Anniversary Blessings

Today Dwight and I celebrate our 10th anniversary of marriage. I'll be honest, that first year I NEVER thought we'd see this day arrive. However, with the Lord, all things are possible! He has given us a greater desire to seek Him and His will for our lives. In turn, we've grown to love His Word, and I believe, it's caused the following to occur:  We love each other more now than we did when we first married, we've learned to be less selfish and help each other more, we've learned to love and welcome the blessings He puts in my womb, we've learned to serve others with greater appreciation, and joyfully share the things God has given us.

I am so thankful the Lord has given us this day to share!! He controls our every breath, our every sunrise and sunset, He's still in control when our circumstances seem to go haywire. He even controls the areas in life we think WE have control over... our income, our living situation, the number of children we have, and so on. We should have great peace knowing that our loving Father doesn't ever lose control. He never forgets to do something important. He isn't surprised when disaster comes upon us. He allows even those things to come so it may strengthen our faith and cause us to lean harder on Him.

It may not be a 'special' day for you, but take some time today to tell the Lord how thankful you are to have another day to cherish and serve your family the way Jesus did.

This is our latest family picture. It's so beautiful to me to see how the Lord is growing our family!

Merry CHRISTmas!!

Dwight & I gave the children their gifts last night. I can't believe how big Corbin is getting. One of his gifts this year was his very own "real" Bible (as he calls it). He's worked very hard this school year learning to read, and really enjoys having Bible studies with his daddy. He was so excited to receive this gift! He later came to me & told me it was his 'most favorite gift he got for Christmas'. :)

May all of you have a wonderful day today with your families celebrating the King of Kings & Lord of Lords!! Merry CHRISTmas...

Saying Goodbye

Well, my grandma didn't make it to Christmas. She left this world yesterday, December 21st... which also happened to be the 30th anniversary that she had to say goodbye to her own husband. I pray they are together in heaven rejoicing at their reunion. If they are, I know they are thrilled to hear one another's voice for the first time. Both of my grandparents were deaf... and I'm sure my Granny has much to share with him after so many years apart!

The hospice facility caring for Granny gave us ample material to help prepare us for the end-stages of life. I read them all, more than once, and thought I was really ready to face the last leg of our journey together. However, I find myself in an unexpected place now. I was completely expecting to feel a major relief. What I wasn't ready for was the array of emotions I would go through.

Caring for Granny has been a journey of good days and bad... ups and downs... laughter and sorrows... joys and frustration. I admit, some days I wanted to throw in the towel and give up, and there were days I thought, "How can I continue on like this?".

They say hindsight is always 20/20. Well, looking back, I realize how blessed I am to have had this time to not only help Granny, but also bond with my mom in a whole new way. We now share memories and feelings only we can have because we have that shared experience. And what a blessing it can be when you are obedient to the Lord's will... even if it means you have to make a sacrifice or two along the way!

This was my first time to watch someone take their last breath and step into eternity. It's definitely something you don't forget... it leaves an impression on your heart. It has given me a greater understanding of our bodies being just temporary vessels. Yes, 93 years is a long time in our minds, but it's so, so short in light of eternity! Our time on this earth is only a vapor in comparison... What are you doing in this life to prepare for the next?

A world of hurt

I am just sitting here this morning pondering so many things: my feelings, my to-do list, how much will be left undone on that list, and so on. But there's one thing that stands out more to me right now...

It seems like there is so much hurt going on in the world... even if you don't know anyone personally, just read the online news, pick up a paper, or turn on the tv. Maybe it's because of the Christmas season, but there's just something that makes your heart hurt when you hear of someone losing their life this time of year. In just one day, I found out 2 people I know of died, 1 found out they have breast cancer, and my own grandmother may be the next to leave this life... probably before Christmas day. Yes, it's difficult to say goodbye to someone you love when this season is supposed to be filled with joy and happiness...

Truth is, Jesus is what makes this season special, but if you are a child of the King, you have reason to celebrate EVERYDAY of the year. Praise the Lord for that!! People are losing their lives daily by the multitude worldwide. Sadly, most of them probably have a very grim eternity. We should rejoice for those leaving this life who have secured an eternity in Heaven... and those who don't, well, that should grieve us even more!

Embrace today, tomorrow, everyday as if it were your last. Take time to share the love of Jesus with those around you and those you don't know... because you never know if that day it will be THEIR last.