Weekly Word for January 19, 2007

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous; . . .
(Psalm 146: 1 & 8)

He seemed so big, and so angry - to the little girl I was way back then. He sat in the corner, with his cigar always in his hands - and didn’t seem to talk very much. When he did talk, it was more like barking at us - his grandchildren. As he sat in the corner, one hand always seemed to rest on his face and cheek, and it was only later that I learned of the pain that was constantly there. As a little child, I only knew that this man never smiled - and always seemed angry at me. For me, he was nothing like the other grandpa I knew - and so I didn’t miss him - when he was gone . . .

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; . . .

It was only as I became an adult, that I learned about the man who was my father’s father. As a little girl, I didn’t know him at all. I didn’t want to know him, because I was afraid of him. What I did know, was that he only had a few of his fingers on each hand. He had been a baker, and while working with a slicing machine - there was a terrible accident - and some of his fingers were lost. He had made cakes for my birthday. But I don’t remember them. I have seen the pictures, but the memories have somehow faded away. What I do remember, is wondering why he was always so angry, and being afraid to ask.

As I got older, I learned the truth about my grandfather. He had nerve damage in his jaw and face. The pain was always there, and he didn’t know how to stop it. His head always hurt, and the yelling of little children made it worse. When my grandmother died, my grandfather seemed to get even more distant - and more angry. As a little girl, I didn’t understand about pain, or even heartache. I didn’t understand about life at all - - - until I had to face my own heartache and pain . . .

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God; . . . Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
(Psalm 146: 5 & 7)

I was sure that “no one” understood the pain I was feeling. I knew that my husband didn’t understand, and my children seemed tired of their mother always being sick. I had been seeing a therapist, trying to get over the emotions and the pain of being abused throughout my life. But the pain was growing, and I didn’t know what to do.

I can still remember the day, driving my car, and knowing that the pain I felt inside of my being - was more than I could bear. I was supposed to pick up Mike after school. But it had been a roller coaster of emotions the entire day. So as Mike got in to the car, I hoped and prayed that he wouldn’t see what a mess I was. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I could feel the terror - just below the surface. To this day, I don’t remember what we talked about. What I do remember, is hoping that I would sound OK. The radio was playing, and I was trying to pretend that I was alright. But I wasn’t. All sorts of strange thoughts kept going through my mind. I started to wonder if my son would have been better off without me. I started to feel guilty and sad - for all that my children had gone through in the past few years. As these thoughts went through my head, my hands started to shake, and soon my heart was pounding in my chest. The panic had hit, and I couldn’t stop it.

I saw the road to the counseling center up ahead of me. When I came to it, I turned right, instead of going home. As I did, I tried to explain to Mike that I just needed to stop there for a moment. But he started arguing, he wanted to go home. As I pulled in to the parking lot, I turned toward him, trying to explain. That’s when I saw his face - before he could hide it. He looked so tired and disgusted with me. At that moment, he just didn’t understand anything. And I didn’t know how to help him. How could I make him understand about the pain and heartache - - - that had overtaken my life . . .

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
(Psalm 34: 18 & 19)

That day happened over 16 years ago. So much has happened since then. But the memories are still as fresh, as if it had happened yesterday. I know that my son loves me, but he did not have the ability to understand all that I was going through in my life. It is the same for most of us. We can care, and even love another person - and still not understand the deep pain and heartaches that they are experiencing. That is - until the Lord opens our eyes, and our hearts . . .

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
The righteous cry - and the Lord hears, . . .
(Psalm 34: 15 & 17)

I belonged to a woman’s bible study. It was a group of women from different churches, different ideas and beliefs, with one common thread. Each of us came to that group - hoping to learn more about, and grow closer to - the Lord. At least that was my hope for the group. I was the assistant pastor, and I had known most of the ladies for many years. Quite a few of the ladies had helped me, when I left my first husband. They had offered me furniture and household necessities, when I had none. Norma had been a part of the group, until just before she died. Each of us, seemed to draw support and help from this one group of ladies.

