Heart-2-Heart: A new "me"

It's been a few months since I posted anything new, and I feel that a new "me" is emerging.

If having our house on the market wasn't stressful enough, I've added to the mix getting our next house ready, planning for a new semester of teaching, planning a major event for IABC Southern Region, helping organize a Palmetto Hearts event, and have had a few emotional struggles that have really taken my breath away.

It's as though God has been preparing me these past few months for the struggles that our family is going through.

The big one ... my MeMe was taken Home on August 1st of this year. A month ago, my heart was both breaking and leaping, knowing that she was no longer here on this earth, but was home rejoicing with her Heavenly Father. She died peacefully, and at home, with my grandfather right by her side. We were all blessed by her while she was living and I feel even more blessed with her in Heaven giving me a laugh and a smile. That comforts me.

I'll tell you why I feel even more blessed now.

My grandfather (PaPa) is still here with us. He misses her every day, every second. But he hasn't changed. He still has that infectious laugh and happy spirit and I know that will never leave him. I feel that is a part of her that is still in him. The time I spend with him I treasure and I know to not take for granted.

I know she is smiling down on us and giving us a thumbs up. We'd been on a waitlist since April of this year to find out if Kendall had gotten into a Montessori 4K program. By August, we'd all but given up. Still, she had a good school to continue to go to starting in the Fall, but we were hoping she'd get a boost on Kindergarten in this Montessori program.

Do you know, that a few days after MeMe died, we got the call from the school that a slot freed up and that Kendall was next in line for the program! It's like God was telling us that He had this covered.

This summer I was also in a Beth Moore bible study on James. So much has been going on in my heart since that began, but the verse that stands out the most to me is James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

For me, this is our family right now. We face many "trials" but I am working to create joy in this, as I know that God is working in us and there is a bright future ahead. I see this in so many things each day.

So, I post this as a new "me". I'm still Kimberly. I'm still Kendall's mom, our little 4-year old who is now in school - 4k Montessori. I still cry at the tender moments and laugh at the funny ones. I'm Billy's wife of 8 years and continue to fall more in love with him each day. I'm God's child, and a sister and brother to many more. But I'm me ... with a renewed heart and eager desire to look my trials square in the eye, and grin.

Some pictures from the past few months!