"ALL THE DAYS ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." ~Psalm 139:16 NIV
"You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer." ~Job 14:5 NLT
(So) "which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?" ~Matthew 6:27 NET[...]

As I celebrate Jesus my Savior this Christmas, I have so much to praise Him for. Through Him, I have been the rich recipient of one blessing after another. I have enjoyed His gift of redemption, forgiveness, fellowship, assurance and life from above. The gift of your friendship has been one of those rich blessings as well. You are one of those special people who has truly made a difference in my life. Words cannot adequately express my appreciation to God for you all. 
 Thank you for your sincere love, uplifting conversations, and oodles and oodles of prayers sent out on my behalf in this past year. Your voice of encouragement has also brought Christ's joy, hope, and peace to my weary heart and mind on many occasions. 
May God reward you richly for your love, faithfulness and devotion to Him and to me also. 
Merry Christmas, dear friends. Have a blessed day rejoicing in our wonderful Savior.[...]

☀️Good morning! I’m in the waiting room on the 10th floor of the Gonda building. The sun is shining brightly on me and I feel the warmth of God’s great love through your prayers.[...]

..."the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." I Timothy 6:17[...]

"But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings,
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired."
~Isaiah 40:31 NET[...]

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow..." ~Job 38:22

God has opened the heavens and from the storehouse of His treasury sent an abundance of snow to fall upon our area (21.6"). What beauty to see our barren landscape turned into a winter wonderland. Even the cold season is a gift of God's grace. I am thankful for the snow day God gave because the solitude was needful. Since Glen and I had no other distractions and couldn't go anywhere until our main road was plowed, we took time to worship God in prayer. Then, I spent some time curled up in a cozy blanket reading a good biography. My friend Angela recently gifted me a book on the life of Susannah Spurgeon. Her story has been a great encouragement to me as I can see how God worked all things, even sickness and death, together for good in her life. Seeing the whole picture from beginning to end put everything into a higher perspective. If God has plans for His chosen people, perfect plans which prosper a person and do no harm, plans which bring hope and a secure future, then why do I worry about tomorrow? Jeremiah 29:11
In the last few months, I have felt like my life is at a standstill. "Is God really at work?" This is a question I have asked myself from time to time. But even if I don't see any results right now, it doesn't mean God isn't doing anything at the moment. Mystery lies in much of His work and it can be likened to a hidden seed planted beneath the soil. But our God, who never sleeps nor slumbers, is always at work, whether we see it or not, and He will cause His fruit to bud forth in due season for His glory.
Do you feel like you are in the winter season of life? Are you experiencing the cold snows which brought loss, heaviness, hardship, emptiness, illness, poverty and many more difficulties? If so, don't let the bitter, harsh winds of testing and trial cause your heart to grow cold. Winter has its benefits. Find comfort in God's love, protection, provision, and His beauty. Wait for His promises to unfold; hope in His redemption. Have faith in His faithfulness which turns the bleakest winter into a flourishing summer.
Meanwhile, stay still in peaceful fellowship with your Lord. A heart snuggled close to His heart will be warmed with all goodness and filled with praise to the One who makes all things new.[...]