Helloooooo

Oh wow! I can't believe that it's April 30, and I haven't posted one single time since February 23. Trust me, it's not because nothing's been happening; I just have a tendency to let time slip away...definitely NOT a good trait to have. Soooo, let's see--first of all, I've been having an amazing time with Carson, the new love of my life! We spend every Thursday and most Fridays together, times that I treasure more than I can truly express. He is almost 11 months old now and is just on the verge of walking. He lets go of things and stands alone, but has yet to take any steps without firmly holding on to something. While most babies triple their birth weight by their first birthday, he has already more than quadrupled his! He is very well proportioned, though, topping the growth chart in height as well. I keep reminding Taylor and Portia that Taylor was wearing a size 3T at a year old, so his growth really doesn't seem unusual at all to me! He's just a big boy! He's already cut eight teeth and judging by all the drooling he does, I'd bet he's working on more. Needless to say, I am beyond proud of this little one! He is such a little ray of sunshine and a joy to each of us!


In other news, Jonathon is doing extremely well with his online class. The course is called "Oral Decision Making", and so far, he has completed two of the assignments and received grades of 98 and 100--not too shabby, right? We are so proud of him. He has been taking his time with each assignment and asking me to proof his work upon completion. I remember after the first grade came in, David asked me how much of the grade I felt I helped him receive. Without hesitation, I told him that MAYBE two of the points were from errors I found, and those errors were typographical, not content. Jonathon has a great capacity to learn and amazing writing skills; the biggest issues he struggles with are reading (due to his visual limitations)and procrastination. He has always been somewhat inclined to put things off (I can't say much--look at how long I wait to post!), thinking he has plenty of time to do whatever it is he knows he needs to do. That propensity worked fairly well before his aneurysm, but since then, I think he's still realizing that tasks that were fairly easy to complete quickly pre-aneurysm take him longer now. He just doesn't have the stamina he once had and trying to "cram" doesn't work. This has been a learning process for all of us, but having him home and realizing these things together has deepened both his and our understanding of his learning style and needs. I do ask that you continue to join us in prayer for his success with this course and any he may choose to take after this one. I think that the time in Athens was valuable for many reasons, but I also think that Jonathon now has to figure out whether academia is the right course (no pun intended) or whether he needs to focus on a job/career path that doesn't require a college degree. Seeing his success in this course as well as many he took in Athens indicates (to me, at least) that he is capable of doing the work; he just needs to to figure out if he WANTS to continue taking college courses AND if he is willing to do all that is required to be successful in every one he takes. I am confident that the Lord will guide him through these next months in reaching a decision. After all, He hasn't forsaken Jonathon thus far; I have no reason to think he would now! Jonathon and I had a discussion today that as he approaches his 27th birthday (June 18), he needs to be sensitive to hearing God's plan for his life is and that hopefully, by the time his next birthday comes around, he will be confident in that plan. If we've learned anything at all through this journey, it is that God is faithful and that He can be trusted. He truly DOES know the plans He has for each of us--we just need to willing to LISTEN and heed those plans!!!

Finally, David and I had the opportunity to visit Blair in NYC for a long weekend over Easter. We flew up on Thursday and returned on Tuesday, one of David's longest visits to date. The "plan" was for us to try to help her rearrange the furniture in her teeny apartment and come up wih some storage solutions for her. Unfortunately, after moving things around, we quickly realized that "it is what it is" and that the furniture was already arranged in the best possible way it could be for the living space she has. We WERE able, at least, to add new bedding and window treatment to her bedroom, a new rug to her living room, and make some minor repairs (a lamp that needed a new plug, a new smoke alarm--a daddy "must", batteries replaced in the carbon monoxide detector, and a wall hanging moved from the bedroom to the living area). As you can see, the apartment is tiny but charming...at least in her mama and daddy's opinion! :)
She plans to add some sort of wall decor above the bed; we moved the wrought iron piece that was hanging above it to the area above the table in the pic below.

Ah, the joys of paying the price of an Atlanta mortgage to live in a shoe box in Manhattan! And yes, the wine on the counter is compliments of Mom and Dad....a must-have in the city! Haha!

And I would be terribly remiss without adding the exciting news that another of our "babies" is engaged! That's right! In early March, Jeff asked his girlfriend, Sarah, to join our family by becoming his wife. We are so happy for the two of them and look forward to making more family memories with them. The wedding date is set for June 9, 2012, and already plans are in motion. The reception hall has been booked, the dress has been ordered, the photographer has been hired, and the Best Man has been selected and asked to do the honor. (I think the other attendants have been chosen, although I don't think they've been asked yet.) We are so touched that Jeff asked Jon to be his Best Man! When Jeff told us that he planned to ask Jon, he said, "I was born with a best man; of course, I want it to be Jon!" Jon is truly honored to have been asked and is already making plans for Jeff's bachelor party...whoa! Now THAT should be interesting! Gotta admit, I'm pretty proud of our Jeff! Sarah, you're a very lucky girl!


