JOY to the world, the Lord is come! “…to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace…” Luke 1:77-79
Christmas Greetings!
As I look back over the past year I can see there are so many things to be thankful for! Ron and I have been in our new home for almost a year and it’s a pleasure to be in a house where I can be so independent and things are set up so well to accommodate the wheelchair. It’s also fun being in our own place so I can do Christmas baking and preparations again. What a marvelous time of the year – to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
My health has improved over the past year, in terms of gaining back much more of my energy and independence. Of course I have days where I face frustrations, but God’s grace is sufficient and I praise Him for, "His mercies are new every morning!" I still go for physiotherapy once a week, mostly to help me maintain the range of motion in my lower body. I still have to lay down every afternoon to rest my back and stretch out my muscles, but it’s a good time for me to spend in prayer and reading. Thankfully Daniel still generally has nice long naps in the afternoon, which allows me to have my quiet time!
Daniel continues to bring us a lot of joy, although he’s changed from a baby to a little boy in the past year! He just turned two in October, which adds a few challenges to this business of parenting. We have a lot of fun though despite the trials of potty training and a new spirit of independence.
He talks a lot now and it is so sweet to hear his little prayers. No wonder God said we are to become like little children. Daniel keeps busy building with his blocks, hammering a wide assortment of objects, and “fixing” all kinds of things. Nice to have such a handyman around the house… We continue to be so thankful that God spared his life in the accident! What a joy to watch the little guy grow - he truly is a marvelous gift from the Lord.
Ron resigned from his job at Home Hardware and is presently working along with his brother doing electrical work. He is also anticipating getting into some kind of book-keeping/accounting business in the future so he spends a fair bit of time on the computer trying out all kinds of different programs. We’ll have to see which doors open in regards to his future career.
We changed churches this past summer and are now attending the New Life Fellowship Baptist Church. The style of worship and teaching were more along the lines of what we were used to at YWAM. I have found it a tremendous encouragement and have really grown in my walk with the Lord. It seems a revival is happening here and it’s exciting to be a part of it and to see so many new believers on an almost a weekly basis!
I keep quite busy with the daily activities of running the home, attending church meetings, looking after Daniel and visiting friends. It’s such a blessing having Mom and Dad living so close by. They often look after Daniel for me when I’m out and help out in numerous other ways. Ron’s family help out at different times as well so we’re grateful for all the family and good friends we are surrounded with! I’m able to do much of the housework but I have a girlfriend come in and do the bigger jobs for me such as vacuuming and washing the floors etc. Those things can be a bit tricky in a wheelchair.
I hope this letter help to bring you up to date on what’s happening in our lives. I can testify to God’s faithfulness even when circumstances aren’t always easy! Praise Him for sending Jesus to save us and give us a reason to live for His honour and glory!
