Merry Christmas

    How exciting this year has been, and I thank the Lord we plan to see another!  I had posted several years ago a Christmas wish I had for you, and as I read back over its content, I don't know how I could ever wish for you more.  So, pardon me if I'm being redundant, but let me copy that heartfelt prayer to this post today.  It pretty much says it all.

My Christmas Blessing

I pray for you joy and peace, the kind of peace that passes understanding, the kind that has no reason to be, except that He loves us and came for us.  The kind that proves He has come, and conquered through His love all evil and all power over us to keep us bound to sin.  I pray that peace for you.

I pray for you joy.  The kind that takes the place of intense and unending grief, the kind that He offers to trade in exchange for our sorrows, the kind that is free for us to enjoy knowing He has already dignified our pain through His suffering on the cross.  He's already cried the tears we would normally have to bear for our sad experiences and sin, but no....He took it for us.

How many times I thought I should be crying more, yet felt so much happiness.  How?  Then I heard Him whisper, "I took it.  I know the pain.  I've already cried for this for you.  You're free to be happy.  I got this."  Never before had I realized that it was a very literal exchange, legal tender with the power to transfer ownership of my bad for His good.

I pray for you success and prosperity.  The kind that transcends monetary gain, and penetrates into every aspect of your life, giving a sense of security beyond money in the bank.  Security that we win, that all of our enemies He has already fought, and gained for us our victory.  The success that whatever your heart desires will eventually, sooner than later, be brought to fruition in your life.  He's the God of "Yes, and amen."  The success in your relationships that if He has brought them to you, they will stay and bring much laughter and companionship, but if He hasn't, you are released of your obligation and you can know He is the faithful friend that will never leave you nor forsake you.

I pray for you answered prayers, and that you gain more and more understanding of your authority in Christ.  That you know God is for you, yet you have an enemy against you. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy, but that in Jesus you have overcome!  If you simply resist him, he will flee.  Don't believe what he says about the prayers you haven't seen answered yet.  God isn't your enemy.  God wants more for you than you want for yourself, and is not slack concerning His promises.  He is willing and able.

And, lastly, I pray for your health and healing.  Whatever ache or pain you feel is important to Him and does not go unnoticed.  He paid for that, too. He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.  He doesn't have favorites, and you don't have to be "in good" with Him to receive all He's done.  He's no respecter of persons, so you are as important to Him as the guy who seems to know Him so well.  He didn't send that thing to teach you a lesson.  All the lessons He wanted to teach you are written in His Word.  The school of hard knocks wasn't His idea....again, we have an enemy.  Resist him, and believe in what God did for you.

In birth order, on the left, Madison with our son-in-law, Joel, and their baby Isabella, then Curtis Wade, Maggie (not pictured this year), Christian, Milly, Mercy, Charles, Channing, Cyrus, Miriam, Meredith, and Cash.  Charles is holding Eugene, Maggie's 2 year old son.

My girls.

Madison and Isabella with me, Granny.

Madison and Miriam with baby girl.

Milly and Mercy 

The boys, every last one of them. I always wanted to have enough to call them my "Cartwrights."  Mission accomplished.  They have my heart.

Joel and Madison with Isabella, born to them at home with zero pain.  Madison believed God for a pain free childbirth after reading that Jesus bore our pain on the cross, and became the curse.  I'm not sure I would have believed it if I hadn't been there to witness every moment of those two days of labor myself with this guy ever by her side.  AMAZING!!  God is so good!

Our two grandchildren, Eugene (2 years old), and Isabella (3 months old).

What a new season of life these two have brought to us!

Me with the most satisfying decision I've ever made in my life.  I love him.  I'm so proud of him, and I'm grateful we weathered the storms to arrive here.  With more glory ahead, we press on!  The story ain't over, yet.