Rescued in Silence

“Be still and know that I am God…”

Psalm 46:10a (NRSV)

Whenever I see a couple who are obviously in the throes of new love, my heart both melts with happiness for them and twinges a bit for my going-on 12 year marriage.  I find myself thinking back to the days when my husband and I first met; those wonderful weeks and months of discovering one another. During that time, I remember noticing one night (while we were vacationing in Charleston), a couple eating at the same restaurant we were who ate their entire meal without saying one word to one another.  Being giddy with passion, I assured myself that we would never become like “that couple”.  But of course, years later, our relationship has mellowed.  Considerably.

Being a new Christian is a lot like falling in love.  Everything around you seems new; the world is a joyous place, everyone is your friend, and all you want to do is share your happiness and elation with everyone. Some look at you and either smile; glad for you and perhaps remembering their own similar feelings, or frown; wondering if you’ve gone off the deep end and if you’ll ever return to the way you were before. 

As “wise old marrieds” will counsel their younger counterparts, romantic relationships will change over time. Yes, you’re in love now and hopefully always will love one another, but times might get tough; there will be challenges, disagreements, and disappointments.  But, there will also be joy, great joy; and you’ll experience all of these moments and emotions with one another as  you grow in relationship together.

Similarly, our relationship with Christ evolves and grows.  Many of us likely start off running like a horse out of the gate, exuberant with our new found belief, desiring to tell all, to help all, to do all.  Sooner or later though, we’ll hit some challenges.  We’ll discover that making the decision to follow Christ does not equate to living on easy street; in fact, quite the contrary.  Life will continue to throw at us disappointments, hurts, and perhaps tragedies.  We may find ourselves at odds with fellow Christians over matters of theology or the administration of a ministry at church.  We may find ourselves longing for days when our passion was new.  We may find our faith shaken over and over again.  We may get discouraged and want to give up. 

As couples experiencing challenging times in their relationships may often remember their halcyon days and find in those memories the strength to persevere despite arguments and brokenness, it’s in the midst of trying times when Christians can likewise renew their strength of heart by remembering all that God has provided for us in the past, and draw from these truths  the promise and guarantee that He is with us in the present and will be there in the future; He who meets us wherever we are on our path of faith, but loves us too much to leave us there.

“You have done many things for us, O Lord our God; there is no one like you!  You have made many wonderful plans for us.” Psalm 40:5 (GNB)

“When I thought, ‘My foot is slipping”, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.  When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer me soul.” Psalm 94:18-19 (NRSV)

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.  Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgements he has uttered.” Psalm 105:4-5 (NRSV)

“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” Psalm 138:3

And as for “that couple” in Charleston; I’ve come to realize that, for all I know, I really didn’t know their story.  They might have been giving each other the silent treatment after a knock down drag out argument on the way to the restaurant.  Or, they could have been tired from a long day of sightseeing and were content to eat their meal without expanding the energy to drudge up something to say.  Or, they may have been one of those couples that were able to talk to one another or not, just being in one another’s presence was enough.  In any case, they were together and perhaps that was all they needed at that moment in time.

Sometimes resting in Christ’s presence, grace, love, and strength; silently anticipating what is next, is all that we need, too.

“I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty.  In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 (NRSV)

He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again. 2 Corinthians 1:10 (NRSV)

Mrs. B

From Now Until Forever From Now: Part Two

Present Day

My husband and I, like many married couples, can speak in a code that no one else understands.  Sometimes it’s non-verbal, as with a particular look or expression (he rolls his eyes when he’s exasperated with me, I get “the look” on my face that my subordinates used to fear).  Often, it’s a single word.  I say “fat”, he knows the expected and desired response is to reply, “You’re not fat!”; he jokes that my gravestone will read “Here lies Amy.  She was not fat.” 

However, there is one thing I can utter that stirs up so much that I can’t always wrap my mind around the emotions that predicated it and those which it later evokes: 

“We’re becoming just like that couple in Charleston.”

