The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost, to heal the broken,

To feed the hungry, to release the prisoner;

To rebuild nations, to bring peace

Among brothers, to make music in the heart.

Howard Thurman

A New Joint

It's been 11 days since I went to The Medical Center, Beaver to receive a new knee. I am such a wimp or at least I feel that way. Surgery went well and I was discharged on Friday, Dec. 12. Now that I'm home I can't seem to find a lot of comfortable places to sit and I wonder if any progress is being made. But, then, I stop, take a deep breath and remember that a week ago, I couldn't lift my leg by myself. I couldn't get into bed without difficulty. I couldn't walk up and down the steps without talking to myself for 5 minutes first to "gear myself up." And, a week ago I couldn't get into a bathtub. Yes, the exercizes are painful and some may be from Satan instead of the Lord, but, little by little, the right things are happening. I can't drive yet (It's too cold outside anyway) because I don't have a 90 degree angle at my knee. That's fine with me! Last year I was in Ghana for Christmas and I was hoping to be around for some of the festivities at church this year. But, I'm not sure if there is a comfortable chair to sit in, where I can put up my leg. I'll try to work this out for Christmas Eve. All in all, God is good. It's His mercy and grace and the prayers of believers that have gotten me this far. I'm looking forward to using this new knee in Ghana!

The Blessing of Family

The holiday season always brings the thought of family to mind. I have been blessed with two brothers, a sister, their spouses, their children and grandchildren. They mean so much to me. I have such wonderful memories of times spent together.

This year I celebrated Thanksgiving with my sister, her son and daughter in law in Texas City, Texas. It was wonderful! So relaxing and warm! I was able to visit and reconnect with my nephew and his wife. I don't see them very often. This trip has been another of the great blessings of our God.