The Beginning Sunday December 28, 2008

Well today is the first day of my blogging and really for no other reason than I enjoy reading my friends blogs so much. I have a friend whose husband went to be with God in December of 2007 and she had started a blog a month or more before that life changing event and has kept it up for over a year now and I look forward to reading how she's doing. I have another friend that adopted a little boy from Russia in March of 2008 and I love reading her blog. I also have a friend that does a great job of blogging about her 3 children from open adoptions. Then of course when I go to these friends blogs they have shortcuts to other peoples blogs so I find myself on those blogs too. One I especially have been touched by is audreycaroline.blogspot.com Some people blog as a way of communicating horrific tragedies that have occured in their lives and then some blog as a way of communicating just the everyday happenings of their family life.

I'm hoping to just blog as a way of communicating the everyday happenings in my life and what God is showing me. I feel like God has really been showing me many things this year. One of my dear friends 16 year old daughter went to be with God in February of 2008 and it has really rocked my world. Their faith has been so incredible and the memorial service was so special and a true celebration of her life and there were so many in attendance, the service had to be at a different church because our church was not big enough. This 16 year old girl touched so many lives and impacted the Kingdom in ways I'm not sure can even be measured at this point. I have been praying for this family almost daily. I have attended funerals before and grieved with others but then I seem to go back to my normal routine and not think too much about the family. This loss has stayed with me and as a result I have prayed for other friends and family that are grieving. I can not fathom the pain and loss some of these precious friends have experienced, some have lost a daughter, sister, husband, son, and brother. All have had tremendous faith and have the hope of knowing they will one day be reunited with their loved one. I am so very grateful for that!

I completed the 12 Steps of Celebrate Recovery in February of 2008 and am experiencing great freedom from the damaging effects of pride and control. I'm not completely recovered but on the road as they say desiring to be more like Christ in my words and actions. Celebrate Recovery (CR) is a wonderful ministry that God is using to change lives and bring healing to people with hurts, habits and hang-ups. Our Ministry Leader says it best if you're breathing you could benefit from CR . Running out of room for my first post. More tomorrow