A good reminder

If you haven't been to Nathan's blog lately, go there today and read his list that he wrote in the middle of the night. It's dated Monday, January 28. It's good reading for the soul.

A wonderful song

Last Thursday night before I went to Orlando, I went down to Fort Myers to hear the Gaithers concert. It had been years since I had seen them live. My husband and I used to go regularly years ago.

One of the last songs that they sang was this one. No commentary from me is needed.

Computer woes

I was going to upload photos from the fair last night, but when I plugged my cord into the port, nothing happened. I have a laptop that I bought in 2002, and one of the USB ports quit working a while ago. My friend, the computer repairman, told me that probably the solder had broken on the motherboard. Oh dear. Then he told me that I could go get a hub to plug several in. I have already done that because a while ago the disc drive quite working, so I have an external disk drive.

Along with that I had bought an external hard drive to hold all the photos that I've uploaded, and then there's the scanner, the printer, the mouse, and ....

When I unplugged the second port and plugged the camera cord in, nothing. Boo-hoo! I wasn't planning to get another computer at this point, but I may have to do just that. At least if I do, I'll be up-to-date for a little while.

So I'll be back sometime. I'm to a weekend in Orlando for a regional workshop with Sweet Adelines. Have a good weekend.

Ella in the snow!

I just received these photos from my daughter-in-law. They must be hot off the press since I had read that they were having their first real snow today.

When I was there in December, there were a few flakes that fell, but they didn't stay. This looks like a nice covering.

As far as Florida goes, it's nasty here today. It's the opening day of our county fair. My mother always said that you could tell when it was time for the fair to start...it would either be raining or be freezing cold. Today it chose to rain.

What's Up?

Not much. When I read the goings on in others' lives, mine seems quite ordinary, but I think that is o.k. Along with many others I check out the blog about Nate, Tricia, and Gwyneth several times during the day to see what is developing at Duke. My heart is moved each time I go there and read the updates and the comments of many all around the world who have read about this family and are praying for them.

Another blog that I faithfully check out is A Mountain Too High. This dear lady writes about her daily living with her husband who has Alzheimer's. It too is a very moving blog to read. She is able to write so poignantly about their life now. She has those who comment who have lived a similar experience and they are able to encourage her in her daily walk. I read and comment and yet I've never experienced that.

Our Sweet Adeline's chorus is getting ready to do our annual show February 2. We're practicing twice a week and I'm singing in a couple of small groups, so we are having extra rehearsals as well, so I'm singing my way through the week. I love it!

On Tuesday nights we rehearse until around 10 and then we go out for a bite. In our town it's hard to find places that are open late. We used to go to Appleb*es, but the evening that we went there was karaoke, and it was always so loud that we couldn't hear each other talk.

One evening after a movie a group of us went to a local sports bar called "Eat Drink and Be Che*ry." We enjoyed our food and so we asked them their hours, mentioning to them that we were looking for a place to get something to eat and drink after rehearsal. They said that they'd be glad to have us there, and so we began going there each Tuesday evening.

Last night there were about twelve of us who went. When we got there, we were about the only ones there. We started talking to the server who always waits on us. He knows us all by name, what we like to drink, and usually what we want to eat unless we throw him a curve.

In talking to him, he told us that he's getting his AA degree at the local community college and is hoping to go into some sort of sports business promotion. I asked him what he does besides serving there, and he said that he works at the local A. M. radio station and on Wednesdays they did a sports broadcast from the restaurant.

So today at 1 I tuned in and, sure enough, Jay mentioned the Sweet Adelines. He announced our show coming up and said that he planned to come. What a neat young man.

Before we left last night, the manager asked us to sing a couple of songs. We sang "Heartaches" and "Kokomo," and then he said, "Ladies, whenever I get married, I want you to sing at my wedding." How's that!

It doesn't take much to make a bunch of old ladies smile.