So it was this group, who listened as the woman told us about her heartache in leaving her husband. With tears in her eyes, she asked for prayer and support to leave the man she described as controlling and abusive. As she spoke, many of the woman spoke to her in words of encouragement. Their eyes showed concern, and they promised their prayers and support. That night, I sat there biting my tongue. I didn’t say a word, I only watched. I knew the woman’s husband as a friend, someone who had offered kindness and laughter - when Jenny and I were alone and homeless. “How could this be true?” I wondered silently. But I kept quiet as she talked.

As the women left the bible study that night, I knew that most had believed what she had said. But I didn’t. As I got ready to leave, I told my friend and partner that I thought she was lying. “You may be right”, she said. And I left feeling heartsick for the man I knew, the man she was about to hurt.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
And saves those who are crushed in spirit . . .

When I saw him again, his heart was broken - and I could feel it deep inside of me. My heart seemed to skip a beat, the day he walked into the room. It surprised me, how I could feel both happiness at seeing him - and heartache for what he was going through. That was the day, that Ted came back into my life. He had been one of the friends who had helped me, when I was alone and homeless. Now - he was the one in need of help.

Over the next few days and then weeks, we started talking. Soon, we talked to each other every day. I listened as he poured out his heart to me. My heart broke, as he talked about the pain that she had left inside of him. We talked and talked, about anything and everything. We had become - best friends.

And then one day, as Ted was doing some work around the ministry, the head of the ministry invited him to come to one of our meetings. Many of the ladies from the woman’s bible study - would be there that day. I watched his face, and knew that he was hesitant to go. He wasn’t so sure he should join us, especially since he would be the only man there. I have to admit - I wasn’t so sure he should be there as well. I knew what these women had heard about him - all those months earlier. But despite our fears , he came to the meeting anyways . . .

Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous; . . .
(Psalm 146: 1 - 8)

As the ladies came into the room, they tried to hide their surprise at seeing him there. I watched them, as they carefully looked him over. I could see it in their eyes, they had believed her - and didn’t trust him. They politely made room for him, as he sat down next to me - fidgeting uncomfortably. I didn’t know what to do. Silently, I started praying - hoping that the meeting would go by quickly.

As the meeting started, the leader went over what was going on at the ministry. She told the women about the work Ted had being doing - fixing things around the property. She then went on to other business that needed to be discussed. I don’t remember much about the meeting. But I was glad - when it was almost time to leave. We were almost finished, and so it was time to pray. We didn’t have a set form of prayer. We tried to let God lead us in “what” and “who” to pray for. We also allowed anyone who felt the urge - to do the actual praying. As everyone closed their eyes, I peeked over at Ted. He had closed his eyes, and his hands were gripped together. At that moment, I wanted to protect him. He hadn’t said a word during the meeting, and I knew he felt judged. So as we started to pray, I silently prayed for Ted. And then, it happened . . .

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous; . . .

I heard one of the women start to pray out loud, and then I heard her tears as she reached over to Ted. “I feel your heartache” she said. “And God is going to heal it” she continued. The tears were running down her face, and then I heard others crying. They knew, and I hadn’t said a word. The Lord had made sure that they knew Ted’s heart. As the prayer continued, I started to cry. On that day, The Lord’s presence was right there - filling the room. He was there - for all of us.

Since that day, so many things have changed. The friendship that Ted and I had, became the basis of our love. And on the day that we were married, we asked God to continue walking with us - into our forever . . .

I will give Thee thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to Thee before the gods.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me;
Thou wilt stretch forth Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Thy right hand will save me.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
(Psalm 138: 1, 7 & 8)

All of us have faced times of heartache and pain. We all have times in our lives when we wonder if anyone can understand what we are going through - times when even those who love us - cannot understand the hurts that fill our being. At those moments - there is One who does. He knows just what we need, to heal our broken hearts - and set us free to live our lives.

