One Week

 One week.

Oh, how the world the way we know it can change in one week.

Actually, that change happens in one day.

My beautiful friend Sarah's death has caused a whirlwind of emotions 

and feelings for hundreds, if not thousands of people.

I could not even make it through Mass today without crying, thinking about 

how last Sunday morning was like any other ordinary Sunday morning

for Sarah and her family, for me, and how 

this Sunday is not.

 The people that pulled together were amazing.

Funds were set up immediately 

HERE

and 

HERE

(to help support her children) 

The response has been incredible!

I can't help but think of the lives Sarah has touched, 

both in life and in death, 

because of the way she lived her life.

Another blogger wrote 

a beautiful birthday post for Sarah

HERE

The amount of prayers offered for Sarah and her family 

just on this site are awesome, and to think there's even 

more we don't know about!

Someone even anonymously set up an Etsy account

selling anchor bracelets

HERE

Because of her last post, 

back in April

HERE

Sarah had just completed her last bead creation

The Anchor!

Her words here:

"I love the symbol of the anchor for hope. It is very powerful.  Hope is the virtue of having confidence in God's mercy that we will be in heaven with Him someday.  When we have that hope, nothing in life can move us. We are anchored in God.  Now that is something I need to pray for everyday and I hope you are inspired and reminded by this bead to pray too."

I am blessed (or my daughter is) to have this special bead (2 of them) in the rosary I 

ordered for my daughter's First Holy Communion in May.  

Something that was already a treasure because of the love 

and hard work Sarah put into her beads and rosaries, 

is even more a treasure now. 

I only wish I could have ordered more

for everyone in my family.

I remember when I used to do daycare, 

(before I had children)

I used to wear the rosary she gave me,

(they are that beautiful)

and one of the mothers was a teacher and 

she gave Sarah, only a teen at the time, a TON of orders!

I smile now, knowing all these people, 

and even more have these treasures forever.

 My heart is broken.

As I think is the case for all who knew Sarah.

I loved this article 

HERE

put out by the Fredricksburg, VA newspaper

If you have not read it yet, please take the time to do so,

it was written so well.

The part I keep thinking about most, is all the things, 

all the projects she was working on.

All the things left undone.

The sadness for her husband,

 family and close friends that will need to 

go through all these things.

I think about all the things in my life right now, 

if I died, that would be left undone.

Is my soul ready for a sudden tragic death?

Is yours?

I think many of us would like to think that there will be time.

I'm faithful, God will give me the time to prepare.

I'll find out I'm dying and I'll be able to make all things right.

BUT

There's no promise of that.

Unless you count the time right now.

God is giving us that time right now.

We are all called to be saints.

We are all called to be holy.

 God is merciful.

God is Mercy Himself.

Am I responding to His Mercy?

Am I responding to the chances He keeps giving me to 

make all things right with my soul?

 We are the Body of Christ, 

that is why Sarah's death has effected so many.

We are all connected through Christ.

It makes me also think about SIN, because if goodness and sadness 

can effect us all, then evil does too.

When we sin, we might tell ourselves 

"It effects no one."

But it does.

It effects us all.

This tragedy makes me want to try harder

to keep my eye on my treasure in Heaven, 

and what is waiting for us all.

 To have met Sarah as a teenager,( through her mother,
whom I met at a retreat and connected instantly with)
 to see her turn into such a beautiful young woman, wife & mother

 has been a gift to me.

What I do with that gift

 is in God's Mercy

and up to me to choose that, 

to live my life so that my soul is ready always.

 I love this picture of Sarah with her baby Faustina (age 1 now) 

because it reminds me of....

St Gianna Molla with her baby.

St Gianna, Pray for us

St Sarah, Pray for us

St Cecilia, Pray for us.

The good has to surpass all this sadness.

There is a lot of good and there is a lot of hope 

Anchored in LOVE.


(another great article written about Sarah
 HERE
 and about a shelter being named after her and her baby)