Can't promise anything, but INTEND to be better at posting....that's about as good as it gets! Love, love, love mi familia........ :D

How Great is Our God

AMAZING - my one word description of Jon's Walk to Emmaus weekend. God revealed Himself in such a beautiful way; Jon returned refreshed, renewed, and reaffirmed in the knowledge that God has a very special purpose and plan for his life. We are so blessed that he had this wonderful opportunity. Thank you to those who encouraged us, and to the Lord for working out all the details. You alone are God!

Timing is Everything

When the stars line up
And you catch a break
People think you're lucky
But you know its grace

It can happen so fast
Or a little bit late
Timing is everything

You know I've had close calls
When it could've been me
I was young when I learned just how fragile life can be
I lost friends of mine
I guess it wasn't my time
Timing is everything

And I could've been the child that God took home,
And I would've been one more unfinished song

~from "Timing is Everything" written by Natalie Hemby and
Troy Jones (Country Strong soundtrack)

The past few years of Jonathon's life seem to have been so much about timing--the last-minute timing of his decision to serve as a young adult chaperone at our church's Sharp Top youth retreat, the perfect timing of "Dr. Don" to also serve on that trip and ultimately make a critical assessment of Jonathon's situation, the quick timing of the Lifeflight helicopter in getting him to Grady, the precise timing of the surgeons in finding and clipping the aneurysm to hinder even further damage--all of which were part of the miracle we've realized in God's always flawless timing.

This weekend we are experiencing yet another example of God's amazing timing as Jonathon participates in Walk to Emmaus, something that we hadn't even considered until a couple of weeks ago, although David and I had attended similar walks several years ago. The opportunity presented itself through casual conversation with another church member who, knowing Jon's story, suggested that we think about sending him on this spiritual retreat as a way of affirming God's wondrous love for him and reminding him that God has a very special plan for his life. As many already know, Jon has returned home after a difficult semester at UGA and is struggling with the direction to follow in fulfilling his purpose. Although he will likely not return to UGA, he is not sure if it is time to give up on the college path, or if God is simply calling him to re-direct his focus. On one level, he knows that God spared him for a very real purpose but on another level, he is anxious to learn what that purpose is. I think we can all relate to that, can't we? We want so desperately to answer God's call, but we fear that we won't hear it.

We presented the idea to Jon and asked him to pray about whether attending the retreat was something he wanted to do, and the very next day he told us that he very much wanted to go and was excited about the opportunity. At first we worried that we had waited too long to get him in to this particular weekend and that perhaps he would be asked to wait until the next one, but something inside me (a Divine whisper?) kept telling me that this was the weekend God was calling him to attend. Although the quota for our church had already been filled, there was still room at the retreat for a few more participants. By the grace of God and after much prayer, we received confirmation for his attendance to this weekend's retreat. We drove him to the retreat center last night and from the moment we arrived, I can honestly say that I felt such peace and assurance that God had indeed called Jonathon to be there at THIS precise time. Within a very short time of our arrival, several of the individuals we met shared with us that they, too, had been at Sharp Top when Jon collapsed and had watched the miracle of his recovery unfold. Even though it has now been almost six years since this part of our life journey began--the "after the aneurysm" part, I am still so grateful to hear from those who were actually with him on that day. My heart still aches at not being there with him, but I am overwhelmed with gratitude toward those who were there to comfort and care for him. We were even approached by people who had simply heard Jon's story and were excited to have him on the Walk. As we drove home, I reflected a bit on Queen Esther's role in delivering the Jewish nation as Mordecai prophesied in saying, "Who knows but that you have been called...for such a time as this?" I also recalled something I shared in a much earlier post about a quote Jon uses which is, "God's timing isn't always our timing, but it's always perfect timing." I'm not saying that I think that Jonathon has a royal calling other than to the Kingdom of Heaven, but knowing that he is surrounded this weekend by those who know him and his story, who love him, and more importantly who love the Lord, gives me such peace and such confidence that his journey until now has led him to "such a time as this", and that Jonathon will return to us renewed in the spirit and eager to embrace all that God has planned for his life. Praise be to God, the Master timekeeper.

Welcome to Holland

If you've never read this, I urge you to take the time to read it. If you have read it, I encourage you to read it again and often. It's a wonderful reminder to each of us that even when our journey takes us to places we never imagined, we can be grateful for the trip. Thank you to my friend, Fran, for sharing this beautiful essay with me and for truly "getting it". I needed our chat today.

Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley

"Yeah, life throws you curves, but you learn to swerve." ~ Rascal Flatts

REFLECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS

Christmas Day has come and gone. We survived. We knew that with the joy of the celebration would also come pain--joy at the addition of our precious Carson to the family, but pain at the loss of our sweet cousin and nephew, Ross, this past year. Through it all, though, we still know that we've been blessed. God has never forsaken us. He has taken our hearts and our hands and gently walked us through the darkness and into the promise of brighter days.