As you walk this road we call “Life”, will you ask Him to walk with you? When you do, miracles happen. And our world is changed - - - forever . . .

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity - to give you a future and a hope.”

(Jeremiah 29: 11)

God bless you and keep you - until we meet back here again!

In His Love,
Debbie & Ted Ayers

Weekly Word for January 19, 2007

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous; . . .
(Psalm 146: 1 & 8)

He seemed so big, and so angry - to the little girl I was way back then. He sat in the corner, with his cigar always in his hands - and didn’t seem to talk very much. When he did talk, it was more like barking at us - his grandchildren. As he sat in the corner, one hand always seemed to rest on his face and cheek, and it was only later that I learned of the pain that was constantly there. As a little child, I only knew that this man never smiled - and always seemed angry at me. For me, he was nothing like the other grandpa I knew - and so I didn’t miss him - when he was gone . . .

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; . . .

It was only as I became an adult, that I learned about the man who was my father’s father. As a little girl, I didn’t know him at all. I didn’t want to know him, because I was afraid of him. What I did know, was that he only had a few of his fingers on each hand. He had been a baker, and while working with a slicing machine - there was a terrible accident - and some of his fingers were lost. He had made cakes for my birthday. But I don’t remember them. I have seen the pictures, but the memories have somehow faded away. What I do remember, is wondering why he was always so angry, and being afraid to ask.

As I got older, I learned the truth about my grandfather. He had nerve damage in his jaw and face. The pain was always there, and he didn’t know how to stop it. His head always hurt, and the yelling of little children made it worse. When my grandmother died, my grandfather seemed to get even more distant - and more angry. As a little girl, I didn’t understand about pain, or even heartache. I didn’t understand about life at all - - - until I had to face my own heartache and pain . . .

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God; . . . Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.
(Psalm 146: 5 & 7)

I was sure that “no one” understood the pain I was feeling. I knew that my husband didn’t understand, and my children seemed tired of their mother always being sick. I had been seeing a therapist, trying to get over the emotions and the pain of being abused throughout my life. But the pain was growing, and I didn’t know what to do.

I can still remember the day, driving my car, and knowing that the pain I felt inside of my being - was more than I could bear. I was supposed to pick up Mike after school. But it had been a roller coaster of emotions the entire day. So as Mike got in to the car, I hoped and prayed that he wouldn’t see what a mess I was. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I could feel the terror - just below the surface. To this day, I don’t remember what we talked about. What I do remember, is hoping that I would sound OK. The radio was playing, and I was trying to pretend that I was alright. But I wasn’t. All sorts of strange thoughts kept going through my mind. I started to wonder if my son would have been better off without me. I started to feel guilty and sad - for all that my children had gone through in the past few years. As these thoughts went through my head, my hands started to shake, and soon my heart was pounding in my chest. The panic had hit, and I couldn’t stop it.

I saw the road to the counseling center up ahead of me. When I came to it, I turned right, instead of going home. As I did, I tried to explain to Mike that I just needed to stop there for a moment. But he started arguing, he wanted to go home. As I pulled in to the parking lot, I turned toward him, trying to explain. That’s when I saw his face - before he could hide it. He looked so tired and disgusted with me. At that moment, he just didn’t understand anything. And I didn’t know how to help him. How could I make him understand about the pain and heartache - - - that had overtaken my life . . .

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
(Psalm 34: 18 & 19)

That day happened over 16 years ago. So much has happened since then. But the memories are still as fresh, as if it had happened yesterday. I know that my son loves me, but he did not have the ability to understand all that I was going through in my life. It is the same for most of us. We can care, and even love another person - and still not understand the deep pain and heartaches that they are experiencing. That is - until the Lord opens our eyes, and our hearts . . .