Thankful

Every time I look at this little girl, I thank God for the measure of health she has been given so far in her young life even with the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Ella has been our joy and delight, and we pray that she will have many more years of health and that despite the naysayers that a cure will be found for this genetic disorder.

Right now at Duke University Hospital, there is a young woman fighting for her life along with her newborn daughter. Tricia, who has CF, had been preparing for a double lung transplant when it was discovered she was pregnant. This week because of her weakened condition, her baby was born by C-section at 24 weeks. Gwyneth Rose is doing remarkably well despite her premature state. Tricia is still sedated and has not awakened yet.

People around the world are praying for this family. Visit Tricia's husband's blog, see this tiny infant, and join in prayers for this family.

The Tongue Always Helps

Here She Comes!

Don't you love the tongue! I remember always having my tongue stuck out like that when I was little and trying my best to accomplish something. Ella's mom said that her legs were too short to reach the pedals, but she was trying her best. It looks like fun!

There she goes.

You Have to Love This One

"Cannibal Team"

Five cannibals get appointed as engineers in a high-tech company. During the welcoming ceremony, the boss says, "You're all part of our team now. You can earn good money here, and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat. So don't trouble any of the other employees."

The cannibals promised not to trouble the other employees.

Four weeks later, the boss returns and says, "You're all working very hard, and I'm very satisfied with all of you; however, one of our janitors has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to him?"

The cannibals disavow all knowledge of the missing janitor. After the boss has left, the leader of the cannibals says to the others, "Which of you idiots ate the janitor?"

A hand raises hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals says, "You fool! For four weeks we've been eating Team Leaders and Project Managers so no one would notice anything, and you have to go and eat the janitor!"

from Pastor Tim's Cybersalt

Freeze Warnings

It's coming...cold weather, that is. Predictions are for the coldest weather that we've seen here in our area of Florida in the last four years. We should have a hard freeze here. Up further north, temperatures in the teens are being forecast. The strawberry farmers will be busy tonight as well as the other farmers in the area, working to save their crops.

On the way to the hospital the morning that my daughter was born in January 1977, it was 26 degrees. That was cold! School was closed for a couple of days that year because they could not heat the buildings adequately, and there were rolling blackouts to assure everyone of having heat and lights during most of the day and night. But that year it was cold for a long time.

I have house guests coming on Friday from Minnesota. By that time the temperatures should be back up in the 70's.

Here is a thought for the new year from Steve Goodier.

No Future in the Past

The man looked a little worried when the doctor came in to administer his annual physical, so the first thing the doctor did was to ask whether anything was troubling him. "Well, to tell the truth, Doc, yes," answered the patient. "You see, I seem to be getting forgetful. No, it's actually worse than that. I can never remember where I park my car, where I'm going,or what it is I'm going to do once I get there -- if I get there. So, I really need your help. What can I do? "The doctor mused for a moment, then answered kindly, "Pay me in advance."

Actually, forgetfulness isn't all bad...especially when we decide to forget all that pain from the past that threatens to ruin the present. Like one song says, "There ain't no future in the past."

The past is to be remembered -- how else will we learn from it and keep from repeating it? But why would I want to remember every time I felt hurt because of my spouse, my children, my friends, my boss or anybody else? Why would I want to fill my mind with a detailed catalogue of past pain? Better to remember the times they brought me joy or love or feelings of warmth. Unfortunately, even those wonderful and magical moments too easily fade away.

A friend of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross,asked her about a particular traumatic event in her life. Miss Barton seemed perplexed. "Can't you remember?" the friend prodded. Clara Barton replied, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."

Dwell on the past -- but not the negative past, not the pain of the past nor the sadness. Dwell on the good. Be consumed by past joys and obsessed with gratitude. Dwell upon the moments that uplifted you, the times you laughed and the memories of love shown to you by friends and family. Not everything should be remembered, and those who live well know what to forget and what to cherish. Like the song says, "There ain't no future in the past." But there IS joy there. And love.And kindness...if we choose to remember.-- Steve Goodier

At Year's End

Where did the year go? That's what everyone always says, isn't it. Someone said that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The nearer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. The year sort of goes like that too.

