Scampers, Sorrows & Sickness....yet GOD Reigns!
Salvation belongs to OUR GOD
who sits upon the throne
and unto the LAMB
Praise & Glory, Wisdom & Thanks, Honor, Power & Strength
Be to OUR GOD! FOREVER & EVER, Amen!
I sit here upon the couch that for some reason has the independent desire to leave our living-room so I have taken it upon myself to hold it down for nearly 2 wks now....I will admit that I am regretting that decision. :) Not that I could help it....first a flu bug than a bad chest/head cold. Nonetheless, health would be greatly appreciated right about now. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel up ahead and surely hope it isn't another train!! *wink*
The lack of my blogging has nothing to do with the lack of activities or events....we have scarcely been home all thru the months of Nov-Dec. Much as we love travel, home sounds EXTREMELY good!
The first of November we drove to Montana with a SUV Kevin's brother bought here in PA. We spent 2 wks there helping with work, house-building and the new nephew, Dallas Durrell.
more photos here... http://www.beautifulmarvelsphotography.blogspot.com/2013/11/dallas-durrell2013.html
I also prepared my outfit for the Honduras wedding the first of December...I made myself a top which, to my dismay, tore down the back seam after the wedding was thru. :/ at least I was wearing a swishie over top so no-one knew but now I am debating whether to save or dispose of. :) We flew home the Saturday before Thanksgiving and Sunday evening hit the road again....this time with the semi. Kevin had a load picking up in Ohio Monday morning so we drove out and he abandoned me there... ;) it was quite nice to spend a whole week with my family...and even that went waaay too fast! Simply sitting at home, helping Crystal, spending time with the neice and nephew I miss like crazy at times, meeting with old friends for coffee, shopping on Black Friday, and of course LOTS of yummy foods! :) Thanksgiving evening was at my Grandpas with the cousins, aunts and uncles. Friday evening we did an impromptu Family Portraits session for Christmas cards...such a cold, blustery evening! but everyone was jolly! :)
Aren't these children bout the cutest round??!! ;) Cedrick is beginning to talk and Kyra just sits and giggles at him... :)
Scurrying home Saturday morning we unpacked only to repack and head for the airport early Sunday morning...Honduras was calling! We met Kevin's brothers in Atlanta, GA and finished the trip with them. The wedding of Kevin's sister was on a Wednesday. Everything was a simple affair so there wasn't setup or anything really much going....most of our time was spent sitting around. :) Brian & Wilma had asked me to take their photos so that was quite fun...they chose a beautiful garden! We had to pay to enter and extra because I carried in a camera... :) If Kevin and I wouldn't have had people waiting for a ride back to the house we would have stayed longer and enjoyed our time but duty called! ;)
more photographs - http://www.beautifulmarvelsphotography.blogspot.com/2013/12/brian-wilmatheir-day2013.html
Much as we would like to end the stories here the truth is life continues and though at times we do not understand, I am learning to lean more and more on the truth that GOD is in control and nothing, NOTHING is too big for Him to lead us thru. We had gathered our crew up at the church, headed to our house of lodging, changed out of wedding duds when I grabbed a quick moment to check Facebook only to find that a dear friend had been electrocuted and passed from this earth to God's waiting arms above. There is nothing that can prepare you for news like this..especially something so sudden when you are thousands of miles away in another country. We spent the night calling Delta and switching flights to the next day so we could come home. God's hand was so evident as the cost of switching tickets was waived for us and we only had the $80 per ticket price difference to cover.
The past 2 wks have passed in a blur...viewings, funeral, illnesses, the death of another acquaintance in a senseless act of murder, and now it's Christmas.
Truth? these past events have caused me to flounder in a depth I haven't before...in unexplainable ways, in a sorrow so heavy life seems to drag, to deal with fear, to wonder if Kevin will come home from work safely, to hear sounds at night and think of burglers, and to feel so helpless and incapable of strength. Lying on a couch day in and day out does not ease the situation I will admit... :) The nights when the sore throat keeps me awake and my brain spins so fast I can't keep up...I am not a fearful person, never have been...ask my family. :) and it's not that I am one now, it's more that something so sudden, so life-changing knocked the arms of strength down for a brief moment and the enemy found an entrance to shoot his darts of doubt. But thru it all I have come to realize that faith wins! GOD won! yes, there is no way I can look at the situations my friends are walking thru and say that it seems good, it seems the best, but one thing I know, more sure now than ever before, that GOD's way is right! He knows all! His grace is enough! His goodness exceeds the evil! and ALL things work together for GOOD for His children! The ache is there, the pain sometimes overwhelms, the "whys" continue to be asked but there is no way I can doubt GOD's love thru it all! He is life everlasting and even when Satan stands and thinks he has destroyed a life, has rid the world of one light shining forth GOD's glory, what he can't help but see is that all the lights still on earth burn yet brighter and clearer as we allow GOD to move and refine in our lives by surrender to His All-Knowing plan...
I was watching a Nativity movie the other day as I lay on the couch... :) and realized again the awesomeness of the plan He designed! A child, sent from GOD...a man so surrendered to GOD's plan, allowing GOD to mold, shape and control his life, the Sacrifice for us, for you, for me, the Grace available to us, no condemnation, no looking at our failures, our fears, our sins, only an acceptance of the Sacrifice, perfect, complete, finished. The promise that He won't leave us, that nothing is impossible or too difficult for Him, that Joy comes in the morning, Peace surpasses understanding, we are sheltered in His hands and NOTHING can take us from Him!
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
so, continue on, friend! Fight the good fight of Faith! we are never alone!
Merry Christmas!
May the GOD of all PEACE & GOODWILL bless you abundantly this Christmas season and forever!
Kevin & Shana
