Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! As I write this post I am in OHIO (yeah) and I am seeing how truly blessed I am. We arrived Monday and tried to surprise my mom but the ground was covered with ice so every step we made was SO loud and so we began to laugh, I am certain this is from delirium form being in the car for 14 hours! :) So needless to say she heard us coming! We all went to breakfast at cracker barrel then home to rest for a quick bit. I got to surprise one of my favorite girls (Sophie) who screamed when she saw us. (she thought we were just leaving Kansas) Did some more running around and got the last minute Christmas shopping almost done, had a Deitches Ice Cream! (YUMMY) Then to the mall where I ran into some more friends. Then to surprise Tiffany at Swim practice! Then the headache came. I thought it was from traveling and all the running around, so I took some aspirin went to bed. Woke up Tuesday with the same headache. Well the headache wouldn't go away and then it made me sick very sick (throwing up yucky sick) so finally about 8 pm Earl and I took a trip to the E.R. (OK Earl forced me but I am glad he did) After blood work, lots of IV fluids and some Amazing medicines, the CT scan and a few hours we were back at my parents and the headache was gone! I slept and slept and slept then we attended the Christmas Eve Service at Stonebridge last night and we able to see and speak with so many of our friends! In the short amount of time we have been gone it's amazing to see how much everyone has changed. Many of the students I used to work with now tower over me, so I am not sure if I shrunk in Kansas or they really grew that much. But it was so great to walk into the church to be greeted by hugs and the warm beautiful smiles of those we love. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I saw them again. We were greeted with so much love! I can only Thank God for that. He allowed us to share so much of our lives there for five years and we are truly blessed to share in the lives of those wonderful people at Stonebridge! I think sometimes I wonder if what we share is as meaningful to others as it is to me and God always shows me it is. And this trip is defiantly showing me that the time we were at Stonebridge was for His purpose and not ours and that when we follow his leading he will Bless what we have. We just have to allow God to work and he does! In his timing not ours. And so as we continue to share this special time with family and friends I feel Gods blessings with each friendly face, smile, hug, and even the few shedded tears! and I know that our God is an AWESOME GOD! So as this day of celebrating the birth of Christ draws to an end, I Hope you will continue to see God's Blessings in Your life, Things don't always work the way we think they should, but God's Plan is so much bigger than what we can see. and as I get these tiny glimpses into His Bigger Picture I am Thankful! May You Feel His Blessings Today and Always!

Know You are Loved, Thought of & Prayed for!

Love ya Christina