It Truly Was A Merry Christmas!

Every morning this Christmas season I have awoke with a prayer of thanksgiving that I am home and able to spend this time with my loved ones. I cannot express how truly blessed this season has been for me after such a difficult year.

The love my husband has shown me through this struggle has taught me so much about how deep and self-sacrificing a love can become. He is truly my other half and I could not do this without him. (Here is a picture that my little sister took of us for Christmas.)

My family and friends have been so much fun through this holiday season. We enjoyed Christmas Eve with my parents and siblings (although we were missing my oldest sister since my nephew is in the hospital and my next oldest sister because one of my nieces was running a fever). We then spent Christmas with both my family and Ray's family. We had a really good time (and got some thoughtful gifts as well)! My mom blessed us with a new mattress pad (sleeping has been uncomfortable for me since my surgery) and Ray's dad built us a bench for our porch.

Another huge blessing came my way this week as well. I often talk about my co-workers and how wonderful they have been through this difficult time. Well, before I took my last job, I worked for nine years with the Auditor's Office. There are several awesome people that I had the opportunity to work with and miss terribly. This week, they sent a card and some very thoughtful gifts. In addition, several of my old team members sent me extremely caring notes of encouragement that really meant so much to me. Thank you so much to my old team.

On a little more difficult note, my nephew is still in the ICU. They are not sure what is wrong, and he is not getting better. Also, my neighbor in the hospital (who also had heart failure and a heart pump and was trying to get a heart transplant) passed away on Christmas Eve morning. It is a reminder of how cruel this illness can be. Some times it is tough to understand why God lets some of us lead healthy lives and some of us are sick; however, God spoke to me through this scripture in Romans 9, "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" It is not up to us to ask our creator why He makes us the way He makes us, but rather it is our duty to learn to trust His love for us and to be obedient with our lives. I have faith that God's hand is guiding us through this struggle and that He will provide the "perfect" heart. Of course, I would still REALLY appreciate all of your prayers. Thank you to each of you who have sent cards, e-mails, food, visits, phone calls, etc. I have been so blessed to have such wonderful support. I hope one day I can return the love and kindness to each of you.