2009-A Year to be Held in the Palm of His Hand

I've tried to write this post all day...but every time I try to write it the tears just flow. So, instead I have baked and cleaned, and done laundry, and visited so many of your amazing blogs. But, it is time to write....time to somehow recap all that God has done for us this year...and I am so afraid that I will fail at my futile attempts to write His story.

You see, I want to tell you about His great faithfulness to our family...but I hope you have already seen that in most of my posts for this year.

I want to tell you that there is no way I could have survived this last year without Him...but I hope that you have seen that too!

I want you to know that in the deepest, darkest, most awful place of my heart and in Rachel's pain this year...that I found Him to be all-sufficient...but I hope that you have seen that in my posts already too.

I want you to know....I need you to know....that I am so grateful for how He has intervened and gone before us...He could have chosen a different path, a different outcome, but in all of His marvelous mercy and grace....He chose to heal our daughter completely...and as I sob through that last sentence, my voice shouts praise and thanksgiving to the One who did what only He could have done! And I will never stop thanking Him....for His unmerited favor, for His mercy, for His grace, and for this amazing journey of faith. It certainly wasn't deserved; it was all Him!

I want you to know that your love and support for our family has been so gratefully appreciated. There were many days that I felt like I was holding on by a small string...and you were there. God has heard my many prayers of thanksgiving for all of you....I hope that you have heard them too.

I also want you to know that even during our dark, uncertain days, even during the impending days of brain surgery, there were days filled with joy and laughter....I hope that you have seen that too.

Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary to our trip to the ER with Rachel and the journey that seemed to begin on that very day. I'll never forget the agony of hearing the diagnosis last January 4th, and trying to figure out all that Arnold Chiari would mean for our family. I remember so vividly pleading with the Lord in the night, "What am I going to do?" And He lovingly replied, "What is I Am going to do?"

Oh, the Great I Am, how I love Him. My love for the Lord is almost inexpressible; it is hard to put into words all that He means to me. What a year 2009 has been. It has definitely been a year to be held in the palm of His mighty hands....and even though it was one of the most difficult years our family has ever known, we are so thankful for this marvelous journey with the Lord.

Last year, I posted this video from Sermonspice.com , and it meant so much to me then, but oh how much more it means to me now, so I thought I would post it again.




None of us knows what 2010 will hold but we can be certain that we know Who holds 2010 in His mighty hands, and if we are in His hands, we are in the best place ever.

If you are still reading this, I want to bless one of you with a book that has become so dear to my heart. I have talked about this devotion book most of this year. The book is Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman. I have written all over mine, but I picked up a brand new copy last week. If you would like an opportunity to win a new copy of Streams in the Desert, please leave me a comment telling me what God has done for you this last year. We will draw the winning name on Monday, January 4th, the anniversary of the Rachel's confirmed diagnosis.

Thanks for being such a blessing to me this past year! May the Faithful One continue to bless you and keep you and to cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.