Christmas & Hope

 Merry Christmas, friends and family!

I hope your Christmas weekend has been delightful!!

There were a few bittersweet moments in mine, but a lot of wonderful moments, as well.  Like I've written before, it's just a time of year where whatever you feel is heightened and amplified -- frustration, hope, disappointment, fear, love, gratitude, exhaustion, etc.  It's been a mix of all of that for me.

I spent part of Christmas Eve Eve taking Mom to the Emergency Room as she was feeling faint due to excessive blood loss.  (Her hemoglobin numbers were not quite bad enough to merit a blood transfusion, and the pills they would normally use to slow bleeding will not work when it's caused by cancer, so they basically said to be cautious and sent her home.)  It's hard not to feel anxious, but I'm working on praying whenever I start to feel worried.  Thanks to God and many praying friends, Mom is feeling stronger now, and she was able to join us for our usual family Christmas Eve and Christmas activities - very grateful for that positive turn of events! ❤

God did something really kind for me yesterday... I had been thinking about the "Green Light at the Red Sea" sermon that gave me courage to start the serious pursuit of adoption/motherhood last year, wondering if I misheard things or just wanted it so much that I imagined God was in it.  And less than 24 hours later, this was a random suggested post that popped up on Instagram, and whether the artist intended it or not, my immediate first thought was the parting of the Red Sea, and the message was kind and hopeful, and I believe that was God gently reminding me to have faith that He is with me here, even as I'm walking new ground and feeling a bit afraid/uncertain. ❤

On to a quick Christmas recap... we had lunch at Ted's then went to The Veraden (Babah's place) to open presents and take a few photos.  Here's our silliest family group pic - makes me happy!

Me and Mom on Christmas Eve morning.  ❤

Rach got us these cute hats - (T didn't wanna join the group pic, so she's wearing his.)  *Please note Rachael's "Now I have a machine gun - ho-ho-ho" Die Hard shirt - epic! lol

Our usual Christmas pancakes + bacon and eggs and orange juice!  Only this year, our "brunch" started around 1:00pm after we all slept in - yes, please!

Our family pic this morning!  My t-shirt is Dwight in a Santa hat and says, "Fact: It's Christmas." =)

This year was the Miss K's 10th Christmas with us... here's a collage from 2013 through 2021, followed by our picture together this year! ❤

A few throwback pics from Babah's pictures I scanned in early this year...  It cracks me up that we couldn't possibly crack a smile when our parents had paid for professional photos and dressed us in cute matchy Christmas clothes!  (They're pretty cute anyway, though!)

My final thought for tonight is this - our bodies, souls, and spirits are all tied together in interesting ways.  When we have big hopes that are disappointed, there is a physical aftermath to that where we feel tired and weakened.  Hence, me taking a long afternoon nap even after sleeping in yesterday and today.  Rest, prayer, sermon podcasts, and worship music have all had a strengthening effect.  And this was the "verse of the day" on the Bible App for Christmas Eve Eve, which I saw as Mom was in the hospital.  Another perfectly timed little word of encouragement!  For myself and my family and the many friends I have who are hurting or grieving this holiday season, we need renewed strength, and we can find that by placing our HOPE in JESUS!  Our eternal hope is grounded in Him, of course.  But we can also find hope in Him for this earthly life when we dwell on His unchanging love and goodness and choose to deeply trust His will and timing in our lives, while guarding our hearts against bitterness and remembering that God will bring justice in the end!!

 Praying you find renewed strength as you hope in Him today!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! ❤