Presence

"Let us come into his PRESENCE with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" Psalm 95:1

Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season, celebrating with friends and family. For the past month and a half, I guess you noticed that I have not written any posts? And in that time we celebrated two very important holidays and I took a wonderful girls trip to NEW YORK CITY, right in the middle of the two!Talk about a different way to end a year...fabulous!Really nothing about this last six weeks has been my usual way, normal, as we like to say. And you know what? It has been the most relaxing, simple holiday season, and get this...that I actually ENJOYED AND EMBRACED THE SIMPLE THINGS...! Who knew that ALL the thanksgiving decorations did NOT have to be put out and that we didn't have to have lunch, we ate dinner...and what a fun time we had with Jeff's family. Who knew that the four of us could get up the day after Thanksgiving, eat a late breakfast at Waffle House and head to Lowes for our christmas tree (and it survived the whole season), and here again, that all the christmas decorations did NOT have to be put out this year. What was put out before my trip to NYC was it and I stuck to my guns (big and bad ya know). The simplicity was beautiful, atleast to me. And I am my hardest critic, so we were happy..smile!I gave myself a break. And this opened up my time to do other things such as establish a Tuesday lunch date with Jeff, spend more time in the mornings and throughout the day "unplugged" from the world and only taking my struggles and/or asking for direction to the Lord, setting my heart on the completion of this three year healing process, from both, cancer and from my own personal heart issues. Guess what present I got from that sacrifice of time? FREEDOM. Perhaps, that is the lesson the Lord has been teaching me in the past six weeks. To just enjoy His presence, the simple act of experiencing it..His presence. And below is my Christmas eve letter I wrote you, so I am combining it,grab another cup of coffee! And enjoy the pictures at the end! Thank you all for taking the time to read and share my life, my family, and most of my God (he's yours too of course:))Again, Happy 2012!

Merry, Merry Christmas, my friends and family!I cannot believe it is Christmas eve, yet for once, I feel...ready..? Prepared and even peaceful. I have found myself saying several times this week "this is what this season is supposed to feel like..as I am enjoying making cookies for the annual swap or picking out a gift on a list, or singing a christmas carol in a funny voice to my kids, or enjoying a relaxed morning over coffee with family, or seeing what those crazy elves continue to do at our house;), or daily hot chocolate afterschool or school programs and parties or going to zoolight safari as a family this year with friends or sitting still or enjoying the outdoor lights that made our house look like a gingerbread house (thanks, honey) or turning our study into the wrapping room and letting it stay a mess for a week (and being okay with that)or getting our christmas cards done and mailed or making the choice to open my heart to all the possibilities that God has for me in the life HE planned for me. It all works together, the seen and the unseen. The PRESENCE (HIS PRESENCE) and the presents!!! As I was wrapping yesterday, I kept thinking oh, I may just run out to the store and get one more..., oh and maybe this...then I laughed and thought, you know God is so like that! He gives us so much, blesses us beyond any wrapped gift and says "oh here's one more" ...His giving to us is limitless...what can we give HIM this season?Our hearts, our time, our worship, our burdens, our all out adoration!!!! So what's my secret, what in the world am I talking about..prepared and peace...at christmas... (believe me, it's new for me too)...a lifechanging event, yes, three years of healing, yes, time studying and praying, yes...number one answer....GRACE!!!!!!I thank HIM for His presence, His presents of earthly relationships and possessions, as I walk along this all too uncertain, but peaceful life on earth. For with Him all things are possible. I wish you all hope, that never ends this year. That you be made whole, in His presence.

The Texans Flag Football Team went to the Championship!!!

Abby got braces!!!

NEW YORK CITY GIRLS TRIP, My dearest friend since Kindergarten, Shannon

"For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the PRESENCE of God on our behalf." Hebrews 9:24

Blessings,
Suzanne