In a football frame of mind yesterday, I went to the grocery store and ended up buying some chips and salsa. There just are not really healthy chips, are there...but they surely are good. I had planned to watch the Penn State-Texas A&M game with the faithful in Sarasota last night, but fog rolled in about 6, and I decided it would be better for people on the road if I stayed home. And so I did. It's not quite as much fun to watch it alone as it is with a crowd. But Penn State prevailed. It didn't look like they would at the start.

I find it a little sad when Christmas is over. All the pretty decorations come down, and it's back to business as usual. Last year I wrote a post in which I quoted from Lauren Winner's book, Girl Meets God.

She writes: "The calendar tells us that this all culminates on December 25, but really the whole season slouches toward Easter. Jesus became incarnate now, in the manger of Bethlehem, but if His incarnateness is meant to make Him more relatable to us, if we are meant to have better access to God because our God has a body like we have, if we relate to Him better because He knows what it is like to weep and throw up and be tempted and suffer, then the Incarnation that starts on Christmas isn't finished until Good Friday. And the miracles that start in the strange inexplicable Virgin Birth aren't finished until the Resurrection.....Even his birthplace takes us to the Last Supper: Jesus, the Bread of Life, is born in Bethlehem, bet lechem, "house of bread," and at the Last Supper, He will break bread for us, and then on the cross He will break His body. Nothing in Scripture, even the names of birthplace towns, is coincidence."

I didn't have an opportunity to sing in my church's Christmas concert this year because I had been away so much, but I had the privilege to listen. Some of the songs were traditional; some were new. This particular one expresses to me, like Lauren's quote above, what Christmas really is all about. The title is "I Believe" written by Natalie Gr*nt.

In a land far away, timestood still long ago.
There were shepherds in fields,
This is how the story goes, the story goes.

Woman with child and an inn with no room.
Born in a manger, foretelling a tomb,
This is how the story goes.

But it's more than a stable,
and it's more than a fairy tale,
and more than my mind can conceive--
I believe.

The wise men saw the baby boy
the angels called the Son of God.
Heaven's child, the great I AM,
born to take away my sin through nail-pierced hands
Emmanuel has come. I believe.

Two thousand years, still the story lives on.
God's gift to us, sent to earth wrapped in flesh,
His only Son--His only Son.

And the heartbeat of heaven confounded our wisdom,
But it's still the simple truth that set me free.
I believe the wise men saw the baby boy
the angels called the Son of God.
Heaven's child, the great I AM
Born to take away my sin through nail-pierced hands.
Emmanuel has come and I believe.

Precious child, how can it be
That God's great plan for history
would send you to a lonely tree,
That you would come for one like me?
I believe.

O Come, Emmanuel

I called my daughter this morning to tell her where I would be during the day. She commented that I hadn't posted since Monday. I guess she checks up on me that way. I've been reading everyone's posts and commenting, but I haven't posted all week.

I was reading over at Jamie Dawn's about the nostalgia that arises during the Christmas season. Sometimes it's happy memories, sometimes sad, or a mixture of both. One morning this week, as I woke up, my husband was on my mind. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him, but that morning he was especially on my mind. As I got into the shower, the tears began to flow mingling with the water from the shower, much as they had done in the weeks following his passing. Even though the love of family and friends is present, the one who is missing always brings a bit of sadness.

The music of Christmas is so wonderful to me. Last night my hand hit my remote in such a way that I came across a channel that I didn't even know was on my TV. Several months ago, I signed up for Ver*zon Fios, and on channel 894 is the Worsh*p channel. It was on our regular cable for a long time and then went off. I felt like I had found an old friend. What joy to listen to the music of Christmas and see the beautiful scenery that accompanies it.

