"Our God Will Go Before Us"

I often think of this verse in Exodus as I stand at the beginning of a new year. It is true at the beginning of a year . . . and it is also true at the beginning of every day and every moment. 

Last year held much that I did not see coming, and there were times that I felt like I was drowning in my circumstances. But His presence did go with me. He gave me grace (and is still the giver of grace) for each difficult moment. 

This song speaks of those Scriptural principles. That God will go before us. That His presence goes with us. That He is with us always, even to the end of the age. 

And so, this song became the anthem of last year. I listened to it. I sang it. I meditated on it. I played it in my van every day as I drove to the nursing home to visit my dad. I never knew what I was going to face or how I was going to handle it, and I needed the fortitude that came from knowing that my God was going before me. 

I know that I am not alone. Many of you faced difficult circumstances in 2023. And we will encounter more difficulties as we walk on our journey. Some of them may seem impossible. But He has promised to go before His children and never to leave them. 

May you know His presence in this new year! 

Technical note:  I am suddenly unable to comment on my own blog (or anyone else's!) through my Google account. I have tried to figure it out, but ~ugh~ I am not techie and I am befuddled. I even considered ending my blog journey, but 1) I value the friends I have made along the way and don't want to lose touch and 2) I love the outlet of musing and chronicling our journey, even if it's only for posterity or my own records, so I am planning to plod on. That said, I will be commenting as "Anonymous" unless a blogging miracle happens.

Christmas | 2023

This year, we gathered for our family Christmas celebration a couple of days before Christmas. It was nearly an "open house" as some could come early but needed to be home before dark, some were working until nearly dark, and others were somewhere in between. It gets complicated as families age and grow and move, but it is so worth digging in and trying to make a plan to celebrate together! Those times are limited and they are golden. 

Christmas music playing. A bountiful buffet. (Many cooks do not spoil the broth. Many cooks make for a lovely spread!) Loved ones gathering. Tears. Remembering. Quiet. Laughs. Noise. Stories. More stories. More laughs. Giving tokens of our love. A Christmas Fairy and her helpers passing out gifts. Eating too much dessert. (I got no photos of the dessert spread, but trust me when I say there was plenty.) Delights. Sadness. Joy. 

And Emmanuel. God. With. Us. 

Good times!! 

On Christmas morning, we had our traditional breakfast.

We've been hosting Christmas breakfast for many years, and where we once had both of the younger girls at home and all four of our parents came, now it is just Ron and me, Bekah, and Mom.

That is the way life is, always changing. The wise consider and make the most of the opportunities. 

In the afternoon, we opened our gifts to one another, then made some hot drinks and went for a leisurely drive. We were home in time to Skype with Kati and Andrew and the children. Then we went over to Mom's house for some Christmas treats. 

At Mom's

The rest of the week did not go as planned as we all came down with some kind of respiratory virus. Plans were rescheduled, but that means . . . Christmas has lingered! In fact, we will host our final holiday gathering tomorrow when Ron's siblings and their spouses come to Pineapple House to celebrate. 

So, yes, Christmas is lingering here at our house. Even so, we have taken some time to look back on the past year and document its highs and lows. (I talk about this habit ~ here~ .)

We are also looking ahead and setting some goals and making plans for house projects we'd like to accomplish this year. I'll share some of those with you. I'd also like to tell you about some of the house projects that were completed in 2023. 

As I often do, I'd like to leave you with a song. My Kati sang this at my Dad's funeral service and it has become a(nother) favorite. It is my prayer for the coming year to make the Lord "My Dwelling Place" more than ever before. There is no better place, no safer place. 

A Christmas House Tour of Sorts | 2023

 

This year has been one of the most difficult years of my life. One challenge following another, all flowing into one another, often overlapping. 

But that is why He came! Because this world and we who are in it are hopelessly flawed. Because we are not enough (contrary to what the memes and the social media influencers try to tell us). 

He came to save us from our sin and our selves, 

and that is great cause to rejoice! 

So even though my time and my energy and my enthusiasm have been in short supply during this Christmas season 

and even though it was a gift card season 

and there is no festive garland around my front door

and I didn't send Christmas cards 

or bake any cookies

I have done what I could . . . and I have rejoiced in His coming! 

I have made the house festive, little by little, mostly by decorating everything the same as in past years. (It was not the year for new ideas or fresh creativity.)

