NOW NEW YEAR'S

Well Christmas came and went with little or no problems. It was actually a pretty quiet Christmas. We went to our kids house for lunch on Sunday after church services. They did the cooking. It was quite nice for a change.

The little grand daughters were so excited about Christmas. At 5 and 3, the experience is so exciting! What do you mean? At 53 it can be exciting too! Anyway, I digress. The little girls had been opening some presents and it came time for them to give me my present. Ashton and Emma had been telling me for days they had a present but couldn't tell me what it was! They were so excited. They had made the present and wrapped it themselves. I opened it and they were jumping up and down. They had made me necklaces out of curly ribbon! Ashton immediately starting putting them on me. They are so cute! (The girls) Not what I would have picked out at the store!, but I cherish them. They were so excited about it. It was so much fun. Tollie got it on tape and it is priceless!

Well, really when I think about it, Christmas was quite an awesome experience. I did things I don't normally like to do and had decided not to do and then wham! I did them.

We had a candlelight service on Saturday night at church. It was very good. We had families at appointed times get up and sing some of the songs for the season. The Goebel's and us sang Joy to the World. Tollie and Jamie sang a duet of Mary, Did You Know. Tollie had prepared a slide show from the picture book we have of the song and had it playing while they sang. They did a great job. It went well, considering I had had my feelings hurt earlier when Tollie asked her to sing instead of me, but that is another long story for another time. The whole service was very uplifting and fun.

The most humbling part was when we served communion. Earlier in the week we had been asked to help serve the communion. We said yes, not really knowing what would take place. There were two couples who were asked to serve. We were asked to come forward and we were served and then we were to stand at the aisle and I would break off bread to give to a person and then that person would dip the bread in the cup and partake. At the time we were served, we were told, "this is Christ's body broken for you, and this is Christ's blood shed for you." I was doing okay until my kids came to us for their turn and when I looked at my daughter and told her, "Christ's body broken for you," I could tell she was fighting back tears and so was I. I had them streaming down my face. Very humbling experience!

Then Sunday morning, while waiting on Tollie to finish getting ready I was reading my blogs. I was reading from John Alan Turner and it was so good! I read it out loud to Tollie and he suggested I print it out and give it to Jerry, especially since it went right along with his sermon. So I did. Tollie had a call during the morning that Robbie was sick and would not be able to do the power point. Tollie asked me if I would do it. I have done it many times, but we have a newer program at Christ Covenant and I had not ever done it. So I agreed.

We got to the building and he was showing me the program, really easy! He then took the article to Jerry, the minister and had him read it. Jerry read it and asked if I would read it to the congregation. Tollie came back and asked me to read it. What?!? A woman in the pulpit in the middle of the service? Of course, I would! I told Tollie I just hoped the ceiling would not fall down on me!

I became a little nervous the closer it got to time. We also had to coordinate Tollie coming to take my place while I read the article and then I would come back to the tower. It all worked very well. I read the article and had many tell me they appreciated what I had read. And guess what? The roof did not cave in, there was no rumblings that I had done that and all is well. Imagine that!?!

So this Christmas as been a time of new beginnings, new experiences, humbling experiences and trying to find my way back to God ~ inching closer every day.

Now, we are looking forward to the New Year and I have a plan in my mind for my health but I cannot share it with you. The reason I cannot share it with you is that as soon as I do, it will not work. I have experienced that in the past. I have a plan and I tell someone thinking it will give me support and accountability but all it seems to do is not work then. So......I am going to keep it to myself this time. Working on the plan and seeing if it works with me not telling anyone. Hopefully, you will hear of changes coming about little by little. Until then, pray for me! Actually, pray for always!

I miss my younger daughter. She is in Missouri and spending time with her boyfriend's family. I know she is having a good time, but it was hard to hear her voice Sunday and especially when she said she was really missing us and had been crying very easily lately. I miss her and just hope she is having a great time. I don't want her to think she has made any mistakes in making the decisions she has made. I think the time in Missouri will be great for her, especially as the spring comes and the weather is better and the love birds appear!!!! We will see!

My parents are not doing as well as I had hoped. My sister and her husband went to their house for Christmas. It was not planned but they decided at the last minute to do it. Cheryl says that mother and dad are depressed and that dad is not making much progress. He still has to have so much help doing anything and mother is so tired. My sister asked me to go to Lubbock in the next few weeks. I want to go and I need to go. But.......

My work is starting fresh and furious. I have new projects to do. That limits when I can go. And then my Christmas present re-gift (another story for another time) starts for six weeks on Monday nights. I will not miss any of those. That limits me again when I can go. I am trying to decide how I can go maybe from a Tuesday to a Saturday or Sunday. But then in January we have some missionary friends coming. Mindy is coming home the first of the month, iiiiiiiiiiiiiii! It is complicated and I don't know what to do. Please pray for me as I plan and prepare to do what I have to and need to do. Help me make good decisions for me and my family as well as my parents and sister! Life is complicated sometimes and I can assure you that getting old is not for sissys.

Have a great day, a great New Year and stay safe.