What's Up Here

Dec. 2 was one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right, mainly I think because I wasn't feeling well at all. We'd had some kind of intestinal 'bug' buzzing through our household and I'd had a different child home sick on 2 different days. Now it was my turn and I just didn't have time to be sick. I was feeling the tremendous pressure of a rapidly approaching departure date, my cute little son was acting "active":), the furnace quit working, the computer was moving at the speed of sludge moving uphill in the arctic winter and I couldn't respond to the guy who was trying to set up our flights, I had to tell my bro-in-law, Richard, I couldn't take him to his eye appointment, I still had to take my oldest son to his medication follow-up, my husband was working major over time (yes, I know the money will be a huge blessing) and I really just wanted to go bury my head under my pillow. AND because I was sick I couldn't attend our annual women's ministry's Christmas party which is the silliest, craziest and generally "funnest" party of the year. Thanks to all of you who prayed for me that day in the midst of all my gloom and doom. Praise the Lord, I felt quite a bit better the next day.

Thursday morning, Dec 4 I got on the computer early in the morning and found a message from our facilitator that there had been a mix-up and our SDA appointment is on Dec 15 rather than Dec 12. Oh my goodness! That threw me into a tailspin because we had just-I think the day before-- got our airline tickets all finalized and because the reason I'd got on the computer so early was to finalize apartment plans (Kiev is 9 hours ahead of us so contacting people during business hours requires purposeful effort) So I emailed all the appropriate people, got kids off to school, picked up my Mom and my bro-in-law, drove to Twin and took him to his first appointment while Mom and I got Christmas cards, family letters and school pictures stamped and on their way. Took him to his eye appointment while Mom and I and Caleb went to Shopko. We nabbed Richard and all headed homeward for Caleb's OT appointment. Then back to Twin for Richard's next appointment, then home a little late--three of my kids were already home from school. By this time I was starting to feel kind of puny again.

Friday I felt much better and I did not have to go anywhere all day long.

Saturday was another FULL day. Around 10 a.m. S. and J. went with Carol N. from church to pass out fliers all around town for Good News Club which is starting up again on Thursday. About 10:15 they were back to use the restroom and get warmer clothes and gloves :) 10:30-12:00 Kevin and I had mandatory rehearsal for "Hope Has Hands"--an arrangement of Christmas songs that our community choir is doing this year. Then we had to run back home, pick up J and S, grab Richard and head to Twin. We left J, S, and T off at Skateland for a young friend's birthday party; we took Richard to his friend's; stopped at the store for Christmas cookies and finger foods, then scooted over to our Special Needs Support Group Christmas party with only B and Caleb in tow. Then I did a couple hours of Christmas shopping at Kmart while Kevin and the kids got good deals at Grocery Outlet. Once home Kevin cooked supper while I went to Mom's to sort through Christmas presents. (We keep them at her house to keep spying eyes away) We had decided to let each of our children open one present from Mommy and Daddy so they ate their spaghetti supper in a flash. We read the Bible story of baby Jesus, sang a few Christmas carols and then opened gifts from youngest to oldest. I was so pleased that each of the kids seemed delighted with what was inside.

Sunday, of course, was Sunday school and church. I was pretty emotional knowing that this was our last Sunday home for awhile and that our children would be celebrating Christmas without us. I was reminded that God's gifts are hope, peace, joy and that He has everything under control. I was so pleased that Richard and our neighbor boy accompanied us to the evening Christmas concert--Hope Has Hands. The choir director, Pastor Mike from Kimberly Nazarene, opened with prayer followed by several traditional Christmas songs and hymns. Then he read the Bible passages concerning Simeon and Anna who had been waiting and waiting and waiting for God to send our Savior as He had promised hundreds of years earlier while the choir, made up of people from several of our local churches--Assembly of God, Nazarene, Christian, Methodist -- assembled on the risers. We sang the title song, as well as All the World Has Joy, Joy to the World, The Word Became Flesh, The Lord Has Been Kind, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, Mary Rocks the Rock, Hope Has Hands, Mary, Did you Know?, Come, Go Tell It On the Mountain. Then we all stood around, chatted, and munched on cookies.

And all the while there's a little boy in a Ukrainian orphanage who has no idea the special surprise that God has planned for him: a mommy and daddy, 3 brothers and two sisters. We are coming soon!