Little Hearts

Little Hearts

So many friends have asked how my little boy Von is doing since Kara’s death. I appreciate the prayers and love for my son, whom Kara loved so well. It hasn’t been an easy transition, but I think the long goodbye helped him figure things out in his little head. He turned three 2 days before Kara’s Homecoming, and he was confused about why she wasn’t at his party. I reminded him that she was home sick in bed, and that one day very soon, Jesus would heal her and take her to live with Him in His big, beautiful house.

Kara's Collection: Surrounding Fog

Kara's Collection: Surrounding Fog

This post is part of a series reposting Kara’s blog posts beginning from August 2, 2012.

Surrounding Fog

July 23 will forever be a day that shaped our family. The previous Monday was also a game changer, when the radiologist told us he was almost certain I had cancer. He told us we needed to see a breast surgeon as I needed to have significant surgery.

Dreaming Big ~ Guest Post by Jill Buteyn

Dreaming Big ~ Guest Post by Jill Buteyn

Kara was a dreamer of the grandest sort. She always had some new plan or idea or even trip rolling around in her head. Some hope of the next thing she wanted to accomplish. And when she wrote The Hardest Peace, a big dream came true for her.

Kara and I would often dream over writing a book together. Different subjects were discussed. Ideas shooting back and forth between us. But the one that stuck—the one that became the obvious front runner—was the subject we’d taken a front row seat to. Me, as an observer and Kara as a participant. I’d never done anything like walking through suffering with a friend before, and the lessons learned along the way were many. Kara would often say about cancer and dying—we don’t know how to do this.

Jonna's Tribute

Jonna's Tribute

After Kara’s memorial service, her sister Jonna led a time of sharing at the reception. She began by sharing her own tribute with us; it was powerful, beautiful, joyful, and full of love. Seeing Jonna’s grace in speaking so eloquently about Kara even in the midst of her own deep and piercing grief was something I will treasure for the rest of my life. The relationship between these two women was a privilege to witness, and I can’t wait for them to be reunited in Heaven. She also shared at Kara’s memorial service in Indiana last week. I asked Jonna if I could publish her tribute on the blog. Enjoy and soak in the abounding grace…

Kara’s Collection: Grace in the Mundane

Kara’s Collection: Grace in the Mundane

Many of you have asked about accessing Kara’s old blog posts. You might remember a few months ago when her site broke, and when the new site was posted, the old posts didn’t roll over. Per Kara’s request, we will begin reposting her original blog posts from August 2012. Isn’t that just like her? To think of her reader friends and what we would yearn for after she has left us? To comfort our hearts as our lives go back to the mundane and we attempt to figure out life without her? To read her story from the beginning and see God’s grace intertwined in the details of her life, her battles, her joys, her fears? We pray you will understand God’s love for his children on a deeper level through reading these details of Kara’s story. Thank you for your love and support of Kara and her family.