Good Morning to you on this first Sunday of 2022! We awoke to -12 degrees today with a high of 7 forecast. We missed the snow that piled up south of us, but the arctic cold has settled over us for a few days. Pretty typical for January in the Upper Midwest. We are cozy and warm in our home with plenty of heat, a fireplace going, blankets covering us and our trusty "sweats" and smartwool socks covering our feet. And then there are my old wool slippers that add another layer of warmth. Yeah.....Winter in our corner of the world requires layers!
I hope your Christmas was filled with joy as we celebrated the Babe in the manger....as we gathered to worship in our local churches and online.....as we opened our homes to family and friends if possible. We went to Christmas Eve services at 1:30 pm thinking we would avoid the crowds at the three later services, but it was a pretty full church. Came home to a quiet house where we enjoyed a good dinner and pie, We then worshiped online with Lutheran Church of Hope. Christmas Day was quiet, but filled with preparations for our family arriving the afternoon of the 26th. Sadly, but I guess not surprisingly, two families had to cancel due to a Covid exposure and then flu..,.and another who tested positive for Covid. Those who came were healthy and we had a good time with each other while at the same time missing those who were absent. We played cribbage, Yahtzee, and some played chess. Our granddaughter Abbi wanted to make Krumkake while everyone was here so Abbi taught me how to do that. It was great fun!! Our oldest son and granddaughter Greta went home Monday evening but our gathering ended a few hours early on Tuesday as the rest were heading home in snowy weather with sleet and wind thrown in to the mix. All arrived home safely. Thank you God!
Wednesday morning I woke up sick and after 2 negative Covid tests, Influenza A and B tests, and a strep test, we believe I am dealing with "some unnamed virus" that is kicking my butt. I am on the mend, slow but steady as we step into 2022. Not the way I wanted to start a new year, but it is what it is and moving forward is the name of the game.
Our oldest son and his family gave me an Alexa for Christmas and I am sitting here on my laptop listening to praise music. I keep forgetting it is always listening ( kinda creepy) so more than once it has come on....once from a commercial on TV! Haha.....Joel wasn't sure about getting one when I mentioned it awhile ago, but now before I even get downstairs he has it on playing soft praise music or George Winston music in the early mornings! Our oldest daughter and her family gave us a subscription to a service where we write in memories to the questions that come up and at the end of the year it is complied into a book! So fascinating and fun.
So on this second day of January, 2022 what are you thinking about? Are you making resolutions, or setting goals? For me at this place in my life now and where I have been the past few years, my hopes and dreams center around what is important in life. Relationships. #1 is my relationship with Papa God, Jesus, and Holy. Just a few days ago someone I know from high school and followed on Facebook lost her battle with cancer. She won the war as Jesus welcomed her home, but her body just plain wore out from the battle with such an ugly disease. From what I have read she had a good relationship with God and was very close to her family and friends. In truth, what other legacy is there? It had me thinking............when Jesus welcomes me home I want to feel like I am being welcome by a dear friend.....my loving Heavenly Father, and the Great Comforter...
So, in the first days of 2022 as I bundle up in sweats and blankets and nurse myself back to my kind of "normal", my resolutions....my goals,....my desires.....are that I know God more....through the Word, through prayer, through conversation which means not only talking but listening. I have this hope to intentionally use my five senses to embrace each day! And can I add, I am sure hoping that 2022 brings us all more peace and joy and less Covid along with the Greek alphabet of variants that have followed!
Today I am grateful for the time we had with family, the laughter, the tears, the fun games, the Krumkake learning and chatting, the gifts, the giving of gifts. Grateful for praise music filling our home in seconds, for worship in person and online, for my super loving, caring, patient hubby. Grateful for 2021 ~ another year where we experienced God's love, a few adventures, and the love of family and friends.
And today as we walk into 2022, I pray you each have an amazing year walking with God, and that each day is filled with joy and peace, with a few great adventures thrown in.
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