Today we reflect on the past year and look forward to the one that will arrive in just a few hours. Because we have experienced much, we will face the future with a renewed understanding. With God's help, we will learn from our experiences and use them to face the challenges that this year will surely bring. Although we know that the resolutions we make will not be easy to keep, we'll make them anyway because, after all, our intentions are good and our desire is great.

So without further ado, I make the following resolutions:

• to be grateful no matter what my circumstances, trusting that God is in control and that only He knows the plans He has for me
• to let past hurts remain just that
• to embrace my experiences and try to make each of them "learning" experiences
• to forgive and to know that forgiving doesn't have to mean forgetting, but that it DOES mean letting go
• to accept my shortcomings and not be afraid to ask for help
• to seek an opportunity each day to help another individual, no matter how big or small the deed
• to let those I love know how very much they are loved and how grateful I am to have them in my life
• to remember that each day is a gift and that the choices I make each of those days will be the legacy I leave.

"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's" - Henry Moore

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
MAY YOU BE BLESSED IN ITS COMING AS WELL AS ITS STAY.

Merry Christmas Eve!

The stockings are hung......The gifts are wrapped......I just love pretty presents! It doesn't matter the contents of the package; I just love for them to be pretty! I try my best to have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree no later than the day before Christmas because I so enjoy just "looking" at them. That may sound crazy, but isn't a tree surrounded by gifts purchased with love a beautiful sight? Every gift under the tree (or in our case around the tree) has been carefully selected for its recipient with much love and care. Of course, these days everything gets wrapped, no matter how big or small, and this year, it appears that the biggest presents are for the smallest member of the family--ha, no surprise there! No more unwrapped gifts from Santa around the family tree, although Santa did tell me that there are still a few to be added, today... ;)

There's no question that everyone's very favorite gift this year arrived on June 10 in a tiny package named Carson James Clark. He didn't arrive with a bow on his head or a "TO: / FROM:" card attached, but he was--and is--indeed a gift! He is the child we prayed for and the assurance of God's faithfulness. It's hard to believe that he's already six months old and getting his two front teeth for Christmas--that is, his two TOP teeth; he cut the two bottom ones at four months! He is such a joy to each and every one of us; how very blessed we are!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has arrived--a time to reflect and give thanks for the blessings this past year has brought to our family. Of course, the most obvious one is pictured above...our precious little Carson. Our lives have all been brightened by this little ray of sunshine! He has melted our hearts and given each of us pause to remember God's grace and faithfulness in a sometimes dreary world.

While I would certainly put Carson at the top of my "2010 Blessings" list, I would also add:

• My wonderful husband, David, who has shared my life, loved me unconditionally, and tolerated my moods for the past 35+ years
• My children Taylor, Blair, Jon, and Jeff who have given me more joy than I could possibly ever describe and who are endless sources of pride for me
• My beautiful daughter-in-love, Portia, who is EXACTLY who we prayed for our son to find (we just didn't know her name!)
• My sweet, Cathleen, who came into our family when the Lord called her precious mother home
• My brothers and their wives who have loved me simply because we're family and sometimes when I wasn't particularly lovable
• David's sisters and my brother-in-law who have become my best friends and who love me without reservation
• Countless friends and relatives who have supported me and encouraged me when the road of life has taken unexpected turns
• Jonathon's return to UGA, his beautiful spirit, and his continued recovery.

With the blessings, of course, has come heartache. It saddens me during the holidays that neither my parents nor David's are here with us. Although they are all celebrating with our heavenly Father, I still miss them terribly. This past year, however, brought a grief to this family unlike any we have ever experienced: Our precious nephew, Ross, left us to live on higher ground. His departure from this earth came suddenly and left us all with a hole in our heart that is slowly healing, although like most deep wounds will leave a scar forever. He was a beautiful spirit, a loving young man and a devoted friend, and is dearly missed by those who knew him and loved him. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, but when that loved one has not yet reached the prime of life, I think the parting is that much harder......we are just never ready. We are a resilient bunch, though; we have learned through hard times to lean on each other and to trust in our God. Through His love and sovereign grace, we are strengthened and given the courage to face all that challenges us, knowing that He will never forsake us and that when our life's journey threatens to overwhelm us, he will gently guide us through the darkness.

Our Father who is in Heaven
We lift our hearts to you
In praise and adoration for
All we are in You

Our paths have not been easy
We’ve faced our share of grief
We’ve said goodbye to loved ones
Whose journey here was brief

For those who’ve gone before us
We ask you, Lord, today
To let them know that ‘though they’re missed
The love we have inside our hearts will never go away

And ‘though we do not understand
We trust in Your full grace
That one day when we leave this earth
We’ll see them face to face

But until then, we pledge this day
To live and laugh and love
And not forget the blessings
We’ve received from You above.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-24-2010