My ramblings...

Dear Readers,

 Well, hello there! I apologize for not having blogged in...forever! I keep writing blog posts in my head but just haven't had time to sit down and write them out. Actually, I don't have time right now! But I'm going to write one any way because it's rather cathartic and I need to. So there. (And I wonder why I don't have good time management..hhmm...)

  

    December is upon us! Our Christmas trees are up and decorated, the radio is playing Christmas music, and we had hot chocolate last night.  I love this month! I especially love remembering Christmases past...so many laughs!! 


 But three of our family will leave later this month for surgery. That kind of puts a damper on the mood, huh? Actually, it does a lot more than that. I hate surgeries with a passion, and the fact that there are two in the very-near future stinks. Some days we can sing Christmas carols in the car at the top of our lungs and forget about it...but some days we can't. And I hate it when I can't just stick my head in the sand and forget about it, because surgeries are just plain depressing. ha

  
 I so appreciate your prayers for my family during this season!!

With all of this upcoming surgery, I can't help but wonder about the people around the world who need this same surgery that Benjamin is having this summer, but don't have access to medical care.  What about the children with Cerebral Palsy in Africa? What do they do? Although I hate that Benjamin has to have this surgery, I am ultimately grateful that my family has access to medical care for it. Please be praying for those people around the world who desperately need surgery but are unable to get it. 

    I also can't help but think of those who are in nursing homes, hospitals, institutions, and prisons this Christmas. As we drove through our neighborhood the other night, admiring the decorations and laughing as a family, I started thinking about the children all over the world whose families have abandoned them. In that moment I just wanted them all in the car with us, laughing, too! I wish no child ever had to watch a birthday or a Christmas pass without a family to love on them and tell them they are special and valued.  As hard as finding joy can be sometimes, I know it must be even harder when you are in a prison, hospital,  or nursing home. 

 Two years ago (okay..I think it was two years ago! I'm really not sure haha!)   I had the privilege of getting to sign some carols  at an Alzheimer's Home around Christmastime. This year I keep thinking of the residents, remembering how they kept asking my Mom to take them home. The staff did a wonderful job making this place home-like and cheerful, but there was a big difference between that and a HOME with your own family. 

    As you celebrate this Christmas with your dear ones, please remember those people who don't have family near to hug and hold! 
    But as you keep them near in your thoughts and prayers, take this time to thank the God who is with them and you for the great gift He has bestowed us with: His Son. 

Love, 
Your Blogger

P.S.-- "Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast." ~Psalm 139:7-10

Isn't this a beautiful reminder that God is with us, around our Christmas tree, but also in those prisons, nursing homes, and institutions around the world? Thank you, Lord! 

    

A story of sunshine and rain. And what God's plan has to do with it.

  Dear Readers,
This week I realized that God has the absolute perfect plan. I know we all think 'God, why does this happen to        ?' (-insert your name or someone you know who's going through some unfairness) But, the truth of the matter is - Yes, some things in life are  NOT fair. But it's all in God's plan.  And He is seeing the Big picture - what's best for everyone. We tend to only see what's best for us and our dear ones.

Calico in China!

Such a silly girl...but beautiful with that parasol!

The dragon puppets were amazing to see.

God has planned for you to have sunny days, and rainy ones. If you praise Him in the sunshine and stand under His umbrella in the storm, you'll be okay.
    We had a sunshine-filled day on Friday, for sure. We went to the Chinese Festival. How my mother always comes up with ways to make every subject in school fascinating, I'll never know, but this was one such time.

 We've been studying China, and got a first hand experience yesterday. We ate Dim-Sum and watched a show with a lion puppet (I use that term loosely - more like a true-to-life-size lion), and that was really  amazing.  You could see the men underneath, but they made it move like an actual animal. And, we walked through the beautiful gardens at the Cultural center. The statues were lovely, and Cate was very photogenic with her parasol!

We also watched a lady paint our names in calligraphy. (We're about to do that in school, so it was perfect!)

Chinese calligraphy is such a graceful and fascinating art, I've always loved it. I'll share a picture of my name soon! Mom, Cate, and I went to the children's pavilion and made a lantern. Even though it was supposed to be too hard for children, Cate helped quite a bit and it turned out to be beautiful!

Lastly, we went to the Asian Market Grocery store. It was fascinating. We couldn't understand what we were eating at Dim-Sum, so it was neat to walk through and figure it all out. We saw huge tanks of catfish, octupus legs (suckers included!), baby squids, fish heads, and lots of ginger! We also got these little 'Fruti King' mini sodas which were adorable! (And really good, too!)

  So, as you can see, we had an amazing time. But on Thursday, however, Mom had a bit of sad news for me.   As you know, I'm part of AZ Friends in Sign, which translates songs into American Sign Language and signs them at different places. (nursing homes,hospitals,etc.)
  Well, this past Christmas we went to a home for people with Alzheimer's. I was completely unprepared for what I saw, and my heart went out to the people living there. One man there was deaf. He had not learned sign language, and so had no communication with the people around him.
  After we finished signing, he was reluctant to go back to his room! It made me so happy that we had brought him joy. And then, I went up to him and signed "Merry Christmas, thank you."
(Because we had gone around after the show and thanked all the residents for coming to watch). He signed thank you back to me! That was such a happy moment for me, and I was just certain I (or someone else in our group) HAD to come back and teach him more sign language.
   No one did ever get to teach him sign because he died not long after we performed.
I didn't know that, and so when Mom found out last Thursday so did I.  Mom said (she always has the perfect words) that it is better for him now, though, because he's in Heaven and he doesn't need sign language. He can hear now, and he can remember. That makes me so happy.
   Why am I telling you all this? For two reasons. 1.) Because you should know that God's plan is always perfect!  Yes-I was sad. I'm sure his family is sad. But I know he is happy, and much better in Heaven than here. I understand that this is a part of God's plan - and His plan is  wonderful and perfect. (He's a God of love, not maliciousness.)  
 2.) Alzheimer's is a terrible disease. And, as of right now, there is no cure for it. I'm certain God's plan has a  cure included in it, so did a bit of research to inform all my bloggy followers of. There is an organization called Alzheimer's CURE foundation, Inc.that has come up with a nice incentive for scientists. They are working to raise 20 million dollars to award the scientist who finds the cure. This will hopefully speed along the process and add a bit of competition to it! Please go to their website and help find a cure for this disease. Going to that home showed me that this is  a real thing. Not just something you can put statistics on and ignore. (I may be repeating last Saturday's lesson a bit...) 
  I hope my story will inspire you to spread the word, too. Your Blogger(who is SO glad to have a God who does the planning for me), Claire
P.S.- prayer is the best gift you can give! Please pray for the people around the world with Alzheimer's, and their families,too.