Four days of Christmas.

Genesis 12:2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you (with abundant increase of favors) and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing (dispensing good to others). This past week has finally come and gone. I had planned for it ahead of time, by praying and seeking God diligently to just simply get us through it. And he did. By sending an onslaught of blessings from every direction. onslaught--an outpouring Day 1: Frankie had his knee surgery on Thursday. All went well and by the looks of things on the inside, it was very needed and almost overdue. He is healing up quickly. He is a strong man. I don't mean that only in the physical sense. I mean that he is truly a strong man. I have seen him weather things that would knock the typical man off their feet, but as a very dear friend told him the day before his surgery, "He's no ordinary man." He's a God fearing, Christ lovin' man, which makes all the difference in the world. If I had a nickel for every time he has told me in the past week or so before the surgery and leading up to today that, "God is in control. We are blessed and he has our back through this", well...you get the picture. I've watched his faith grow these past few weeks like a rapid fire blazing in the night sky, casting out all darkness in it's midst. It's a blessing to be a part of it, and it illuminates my heart beyond words. I overheard him thanking God the other night, as he was turning a log on the fire before getting back into his bed (which is the couch because of the surgery) after a drink of water in the middle of the night. I just so happened to be turning over (on my couch) when I heard him say, "Thank you God for my family. I am so blessed God...so very blessed." I found it ironic that he was saying it as he was stirring up the fire in the fireplace...as I know God is stirring His fire within him. Thank you God...from whom ALL blessings flow. Day 2: Friday morning had snuck upon us. We were all tired from the surgery day before, which had us all in different places until late in the day, and off our normal routine. Mason came to me in the kitchen with a paper in hand, and a frown on his face. (Never a good sign.) "Here you go Mom", he said frowning and tucking his little invisible tail between his legs. He had made an "F". His first ever. Ever. Mason has ALWAYS been a 4.0 student. Always. The grade was in a particular area in Reading, which counted as only a portion of his reading grade. It would knock his "A" average to a "B" average...totally devastating him. His little world was shattered. I realized in that one small moment, that the need to be perfect was evident in his eyes. Had we somehow put it in his mind that he had to be? I bent down to him, grabbed him in my arms and gently explained that "B"s happen and that they aren't the end of the world. I reassured him how proud we were of him if he made all "A"s, all "B"s or "C"s for that matter. I told him that what made him perfect was the fact that he was our little boy...nothing else needed to be done to earn our love and devotion to him. He smiled his cute little grin. Later on that day, he said something super intelligent that shocked me and his dad. So afterwards I asked him, "Hey...how'd you get so smart?" His answer..."I guess it's because God gave me a big brain." He gets it...he really gets it. He's a smart boy. Thank you God...from whom ALL blessings flow. Day 3: Saturday was a day that will go down in history for a couple of reasons. Amber received a copy of the rough cut of the CD she began recording with a friend a couple of months ago. Words can't explain how proud we are of her...and her willingness to be a broken vessel for God's use. It has been a long time coming, but God is undoubtedly unfolding her life for His purpose. Her songs are a depiction of her walk with God for the past few years...and what a journey it has been for her. Her life journal in song is a blessing to hear. I thank God for His perfect grace in her life. Secondly...she had her first "friend date". Yep. For her privacy and her friend's...that is all I will say about that. Except that...I believe these two young people are blessed to have found one another's "friendship". It was a good day...a very good day. Thank you God...from whom ALL blessings flow. Day 4: We woke up early, so Frankie decided to cook a BIG breakfast. The kids love when he cooks a big breakfast. I began washing some dishes while he prepared breakfast for us. I put on Amber's CD so that we could listen to it while we worked in the kitchen together. The CD began...and the tears began to flow. With each song...our hearts became more full. Neither of us said a word...we just let our tears fall and our hearts praise. There we stood...being ministered to by songs we had heard a dozen times or more. It was different this time, it was complete. There, in the midst of sausage cooking, eggs frying and dish pan hands...we had church. Thank you God...from whom all blessings flow. That evening, Kaitlyn decided to bake some cookies for her class Christmas party the next day. I walked in the kitchen where I saw my little Betty Crocker, with an apron on, potholder on one hand, and a spatula in the other. All the while, humming Christmas music. I turned the corner and she gave me a huge grin. It lit up the entire room. Kaitlyn is a giver. She has always loved to do things for others. There she stood, baking and humming, happy as a little Christmas elf...doing for others. A perfect picture of joy. Thank you God...from whom ALL blessings flow. Blessings don't have to be these enormous presents wrapped in a huge bow. Sometimes, the biggest blessings are the smallest ones...wrapped with God's smile on them. Don't miss the God wrapped blessings in your life, because your too busy looking for the huge bow. Thank you God...from whom ALL blessings flow!! Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Psalm 21:6 For You make himto be blessedand a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!