Auld lang syne

I can't believe another year

is almost at a close.  They

all tend to blend into one another

now that I'm older and it's not as

exciting to see a new year

come in.  But it still remains

mystifying how another year

could be gone so quickly.

God has brought so many

changes to my life this year.

He has given me a new

church.  I have new friends.

I have also lost friends this

year.  I've become a 

great grandmother!  Who

would have seen that coming

at the close of 2014.  I survived

a whole year during which

John was not a presence in

my life.  When 2015 was upon us,

I told the chaplain of the grief

group I was attending that

what bothered me the most

was that I was going to begin

a year where John would never

have been.  But I made it.

I'm learning a new language.  I 

wouldn't have seen that coming

at the close of 2014.

It's been lonely, too.  Sometimes

I am able to reach out.  But I am

also aware that so many people

suffer in the quietness of

their own souls.  I need to

remember that other people

are reaching out, too.  That

they are just as lonely as I.

That they need to have someone

see that loneliness and reach

out to them when they are unable

to do so themselves.  I ask

God as I go into a new year

to make me aware of people

who are struggling and hear their

silent cries even when no

word is uttered.

Enough philosophy.  

I know someone who reads

my blog (and you know who

you are) has already seen

this but I don't have anything else

ready to post!

I have had to make way too mnay

sympathy cards in the last 

couple of months.  I hope I don't

have to make any more for a while.

Unfortunately, death seems to

recognize no holiday.  I always

pray, when I am not sure, that the

person knew God.  I am relatively

certain that the people who  have

died recently were saved.  That's 

the only thing that helps (and then

only a little) to know that the person

is with God and we will see them

again.  But that doesn't take away

the pain.  I am always amazed

that when Lazurus died, Jesus

mourned his death-and He KNEW 

he was going to raise Lazurus from the

dead!  That's the human experience 

that allows Jesus to understand

our pain and anguish.  He understands

our experiences

 because he's been through

them.   What an amazing God to

be born in human form so that

He could identify with us.  It's comforting

to know that Jesus totally understands

what we are feeling.  That way if

we simply can't pray for whatever

reason all we have to do is 

cry, "Abba Father" and He

hears our heart cry.  And

what a blessing to know that

when the words won't come

the Holy Spirit groans for us.

(Romans 8:26-27).

OK, now I am done with

the philosophy, I promise!  and

to think I dropped that

class in college!  The professor

put me to sleep.  True story!