The South End & Parents

"Our Spot" at Wrightsville beach is on the south end. It's where Brandon & I always went (and still) for our anniversaries while we were dating... where he proposed.... where we take Lennox to run.... where we take our family & friends that come visit.... where we had the Wolfe annual vacation family pictures in 2006 when Raymond was just 2 weeks old.... so so many memories here. It isn't where we go during the day to the beach.... but it's the spot where we go walking at night and where we go during the winter months.

I took MomMom & Papa there today - as it was over 70 degrees today! and we had a great time. We got some good pictures on MomMom's good camera I'll post later.... but here's the one we took with my camera phone.


There is something about water & beaches that I really connect with. Nature very much captivates & touches me....or I should say - God uses nature to captivate & touch me.... but the beach especially.

I still feel so so so so thankful to live on the coast of NC. I love it here and I really try hard not to take advantage of how blessed we are to be surrounded by such beauty.

We have had the best time with Mom & Dad. It will be so hard to see them leave on Friday --- but it won't be near as hard as any other goodbye because their house will be waiting for them whenever they want to come!!!

As I get older, it is amazing to me how much closer we are getting and how much the depth of my love for them is growing. I always thought I was closer to my parents than anybody I knew.... but we are getting even closer.

I think of all the things God has blessed me with - people are always the things I am most thankful for. Mom & Dad are so different in personality, parenting style but they were a perfect complementary pair for us children.

I never realized until I flew out of my fairy tale nest what deep & wonderful & unconditional love they gave us. It wasn't until I saw other families who only exhibit & possess conditional & superficial love rather than sacrificial & unconditional love..... that my thankfulness grew to a whole other level.

I am so un-deserving of them. I can only give thanks to God for providing that home & foundation for me. I pray for parents all around our world today to realize just how important their role is. To please open their hearts to God so that He could change us and allow us to be able to love unconditionally, radically, passionately. He truly is the only One that enables us to focus on others and not ourselves.... which is where true, sacrificial, unconditional love begins. Imagine if every child could have a foundation of parents who love God passionately and have allowed Him to show them how to love their children. This world would be a different place..... Many more would know our God because of their parent's love, the first representation of God we have in our lives.

but despite all I've said --- I also have to thank God for His mercy to be able to undo any mistakes parents do make. Thank God for being able to use anybody in our lives to bring us back to Him. No matter our family life or parent's positive or negative influence..... He has the power to redeem, save & change! :)