Happy New Year!
WOW--I can't believe it's been a whole month since I've posted! Time flies when you're having fun! :-)
We've had a very good month! It was great to have everyone home at Christmas, at least for a few days. We enjoyed a beautiful Christmas Eve service at Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus, NE. I'm all for "change" (when it's for the better) but I have to admit that one area in which I don't like much change is the Christmas Eve service, which I've attended for many years--with my "growing up" family and Tim and the kids. I have a lot of wonderful memories of that service--when Cody was just a few weeks old and at his first service he cried and cried and cried...I was in the cry room with him more than I was in church that Christmas Eve! And just a few days before Morgan was born we missed the service--doctor's orders--because I'd had a lot of problems with premature labor. Thankfully Morgan was born just fine--although several weeks early--on Dec. 28th of that year.
As usual the church was beautiful, the music was outstanding, the sermon was inspiring (Pastor Burma spoke from the perspective of the angel Gabrielle, who took the wonderful message to the shepherds) and everything made us more thankful for the amazing gift God gave us that night.
Morgan turned 18 during Christmas vacation. I'm often reminded of the words I heard first during a MOPS meeting many years ago; "The days may seem slow but the years go fast." They sure do! I share those words with all moms of young kids because I know how fast they go...I have treasured the days with both kids and pray that Tim and I taught them what they need to know--most of all the importance of their faith.
During the last few weeks several dear friends have gone to their heavenly home. Each of these ladies played a significant part in my life, and in the lives of so many around them. Two of them died before Christmas (one on Christmas Eve) and I know their first Christmas in heaven had to be fantastic--can you imagine singing Christmas carols with the heavenly choir and being with the Baby who was born that day? Another friend died just last week. She was a friend of the family and I don't remember NOT knowing her.
I went to the visitation of each of these ladies; they had all been sick for many months before they died. While of course there were tears at the memories, underlying those tears was joy in each family member--the joy of knowing their wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt--was in heaven, happy and healthy again, and the joy and certainty of knowing they would see that loved one again in heaven. Their faith was and will be an inspiration to many people for a very long time.
I'm excited to start 2012! One of my "writing" goals is to update Home is Where the Mom Is and make it downloadable, so people can get it via their computer. It will be fun to re-read the book that I count as one of my biggest accomplishments! I also plan to improve the Nebraska Family Times and do some more writing. I pray that the paper will continue to "inspire, encourage, and motivate you in your Christian walk," and I seek God's guidance in every issue I publish.
I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas as well! I pray that God will bless you and your families in 2012!
As usual the church was beautiful, the music was outstanding, the sermon was inspiring (Pastor Burma spoke from the perspective of the angel Gabrielle, who took the wonderful message to the shepherds) and everything made us more thankful for the amazing gift God gave us that night.
Morgan turned 18 during Christmas vacation. I'm often reminded of the words I heard first during a MOPS meeting many years ago; "The days may seem slow but the years go fast." They sure do! I share those words with all moms of young kids because I know how fast they go...I have treasured the days with both kids and pray that Tim and I taught them what they need to know--most of all the importance of their faith.
During the last few weeks several dear friends have gone to their heavenly home. Each of these ladies played a significant part in my life, and in the lives of so many around them. Two of them died before Christmas (one on Christmas Eve) and I know their first Christmas in heaven had to be fantastic--can you imagine singing Christmas carols with the heavenly choir and being with the Baby who was born that day? Another friend died just last week. She was a friend of the family and I don't remember NOT knowing her.
I went to the visitation of each of these ladies; they had all been sick for many months before they died. While of course there were tears at the memories, underlying those tears was joy in each family member--the joy of knowing their wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt--was in heaven, happy and healthy again, and the joy and certainty of knowing they would see that loved one again in heaven. Their faith was and will be an inspiration to many people for a very long time.
I'm excited to start 2012! One of my "writing" goals is to update Home is Where the Mom Is and make it downloadable, so people can get it via their computer. It will be fun to re-read the book that I count as one of my biggest accomplishments! I also plan to improve the Nebraska Family Times and do some more writing. I pray that the paper will continue to "inspire, encourage, and motivate you in your Christian walk," and I seek God's guidance in every issue I publish.
I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas as well! I pray that God will bless you and your families in 2012!
