Tag Archives: loss

A year to forget…

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I know a lot of you have faced tough situations this year; so have a lot of my friends, family members, and church family. The phone calls, faces, hospital visits, letters, and questions are rolling through my mind as I type this. You know who you are and you’re on my mind.

This year, for many, has been a nightmare and a lot of us are ready for this round to be over. So, this post is for you: For those of you who don’t think you can take one more blow this year. For those of you who have been to hell and back and live to tell about it. Who have dealt with loss. With confusion. With anger. With disappointment. For those of you who see 2010 as a year to forget. For those of you who know 2011 has got to be better than 2010.

This is your time to think about it. To hope about it. To maybe even offer up a typed prayer to the heavens for a better year ahead. For some of you, it wouldn’t take much. It wouldn’t take much at all to spark a tiny flame of hope in your heart… What could light that flame? What’s something you can hold on to–some tiny piece of hope–that would assure you that 2011 is better than 2010?

Type it out here. And I promise you that this little blog community will be praying that our God of Grace reaches down to give exactly what you’re asking for.

You:Create :: My Very First Custom-Made Desktop Wallpaper

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My contribution to You:Create – desktop wallpaper.

Download:: 1280×800 1024×768 1024×640

I had a hard time deciding whether or not to post this today. To most of us, this little picture above is just that: a picture. But, there’s a story behind it. One of my dear blog-friends is hosting a creativity challenge on her site right now – she started it a few weeks ago.

She is an inspiring young woman of faith. She is full of strength and beauty and compassion. She’s wise beyond her years, and has challenged me to take whatever is handed me in life, whether I want it or not. She is a blessing to those who know her – people from all across the world. She’s an amazing writer. And beautifully creative. And her heart is full of nothing but love.

But there’s something else about her… Something that will leave you speechless.

See, Sara (or Gitz, as we all know her in the comments around here) suffers from a degenerative disease that has rendered her homebound. Ankylosing Spondylitis. She’s in chronic wincing pain. Her immune system is very weak. She can’t leave her apartment, or see anyone who has any hint of sickness. I don’t think she’s left her apartment in well-over a year.

We — the hundreds of other internet junkies that love her — are her community. We are a part of her world. And she is a part of ours. And she plays a huge role in this network of Christian (and non-Christian) creative fun-loving social media enthusiasts.

And, this weekend, a thick and heavy shadow was cast over her world. In short, her father quickly and unexpectedly passed away. The funeral was yesterday. But, because of her illness, Gitz was unable to be with her family. Through the blessing of technology they sent an internet stream of the wake and service to her apartment where healthy friends had gathered.

So what does this have to do with Gitz’ story? It’s all in that quote. Creativity is, in some ways, like a birthing. Like a spark of Light and Life. Like a release of a small part of me to go out into the world and become its own entity of hope and faith and joy and freedom. I didn’t know about Gitz’ father when I created this little piece of art, but I knew Gitz’ world. I knew that she too creates out of darkness and would understand it.

And, here again, in the imprisonment of her disease, Gitz has seen another shadow fall on her heart.

A desktop wallpaper may seem trite to you. But, to Gitz, stuff like this decorates her “door” to the rest of the world.

For you, Gitz, and for Light,

mandy