My sister sent me this prayer at the beginning of a new year and I would like to post it here as a prayer for anyone that might be reading this. I need this as I enter 2008.

"I stand between the years. The Light of My Presence is flung across the year to come - the radiance of the Sun of Righteousness.
Backward, over the past year is My Shadow thrown,
hiding trouble and sorrow and disappointment.
Dwell not on the past - only on the present...
bury every fear of the future...of suffering, of loss.
Bury all thought of unkindness and bitterness, all your dislikes,
your resentments your sense of failure,
your disappointments in others and in yourself...
leave them all and go forward to a new and risen life.
Remember you must not see as the world sees. I hold the year in My Hands -
in trust for you.
But I will guide you one day at a time. Leave the rest with Me.
You must not anticipate the gift by fears or thoughts of the days ahead.
And for each day I shall supply the wisdom
and the strength."

Have a blessed New Year.

Well, another beautiful Christmas. It had it's rough moments without my Dad but we had a good time together and he was doing well when we went to see him.
2008 - it hasn't even arrived yet and it promises to be quite eventful. I just needed to post one of my favorite quotes; one that has seen me through a lot of twists and turns in my life. And with it I pray for a very blessed New Year for you all.

"The next hour, the next moment, is as much beyond our grasp and as much in God's care, as that a hundred years away. Care for the next minute is just as foolish as care for the morrow, or for a day in the next thousand years - in neither can we do anything, in both God is doing everything."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

My pastor spoke a couple weeks ago about waiting on God. It seems as if there are a lot of areas of my life in which I am waiting to see God's hand. I was slightly frustrated the other day and I was telling Him that it would really be o.k. to take my Dad home to heaven. After all that's where he wants to be, what was He waiting on?! My mom went to visit him yesterday and his roommate started talking to her about my dad. He said, "your husband is the kindest, gentlest man of faith I have ever met. I sure wish I could be more like him." God doesn't always show us why His timing is what it is but in this case He was willing to give me a glimpse of how He was still using my dad and He just isn't finished with him here on earth. Sometimes through our earthly eyes it just doesn't make sense. But God's timing is always perfect. He is never late.

"Oh come let us adore Him". We sing this one all season. Once again, I borrow from others as I am not one that is able to compose beautiful, wise words but I do appreciate them.

"...the highest adoration is not occupied with the recollection of favors received and mercies extended, though they do help one be aware of the true nature of God. There is still, in all such recollection, a remnant of that self-centeredness which it should be the purpose of prayer to escape. In it, we are still thinking of God in terms of something done to me and for me. We never really adore Him, until we arrive at the moment when we worship Him for what He is in Himself, apart from any consideration of the impact of His Divine Selfhood upon our desires and our welfare. Then we love Him for Himself alone. Then we adore Him, regardless of whether any personal benefit is in anticipation or not. Then it is not what He has done for us or what we expect Him to do for us, but what He has been from eternity before we existed, and what He is not even if we were not here to need Him, and what He will be forever whether that "forever" includes us or not - it is that which captivates us and evokes from us the selfless offering of self in worship. That is pure adoration. Nothing less is worthy of the name." Albert Day

Father; may my life make your great heart glad today. Let me live in adoration, praise and gratitude for who you are and all you have come to mean to me. Amen

Another beautiful week-end. Happy birthday to my favorite 4 yr. old, Trey Ryan Stetler. I love this bundle of joy. He is such a handsome little guy and it is so obvious to me that he will have something very special to contribute to our world. We celebrated his birthday Transformer style. His smile is contagious and his personality is electric. He walks into a room and it lights up. Here is a picture of our Trey for you to enjoy. Happy Birthday big guy!!

It's been a while since I've posted but as you can guess I've been going a mile a minute. Some people would say I get obsessed with Christmas but, oh well... Last weekend I had the weekend from heaven. I spent two days with my husband and my two kids in Nashville Indiana. My favorite people and my favorite place. It was like deja vu. We have spent a lot of time in this special place, just the four of us and I never thought it would happen again. I get very melancholy this time of year, thinking about good times that have come and gone. Last weekend we went back and relived some of those memories. For me it was wonderful. I think we all had a great time. I love my family and nobody has a better husband or kids than I. I wish you all special times this holiday season and think about re-living some. You really can go back.

I thought I would share some special moments from our wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Fun times, good memories and a family finally coming together again.

I just thought I would share some pictures from our wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Fun times, good memories and a family finally coming together again.