It Was a Wonderful Year!

I am not sure if my inspiration for this blog title was Frank Sinatra's "It Was a Very Good Year" or Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" but I truly feel both of the feelings.  When I was 55, it was a very good year and truly it was another part of the puzzle of my life that has been a wonderful life! 
As 2011 sprints to an end, and if the Lord wills, 2012 stands anxiously on the horizon, I am reflecting on what a blessed year it was.  I am resting and enjoying the hospitality of my newest son in law and oldest daughter, Matt and Laurie in Montgomery as Jamie and I enjoy the holidays with our children and grandchild.  We were very blessed this year end to have Jamie's mom with us at home for a few days and then she rode down here with us.  We had our Christmas gift exchange at Louise, Dirt and Ellie's on Sunday night after worshipping Sunday night at the University church of Christ in Montgomery.  The kids went way over the top for us as, after all the gifts had been exchanged, we were later told that we had received nothing from them.  But after all were opened, they handed us two shirt sized boxes that when we opened them had a couple of souvenir magnets and an ornament of a cruise ship.  We had been talking about taking a family cruise, next year so we though that tied in with that. In the bottom was a group of papers that had a cover sheet saying basically that "since you missed your honeymoon 32 years ago, we have purchased a Bahamas cruise for you two.  And we can't think of any one who deserves it more!"  Neither Jamie or I could read it out loud and I'm not sure I would completely agree with their judgment on who's most deserving, I sure appreciate it and love the sentiment and love they feel for us. So we are looking for dates next year to sail out of Port Canaveral on our honeymoon!
So that is our big news from the kids for our Christmas!  Jamie gave me a new laptop (so I would leave hers alone, I think) and I gave her some gold earrings, a stand of south Pacific pearls and put a year of DVR service on our TV.   I think she may have liked that best of all.  No missed "NCIS" or "The Good Wife".  If I can be trained to use it....(which is questionable) I may find a few shows that I'd record too!
Tuesday we are heading to Birmingham to meet Ted and Peggy so they can take Jenet back to Jackson to have some time with her.  We are going to go by to see Louise and Ellie on the way out and then pick up Leigh at her house to go with us to meet Ted.  
One of the blessings I can count at night (besides my sheep) are Leigh and Nate.  Our family grew this year as on August 27 Leigh and Nate Woodring married in Montgomery.  They had a lovely ceremony at the University church and than had a nice honeymoon on a Bahamas cruise.  They got back and went back to work where Nate manages a Tire and Auto Repair shop in Montgomery and he does an outstanding job.  (In Montgomery, if you need tires or car repairs of any kind, DON DUNCAN ALL AMERICAN TIRES-downtown. Great prices and service~)... Leigh continued working at Faulkner University as a Student Recruiter who was responsible for GA, the Carolinas, Virgina and east Tennessee.  We of course loved that because it meant about a monthly visit but she traveled so much it was not ideal for  a new marriage.  She will start a new position in January as Visit Coordinator. The new job will involve much less traveling She also will begin working on her master's degree in January.   They live in a lovely house in the historic Capitol Heights district in a historic home.  
Our family expansion continued just 28 days letter as Laurie married Matt Morris on September 24 back at the University church.  She and Matt honeymooned in Jamaica and then returned to Montgomery and went back to work at Wilson and Wilson were they met.  Laurie is a customer service rep and salesperson there and Matt is the Industrial Services Manager.  They have purchased a home out the Atlanta Highway about 7 miles past where Louise and Dirt live.  All of them live within about 15 minutes of each other and have remained very close attending church services and usually eating together several times a week. We rejoiced greatly this summer as Matt obeyed the gospel and was baptized by Dirt.  That was truly one of the highlights of a great year.
It wasn't new expansion but certainly loved growth was taking place in Louise and Dirt's life as Ellie turned one year old in September . Of course there was a party and all of us enjoyed it as much or more than Ellie did.  Dirt changed jobs inside the state and now works in a job appointed by the governor in the health care area and seems to be settling in and liking it.  He has had to travel to Washington, DC for several trips and apparently more are on the horizon in 2012.  Louise continues to keep children in her home so she can be home with Ellie.  She is great and really enjoys it but especially seems to enjoy the days off! Ellie is now 15 months old and has begun really developing her personality and freedom as she has learned to walk. 
Jamie and I close the year very blessed also.  She started walking on a very regular basis in May and has since lost over 40 pounds!  I am so proud of her and she is feeling so much better.  Recently she even saw her eye doctor and he commented on how much better her eyes were since she is so much healthier.  The big news was though, that her doctors have released her to travel to the Philippines and Lord willing she will go with me on the mission trip April 12-May 1. She is still working to raise her money but I am certain she will handle that after everything else she has overcome to get to make the trip.
