I’m not a morning person. At all. My husband could tell you, my college roommate could tell you. Especially my parents could tell you. But, there’s one place I actually love getting up early, and that is at the beach. It goes back to being a kid and going every summer. We were far from rich, but my parents invested in a beach condo timeshare, something we made so many memories at. We had a balcony facing the beach, and my dad would get up early with his coffee and go sit on the balcony before the sun was even rising. I used to think he was crazy, I mean vacations are for sleeping in! Then he woke me one morning, offered me some coffee and I was hooked. There’s just something about watching the night turn to day that is fascinating and inspiring. It’s a slow handoff from the moon back to the sun. It is beautiful and peaceful and just does something for my soul. So now, as an adult, when we go to the beach and my dad isn’t with me, I still love to get up and watch the handoff. I think of him and will probably send him a picture or text, but also just pray and reflect. I do my deepest thinking at the beach. It reminds me of just how big and powerful my God is. But it also reminds me of how creative and thoughtful he is. No man can take credit for the wind and the waves, or the colors of the sunset. God is the ultimate artist. 
So here I sit after watching the sunrise, (another handoff) while my sweet husband sleeps. We got away for a few days for our anniversary (which is actually in February). My girls are at their grandparents house getting farm time. It’s hard for me to leave them, and they don’t make it easy. Especially after all we’ve been through. But it does my heart good. Nick and I have been married for 15 years now. The last year and a half have been difficult fighting Jada’s brain tumor while still trying to build a church. It’s easy to put our marriage on the back burner when tough times hit. But you have to prioritize it, because it is the backbone of your family. For us, in the darkest times, it felt like the sun would never come up, but like clockwork, it always does.
I remember after Jada’s first surgery to remove the tumor, I took a picture out of her window of a beautiful sunrise. It was a special reminder to me after several long, difficult nights. 
His mercies are new every single morning, great is His faithfulness. Even after the darkest of times, we can still have hope because the sun IS coming. There will be that handoff again, bringing us into His light. Our situation may not change, but it may look different as the light shines on it.
We just finished another Memphis trip. We are thankful that Jada’s scans results came back stable. But we are now talking about her third surgery to try and bring back some of the smile she lost from the tumor. Though we would love an instant miracle, that is not the path God has for her, apparently. So we will keep going with our new normal, praying it will get better. We keep believing in a miracle, but trusting God for His plan. God has shown Himself to be so faithful to us, just as the sunrise-the handoff. For that, I am so very thankful.
“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Lamentations 3:23 NLT
My Daughter's Tumor 