Back to the Future

In November of 2003 while still in California, I toyed with the idea of signing up with eHarmony.  I was drawn to this particular on-line matching/dating  company because of their adherence to moral values.  What does that mean?  It means the founder, a Christian doctor named Neil Clark Warren, designed the entire process around the end goal of marriage.  Ok, admittedly at the time I’d strayed from the flock,  but, I still totally agreed with his program, which was both extensive and methodological.  It synced with my brain, I was ok with the time involved and with the cost of joining.  And, yes, I wanted to meet someone to marry, not simply to date and hang out with; I’d had enough of that in the almost four years since divorcing my first husband.  In the end, though, I decided it made more sense to wait until I was living in my new state to start the process of answering the 400+ questions required by eHarmony.

A  month or so before I left California for North Carolina, I wrote this in my journal:

“It seems so hopeless that I’ll ever find someone.  Maybe if I really give up, there he’ll be?  Who is he?  I haven’t a clue except I’m pretty sure I don’t know him yet.”  17 November 2003

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  How right I was!  No, I didn’t know him yet; and I had no idea that when I arrived in Durham in January of 2004, I would meet my future husband in a mere two and a half months. In hindsight, it’s totally delicious to ponder what the just turned 40 year old me had waiting for her around the next bend.  

Even more delicious:

“So, here I am home again with Nigel and Clyde.  The lonely old woman and her cats.”

29 November 2003

Exactly one  year lately, Mark proposed.

  

An Open Door

My first month or so in Durham was crammed with all the activities one goes through after moving into a new state, a new city, a new residence.  The time literally flew by and before I knew it, it was Valentine’s Day.  While both my brothers and their wives had been more than generous with their time and talents; assisting me in getting settled, showing me around Durham, having me over to their homes or coming over to mine for meals and conversation; it was, after all, Valentine’s Day so it was no surprise that I found myself one again alone and hanging out with my best buds Nigel and Clyde.  I was still smoking (a little) then, so, I recall wandering around my townhouse trying to think of something to do but being in that mood of not wanting to do anything.  I’d go out to the garage or the deck to smoke, then go back in and trudge upstairs to where I was setting up my office and stare at my laptop.  I had a movie to watch, but no enthusiasm for that, either.  What I was experiencing was a good case of the dithers.  I was trying to decide WHAT TO DO; and was distracting myself by thinking I was supposed to do some task like go organize my make-up drawer or hang another picture on the wall. In reality, I was standing before a door that was slowly opening and was avoiding the moment when I’d decide to go through it or not (I recently read a term for this condition by a Princeton University philosopher:  decidophobia).  Well, thank God I finally decided to venture through the door and plunked myself down in front of the laptop to spend roughly two hours completing the questions for eHarmony.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve taken A LOT of what I’ll refer to as “personality tests” over the course of my life with the majority of them being for career development purposes.  To be truthful, I’m not sure I’ve always been 100% truthful when answering the questions.  I think it’s a human tendency to answer in ways that either we believe will make us “sound better” or in ways we think will please others.  Of course, doing this can be an exercise in futility as indicated by the time I completed one of those “Your Ideal Career” surveys and was told I’d make an excellent Park Ranger.  Seriously, I think I actually completed that one fairly honestly, didn’t think the answer suited, then re-took the test feeding it the “appropriate” responses until I got the result I thought everyone would like (Human Resources).  In hindsight, I probably would have loved being a Park Ranger.

So, as I began the eHarmony test, I found myself doing what I’d always done; trying to pick the responses that sounded good.  After about 30 minutes of this, I hit myself upside the head (figuratively) and thought, “What the heck are you doing?  Answer honestly or else who knows who you’ll end up with?”  And so I deleted all my previous answers and started over in anticipation that being truthful, even if it was an invitation to vulnerability, was the best course of action.

If I didn’t end up being matched with anyone suitable, well,  there was always the Park Ranger option.

Mrs. B

Up Next:  Match Game

From Now Until Forever from Now

Not sure where I'm heading with this but here goes....

Why?

I dodged God, religion, church, and most especially Jesus, for well over 30 years.  Unlike my husband, who experienced a similar aversion for a similar period of time, I couldn’t point to any particular reason why; why I walked out of church one Sunday morning in the late spring of 1981 and never went back.  Why I chose to leave a church family who had nurtured me through my teenage years; through a long series of confirmation classes, who witnessed my Baptism at 16 and my confirmation a few months later.  Why, for the next three decades, I thought I was in control of my life and could handle anything that was thrown at me without either turning to God for comfort or to a body of believers for support and sustenance. And as God and a few others who understand me well know, there were certainly many times over those years that I could have used it. Or, a good talking to; a gentle, loving, but assertive rebuke of and accountability for my behavior, actions and where I was (or wasn’t) heading spiritually. 