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
The righteous cry - and the Lord hears, . . .
(Psalm 34: 15 & 17)

I belonged to a woman’s bible study. It was a group of women from different churches, different ideas and beliefs, with one common thread. Each of us came to that group - hoping to learn more about, and grow closer to - the Lord. At least that was my hope for the group. I was the assistant pastor, and I had known most of the ladies for many years. Quite a few of the ladies had helped me, when I left my first husband. They had offered me furniture and household necessities, when I had none. Norma had been a part of the group, until just before she died. Each of us, seemed to draw support and help from this one group of ladies.

So it was this group, who listened as the woman told us about her heartache in leaving her husband. With tears in her eyes, she asked for prayer and support to leave the man she described as controlling and abusive. As she spoke, many of the woman spoke to her in words of encouragement. Their eyes showed concern, and they promised their prayers and support. That night, I sat there biting my tongue. I didn’t say a word, I only watched. I knew the woman’s husband as a friend, someone who had offered kindness and laughter - when Jenny and I were alone and homeless. “How could this be true?” I wondered silently. But I kept quiet as she talked.

As the women left the bible study that night, I knew that most had believed what she had said. But I didn’t. As I got ready to leave, I told my friend and partner that I thought she was lying. “You may be right”, she said. And I left feeling heartsick for the man I knew, the man she was about to hurt.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
And saves those who are crushed in spirit . . .

When I saw him again, his heart was broken - and I could feel it deep inside of me. My heart seemed to skip a beat, the day he walked into the room. It surprised me, how I could feel both happiness at seeing him - and heartache for what he was going through. That was the day, that Ted came back into my life. He had been one of the friends who had helped me, when I was alone and homeless. Now - he was the one in need of help.

Over the next few days and then weeks, we started talking. Soon, we talked to each other every day. I listened as he poured out his heart to me. My heart broke, as he talked about the pain that she had left inside of him. We talked and talked, about anything and everything. We had become - best friends.

And then one day, as Ted was doing some work around the ministry, the head of the ministry invited him to come to one of our meetings. Many of the ladies from the woman’s bible study - would be there that day. I watched his face, and knew that he was hesitant to go. He wasn’t so sure he should join us, especially since he would be the only man there. I have to admit - I wasn’t so sure he should be there as well. I knew what these women had heard about him - all those months earlier. But despite our fears , he came to the meeting anyways . . .

Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous; . . .
(Psalm 146: 1 - 8)

As the ladies came into the room, they tried to hide their surprise at seeing him there. I watched them, as they carefully looked him over. I could see it in their eyes, they had believed her - and didn’t trust him. They politely made room for him, as he sat down next to me - fidgeting uncomfortably. I didn’t know what to do. Silently, I started praying - hoping that the meeting would go by quickly.

As the meeting started, the leader went over what was going on at the ministry. She told the women about the work Ted had being doing - fixing things around the property. She then went on to other business that needed to be discussed. I don’t remember much about the meeting. But I was glad - when it was almost time to leave. We were almost finished, and so it was time to pray. We didn’t have a set form of prayer. We tried to let God lead us in “what” and “who” to pray for. We also allowed anyone who felt the urge - to do the actual praying. As everyone closed their eyes, I peeked over at Ted. He had closed his eyes, and his hands were gripped together. At that moment, I wanted to protect him. He hadn’t said a word during the meeting, and I knew he felt judged. So as we started to pray, I silently prayed for Ted. And then, it happened . . .

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous; . . .

I heard one of the women start to pray out loud, and then I heard her tears as she reached over to Ted. “I feel your heartache” she said. “And God is going to heal it” she continued. The tears were running down her face, and then I heard others crying. They knew, and I hadn’t said a word. The Lord had made sure that they knew Ted’s heart. As the prayer continued, I started to cry. On that day, The Lord’s presence was right there - filling the room. He was there - for all of us.

Since that day, so many things have changed. The friendship that Ted and I had, became the basis of our love. And on the day that we were married, we asked God to continue walking with us - into our forever . . .

