God's Presence

I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father. John 16:28

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world yo will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

How is everybody coming along on their annual Christmas cards and letters? I thoroughly enjoy receiving cards. I find the printed family letter to be a welcomed bonus. The growing, changing families come alive in my mind as I sip on coffee and devour each succulent word. Change. That's what we do in this world. We grow, hurt, love, live, venture out, close in, fall, pick up, laugh, cry, and pray. God is with us in every moment. For me, reflecting on the year in a Christmas letter can turn into quite the spiritual exercise, as I realize His presence in all of life's changes. Below you will read an excerpt from our 2010 Christmas letter...

"Logyn, our baby girl, will turn 6 months the day after Christmas. This little bundle of love, through the grace of God, has beaten medical predictions from a short life, to a defective heart, to an underdeveloped lung cavity. Well, from the second she was born, it was clear that she was healthy, happy, and ready to change our world."

Now, skipping to present day. Wow! We have a novel's worth of life details to fill in from 2010 to 2011. With a Pre-Schooler, an 8 year old girl in a 3 year old's body (ha ha), and an almost 18 month old, no doubt we have grown and changed in the last year. Yet, the overall message remains the same, as you will read in the conclusion of our 2010 letter...

"Through Logyn's experience, God has taught us to have unwavering faith in Him, an immeasurable faith that comes only from Christ as a gift to us. This faith was most evident in the moments of uncertainty that lingered before our daughter's birth. We prayed fervently, not for a set outcome, but for God to prepare us and strengthen us. We will testify this day and every day that our Heavenly Father was our source of power during that emotional pregnancy. We did not know if the desired miracle of our baby's birth would occur. All we knew was that Christ had already overcome the world, and that we had peace."

Dear God, You are the only constant in our lives. We are eternally thankful that You have prepared the way for us, through Your only Son, to live with You in Heaven. We are ever so thankful for the miracles you bestow. We are also thankful that you will not leave us or forsake us during our tribulations. We count all of our friends and family as blessings. We pray that they all will remain strong in faith in You. Amen.