my heart is heavy...

for many reasons....Japan, for one...my cousin and cousin-in-law (this is her husband, that I refuse to say he is just that...he is my cousin :) ) lived in Iwaki, Japan for 3 years and just recently within this year moved to Germany....what if they were still there?  God is good.
I read my friends amazing blog, where she has this charity on her page, and I have been wanting to help out since I have heard about the quake so today, I did.  I want to pass this on to whoever reads my blog:

if your heart is heavy and you want to help out, please do :) any bit helps.

My heart is heavy because of things going on personally....I continue to see God, and I continue to make Him my focus everyday....Nick and I both have made more of an effort to incorporate Him and to walk more by faith.  I can tell you that I have seen God move ever so slightly, but just because I don't see a lot of movement doesn't mean He isn't shaping our lives to be even better.  God is good.  With every tear I shed or every doubt that I have, I know that He is with me, He is with us...

This Saturday we took our dogs to the beach.  It was Lucy's first time... I think she was scared of the water...Yes, she is a Golden Retriever.  No, she doesn't care for the water.  Nick threw her in, she learned to swim, we will see how she takes it next time :)  Not the best pic of me, but she's cute :)

Aren't they cute?