I will give Thee thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to Thee before the gods.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me;
Thou wilt stretch forth Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Thy right hand will save me.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
(Psalm 138: 1, 7 & 8)

All of us have faced times of heartache and pain. We all have times in our lives when we wonder if anyone can understand what we are going through - times when even those who love us - cannot understand the hurts that fill our being. At those moments - there is One who does. He knows just what we need, to heal our broken hearts - and set us free to live our lives.

As you walk this road we call “Life”, will you ask Him to walk with you? When you do, miracles happen. And our world is changed - - - forever . . .

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity - to give you a future and a hope.”

(Jeremiah 29: 11)

God bless you and keep you - until we meet back here again!

In His Love,
Debbie & Ted Ayers

Weekly Word for January 5, 2006

“The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting’;”
(Jeremiah 33:11)

It was going to be a party, a celebration of her life. All around me, people were getting ready - cleaning and cooking for the birthday party. I was helping in the kitchen, trying to get all the food ready for the party. It was supposed to be a surprise party, and so everyone was very quiet about what we were doing. We were all working very hard, trying to finish up all the little details we had planned out. But like most plans, not everything was going as we wanted it to. I was frustrated, wondering if I would be able to get all the food ready - and out on to the table. It was then, that I noticed her. We had all been so busy, that we hadn’t noticed that she was already there. She was sitting on a lounge chair in the corner of the room. Unnoticed by everyone around her, she sat there sobbing. As I went over to her, I could see the terror in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked her. For just a moment, she sat staring at me. Fear seemed to fill her being. Very softly, I heard the words: “They are going to get me”. Looking at her, I knew that her fears and torments were very real to her. Sitting down next to her, I tried to comfort her. As I looked in to her eyes, for just an instant - I saw the world she was living in. Her disease had been growing for years, and the confusion and fear were so real. “It will be OK” I told her. But I didn’t know if I was telling her the truth. Hearing my voice, she seemed to calm down. As I watched her, my mother finally smiled. And then - - - I woke up . . .

But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.
(Psalm 5: 11)

As I woke up from the dream, I couldn’t help but think about the woman who is my mother. As I did, memories seemed to flash before my eyes. This past Christmas had been one of such turmoil - and yet - it was also a time to watch my mother laugh at the simple joys that were around her . . .

But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy;

We had all gotten the call, telling us that our mother wasn’t doing very well. The best we could hope for, was to let her be as happy as she could - making sure we smiled at whatever she gave us. And that was some of the problem. My mother absolutely loved shopping. And she had shopped every day - buying small little presents for each of us. None of them were very expensive, but there were lots of them. As part of the family struggled with how unpractical this all was - I guess I realized that it was something that my mother just loved doing. She loved to wrap presents - and watch the faces of each person - as they opened the gifts she had wrapped.


So as Christmas Day came, we headed off to my parents’ house. She seemed a little confused, but also so happy. Each family had a number of bags in front of them. And she couldn’t wait for the moment we would start to open them.

We took turns, each family having it’s time in the “limelight”. Ted and I had gotten there late, so we had to wait - watching the others. As I sat there watching one of my brother’s opening his gifts, I watched my mother’s face. And I remembered back - to times that are now long gone . . .

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs,
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead . . .
(Isaiah 40:11)

*************

As the oldest, and the only daughter, I didn’t always get along with my parents. I thought they were too strict, too old, and just didn’t understand me. As I grew, I gave both my parents a very hard time. The relationship between my mother and myself - seemed always to be a struggle. And truthfully, I never knew what to do about it. So it was with mixed feelings, that I remembered back to being a very little girl . . .

We (my brothers and myself) had been warned not to play too far into the woods behind our house. I guess I must have been about 5 or so, when I decided to forget that rule. On this one particular day, having to take my brother along with me, my friend and I decided to go play in the woods. We started out right behind our house, but it didn’t take long for us to wander all the way down to the end of the street. We found lots of things to play with - branches to swing on, sticks to use as swords, and even trash that we thought was treasure. There was so much to do - playing in the woods. We pretended to be pirates, and cowboys, and all sorts of imaginary things. But then, like most little children do - we decided it would be fun to play “doctor”. My little brother, who was always so much thinner than I was, wore suspenders on his pants. It was those suspenders that got us in deep trouble that day! The moment we heard our mother yelling for us, we tried our best to get those suspenders back up! But we were too little, and she was too quick for 3 little children.

