So it has been some time since I have posted --- here we are & January is almost over. So April ... I will help with keeping up the family blogging.

Fresh Bread and other Gifts by Joyce Rupp - A Christmas gift that Laura gave me (and 1 to April) is wonderful.

It has been a few decades that I felt so heartbroken, depressed & hopeless as I was about a week into the new year and then I started reading the January portion of the above book:

"A New Snowfall" Page 20 ...

"Close your eyes and just imagine the clean, white fluffy snow softly falling, covering all the drab spots of deadness on the earth. See that same soft, clean whiteness fall into your heart. Feel it heal the wounds, making clean your dreams and your hopes. Hear the God of new beginnings speak to you about the fresh start being offered." -
"It is this 'God of Freshness' who encourages our journey. If we are to walk into the new year hopefully, we need to look at God as well as at ourselves. When we look to the scriptures, we learn how much God desires a new beginning for us. This is a constant theme that runs through the sacred word."

I can't tell you the amazing help visualizing the snow falling into the wounds of my heart and thinking about the snow covering all over our yard and focusing on the Lord's promise of hope and deliverance - what it did for me on my very sad day -- It was a pure miracle! Since that day I have been more joyous and full of hope than I can ever remember. AND it was so wonderful that a couple of weeks later we had a major amount of snowfall that stayed on the ground for a number of days - just to remind me to be thankful of the hope God has given me. (Thank You).

Now to address the questions at the end of the January chapter:

Grievous times of the past year:
April going home
Our Sunny and April's Rajas' euphanization
Laura, Ed & Jack moving to Boston
Missing Bryan
Trying to understand my isolation (i think i am beginning to see why)
Don's diagnosis of beginning prostrate cancer

The Joys of the past year:
Getting Closer to the Lord
Don starting daily bible study
Don & I praying together, daily
Frank coming home safe from Iraq
Getting April, Lily, Daisy, Raja, Thunder & Hummer safely back to Kansas
Having my Mom in my life
Making ammends with my sister
Going to Boston for Jack's 2nd birthday
April, Lily and Daisy visiting in August
Laura, Ed & Jack being home for Christmas
The class "The Truth Project"
Discovering Charles Stanley Ministries

Refreshing hopes for the year:
For Don & Myself to get healthier
For unsaved loved ones and co-workers to be filled with the hope of the Lord
Iraq to become strong so our troops can come home
Paying off bills
Getting closer to retirement ("OldenYears" wishing our life away?)

God blesses me with His presence & freedom compounds daily in my life.

The most spiritual refreshing time of my life? (see above beginning statement)