Remembering

Some people think looking behind isn’t healthy but I believe you should pay attention to what has already happened and how it affected your life in order to improve on your future. My 2024 had some fun and exciting times and some very difficult times but, as always, I learned the most about myself in the difficult times.

So, here goes. I always like to remember the fun times first. We spent a week sailing with my husband’s brother and his wife in the Keyes of Florida (that was exciting)!

My long-time friend Joy, and her husband Joe, came for a visit. We hadn’t seen each other for several years and yet it was as if we never missed a beat. We just had a lot to talk about!! I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of one of my Nieces (Anna Banana) in New York and the even greater honor of seeing our oldest grandchild, Judah, marry his Love. Katie is beautiful inside and out and we have enjoyed embracing her into our clan.

I went to Mexico City for the first time and got to experience it with friends who knew so much of the history of that beautiful city. We also loved having Luke (our son) and Jill, with their kids, Kenya and Lincoln, visit us in Florida several times from Colorado and we made several trips to Lincoln to see Sarah (our daughter) and Solo and their eleven children, as well as my mom.

But the unknown events that can be very challenging always happen….and usually when you least expect them.

In September, just before Judah and Katie’s wedding, and the weekend of our 50th Wedding Anniversary, my mom had a pretty significant fall. The event brought changes to her life, and put mine on hold for several months. After a week in the hospital and a month of therapy in a Skilled Nursing Facility, I realized she would need much more help with her everyday needs.

I am the oldest and the only daughter and even though my brothers and their wives would do anything they could to help, I felt the weight of making some pretty significant decisions for her. I had no idea who to ask or where to look for help. Although she broke no bones she just wasn’t been able to get over her fear of falling again. Thank the Lord, we found just the right place for her to live. She is happy and well cared for.

Last year ended with the loss of my second Mom….my mother-in-law. We had an awesome Thanksgiving Celebration together and soon after she started losing her strength. She ended up in hospice care and went home to heaven right near Christmas leaving a huge hole in our lives. She and Dad live near us so we were fortunate enough to spend those last weeks with her. You can watch my husband’s tribute to his mom here on The Papa’s Kitchen. She meant so much to both of us. How she influenced my life will have to be another blog!

Life Lessons Learned

The challenges I experienced after my mom fell were life lessons for me. As I mentioned previously, this was a new road for me and my brothers. After she began to heal she had to relearn how to move and had forgotten what she was capable of before her fall. The fear of having that happen again traumatized her. Mom needed a place to live that would provide physical help as well as financial assistance. I had to depend on the Lord for guidance and discernment because the advice I was getting about the facilities available were, to be honest, terrifying options. My brothers and their wives were standing with me and very supportive which was a blessing in every way! (By the way, Jerry was back home in Florida helping with his mom during a lot of this time.)

I learned the faithfulness of God in those days by reminding myself of the many times God was faithful to my mom during her 97 years, and faithful to me in so many challenging seasons. I knew in my mind that He was there and would provide but when that helpless feeling hits you and it seems like you are alone it’s hard to keep believing He is going to show up in time. Every morning I started my day saying “Okay Lord, I don’t know what I am going to do today but I am going to get up and walk out that door and do what I know to do believing you will guide me step by step.” And that is exactly what happened. The Lord would open a door or give me the name of someone to call. Sometimes it was moment by moment. Every evening I would look back on my day and be amazed. In the morning I had no idea what to do and by the end of the day I had more direction. And PEACE was there because I was trusting Him. He even provided for Mom financially in unexpected ways. I learned that I had to take that step of faith, not in fear, and believe God had everything in His control and was leading me in the right direction. Doors of provision and direction opened up so by the time Mom needed to move from one place to another I was able to make those decisions with confidence and peace.

That is exactly how I am going to live in 2025.

There is no way I know what this year will bring my way, BUT I DO KNOW WHO DOES. All I have to do is rely on Him and believe He is leading me step by step. There will be situations I can’t solve but when you know the problem solver you can have peace that, as scripture says, “passes all understanding”. His plan was so much better than if I had taken things into my own hands. All I had to do was keep walking, keep believing, expecting Him to provide the solution. His ways are so much better than mine!

We all have such peace about where mom is living. She is well cared for and HAPPY! She just told me the other day “I like where I live and it is all because you kids (she still calls us her kids, Ha!) found the perfect place for me. They take care of every need I have and I get to share Jesus with so many people. Thank you!”

Something else that is so important to me in 2025 is to surround myself with people who will hold me accountable. People who will remind me of God’s faithfulness and that He never changes. I would be full of stress and make myself sick if I try to solve every problem that comes my way. BUT if I lay a foundation of faith and trust in my life and believe He will not fail me no matter what happens, then stress will be replaced with hope and confidence and peace. EXPECT Him to do it and stand back and wait to see just how He does!!!

WELCOME 2025!