A blessed Christmas to you all. I leave you with one of my favorite Christmas songs.

O Come, O Come Immanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.


O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Winter is here

The temperature dropped 35 degrees overnight here in Florida. Some areas in the central part of the state had freeze warnings. Later in the week temperatures should be back up to 75. I remember when I first lived in Cincinnati after I graduated from college. That was the furthest north I had been, and when I saw the little bit of snow that arrived during that first winter, and as I watched older people out shoveling, I realized why Florida had such an appeal.

I had a young man come visit me on Friday. It was rather cloudy, but he kept saying, "This weather is incredible." He had flown from Wisconsin the day before where there had been a foot of snow on the ground. I took him for a drive over the Sunshine Skyway and then out to the beach. He was amazed. It's interesting how our everyday life becomes so commonplace. I find that when I go to Virginia and enjoy the mountains that I'm experiencing the same awe that he did.

Anyway, today, there is not a cloud in the sky; the air is cool. One might need a sweater or a light sweatshirt. To those of us who live in Florida year-round, we look forward to this all year long.

Are you a fan of the Food Network? I am. Right now the Barefoot Cont*ssa is on working her magic. A favorite of many is Paula De*n. She's a hoot, isn't she. She has a recipe for fudge that I intend to try one of these days. My problem is that I watch these shows, but I rarely cook any more.

For those of you who do like shortcuts, I have a great fudge recipe for you. You can use your imagination with it, and it only takes a few minutes to make.

Directions for making fudge: Melt one bag of chips in microwave or on top of stove. Stir in one can of frosting. Add extras. Enjoy.

Rocky Road - 1 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips, 1 can chocolate fudge frosting, 1 1/2 cups of marshmallows, 3/4 cups chopped mixed nuts.

Toffee Butterscotch - 1 bag of butterscotch chips, 1 can caramel pecan frosting, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup almond brickle bits.

Peppermint Swirl - 1 1/2 cups white vanilla chips, 1 can vanilla frosting, 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, 4 drops red food coloring, 2 tbsp. peppermint candies, crushed.

Favorite cookies and cream - 1 12 bag vanilla chips, 1 can Oreo frosting, 10 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, cut into quarters, 3 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed.

After you melt the chips and add the frosting, add the quartered cookies, spread in pan, and sprinkle with crushed cookies.

Let me know if you try any of these and how you found them.

Christmas Love - I Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.


If I work at a soup kitchen
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids
to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there
to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those
who are able to give in return;
but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things
endures all things.
Love never fails.


Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust;

But giving the gift of love will endure.

Thanks, Pastor Tim.

Christmas Came Early

Yes, Christmas came early for our little family this year. I flew to Virginia on the second. Sarah drove to Knoxville to be in a girlfriend's wedding, and then she drove up on Sunday. For a few short hours we were together, and so we had Christmas dinner and had tons of fun watching Ella open her presents.

My daughter-in-law had this little tree that she had had for years. She said if it got destroyed, it wouldn't matter. But Ella has learned very well. Her mommy told her to touch with just one finger, and she was very good about it.

We opened our gifts before we ate so that Ella wouldn't be too tired. She really got the hang of opening the gifts. Such fun! Her aunt Sarah brought her some shoes and pretty shirts, and, oh yes, she brought her one of her Eeyores from her vast collection. Pooh can't be by himself in the bedroom.

I found this puzzle online. When you match the animal to its shape, it makes the sound of the animal. Pretty cool, and it's not too loud, which makes everyone happy.

Monday morning Sabrina dropped me off at the airport in Charlottesville. According to schedule I would have a two hour wait in Charlotte. I sort of looked forward to that because there are so many neat shops, namely The Chocolate F*ctory. As it turned out, the plane coming to Charlottesville had been fogged in in Asheville earlier in the morning, so it was an hour late coming. When we did board, the pilot made up some time going to Charlotte.

