Christmas Recap.

Happy 2011! My husband is so good looking!

Beachside Bar for the New Year. Low Key, Fun, Loved it! In bed by 12:30!

After dinner at the beach bar.

Wine, reading and sister.

The family on NYE.

Mama's favorite kind of day (me too).

Gorgeous. I never get tired of sun, sand, water and palm trees!

Christmas Day: Jarrell cousins with Grandmommy. 6 cousins, 3 of us have spouses and Grandmommy has 3 great grandchildren. She is beautiful and full of grace (and humor) in her late 80's.

Traditional Christmas morning at Campbell St. with the fam.

Well, for my bah hum bug attitude, we had a very wonderful holiday.

It's nice to be treated like royalty at my parents at the Orlando home. We enter into a beautifully decorated home (remember: no decorations at our place, no room for storage) to my Mom and Dad who have goodies waiting, the pantry stocked with all of our favorites, Dad's breakfasts every morning, cozy wood burning fires (it was cool enough this year), and yet enough sunshine to go on long walks, which we really miss this time of the year in DC (not enough to freeze our faces off, apparently). The house is big enough to spread out on a couch where its quiet, or to join around the kitchen table, its the perfect amount of togetherness, you can have a little bit of what you are in the mood for at the moment, which I appreciate for family holidays!

*Bonus: My Mom got an "insta-king" so we had a bed to sleep in, together! After 4 years of marriage, they are getting used to the idea that we sleep together (before it was twin beds, seriously! Or we'd kick my sister our of her room for her double bed and she didn't like that.) Next year's goal : Getting Jonathan an embroidered stocking! After 5 years of marriage (by then), hopefully they will make the leap.

Then we went down to Little Cayman Island for a few days of beaches, sunshine, swimming and great friends. Some of Jonathan and I's dearest friends in DC are actually the granddaughters (and one grandson in-law) of one of my Dad's friends. We met because of my Dad and their Granddad, and the chances of that resulting in a friendship are SO rare, but we really hit gold in meeting these girls and one husband. It's hard to make GOOD friends and we have found three!

Our friend's family are from the Cayman Islands (they are a colony of England) and they have some property down there so we went as their guests and it was amazing. We were treated again like royalty and loved the BEAUTIFUL views and to have sun and sand in December was quite a treat. So, I'm feeling quite spoiled and thankful for the holidays.

Here are some pictures (above)!

2011. "Many are the plans in a man's (or woman's) heart....

....but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails," Proverbs 19:21.

May I bind this in my heart and mind. May I think of it when I rise and when I wake.

2011. Hello. What is to come in this new year? Will it be good? Will it be hard? Sometimes, I have the sense that things are very good in my life and something bad is around the corner. Oh, Lord, give me faith. You give, you take away. I am gifted with life on this earth, however, long or short, with the purpose of giving God glory and praise and to have the humbling opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. To give hope. To "be" with others as I imagine Jesus was when he walked the earth. Yes, He healed people. Yes, He taught. But He did this while "being" with people, in sharing life, having meals, walking, fishing, experiencing the day to day with normal people.

Mark 14:12-13 says, (Jesus is talking) "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it".

How humbling that Jesus was saying that we (as believers) would do as He did when He walked the earth, with the power of the Holy Spirit and in the power of the name of Jesus. And He gave us permission to use His name for ministry.

I often encounter sufferings, injustices, and situations, tragedies, traumas that break my heart day in and out (God is good to heal me and fill me up continually and often, or else I couldn't keep going) from my job and the families I form relationships with because they come to our agency. This is a special opportunity that I really take seriously and am humbled often. While its a "job" and I have education in a certain area, really, I use myself as a person the most at my job. So that means it does not just separate and compartmentalize into "job" and "other life". It is all life and influences me without difference.

Personally, I have felt loss, sadness, regrets, heartache, too. In early December, I mentioned a friend of the family completing suicide and losing her life. This past week, I found out about someone I knew a few years ago, choosing to end his life by suicide. There is no way to reason with such a tragedy, it's very sad and make me feel sick to think that any person gets to that day and feels no hope or no sense that things will or could get better. Can you imagine? I put myself in that situation and what it would feel like: very dark, so lost, smelling of the Enemy trying to destroy and kill (literally) as he lurks around this world. My stomach feels sick at its pit and I weep for sorrow for these dears ones I knew and others like them who are very sad and without hope.

Then I long for more, long for eternity, for God to show himself and that all might bow down and worship Him. For the sufferings to end....

Our time is so limited. My time is limited. 2011, another year is here and Lord, what do you have? How can I be helpful? Keep me fine tuned to your voice, give me your wisdom and leadings. Fill me up so I will be like a well that never runs dry so I can "be" with people in the world (they are all your children), to meet them where they are at, if they know You or do not (I should treat them the same, with grace), to love and encourage my family and friends as well as those I work with as peers, colleagues and then those families that I meet through the role you've given me as "work". Help me to accept when I need help and sanctification and repentance. To not run from my own inadequacies but to be humble in asking for help and support and places I need to tweak. I am weak and a sinner and need You. Only you.

" I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing," John 15:5.