Living & Loving: New day.

Happy Easter everyone! It has been a good time here celebrating the hope that comes with Easter. We had a special dinner at our place for 35 people- complete with readings, candlelight, and after dinner entertainment of story telling & poetry- it was memorable! It's still throwing me for a loop though that Easter is leading us into Autumn and not Spring. My sense of the seasons and time passing by is blurred and I often find myself stopping to think- what month are we even in? Does this happen to anyone else?

I find myself relishing in the fact that the Easter story tells us that the way our story ends is with a new day, a new sunrise, a new hope. The darkness is not the end of the story. I know we say this at Easter- but do you think our culture really gets that? Do we believe that there is a new sunrise coming tomorrow? The words to one of my favorite songs says, "If you're like me you need hope, coffee, and melody." And we do. Our culture truly needs hope (not to mention coffee too).

In the last month, I have had 3 close encounters with young people who have attempted to run away or end their life. It's worrying me. A lot. Why are people my age not believing that the sun will rise tomorrow? Why don't they know that the story doesn't have to end in darkness? Why do they feel hopeless when most of life is ahead of them? Is our culture missing out on hope?

Sometimes I think we are such a selfish generation, that when we see darkness, we think that's all there is. Our reality is the entire reality. But this isn't true.

I want to be a person of hope. I want my life to show that things can change. And lately- I've been learning through marriage- that I can change. We can change. I am so thankful for Justin and his ability to show me that I can work through things. I don't have to stay in the state I am now- together we can work on the parts of ourselves that need improved, and with God's power- we come out the other side- more alive, more human, more Lacey & Justin than ever before. The process is not that fun or comfortable to go through. But there is hope.

And our culture needs hope. The next line to that song says, "Yesterday's gone and today's waiting on you to show your face. And it might not be the prettiest thing that you'll ever see, but baby it's a new day." When things seem bleak and done for, I remember these words. When I wake up and I'm disappointed in the day before, or the hour before- I tell myself- baby it's a new day. The story doesn't have to end in darkness.

So I'll keep working on the parts of myself that I don't like. And please know that Justin and I are loving and missing you all lots! Our hope means baby it's a new day.:)