I can say without reservation that this has been the hardest year of my life.
Have you ever wanted to know what the upcoming year has in store for you? If someone could tell you what 2010 would bring, would you want to know?
If someone had told me a year ago what this year had in store for me and my family I doubt that I would have believed it - I certainly wouldn't have wanted to know ahead of time.
Thankfully there have been many blessings this year along with all the trials. I prefer to dwell on the blessings.
This summer I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. I've never had surgery and never even had a regular doctor so the news that I had cancer came as a total shock. With lots of prayer from friends and family I sailed through the surgery and had a good three month follow up check. Through my illness I came to realize the power of prayer first hand and the importance of love and support from our friends and my blog readers. I see my cancer as a blessing in my life. If I had the choice, I think I would choose to go through it all again. It helped me understand the connection we all have to one another and helped me see what is most important in my life.
Bill and I recently put our Ventura home up for sale. His business is dependent on the economy and the housing market and business has been terrible. Bill was forced to close two stores and lay off many wonderful employees. This has been a very stressful and sad time for us financially. I am so thankful for the two years we've had our weekend home and feel so blessed for every day we've spent there. We trust everything will work out and I believe that God has wonderful things in store for us in the future.
This summer it became evident that our oldest son Jeff was having health issues. In December we received the devastating news that he has ALS and Frontal Lobe Dementia. Bill and I are now faced with the hardest thing any parent can be asked to do; to help our son and our whole family prepare for his journey into eternity. We are heartbroken for our son and his sweet family.
Up until now I've only shared all of this with just a few close friends. To be honest with you I try not to dwell on it all. I prefer to see the good in every situation and to have a positive attitude (thanks to my mom for instilling that into me). We all have a choice on how we react to circumstances; on how we handle adversity and illness.
I believe everything that happens to me is part of The Plan for my life that was written long before I was born.This is what comforts me and allows me to go forward. I believe that God Blesses us through our own adversities and through the adversities of others. I try to see the world through His eyes and not my desires and He reminds me that all things work for the good who love and trust Him. I know that God loves me and will never forsake me.
If I had a request it would be that you would pray for our son Jeff, his wife Cherene and their two little boys Jake and Nathan. This is going to be a hard road for them and for all of us. I also ask that you pray that God will lead Bill and me so we will know how best we can help Jeff and his family in this journey.
Encourage one another,