And Then

Later, I’d come to believe that there was no “why”.  There was no plausible reason.  I was 17 years old, I had other things on my agenda, and it appeared the whole “God Thing” just hadn’t stuck.  I was heading to college in the fall.  I had the entire summer ahead of me that for the most part would be spent with my boyfriend and friends engaging in behavior that was not something I wanted God to know about.  And then, I was in college.  And then I was 21 and having way too much fun being way too irresponsible.  And then I was in the midst of embarking on my first real job.  And then I was meeting my first husband (who was decidedly NOT into God).  And then I was climbing the corporate ladder.  And then I was divorcing.  And then I was in my late 30s living alone with two cats.  And then.  And then.  There were a lot of “and thens” over the course of those 30 years.

Dark and Drastic

And then, I ended up in a really awful place in the fall of 2001 and although the tragedy of 9/11 did not help matters, I cannot blame the events of that day for where I was.  The last few months of that year and the first few of the following were especially dark days.  Who hasn’t had these?  We all have.  As a result of  my “those days”, I ultimately made a decision that would drastically change my life.  “Drastically” sounds like a bad thing, but in my case,  one must think of the word “drastic” more in terms of a major shake-up of the way things were.  Had it not been so significant, I’d still be where I was.  I needed to move; literally and figuratively, and the only way to get me off the wheel I was on and out of the cage I was in, was to do something drastic.  And so I did.  With a lot of pre-planning, necessary both to make the plan work and to keep me from backing out, I eventually quit my job, went to Italy and took a total immersion course, returned to the states, moved myself from California to North Carolina, and found myself in February of 2004 wondering what was next.

Make the Time to Recharge: There is Need of Only One Thing

For me, one of the most meaningful stories in the Bible is found in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 10.  It’s the story of two sisters named Mary and Martha. In the story, Jesus and his entourage of Disciples and followers-on descend on the home of Mary and Martha around the time of The Feast of the Tabernacles.   It was a hectic, busy time and Martha, being highly organized and probably a bit OCD, was rushing about attempting to make everything perfect.  Now, this was something she wanted to do for her friend and Lord Jesus; yet, on this particular day, she was getting a tad frazzled and overstretched.  At one point, she happened to look into the living room and see her sister Mary lounging around with Jesus and the Disciples; sitting at Jesus’ feet, hanging on to his every word.  And while Martha certainly could appreciate how enthralling it was to listen to Jesus, she, frankly, went a bit wiggy at the sight of Mary quite literally sitting on her rear, while she, Martha, was doing EVERYTHING.  In fact, she was so irate, that in her self-righteous indignation, she thought certainly Jesus would berate Mary for her laziness.  So, she approached him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” (Luke 10:40b)

And although all of us “Martha’s” in the crowd might be saying, “Yeah!   Tell her, Jesus!”, Jesus, of course, had an important lesson and gentle rebuke for Martha when he replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 1041b-42)

I wonder what Martha felt when Jesus said this to her?  I’m a doer, a multi-tasker extraordinaire.  Oh, if only I could have eight arms like an octopus, imagine what I could get done!  I’m betting many of you feel the same way; we are women!  Here us roar! 

And yet, and yet, if I am honest with myself, there are times when, even though the things I am doing are necessary such a working for my livelihood, routine like shopping, cooking, cleaning, caring for pets, or service oriented like the various activities I do in support of our church, I sometimes find myself frustrated, overwrought, emotional and burned out.  I wonder why I feel this way when, most especially my church related activities are things that I both want to do and are what I feel I’m called to do.  You know, those nudges!

