Happy New Year

Hello, 2011!

What gifts will I unwrap this year? 

 What gifts will I give? 

What will I learn about love in 2011?

What will I teach?

How will I be tested?

Will I emerge stronger? 

I pray my eyes will be open to all the new & wondrous things this year offers.

I pray my heart will be tuned to the truth. 

I pray that with each day I will grow into someone better, happier, worthier of God's great love & grace.

And, when I fail,

in small and big ways,

may I feel the hands of God in my life, 

may I find the way back to the path of my life, and 

May I always be open to His will. 

2011

{the year I turn 40}

bring it on.

merry christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

My father is doing marvelously. Thank you so much for your prayers & support. I indeed made the trip to see him and I'm so glad I did. His spirits were high and his resolve even higher. The physical therapist said he's the strongest man she's ever worked with (his hand strength registered 20lbs more than men his age average) and he learned the way to safely move about by walker in an afternoon (she said it took a 55 year old woman she was coaching 2 weeks to do the same!). He's at a nursing home still but they're letting him come home for each day this weekend. When my sister told him the news about today he said that he'd come home this afternoon after his Christmas party at the nursing home. I don't know why but that is so adorable to me.

So this Christmas particularly for my family isn't so much about the wrapping of the gifts and all that stuff we busy ourselves with this time of year. Even more than ever as we prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord we are filled with gratitude and awe in His Amazing Grace!

glitter houses

These beautiful glitter houses are the creations of the 7th grade girls I shared the project with. We've worked hard for more than two weeks building them from cereal boxes and aren't they fabulous? The girls had such a great time and are so proud...almost as great a time and as proud as I am. What a blessing it was to spend time with them.

I also want to give you an update on my father. He didn't have surgery (they didn't want to risk it at his age) and he's been moved to a nursing home just today. I just got word that he's running a fever and they fear he has pneumonia. I'm thinking I need to make the trip home tomorrow. It's so hard being just far enough away to make the trip a consideration. Will you continue to pray for his speedy recovery?