oh dear. I am the girl that drives to work hyper. I have had weeks that I only had one day booked and lately (since a very popular sub went off on maternity leave) I have been booked even more! I have had the past three weeks of full or half days for most of the week. So when you come from last month of having full weeks off due to March Break and Easter....I am so relieved that I am getting more work at this critical time right before my wedding....plus I also LOVE teaching kids. I have got to teach so many kindergarten classes too which are my fave!
• Sunshine. It's bright out these days. My favorite time is twilight and I have been enjoying driving to Danny's after work for supper and seeing the sun still up in the sky! I love spring and I love the bright sunshine and clouds and the green that is poking through that dead brown grass! Yay for Spring!

So there is always good. (Always "gifts") and I'm so glad that I've had so many GREAT things in these past few months and I am thrilled to get married. Honestly! I CANT BELIEVE ITS SO SOON!

Here's one of my favorite pictures from our engagement shoot: