Sunday :)

If I were to say that this "season" of my life right now was challenging, it would be much of an understatement. With that said, this has been a time of tremendous blessings and I just want to take some time and reflect on the things I have learned.

Family

I am just so overwhelmed at the concept of family lately. The unspoken love that a family has is just such a reflection of our father in heaven's love for us. I mean yes there is a bond between people who have known each other LITERALLY their entire lives, but there is just something about family that is unspoken. There is a trust. There is a bond. There is such pure Love and it just amazes me.

Exhibit A

Mimi - (Judy Minter)

She is my rock. She is the strongest, most loyal, loving, craziest best friend in the world. She is truly my angel here on earth and is quite honestly the backbone of our entire family. When I am weak (which has been quite frequently) she has a bath running, words of encouragement, my favorite food, a warm bed, and puts peace to my mind and heart. She whips me back into shape and loves me in a way that only reminds me of my savior. She is the one person whose love remind me most of Christ. (accompanied with my mother)

Miss Molly (My Mom)

My mom is my heart. Or better yet, I am hers. She feels everything I feel x a million. She is the first person I call and the last person I see before I sleep. My mom's love for me is overwhelming and only makes me hope that I can one day have a little girl to experience that love with.

Cape San Blas-

Instead of writing about every member of my family, I'll just mention this trip. About two weeks ago I had to escape my situation. I went to the beach where I most feel the spirit of God and focused on rest. I focused on sleeping, gaining back the weight that I lost so drastically, and spent time laughing from the bottom of my stomach. I went with my Aunt KT and all the cousins (minus my sweet sisters). We played games, we gave each other advice, and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have such a HILARIOUS family who loves me completely for who I am. I also got to spend some time with my boy cousins, and it reminded me of my big brother. I miss that relationship, and am really glad to have theirs to fill that desire.

Carrying Bubba
tann
oh painful
it only took 500 times
Mac and his sweet mama
The girls
Aunt KT gettin down
My best friend and coursin Cassie
blury but beautiful
look at those girls

My eyes have also been so opened to the love of my friends. I cannot tell you the number of texts, calls, facebook messages, hugs, kisses, held hands, and scriptures I have received at just the right moment. I have had people I LEAST expect to care or even know whats up text me to let me know I have been sitting in their prayers. That revelation just takes my breath away. That people are praying for me when I don't even know it. How encouraging is that? It makes me want to think about others more in my prayers and less on me.

One person inparticular that has taught me more about love and friendship than I have ever known is Maggie Duncan. Maggie and I lived together freshman year of college, and she truly has become one of my most cherished friendships. Maggie has been through every single emotion and trial with me since I graduated college, and I know with 1000000% of my heart that God gave her to me to learn just how to be a friend. Maggie has not only been my wing woman in times of fun while we travel and laugh till we cry, but maggie has literally put me to sleep on the phone so that I could sleep, she has sat and listened to me for hours and TRULY cared, she has given me Godly advice when I need it, and given me a kick in the butt when I need to just relax. We have dissected lyrics to music and talked about our futures, we lead a bible study together, and harmonized to every Wreckers and Sara Barellis around. Maggie is like Ruth. If I needed her, she would not leave me. She is MY Ruth.

The last thing I will write of today is my favorite book, the Bible. I started thinking today what I would do if all the Bible's were taken away like that movie Eli or whatever its called. I think I would die...ok that's dramatic, but I have come to rely on the scripture as much as I need the air that I breathe. In fact, at times, I feel like I can't breathe, and that's when I can read the Bible and surely my heart is still beating, and I am stronger. When I ask my father what his plan is for me. I wish he would SCREAM at me..like literally scream with words not some metaphor. And that is when I look to the scriptures, and most times I can at least hear a whisper.

Haley Roe Murphy