This past year has been quite a year with travel back and forth beginning with November of 2006 Northward to Howard City. Being caregiver to my mother in law has been a huge learning experience.I believe the Lord has given me this experience,not only to show her I love and care about her,but also for his way of showing me the areas in my own life that need desperate work on.Patience,patience,patience please Lord I would plead.Of course we all know that if you ask for this you know what we get.Tribulation worketh patience.Many times I found myself broken down in tears sitting in mom's living room,trying to deal with something that mom has done that should have never taken place or dealing with words and anger that has come out of her mouth.I would sit in my chair in tears with the Lord speaking quietly to me,telling me to get up out of my chair,walk over to her,hug her gently and tell her that I love her. Sitting there he would be quietly telling me,put your own feelings aside,tell Satan to get behind you,she needs you even though she will push you away as you attempt to hug her which is exactly what she did do.Our own stubborness gets us in so much trouble preventing us from moving forward in God's Love to show you are a person that can put things behind us for the other ones sake not our own.Growing up in our home we had different things to deal with,some good,some not so good,but all the same we had a christian home.Homes that have a good christian grounding,christian parents,church going every sunday produce a much different environment than a home that was totally without the Lord as their base and non christian parents. I do pray for her to see her loved one walk back into the door,knowing his time in lock down is finally up.He will be needing us to pick him up next December 29,2009 Lord willing.She is very lonely and very angry that his time with her has been interruted by an awful choice he made that has had terrible consequenses.My prayer is he will have finally learned from this time never to allow another bad choice to take him away again.Chuck and I devided our holiday times between Howard City with helping mom be ready for family gatherings,visiting with her and our own home in Grand Rapids with our family.It kept me on my toes along with doing all the running for Dan and his bell ringing time,Monday,Wednesday and Fridays.By the time the holidays were done I was exhausted.Many years ago Chuck and I were able to lead both his mom and dad to the Lord separately.This last fall I was able to take her to the church down the road and get her connected with someone that would be able to pick her up for church each sunday morning.Every sunset we can lay our days endurance down,to wake up the following morning with a fresh beginning once more.New Years Eve we all said goodbye to 2008 and said hello to 2009,a new year,a new beginning.As I said goodbye to 2008,it had been 5 months since I stopped drinking my favorite red wine,Wild Irish Rose.New Years day I begin a fresh,new beginning with living for the Lord and seeking his wisdom and guidence for my life each new morning I rise.May the Lord bring in new starts including guitar lessons with the two guitars I have and work with my photography.Happy New Year to everyone I love and my prayers for all in all of your new and not so new endeavors.
