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Let's Celebrate LIFE!

The dandelions are out, the trees are blooming, the birds have returned.  Life is all around us, winter has come and gone, but not without a few celebrations of it's own.

Pam-Pam and KK (Pamela and Makayla) turned 5 and 6, born just a year and a week apart.  They continue to be bright spots in my day.  I have the privilege of getting them ready for school each morning and walking them there.  We talk about all kinds of things, sing songs and play "I spy".  Pam declared that we are "just like a big family!" I couldn't agree more!

My beautiful roommate, Hillary, also celebrated a birthday.  We met years ago when she was new to the city and a leader in the college ministry at Willow Chicago that I was heading up.  A couple of years later she also became a roommate at the Roscoe house, and it was during some of those late night chats that we dreamt about living together again someday, and ways we could be a part of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.  I am truly blessed by her presence in the Community House, and love the many ways we get to do life together!

A couple months back, I found an incredible deal on flights to Portland advertised for only 3 dates - 2 being my parent's birthdays, March 3 and 7.  Little did I know that a month before I this trip  I would lose my dear Grandmommy, who's name I carry (Catherine) and who has always been my special grandparent.  What a gift from God to be able to be with family while I was still grieving the loss.
 

Our Sierra completed 17 years and is becoming more and more of a woman every day, doing the hard work of a balancing school with being a young mom.  We have great late night chats and enjoy watching Nevaeh, now 9 months, whenever she needs a break.  I love her like my own sister!

Our upstairs neighbor's best friend's son also had a birthday! Here we got to experience a REAL dance party, and how these kids learn some pretty interesting dance moves a little too early...

Johnathan turned 14 and I asked him what he learned as a 13 year old and what he wants to see his 14th year be like.  He said "being 13 I learned that running with the bad kids is not good, and that hopefully being 14 I can find some good friends who don't want to do bad stuff."  There were no friends there to celebrate with, only us two from downstairs and his siblings.  I cried myself to sleep that night.

Moments like those are hard, where you realize what our kids here are up against and what little you can do about it.  When there isn't money left for the baby's milk and the only money thats around comes from drug sales.  Where gun shots ring out and deals happen in front of the house.  Where we are woken up from screaming matches and watch abandoned buildings occupied by families with kids  burn as a result of domestic disputes.

But flowers still bloom, the bird sing and we celebrate that Love wins.

and then, God...

reminded us that He. Is. Here.