so much to appreciate

I find it so overwhelming to thank God. Where to start? There is so much to say, and to appreciate.

Last night my oldest daughter, Candace announced that she and Aaaron Pringle are getting married! I am very happy about this and look forward to figuring out how to be a Father-In-Law. I hope I can be as good at it as my Father-In-Law is to me. I also hope that I am better at it than I was at getting used to haviong my daughter date in the first place. I am notr proud of how I acted in that role at first.

Christmas Eve services were so cool. Blow out crowds at Hanover and at York Road. In fact, York Road was way too full. We set up every chair and brought in more stacks of chairs, finally giving up and just allowing the poor late comers to just stand. I felt sorry for them, even while feeling happy to have that problem.

It was so good to have the Keith and Karen Welsh family back. God, in His never ending mystery, for some reason did not allow us to support them financially this past year. But this year will be different I think. I love Him for allowing us to help. I think a lot more people will spend eternity in heaven becauyse of their work, and I get a little of that credit.

This week I spent a whole lot of time thinking about how one year ago I had my last conversation with my good friend Malcolm Workman. I must have reviewed that last conversation in my mind a hudred times since that. I wish it could have gone differently. I wish I could have thought of an other way for it to turn out. I guess I am still waiting for my ridiculously gracious God to bail me out of this one some how. Not that I deserve it. Just that it is what He does so much. And it would be so cool if He did it again. I think He probably will.

And this year, I cannot stop thinling about how good God has been to me. I love my job. I have an incredibly gorgeous wife, who is my best friend. My kids are my friends too, and most importantly, they love God, sometimes more than I do, maybe. I wish I had grown up as good as they seem to be growing up.

Freedom Valley people are sowonderful and kind. They have blessed me in more ways than are fair. They take care of each other so beautifully, and follow me so kindly. They put up with my faults with a lot of patience, and allow me to grow at my own pace. I see so much Jesus in them, and hope they sometimes see a little of Him in me.

I was going to get around to some more prayer requests here, but it seems wrong right now. There is just so much to thank God for right now, I probably ought to stop there, just appreciating how much he has done for me already. Maybe tomorrow I can start asking for things already, if I remind myself often enought that He likes it when i ask for things so that I can use it for His glory.

I'd be surprised if anyone actually read this far in this rambling thing. But if you did, I pray a blessing on you for caring.