I don't know if you've ever been there, but it is a long walk from the express flights (little planes) to the other gates. I took advantage of the carts and got to my next plane with plenty of time to spare. Before I left I called the airline to see if they had any first class seats available. They happened to have some on the trip from Charlotte to Tampa, and so I used some of my air miles to upgrade. The only trouble with that is that one gets so spoiled to the nice big seats.

I'm still trying to catch up. Every time I come home it is one doctor appointment after the other. Thank goodness they're only maintenance. And so I'm just now getting to posting again.

It's always good to go away and good to come home again. I think my next trip will be in February after our Sweet Adelines show.

B-r-r-r!

This Florida girl is cold in Virginia. And guess what! It's snowing. Flurries, but it's snow, and there is a little accumulation. I've taken a couple of pictures to remember it by. I know when you live in a place where you have lots of snow that it is not remarkable, but I would think that the first snowfall of the season must be something to see.

I've been by to read all your posts, and I'll take some time to comment today. Ella is at the sitter's so I have lots of time to read and comment. When I arrived on Sunday, she looked at me with a little recognition. Her parents show her my photo often, and she knows Grammy in the picture.

It's amazing the growth one sees in a month in a toddler. Her attention span is much longer when she listens to stories, and she has added many more words to her vocabulary. I'm getting to know Winnie the Pooh all over again. When I was here in October, I bought her the DVD, and David said after I left, that she had fallen in love with Pooh.

When Sarah was a baby, I recall that the first cartoon that she reacted to was Winnie the Pooh. It was on TV on Friday nights, and I remember her sitting in her daddy's lap, grinning from ear to ear at the shenanigans of those animals. It's fun to see that happening again.

I've taken a couple of pictures of Ella, but I haven't uploaded them yet, but they'll be there.

As Tigger says, "TTFN." Ta-ta for now.

Guess where I'm going

Tomorrow I'm on my way to Virginia. I'll bet you couldn't guess. I'll be there for just a week this time. Sarah's driving to Knoxville on Thursday to be in a friend's wedding on Saturday, and then she's driving on up to David's. We'll have a day there together, when we will do our Christmas early.

I'll be posting from Virginia, hopefully with some photos of you know who.

God's Faithfulness

I've written a little about the fact that I lived and worked in Haiti many years ago before I was married. I learned many lessons while there. I lived among people who had very little of this world's goods, and I think I learned not to hold onto anything too tightly.

A custom on New Year's Day was to take everything out of the house and wash it out completely so that one could start the New Year all clean. That was not a hard thing for them to do. I try to get rid of stuff and there seems to be more all the time, rather than less.

Recently tropical storm Noel passed through the Dominican Republic and Haiti, dumping much rain and leaving death and destruction in its path. I recently read an e-mail from a lady who works there and her experience of attending church on the Sunday after the waters had receded.

I leave her note with you for your consideration.

Singing to the Lord After the Flood

Sunday morning there was a break in the rain. The welcome sun shone through and our church family in Torbeck gathered. In the days before, the flood waters in Torbeck had filled the church up to the height of the bench seats.

Many church members had suffered loss as heavy rains fell day after day. One lady of the church, Monique, had her house washed away. Others put their children up on the rafters as they watched the water run through their houses, two or three feet deep. Others lost important papers, household supplies and livestock. No one had lost family members.

The waters had run off now, the church was swept out, and the people came to God’s house to praise and thank Him for His protection during the flood. Their voices filled the damp church building (in the Creole language):

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand has provided,
Great is Thy
faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Through the flood they had experienced God’s hand of protection, and they sang His praise with all their hearts. Can you imagine their songs of thanks? We all thank you for your prayers. Join them in thanks for God’s faithfulness and provisions in their time of need. Pray with us that the testimonies of their lives will point hungry hearts to Jesus. Join us in praying too that their needs will continue to be met, through international aid or personal gifts.