As I was preparing this devotion, I got curious about the topic “women doing too much”; and so, I plugged this phrase into my trusty friend Google and within .52 seconds, that’s POINT 52 seconds, not 52 seconds,  it returned with  about 275 MILLION hits.  Did you hear that?  275 MILLION.  Here are a few of the top hits: 

• Women Who Do Too Much/Psychology Today's research shows that women who do too much have depression,
• Power to Change says too much doing, going, helping and giving can take a toll on us physically,
• Want to be Happier?  Stop doing everything!/Today.com says the only way to break the cycle:  Stop doing everything!
• Are You a Perfectionist/Overfunctioner?/Huffington Post says stop doing too much and find more happiness,
• Finally, Older Women Say via Little.Things.com that they regret doing this:  putting too much pressure on themselves to be perfect.

Guess what, ladies?  This can be problem behavior for us.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  As Christians, we are called to love and care for others.  We are called to service.  We are called to freely give of ourselves in order to further God’s Kingdom here on earth.  Yes, we are.  But, the problems arise for us when we somehow get the idea that we have to do EVERYTHING.

While there are many needs, God has not called us to personally meet every one.

Back to our story of Mary and Martha.  The Asbury Bible Commentary has this to say about the scene:  “Martha criticized Mary and provoked a rebuke from Jesus.  Martha’s fault was not her preoccupation with household chores.  It was her hostile attitude towards her sister’s readiness to listen to Jesus.  This story…indicates the importance of listening to Jesus and meditating on his words.  Discipleship is not merely action.  It involves contemplation.”

Contemplation.  Being still.  Resting.  Recharging!

Yes,  Jesus said, “Let your light shine before  others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

And we all have our  inner lights, the lights God wants us to show to others.  We are not to keep our lights hidden under a basket, we are to shine for the whole world to see and know The Good News!   Early on as small children in Sunday school, we were taught this message when we learned the sweet song, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it SHINE!”

But, what good is a light if it’s burned out?

I don’t think God means for us to constantly run around doing, doing doing; there are times when it’s equally, if not more important, for us to slow down and  rest in Him. 

So yes ladies,  let us continue to shine our lights to glorify God, but  let us remember that it’s also good and fitting to turn it off for from time to time; to spend quiet time in God’s presence and  let His light recharge ours.

John Wesley’s brother Charles wrote:

O that I could forever sit,

With Mary at the Master’s feet!

Let us pray:

Gracious God:   We want to do what is right by you and your Kingdom here on earth by shining our lights and doing works that are pleasing to you and beneficial to others.  Help us to know when it’s time for us to slow down, to let you recharge our lights, so that we’ll be able to shine when it is most needed.  In Jesus’ most precious name we pray.  Amen

Mrs. B

My 2015 in Review

How can it be that it's already January 1st?  For anyone out there who still reads my Blog (I know, I've been very lax  with it the past several years), here is a recap of my 2015 (no holds barred!)

January

Mom and Dad arrived in early January for what would turn out to be their final winter snow-birding it in Florida.  Unfortunately, Mom also came bearing scary news; she had been diagnosed with breast cancer towards the tail end of 2014.  Prayers went into effect immediately and we involved as many people as possible in the prayer chain.  We know God already knows what's going on with us, but several (ok, many several!) reminders and requests can't hurt!

Dad, Mom and Mom B 

Not that we necessarily wanted to do it, but, January also found us in the market for new family room furniture.  Isn't it pretty?

Of course, thanks to our cats who insist on behaving as if they are still small kittens despite the fact they are 7 and 6, this is what it normally looks like:

In mid-January, I traveled to Orlando with my Stephen Minister  pal Sybil to take a week long training course to become Stephen Leaders.  Despite a very busy schedule (including a lot of late nights and continuing confusion over which set of  papers we were supposed to bring to what session) it was a fantastic experience.  Sybil and I made some great friends with fellow Stephen Leaders around the country (and beyond) and we also got a photo opp with the founder of Stephen Ministries, Dr. Kenneth Haugk.  Most importantly, Sybil and I got to know one another better and bonded (this happens when you share a room with someone for a week!)  All of this amounted to be very fortuitous as we are now the only Stephen Leaders at our church.  And what do Stephen Leaders do, you ask?  Recruit, train, supervise and support our Stephen Ministers.  What do Stephen Ministers do?  Walk alongside those who are experiencing a life crisis such as death of a loved one, divorce, illness or loss of job for as long as they are needed.