At the church we have has a wonderful year that came at us like a whirlwind.  On April 27 three tornadoes touched down in Dade County and did a major amount of damage.  We lost 8 trees in our yard but virtually no damage to the house and we were all safe.  Several members had damage and one family's home was completely destroyed.  The church rallied together and will help from other congregations and individuals, reached out in a huge way to the community that was damaged.  We were blessed to study with several and had 3 baptisms as a result of those we helped after the storm.  As the year ends, we had 12 baptisms and 17 new members begin to work and worship with us at Trenton.  We have seen great growth in both numbers and contribution but also in love and the participation by our members.  We look forward to a great 2012!
It has been a wonderful year for us and thanks to all of you who had a part in making our lives so blessed!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WHAT A YEAR!

Today marks the first anniversary of Laurie donating her kidney to Janet.  I was at UAB Wednesday with Charles Hill and we were in the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Unit in Jefferson Towers and I was flooded with memories.  The great memories of the loving kindness of Laurie and how proud we are of her good heart (and kidney, too).  Also I was filled with a great sense of happiness at thinking about how great Janet is doing and how wonderful it has been to grow to have her be a part of our family and to get to be a part of hers too. In less than a year it is so great to see them both with great health and two great Christian ladies who love God and their families.
11 months ago Louise and Dirt brought a great addition to all our lives in precious Ellie.  What a joy it has been to watch her grow and develop. Now in just over a month she'll have her first birthday and they will all come faster for her and her parents, her aunts and her grandparents in the coming year but continue to bring us joy and pride.
Also in less than a year Leigh and Nathan have gotten engaged and in two weeks from right now will be married.  That is a wonderful blessing to our lives as our family expands again with the addition of Nathan.  It has been a great joy to watch them grow as people and as a couple in the last couple of years.  I look forward to seeing them grow in their love for each other and God in coming days. 
A year ago Laurie didn't even know Matt and now in 6 weeks, he too will become part of our family. It was a great source of pride to watch him grow in his interest in Laurie and to watch his increasing interest in studying the Bible culminating with Dirt baptizing him while all the girls were here.  I have never seen Laurie happier and I am so happy that both found the right one in each other.
At church, just about a year ago I was asked to serve on the eldership at Trenton.  I have had a great many things that have been challenges and occasions of joy to me but none have compared to the first year as an elder.  There have been some of the greatest highs and some of the most difficult emotional nights of my life.  It is truly been the greatest honor and the greatest challenge in my life.  It has been a great year at church with some wonderful growth and some great people have become part of our family at Trenton. In over twenty years of preaching it has probably been my most satisfying and peaceful year ever at a congregation.   God has truly blessed us here.
Our work in the Philippines continues to progress as we move into a different area of focus.  Now we are addressing the strengthening of existing congregations in central and eastern Pangasinan.  Our April trip was greatly blessed as we were blessed to be a part of the establishment of a new congregation at Pao and 51 baptisms and some great work with the Binalonan, San Carlos and Urdaneta congregations.  It was a wonderful trip for Chris and I and really continues to show the commitment this congregation has to the work in the Philippines.  Today we met with 21 people and discussed the work and have 3 pretty firm commitments to go with us in April, 2012.  It has truly been a blessed work there.
A year ago, the conventional wisdom in Trenton and Dade County was that tornadoes don't come through here as the mountains keep them out of the valley.  April 27, just 7 days after we had returned from the Philippines, we learned that the conventional wisdom isn't always wise.  4 tornadoes swept over Sand Mountain and devastated areas of our county as the devastation tracked across the South. The work began that night as we cancelled worship services on Wednesday night and then stayed at the building with a number of folks who were seeking shelter in a safe place.  The congregation rallied around and for the next 60 days was immersed in tornado relief.  We did amazing amounts of tree and clean up work, feeding those that were hungry and providing food, cleaning supplies, and clothing to many families in need. We also gave away a lot of gift cards at BI-Lo and provided help in just about anyway that was needed.  I was so proud of the response by the loving Christians at Trenton and the help that came in from churches and brethern around the country.  It was just waht I would have expected out of Christians who have rallied together to help others and glorify God.
Finally how could I reflect on a year without sharing my joy at the progress Jamie has continued to make.  She started about 3 months ago to start to walk every night.  Now she is walking most mornings and evenings and is doing so great.  She has lost about 25 pounds and feels so much better.  She is even running some and continues to feel better and do so much better!  She has been a great joy to me through 32 years and now I am so excited to watch her continue to defy the experts as her recovery from the stroke just continues to amaze me!  She is something special!
Now the next 6 weeks will complete the biggest expansion of our family ever with the addition of Ellie, Nate and Matt.  It also has truly been one of the most blessed years of my life and I look ahead to even greater things to come.  Every day I sure have a lot to give thanks to God for. I also have so many people to thank for all the blessings in my life!  Thanks to you all!  I love you all in a special way!