To this day, I remember the terror in the middle of my stomach. The moment she saw us, her face became a red mask of fury! She told us to get home, and she told our friend that she would be speaking to her mother. As my mother marched up the street toward our house, I decided to run. I wanted to get away from her, and what I thought she would do to me. I wanted to hide - and I tried to - when I ran into the house. But 5 year olds don’t hide very well, and she found me right away. I still remember sitting on my bed, sobbing - as my bottom throbbed in pain. When you are 5, those are the things you remember - about your mother . . .

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
(Psalm 30:5)

As I grew, I saw my mother through the eyes of a teenager. I saw her as the person who wouldn’t let me go places, or wear the newest fashion. I saw her as the person who always stopped me from having fun! And then one day, I saw her a little differently. I had been fighting with two friends from the neighborhood. You see, three girls don’t always get along. So when the two of them decided that “they” were best friends, and I was “nothing”, I couldn’t help but feel hurt. They taunted me at school, and made fun of me as we walked home. As I tried to walk faster, I hoped and prayed they wouldn’t see my tears. My heart was breaking inside of me, and I didn‘t want them to see it. At that moment, I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong. The walk home seemed to take forever, but I finally walked through those kitchen doors. When I did, I burst into tears. That day, my mother sat and listened to me. She sat right next to me, telling me that I was alright - and that she was sorry that this had happened. That day, it was her voice - that seemed to ease the pain deep inside of me.

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; (it) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
(1 Corinthians 13: 4 & 6)

I wish I could say that our relationship got easier after that day, but it didn’t. We struggled with our differences, and what each of us thought was right. The day she found out I was going to get married - she cried. She had hopes for me, that I didn’t. I wanted to get married - she wanted me to become a nurse. And yet, she celebrated each milestone that I crossed - getting married, having children, and even getting my degrees. Through all the difficulties I faced in my life, there were moments - like that day so long ago - when her voice brought comfort and reassurance.

Love is patient, love is kind, . . .

So on this day, Christmas Day, I watch my mother - the woman who has been a part of my life, always. The memories are there - both good and bad. But it is this day - that I find myself concentrating on. As each person opens their presents - the joy on her face seems to flit back and forth. She seems to know that there are things that are not quite right. Her eyes seem to cloud over for just a moment, and then she sees her children and grandchildren. She smiles at each of them, laughing as they open their gifts.

And then it is time for her to open her own presents. As I hand her the gift I made, her eyes become huge - and the years seem to just drift away. With each little gift she opens, her face lights up - just like a little girl’s. As I watch her, I realize that for a moment - she is the child that I never knew. At that moment, I realize that I am praying that God will bless her with moments of happiness - all the days she has left in her life . . .

“Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.”
(Hosea 2: 15)

My mother is slowly losing the memories of her life. She is facing a future filled with unknowns. But as I watched her on that very special Christmas day - I realized that it is in the moments of each day - that we celebrate the joys in living.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15: 11)

Every single day, we have choices before us - of how we want to live our lives. Most of us have pasts that are blotted with times of hurt and pain. None of us can know what the future might hold. But we do have today - this moment - to celebrate the gifts that we have been given in our lives.

As we start this brand New Year, it is my hope and prayer that each of us can find the joy and love - that God has waiting for all of us. It is my prayer that each of you will ask Him to walk with you - every day. As you do, your days will become fuller and richer - with all the good gifts that He has waiting for you - - - for the rest of your life . . .

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity - to give you a future and a hope.”
(Jeremiah 29: 11)

God bless you and keep you, as we celebrate the beginning of a brand New Year - one that is full with God’s blessings for each . . .

In His Perfect Love,
Debbie & Ted Ayers