Team Molly

This weekend is Jon's Run and Mother's Day and I can already feel the anticpation as we lead up to it.  I want it to be a good and memorable weekend, but the worry of too many overwhelming emotions with so many people around is a little intimidating. I am praying for God to get me through it and I believe it may be hard, but will be so good as well.

Jon's Run is a 5K where we raise money to support the Infant and Child Loss Center at Any Baby Can while we remember our children who have passed away.  The first run was held 11 years ago and was started to remember Jon Stephenson, a baby who passed away from SIDS.  I personally feel a special connection to Jon's family because his mommy was my middle school choir teacher at Wood Middle School.  What a small world!  Melissa (Mrs. French... as I still feel I need to call her) has been super encouraging and I can't wait to see her on Saturday! 

We have formed our own Team Molly and have 56 donors and 42 runners that have raised $775!  Wow!  That is so amazing!  We are most definitely praising God!  I'm so excited for everyone to come together Saturday just to celebrate Molly's short life and remember her and it's not too late to register if you still want to.  It's already bringing tears to my eyes.  For our team, we have shirts and bracelets that have Matthew 19:14 on them, which reads, 'Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."'  While I do believe that God holds a special place in heaven for babies and children who die young, I think this verse is talking about heaven belonging to people with faith like a child.  Jesus wants us to come to Him without hinderance with absolute faith that he can move mountains.  Thinking about children, you can tell them almost any story and they will believe it to be true (Santa Clause, tooth fairy, cross your eyes and they will stay that way, etc.), but the more the world starts to influence them the less faith they have in that story.  So we chose this verse not only because it shows Christs love of children and heaven belonging to them, but because it shows how Christ's loves us and heaven belongs to those with faith.  It's hard to put the symbolism into words, but I hope you understand.  And these bracelets and shirts will hopefully be a reminder to have absolute faith in God, even when it's hard, because those who do belong in the kingdom of heaven someday. 

Speaking of reminders of faith, I was listening to KLOVE the other day and sometimes God will send a message that is clear as a bell.  It is so easy to get caught up in getting our to-do list done, run the errands, get the kids here and there, pay the bills, etc. that all we want to do is survive, but what we need to be doing is making a concious effort to THRIVE.  Make time in our busy lives to meditate on God's word, spend it in prayer, show God's word to others and just make Him a priority.  The perfectionist in me is always trying to get everything done and be that creative mom that goes above and beyond, but sometimes I just have to let some of it go and re-focus myself on the Lord.  Some of my sweetest, most precios moments in my relationship with God  were the first few weeks after Molly died.  When I feel myself getting too caught up in "surviving", I have to force myself to take a step back because I want to get to that place with God again.  It's a constant, never ending juggle and some are better than others at it.  I have never been great at it, but have to make a concious effort about it.  I just wanted to tell everyone to keep working on your faith.  Some days are easy to fit in and others are so hard.... just gotta keep doing our best and working on it.  It can always get better!

I can't wait to see y'all this weekend!!