A NEW YEAR

2016 WILL BE A GREAT YEAR! I read that last night when I went to see the new film - War Room - at the Alton Church of God. I agreed.

2015 WAS A HARD YEAR.  In JANUARY our friend's son died. He was 54, the same age as our oldest son. They were friends and played together after church from the time they were four until we moved away when they were ten. We mourned with his mother and father.

Two weeks later in FEBRUARY our son died. What a shock! Now we had our own grief and we mourned for ourselves.

Three weeks later in MARCH our friends grandson, who lived with her, died unexpectedly. We mourned with her.

A month later, in APRIL, Our youngest son resigned from the church where he was pastor for almost eleven years. We sat under his ministry for eight years; the years since my husband retired from about fifty years of pastoral ministry. His resignation felt like another death.

Two months later in JULY his family split bringing more heartache. I felt like my world was turned upside- down. Other things happened that I will not write about here.

2015 WAS NOT ALL BAD. We learned again the faithfulness of God. He never leaves us. He helped me to write two children's books and with the help of a friend, Bernice Talent, create two coloring books to go with the readers. One of the sets was published in December so I finished the year with at least one accomplishment.

I sold a number of  copies of my book Kidd and Spitfire Doll to help spread the word about God's redeeming power.

They say the hardest battle is just before the greatest victory and the darkest night is just before the dawn. I expect sweet victory and a bright day in 2016! Thank God that his mercy is new every morning.