Sweet Gifts

So I'm beginning to learn just how beautiful it is when in trial and pain God does not leave us in our hurt. Not only does He promise to be with us in trial but I have found so much comfort in the body of  believers He has placed us in. 

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 

Isaiah 46:3-4

Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Isreal, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb, 

even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. 

I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. 

We have received so much love from all around us it is overwhelming. We know and we are encourged that not only will our God carry us through this trial, but we know that the people around us in our life that love us are praying for us and helping us to bear this burden. 

I wanted to document some of the acts and gifts of love we have received in the past 4 months since Gloria went to be with Jesus. And in some way express to you just how much acts of thoughtfullness and generosity have helps to heal our hurting hearts. 

• We received many flowers and plants that were so beautiful and meant so much, especially if you know how much I love flowers. I really wanted to take pictures of all of them so I could remember each and every boquet or plant, but I didn't get a chance to before they died. This was a fern that we received and I LOVE IT. It is alive and kickin and has found an awesome home above our cabinet. The sad part is I don't know who it is from. (If you are reading this and it is you, please let me know, I'd love to look at it every day and remember that you gave it to us) But some how the who got missed in that crazy week of 4/29/2012. 

I love this blanket. It is a prayer shawl that a friend's parents made or had someone make. I can't remember that detail. I have spent a lot of time in the chilly mornings or evenings reading with this over my legs and it is super comfy. I love it.

These are pictures that a friend of ours, Eric Harmon,  from our church took a long time ago. He found them and gave them to us when he was cleaning out his old photography. The picture on top is of a blooming dogwood tree, which has become Gloria's flower. And the bottom picture is of a stream which is significant because at Gloria's funeral, Eric came up to Ben and I and quoted Psalm 1 to us which says:

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yeilds its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers."
Psalm 1:1-3

Such a sweet and thoughtful gift. I will forever remember that moment. The moment of Ben and I hugging Eric at Gloria's funeral as he encouraged us by telling us what was true straight from the word of God.

We will yeild fruit in our season, when the storm has passed and our hearts are healed. We know from this verse that if we diligently "meditate day and night" on what is true in God's word we will be like a tree that grows strong and whos roots go deep. Thanks Eric for such a gift.

I want to hang these in the kiddos room when I get a chance.

We received this in a card. I keep it in my bible as a book mark. It makes me smile every time I flip to it. Such a fitting verse that was put on this card for the name Gloria. It has more meaning to me than ever. Thanks Rutledges

We received this gift card to a local nursery so that we could pick out a tree or plant to remember our sweet girl. This was such a thoughtful gift and I really can't wait to go pick one out to plant in our yard. I'm waiting until we build our deck onto our house so that we know exactly where in our yard we can see a tree or plant that we buy. Thanks Daniel and Rachel for such a thoughtful gift.

This is our seeds of life tree that we are growing. It came as a fertilized acorn and we have been watching it every day as it grows into hopefully someday a full size tree. Thank you to whomever sent this very very thoughtful gift. Again this came to our house and in the hussle and bussle of the day of the funeral we aren't sure who it is from. But I would love to know so that we can think of you and your thoughtfulness when we look at this tree growing in our window. 

Oh I can't even tell you how much I love this rock! I was wanting something to put out in our yard with her name on it and my sweet friends Nicky and John showed up at our house with this beautiful gift. They had also lost their precious daughter 4 years ago and received a rock like this one. Such a wonderful reminder every day when I look at our yard that she is still very much a part of our family. 

This necklace is from my sweet cousin Mallory. Who is much more like a sister to me than a cousin. I absolutely love having things with Gloria's name on them and it has her birthstone on it! I love it. 

Oh this sight makes me so incredibly happy!!! These are 4 of the dogwood trees that we were given and are now thriving out in frount of our house. Dogwood flowers are Gloria's flower and I'm really not sure if I can wait until next spring to see them bloom. I love love love the idea of spring arriving next year to see our yard full of beautiful pink flowers. Thank you to our friends and family who graciously gave us these trees so that we can remember her every spring when the new life of spring pokes through:) 

I haven't taken this necklace off since Gloria's funeral. My friend Rachel gave this to me at her funeral. It has Gloria's birth stone on it and this necklace has been around my neck since I got it. I love having the constant reminder every time I feel it or look in the mirror. I'm a total fidgeter, and so I often play with it and think of our little girl.

There have been so many other thoughtful things given and done for us, and we are amazed that STILL people think of us, remembering that we are still walking this road, and blessing us on the journey. Because it is still very much still a struggle to find joy. So we are thankful we are not alone in this. So thank you again, it doesn't seem like enough to say thank you, but we are truly grateful for this out pouring of love on our family in our time of greif.