A December to Remember

"And in despair, I bowed my head.

'There is no peace on earth,' I said,

'For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men.'"

❤ ❤ ❤

Merry 'Christmas Eve' eve, friends!!  I hope you are well.

Emotions tend to be intensified through the Christmas season, for better or worse.  On top of that, this has truly been a strange month with some extreme highs and lows, all jumbled together in the paragraph below:

My closest high school friend's older brother was killed in a tragic plane crash on December 1st.  He was only 38.  Twelve days later, another friend (a 38-year-old woman) died after a terrible injury from a traumatic fall.  That kind of news is a shock to the system, stunning and hard to process.  It is also a loud reminder that life is short.  On December 10th, I received a thoughtful email that reconnected me with an old friend.  Inspired by her courage and kindness, I sent an important message and received a wonderful response I never expected.  I had a random Bells Palsy scare last Sunday that left me sobbing, but it turned out to be facial spasms that went away when I got more sleep.  Thank you, Lord!  We got some unexpected good news last week that will hopefully change things for the better at CHA for Rach.  Of course, this month has also included several fun Christmas events, and I'm thankful for good times with great friends!  My oldest nephews, Triston and Carter, were in a bad car wreck on December 18th... they were both very shaken up, and Carter Lee broke his collarbone. =( Yesterday, Dad was admitted to the hospital with a growing staph infection from an old wound that has not healed properly.  We are still not sure how bad it is or whether he will be out in time to celebrate with us tomorrow... which will be our first family Christmas Eve without Grandad.

So prayers appreciated.  My heart is still pondering and processing all of the above.  Those losses feel amplified as Christmas approaches, and I find myself praying for Babah, the Wombles, the Shields family, and many others experiencing their first holiday season without someone they love.  Also praying for swift healing for Dad and for Carter.  At the same time, my soul is full of deep gratitude right now.  Life is short and time is precious, and I am grateful for strong connections with supportive friends who can help me process these things.  Overall, I feel relieved that my life story feels more integrated and less fragmented now... there is mercy over judgment, peace over pain, and unity over division... and it's good.  So I'm thankful for God's timing and grace in tearing down some old walls. ❤

* * * * * * *

Now a mini-update:  Sarah hosted a game night on Friday... good food and fun games and memorable conversations... here are a few pics! =)

And a Chettles gif that makes me happy... oh, snap!!

Two Tweets that I found relevant and worth saving this week:

Finally, a few hospital pics... Dad's leg (left calf), Jace hopping in the hospital bed to hug him, and Rach talking to Bill Lemieux, who arrived before any of us got there.  (Super thankful for great family friends, as always!)  ❤

I guess that's all I've got tonight.  Not a very Christmasy post, but that's okay.  It's been a crazy month, and I'm not really sure what tomorrow holds for our family or whether it'll be our first Christmas Eve at the hospital.  But in the larger sense, none of us really know what tomorrow holds.  So remember that life is short, and cherish the people you love!  ❤

I hope your Christmas Eve and Christmas are lovely and that you find time to recenter and connect with Jesus!!  "To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."  ~Jude 1:25