To borrow a phrase...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...


This year has been like no other in my life. In fact, it's without a doubt been the hardest, but as it draws to a close, I find myself very blessed indeed. And thankful.


The physical therapy from my shoulder surgery was excruciating, yet I can lift my arm over my head, carry my grandbabies, tie my own apron and do everything without pain now. That is surely a blessing --- as were the major pain pills since...

Three days after the surgery, my daddy died, while I sat with him in his bed, holding his hand. As much as I miss him and think of him every day -- as much as I would love to just be hugged by him one more time, there is no way I could ever wish for him to be alive on earth again.


My selfish side wants him sitting on my couch this Christmas, taking cat naps, staking out the dessert table, telling jokes and playing with the kids. But what a blessing that instead he is experiencing Christmas with no pain, no fears and no sorrows. He is SEEING the true meaning of Christmas. What a gift.

When we left our church, along with that move came the loss of many people we had considered friends. After several months we are settling into a new church and are very grateful for the welcome we have received there.

Our children suffered the most with the loss of their friends this year. None of us understand it, but we have accepted it and God has been sending new friends their way and for that we are truly grateful. We are also blessed by those people who chose to remain our friends.

Some of our dearest friends are moving right after Christmas. It is a move that I have prayed to happen, but it doesn't make it any easier. This family has been apart for 10 months while Brent worked in another state - 10 hours away.

Through this year, Vicki has lived alone while homeschooling their 7 children and being pregnant with #8. The baby has now been born, and arrangements for housing have been made that will enable them to all be together as a family -- as it should be.

Even as I was helping her pack yesterday, we were making plans for our first trip to West Virginia to see them in a few months. It is a blessing that we will be able to do so.

And of course, there's Ryan. There is no feeling to describe leaving your 10 year old in the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital. Especially as he is crying that he will be good if he just gets to go home.

But he is home now. Yesterday, marked 2 weeks of him being home. In that time, before his hospitalization, he would have had at least 50 episodes that would have required me intervening. That's being generous and counting just about 4 per day. Instead, we have had none.

That's right. None. I have to type that twice because it's so significant. Ryan came out of the hospital a changed little boy. And there are no way to adequately describe how much peace and joy that brings to our family.

So, it's been good. It's been bad. It's been different. But through it all, true friends remained friends. Blessings were abundant and God is good.

Always, always good.