Death following me

On December 1st, I ended my post with a list of people who had died or were given a terminal prognosis.  Since then, a very dear friend's 21-year-old nephew died suddenly, a co-worker's 30-year-old nephew died suddenly, the mother of some friends from camp died, and my baby cousin with the terminal prognosis died.  Then my 42-year old brother-in-law died suddenly.  I had started to think that death was following me in December and by February I was almost paranoid.  I started calculating the major deaths in our family and how they occurred about every 7-8 months (my grandfather May 2008, Martin's grandmother December 2008, (skip), Martin's uncle June 2010, my grandmother March 2011, Joshua November 2011, my other grandmother July 2012,  and Martin's brother February 2013.  My friends from my bible study encouraged me not to think like that and prayed for me.  Maybe I was just noticing death more since I had been through grief (or maybe this is just a consequence of getting older except these weren't old people who were dying!).  Yet I still felt like I was around death more than others.  And I was a little wary of what's or who's next.

This Easter, the words of one song really stuck with me - "Resurrection Hymn (See What a Morning)" - where it says "death is dead."  Death is dead.  It can't come after me.  It can't follow me.  It's dead.  Christ conquered death on the cross and overcame it with His resurrection.  It is Jesus who is alive and who is following/pursuing me.  And He is good and has my best interests in mind.

Of course I will see more death in this life unless Christ returns soon.  But it's not because there is some evil, uninhibited, unyielding force of death smiting out people who know Heather Etner.  Nothing happens that is not controlled by Jesus.  I don't have to look over my shoulder or try to outrun death.  Death is dead.  Boo-yah.  Happy Easter.        

Lydia's first haircut

I started talking about cutting Lydia's hair after her 3rd birthday.  A year later we still hadn't cut it but the tangles were getting unmanageable.  Lydia said she wanted to get it cut.  I knew I wanted to donate her hair so in February I called to make an appointment at the place I had donated my hair 6 years ago right after Dylan was born.  It was a month before they had an open Saturday appointment.  Perfect, a month to prepare.  Well, I still cried at the first snip of the scissors.  Lydia donated 12 inches of hair to Locks of Love.  Here are the pictures from the big event.  

 The night before.

 The shampoo.

 Look at that length.

The first snip. 

Holding her ponytails.

 Super Cute!

 She loves the new do.