With Sybil in Orlando

Stephen Ministry Logo

With Dr. Kenneth Haugk

With a few of our fellow Stephen Leaders

February

Tax season kicked into full gear for yours truly (for Mr. B it begins right after the first of the year).  Each year I get more involved in the business so thus spend more and more time working.  However, Lucy and I did manage to get up to see Father in Weeki Wachee for a few days where we  experienced the mystery of the exploding tile in Father's kitchen. Thankfully, it was not a sinkhole but the result of improperly installed flooring.

Ought oh!

Both Mom B and Mom T had medical procedures done in mid February.  Mom B had her right knee replaced and Mom T had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor.  Thank God for God as I don't know how I would have managed to get through the worry and stress of this on top of Busy Season without Him.  And also family (Mike and Kym came to stay with Mom B while she recovered and later Aunt Judy to help out until she could drive) friends and church family.

I gave up Facebook for Lent, as well as (attempting to) give up complaining by taming my tongue.  Let's just say giving up Facebook was far easier!

Also in February, I had to acknowledge that things don't work quite as well as they used to with my person; after experiencing pretty awful ovarian sensations (and eliminating cancer a the cause after having an ultrasound) I broke down and started seeing Mark's chiropractor. Turns out I was way out of alignment, kinda like a rundown 1963 Ford Fairlane.  And, who knew? This sort of misalignment can wreck havoc all throughout your body.  After several sessions with Dr. Nick, poof; pain be gone.  Why did I wait so long to go?  Why do we put ourselves through unnecessary suffering?  I continue to go every two weeks to keep myself tuned up.

1963 Ford Fairlane

My eyes also went "wiggy" on me in February; I thought I was experiencing a detached retina in my left eye so Mark rushed me in to see an eye doctor who also happened to be one of his network buddies.  Thankfully, it wasn't a detached retina but just more darn floaters.  The good news is, I found a new eye doctor who has been great helping me get the right combination of glasses and contact lenses.  

In all honesty, I was pretty happy to see the tail end of February!

March

Guess what?  The majority of the month was spent working on taxes, but we also were able to spend time visiting with Mom and Dad before they headed back to NC at the end of the month. We wrapped up a 24 week Bible study called Covenant, too.

Prophetic timeline courtesy of Jennifer!

Goofing off.  Shush!  Don't tell the boss!

April

Glorious Easter!  Unfortunately a bit low-key for us since we were still in the throes of Busy Season plus Mom T began her (self-appointed) extremely aggressive chemo treatments the following week.

Easter Sunday

Burling Consultants LLC celebrated post Busy Season in style at Michael's on East towards the end of the month.  I have the best boss in the world.  I've never had a boss give me diamond earrings before ;-)

At Michael's on East

May

A great month and not just because Busy Season was in the dust behind us.  We celebrated our 10th anniversary at our timeshare resort in Cancun.  Other than hooking up with our cruising friends Gary and Christine for one day, we did nothing but laze around by the pool, read, relax, eat and drink for nine glorious days.  The only bump in the road was a few days before we left, a filling came out of one of my back molars which couldn't be fixed without crowning it.  Thankfully this  happened before we went to Mexico but unfortunately the temporary crown came off while in Mexico.  So far, 2015 seemed to be the year yours truly started to literally fall apart (more on this later).

Mom and Dad sold their house in NC in record time! 

10th  anniversary!

Having fun with Gary and Christine

Mr. B at the Tiki Bar

On our 10th anniversary

Me with the resort behind me

June

A relatively quiet month for the B's.  We went to visit Father for Father's Day.  We also started a new fitness program at 20 Minutes to Fitness.  I can tell you that, half a year later, we're both really glad we did; it's made a huge difference in our lives.

A totally glorious sunset one June evening

July

Ok, so, along with the exercise regime, we decided we needed to alter our diet so in mid July, we began a low carb diet, which has morphed into a low carb lifestyle.  We both feel so much better and, frankly, look better.  Mark's lost over 25 pounds and I've dropped about 10-15.  

Mark facilitated a Bible study July-August called Five Stones (all about slaying your personal giants).  A small but great interactive group.

