I've had quite a time since the last time I blogged.
School has become maddening, music has become harder, choir has become amazing.
I turned 21...that's pretty awesome. It's the last birthday that people look forward to and I celebrated it just I wanted to, with a surprise visit from the sweetest parents in the world and a night with my friends in Starkville.
The beginning of this month was definitely a struggle. I lost my grandmother, Nanna as we call her, at the beginning of October. Most of you that know my family also had the privilege of knowing that precious, beautiful lady. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in April of my freshman year at State. She, being the strongest woman I've ever known, didn't give up. In that year and a half of having cancer, she lived, loved, traveled, and fought. When I say fought, whoa, did she ever! She had help from her sweet husband, Danny. I cannot begin to explain my heart for that man. God brought him to her and in turn gave me an even bigger family to love. My grandfather passed away from brain cancer when I was 7 years old. Even though that is a young age, I remember him so well. He had the best laugh ever and he always let me and the other 4 grandchildren sit on his lap...sometimes all together so no one would feel left out. I have been beyond blessed to have two of the best examples of leadership in my grandfathers, both by blood and by marriage.
I have the best memories of Nanna. There's the umpteen million dresses she made me, including my senior year Madrigal dress. There's the spend-the-night parties she gave each grandchild; a night with her all to ourselves including a dinner and outing (with my bookworm ways, my outing was ALWAYS Books A Million). Then there's those precious little uplifting moments that I will always cherish; her and I sitting together in church while I played with her jewelry, her singing me happy birthday every year...opera style, her kind words when I needed them, her uplifting spirit that could always fix any problem, her humor and making faces lessons, her obsession with birds (that's been passed down to me...just look at my pinterest and bedroom), the dress up parties and hair salon nights, and the always famous "I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck" song she sang to us before we left her sight. My grandmother was the most amazing woman to ever live and I am so blessed for being able to have her in my life. I am sad for her to be gone, but knowing that she was ready makes me have relief and comfort. I am so thankful for the family she has given me, the two awesome husbands she had, and the family that I have been woven into though Danny.
I was reading the other night during my quiet time and I came across one the most uplifting passages for this season of my life. I was skimming the pages of John and came across this chapter.
John 14:27-31
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father because the Father is greater than I. And now i have told you this before it occurs,s o that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father..."
God is so powerful when we are weak. When I read these few verses, I was given peace. I read the verses a few times and realized that the hymn "Peace Like a River" is built on the beautiful words in this passage. I am singing the song "Peace Like a River" in Chamber Choir this semester and I honestly cannot think of a better song to sing. Nanna loved coming to my concerts and hearing all of the choral pieces (I got my love of singing from her). After seeing this passage, singing this song is going to make it so much more special to me.
Even if she and my grandfather won't be there to see me graduate from State, get married or have children, God's promise rings out true; I will see those two sweet people again one day. I cannot wait for that day, but until then I will try to live my life out in the best way I can; loving, living, serving and fighting while trying to honor God in the best ways possible.
Living life in letters,
Jennifer Landreth
