"God bless your heart"

i left Asheville thursday afternoon on a one way flight to Orlando. it's been great seeing Will and Stephanie again. they've perfected the art of hospitality and i'm about 100% sure that they don't even know it.

thursday night i got a call from my mom saying that my grandpa (her dad) wasn't doing good and probably wouldn't make it thru the night. friday morning i got a call that he had infact made the transition from this life to the next at about 12:50am. oh grandpa, he was so tired. ever since grandma went back in October, he has wanted to join her. he lived a good, long life. raised 6 children, served God, and his country. he was probably the most patriotic person i've ever met in my life! everytime i would see him or talk to him, without fail one of the first things he always said was, "God bless your heart". i wish i had a picture to show you, but i left my laptop in NC. {it wouldnt be able to handle this trip.}

i feel like my mind is just swirling. 3 transitions in 9 months. whoa. before Cody transitioned, i had only seen my dad's mom (i was 5) and my great grandma ( i was in 7th grade), so seeing people leave this life wasn't very real to me. but man, now.... it's familiar territory.

a couple wks ago, i caught this guy on tv who had literally died 3 x's and each time had been brought back to life. each time he saw heaven. and he made a statement that i will never forget and has even caused me to change the words i use. he said, "nobody dies. you just transition from this life to the next. it's a transition." i really like that. as believers and followers of Jesus, we never die. why do we even say that? it's not truth. if our loved ones know Jesus, they are fully alive. more alive than they've ever been!
on another note, Florida is good. very hot and very much living up to its name. i went to the beach yesterday and only could stand it for about 10 minutes. seriously. it's so humid and this carolina mountain girl ain't used to that. i left the beach and drove to a nearby park that sits right on the intracoastal waterway, found 3 big trees really close together, spread out my blanket, and sat down to relax.

it's kinda funny, because i remember laying in the sun for hours. squirt bottle in hand, lathered up in baby oil. what was i thinking???! i wish i knew then what i know now.

anyway, the trip has been very relaxing so far and i guess the Florida heat is just good prep for the deserts of Mexico. i can't wait.

traveling light