Christmas music, new and old, has been a highlight of this season. Attending a Collingsworth Family Christmas concert (which was amazing). Listening to music at home and in the van as I am out and about. Singing carols with my church family at an assisted living home. Learning Christmas songs for our worship team and making room for those new songs in my heart. Listening to some of Mom's favorite Christmas CDs as we run errands together. Listening to Bekah's Christmas playlist as we take coffee-drives to decompress. And even hosting a "Soup & Carols" gathering for our church music team and their families. Yes, even with my limited time and energy, it was life-giving and so worth it.

I have sipped my morning coffee out of a pretty mug that was my Daddy's and I have remembered him and his love for Christmas. I don't know if he ever drank a Starbucks coffee, but he loved their seasonal coffee mugs and had a small collection of them. Mom gave me this one and I treasure it. 

I hope you did not get whiplash on this year's "house tour" . . . as we hopped around from room to room while I talked! But I have hosted this little cyber home tour ever since I began my blog and I didn't want to stop this year. (You can find any of my other tours ~ here ~.) 

I am going to leave you with a song. 

I have heard this song all my life and have sung it countless times. But in November when Mom, my sister Linda, and I had our annual Mother/Daughter Christmas Shopping Day, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" was playing on a Spotify playlist as we drove from one store to another. I wasn't even giving it my full attention, when all of a sudden, as if it was the very first time, I heard these lyrics strong and clear and it stopped me in my tracks. 


            Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day 
           To save us all from Satan's pow'r when we were gone astray 

And before I could even say anything, Linda said, "Listen at those words!" as she, too, was hearing and feeling it afresh. 

For really, that is what our celebration is all about! That is why He came! 

And that is truly "tidings of comfort and joy!" 

Merry Christmas, my friends!

May you know the reality of those "tidings of comfort and joy!" 

Thanksgiving 2023

This Thanksgiving, we had every one of our children and grandchildren around our table!  (A mama's heart is happy when all of her chicks are in the nest, right mamas?) One little boy woke up sick, the turkey wasn't ready at the appointed time, and we all missed Gampy, but the day was also full of gratitude and joyful hearts and music and tradition and family togetherness. We are blessed! 

The table was set for twenty-five this year. 

Most years, I have planned my tables weeks (or even months) in advance. But this year has been full of heartache, changes, struggle, and busyness. I purchased these downloadable place cards on Etsy a few days before Thanksgiving and I planned our place settings and table decor on Wednesday evening. Yikes! The "plus" side was that I had many helpers . . . formatting the place cards, setting up tables, laying out flatware, folding napkins, and assigning seats. 

On Thanksgiving morning, I had snuggle time with the three youngest grandgirls. 

As I said, everyone was here for Thanksgiving this year, so I made sure to get photos of each family. 

Kristin's family:
Gavin, Alaine, Ben, Owen, Maddie
Macie, Brian, Kristin, Judah

Ryan's family:
Eve, Peter, Ryan, Sarah, Nora
Joanna, Katrina, Paul

Kati's family:

Ellie, Andrew, Kati, Caleb

Ron and I with Rebekah

Gammy (my mom) with Joanna

While we waited for the turkey to finish roasting, we wrote blessings on our leaves for the Thankful Tree. 

We also had some beautiful music played by daughter Bekah on piano and granddaughter Eve on violin. 

Conversation overheard . . . 

Gammy: Awww, there's a photo op! You two look so cute there at the window! 

Ryan: We're vultures, not J. Crew. 

🤣🤣

When the feast was ready, we gathered around the long table and sang a "hymn of grateful praise." 

You may remember that we have "servers" each year for our Thanksgiving meal. It eliminates a long buffet line or having all of the food on the table which is already pretty full. This year's servers were the lovely Maddie, Kristin, Eve, and Bekah. 

I love all of these faces!

You can't see all five pies in this photo. That is a lot of slices per capita! 

🎜

For the joy of human love, 
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For each gentle thought and mild.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise! 
🎝

After a death, there are many "firsts" without that person. This was our first holiday without my dad. These months have been a blur, and I sometimes wonder if it has all totally sunk in to me. But I keep putting one foot in front of the other because there is so just much to do, and I know that my mom is feeling that same thing. 

And yet, even with all of the changes and the grief, it is good to pause and be grateful for all of God's gifts and to praise Him for all that He has done! 

           Bless the Lord, O my soul;
                And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
                Bless the LORD, O my soul, 

                And forget not all His benefits:
                Who forgives all your iniquities, 
                Who heals all your diseases,
                Who redeems your life from destruction, 

                Who crowns you with lovingkindess and tender mercies, 

                Who satisfies your mouth with good things, 
                So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5