Thank You, Friends !!

Good morning !!!!

What a wonderful Birthday!!!! Anna was so thoughtful to make a post and allow you all to bless the socks off me!! (actually I do not hardly wear socks) It has really been a great day and so many people participated in the celebration, my family and then I received so many phone calls and all the meaningful, Happy Birthday comments.....thank you!!! I just wish you bloggin' friends could have come to the real party!! Anna made a yummy dessert, we had grilled hamburgers, David and Katelyn came over and had the dessert with us and then a HUGE game of Scrabble! Quite an evening. Now Terry and I are the same age for 6 months. Oh, the treadmill was my birthday present, so I am blessed to receive that too!!

We are having a great time with Terry's folks here. We are getting a lot of good medicine.....a merry heart! Terry's mom really topped it last night with a funny statement, that you would have had to be here but we were all rolling. I was hurting I laughed so hard. There is just something about laughing with your whole heart. Tonight will be our tradition of pizza and Blue Bell. We have been inside playing games, Pop has been reading one book over and over to the children but with different variations and is quite a show in itself, for the young and old!!

I read a scripture and have been thinking about it for a day of so. First it lead me to think about "who God is." To think about his nature, His person. Ps. 51:1, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. The word "according" really struck me. I started thinking how God works, how he allows and governs the circumstances in our lives, and you know what? He moves and works according to his character, his nature. We do not know Him in the fullness, but the scripture does tell us a little "about Him." He is kind, loving, holy, just, righteous, sinless, undefiled, perfect, and even more than this list. But he works and acts according to His character and nature. His actions harmonize, are in agreement, are in unison with His person. He has mercy upon us according to his character of love, he has forgiven us according to his righteousness, and thankfully not ours because we are as filthy rags, no righteousness. So I was just in awe of the Lord and can not even begin to fathom His Person, but so humbled to think that he does all his works in our lives according to his character and nature, and of course that is perfect so all he does is right and perfect. How thankful he does not "do" according to how I act or respond or fail. When I can meditate upon mountainous truths like this, there is a great peace and assurance that all has been done "right " with Joel, He has worked according to His person, which is Perfect! So much there to think about......precious "living" words.

I read something on another persons blog recently She said she and her husband had gone to the cemetery to their own child's grave and they saw something they had not seen before. This couple saw a new toy sitting at another child's grave and they walked over and looked at the date and it was a death date of the 1960's. So 40 years later grieving parents still missing their little one. Yes, we walk through this but you never get "over " it. There will always be a sorrow, but alongside I do believe the Lord can grant a rejoicing. Our church fellowship sings out of the Trinity Hymnal and this past Sunday evening we sang O Come All Ye Faithful. The third verse touched my heart, Sing choirs of angels; sing in exultation, Sing all ye citizens of heav'n above; Glory to God in the highest; and then the chorus, O come, let us adore him.......Christ the Lord. I actually know a citizen of heaven, my Joel. He is getting to sing with all the angels in heaven. it just seems their celebration would far exceed anything we could do here. I was just imagining it for a moment....... sing loud "Balley!!!"

Now on a funny note......do any of you tire of frizzy, static, wispy hair? Well....our sweet Mercy has sorta patented a hair product just for you!! What you do is, for this type of hair is take a BIG GLOB of vasilene and SMEAR it on your hair. Immediate results! Nice, slick, glued, never have to worry about that Oklahoma wind again!! She said she was putting "moose on it." What a beautiful little princess we had for Sunday!! (and it lasts all day, maybe two days, so it is money saving)

We are gearing up for a Christmas Eve party with some friends, about 50 if they all show up. first we'll have finger foods, play some games, wait for the B's to get here and then play another gift exchange game, sing some carols and fellowship. Looking forward to a fun evening!

We had a big answer to prayer yesterday. Terry gave a framing bid to the owner of the Build Block house they just finished (the pictures I posted a few posts back) the owner countered the bid and Terry and the guys went with it. It will be about a 5 week job, Lord willing. A good job to carry us through January. As you saw the house, the plans are major, so many rooms. We are grateful for the Lord's favor and granting this job!

Thanks so very much again for taking the time to make my birthday extra special!!!!

Cindy

P.S. Be sure to check out Bethany's blog.......quite interesting!!!!