From Sarah

Who would have known that on May 3, 2001 a black furball of a kitten would
come into this world and then two days later steal my heart. Sheila, a lady
I worked with in NC, came in a said a momma cat had adpoted her family and
had kittens. I couldn't wait to see them, there was one black one and two
tiger striped. At some point in going over to see the kittens day after
day, I was holidng the black one and he fell asleep. I made the comment
that he was "tuckered out". Thus the name Tucker came into being for this
blue eyed black fuzzy furball. I was adamant that I would have him, so I
wrote a letter to my land-lady asking if I could have this kitten. She
didn't want pets in the house I was renting, but I told her that I would be
sure to have the carpets cleaned and everything when I left. She said YES!

So, after 6 or 8 weeks, Tucker came to live with me. Not too long after, I
moved back to FL (Sept 2001). So we took our first road trip together...
and like me... he doesn't fare well in moving vehicles when he is a
passenger. Go figure! He got to be cooped up in my room at my mom's house
for what seemed like forever to him I'm sure... except for the few times he
got out only to go torment Color. She was not very pleased to have this
youngster in her house. Thankfully, we didn't stay too long and moved into
the house I am in now.

He has enjoyed the windows, the doors being open, listening to the birds and
watching the lizards. We've had our good times and our bad times. The bad
times being losing my dad and then earlier this year the discovery of a mass
on Tucker's side and finding out it was cancer. In May we had it removed,
only for it to return at the beginning of August and grow ferociously since
then. The surgeon would not remove the tumor again and
chemotherapy/radiation would not have helped at all. We tried a holistic
vet and she recommended some herbs that might help slow the growth of the
tumor. We tried the herbs but then Tucker got tired of my making his wet
food taste gross so we stopped using them.

This Thanksgiving weekend, I noticed he was not eating very much, if at all,
and he was sleeping ALOT. The tumor is finally taking all his energy. He
hesitates to jump up on things because this mass is so big it gets in the
way and hurts him. I realized in all of this, it is coming time to say good
bye to my baby, my Tucker. He has been my best friend and constant
companion for 6 1/2 years. I would do anything for this boy, I love him so
much. Some people say, "he is just a cat". Oh they are sorely mistaken. He
is my family. We know each other better than we know ourselves. I will
miss him sitting here on the computer desk, or climbing up on me to take a
nap in my lap or on my chest... messing with the blinds because he wants to
look outside... and getting that look in his eye when I would say the word
"treat"... the other T word he knows besides his name.

So, I said good bye to my baby today, November 27th.... He will be with my
dad and be able to run around after mice and lizards and watch the birds in
that special place in heaven I believe God has for our beloved pets.

With sadness,
Sarah

My daughter

Please keep my daughter in your thoughts. She is having to deal with putting her cat down. Several months ago he had surgery for a tumor which had grown in his side. He appeared to be doing well, but the tumor came back. The surgeon told her that it would not do to do surgery again.

He had been doing pretty well, but the mass is quite large, and now today, he doesn't have much energy, and he is not eating well. We have shed many tears today. Tucker came into her life as a brand new kitty when she was living in North Carolina, and he has brought much joy into her life.

She just e-mailed me and said that she was going to call the vet tomorrow and talk to him.

She reads this blog, and she also visits many of yours. I know she will appreciate any thoughts that you pass along to her.

Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's early afternoon, but I didn't want to let the day go by without wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving Day. I started to make a list of all the things I'm thankful for, but the list is very long, so I'll forego it right now. Needless to say, I'm thankful for this little girl and for the measure of health that she has had during this first year of her life.

So many Scriptures speak of being thankful. Psalm 100 is a familiar one to most people. I post it here as it is in The Message.

On your feet now --applaud GOD.
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves
into His presence.

Know that GOD is GOD, and GOD, GOD
He made us, we
didn't make Him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with
the password: "Thank you."
Make yourselves at home, talking
praise.
Thank Him. Worship Him.

For God is sheer beauty
all
generous in love;
loyal forever and ever.