Long time coming...

There comes a time in life where we all should realize how good our lives are...where we begin to have our eyes opened to the many ways that God has been working in our lives to prepare us for the big moments in life.  I have been walking through life in autopilot a great deal.  My life has been amazing.  I knew my wife was incredible...just not how incredible.  I knew I was lucky to have 2 beautiful girls...but I didn't know how much they could lift my spirits and bring joy to my life.  I knew I had a good job and was lucky to have a Christian boss...but I didn't know the difference that would make in a time of personal crisis.  I knew God was big in my life...but I didn't know that He would speak directly to me through daily devotionals and the words of others.  I knew there were people out there who cared about me and my family...but I didn't know the depth of their commitment and the lengths they would go to to help and support my family.

I want to say thank you to everyone.  I want to thank you Brooke for being a rock for me.  For loving me as I sat in the hospital bed and bringing Chipotle when the nurse said I could eat.  Thank you for bringing joy on a birthday in the hospital.  Thank you for loving words and listening and crying with me when there was nothing else to do.  Thank you for reaming out our bedroom and ridding it of dust to help me get better more quickly.  Thank you for so many other things, there are hundreds and thousands of things you do every day that I don't say thank you enough for.  You are beyond words, but I am going to make sure everyone knows at least a little how wonderful you are.

Thank you, Kya, for beautiful pictures and coloring.  Thank you for being my nurse in the hospital and telling me how brave I was.  Thank you for hugs that make everything else fade away for a little while.  You are without a doubt, the most precious 3-year old on the planet (sorry to everyone else, but Brooke and I are lucky!)

Thank you, Kinley, for being you.  For sitting in my lap and cuddling.  For not noticing that there is anything different even when I was in the hospital. Thank you for being little so I can still pick you up and carry you around.

Thank you, everyone else, for patios, e-mail and facebook messages, meals, child care, books, last minute mountain getaways, pigs in the blanket, hospital visits, birthday flowers, gift cards, phone calls, text messages, steaks and snacks.  I can only hope that through all this that I will return your generosity, kindness, compassion, and love when given the opportunity.

As we can see, I may not be a frequent blogger, and I may even be a few days late even when I promise to blog the next day, but I do want to share a little of what God is constantly opening my eyes and heart to.  Life isn't meant to be lived on your own.  Life is meant to be shared, and that means all of it.  The joys, the trials, the emotions, the diagnosis, the thankfulness, and I can not keep it all in.  While I may have a lot of hard days coming, we will not live them alone.  It is only in our weakness that we recognize God's strength.  I will not pretend to be strong like that anymore and hide emotions and hurts.  Nor will I keep from sharing the joys that God constantly sets before us, but I want to share those with everyone.  Sorry this has taken a while, but thank you.