I spent the last part of July in NC helping Mom and Dad move from the house into their temporary digs at Duke Towers in Durham.  Mom finished up her last chemo treatment in July, too.  In addition  to spending time with them, I was able to see my brothers and their families and Cailyn and Chad.  I also went down memory lane and drove by the places we used to live. Seems like I spent an awful lot of time in the car while in NC!

Tons of boxes!

In the car!

August

Great month!  Cailyn came for a long visit and we had a wonderful time with her.  It was especially special as she was here for Mark's birthday.  Lucy was, of course, over the moon to have her Sissy here!

Cailyn and Lucy

Mark's birthday dinner

A wonderful picture of Mark and Cailyn

A few days after Cailyn left, Lucy and I snuck in another visit to Grandfather Hayes in Weeki Wachee.  This month literally flew by!

September

Mom and Dad arrived for a several day house hunting trip and were successful in finding a lovely new home a mere ten minutes away.  We had a great time visiting with them.  Not long after they returned home, Mom finished up her radiation treatments.

My mysterious shoulder ailment flared up.  I went to a specialist who told me it was inflamed but without doing further testing (e.g., MRI) hard to know why.  My chiropractor did a series of deep tissue laser treatments which eventually helped with the inflammation.  Whatever is wrong with it (likely a small muscle tear) is still an underlying issue  but since there isn't much I can do about it, I'm learning to adapt and live with it.

Mom B had her left knee replaced.  After her surgery, she stayed with us for a few weeks until she was ok to be on her own.  It didn't take her long; she's one determined lady!

A few of the cats helping Mom B "feel better"!

Mark finally got around to sealing the lanai pavers ;-)

Cailyn was accepted to Elon's Physical Therapy Doctoral Program!

October

We rolled into the last three months of the year with record temperatures.  Although we shouldn't complain, we missed having the typical gorgeous fall Florida weather.

Mom and Dad moved permanently to Florida, closing on their house on their anniversary (how fitting!)

Mark made his way through October 15th (tax filing deadline for those people who filed extensions in April) while I happily prepared for our cruise on Freedom of the Seas.

We left October 17th for our cruise; several pictures from that wonderful vacation follow. We're so lucky to have such great cruising friends.

With Gary and Christine during the muster drill

With  Mary and John and Tina and Paul

Getting ready to "dance in the streets" with Terri, Paul, Kay and Tina

November

I blinked and this month was over!  What can I say?  The highlights were a successful  and uneventful colonoscopy for yours truly and a great Thanksgiving spent with Mom, Dad and my brother Nathaniel and his family (followed by a trip up to Weeki Wachee to see Father).

Don't worry; I  won't share any pictures of the colonoscopy ;-)

Holly and Kendal Thanksgiving Day

Lucy loves road trips!

December

We got into the Christmas spirit early by participating in our church's annual Hanging of the Greens program.  I actually got my butt in gear and got the house decorated by the end of the first week of December.  Having the halls all decked out really contributes to the joy of the season.

An impromptu addition to my Christmas decorations

Surprise!  Mr. B got me a pink cruiser for my birthday!  So now in addition to my training and my step work out, I can bike.  My first time out I clocked five miles so I've set the bar high!

We went on another cruise to celebrate my birthday.  We love cruising.  Can you tell?  

Muster!

With Terry and Rick

Margaritaville in Jamaica

Best yet, we were able to hook up with Cailyn  in Jamaica on my birthday as the ship she was on with her mom was also in port.

With Cailyn in Jamaica on my birthday.  She was able to be with both of us on our birthdays this year!

We enjoyed a visit with Mark's younger brother Kevin and celebrated Christ's birth on Christmas Eve and Christmas with both of our families.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

After Christmas Eve services at church

Christmas selfies.  Lucy was not amused!

Mrs. B

With my Moms

At Sarasota Jungle Gardens

We finished the year over at Mom and Dad's playing cards, celebrating, and reminiscing; a slow-paced end to a fast-paced year!

We know that we and many we love and care for are entering 2016 with both joy and mourning, blessings and challenges, and the never ending hope for world peace.

May the Lord bless all of us and keep all of us.  May he make his face to shine upon all of us and be gracious to all of us.  May he lift up his countenance upon all of us and bring all of us peace!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Mrs. B

All  pets are doing well!