HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE A "HAPPY NEW YEAR'S" BLOG ENTRY THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY IN HAITI. WE ARE SO BLESSED AND SO HAPPY AND LOOK HOW THEIR NEW YEAR HAS BEGUN, IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN THINKING. WE HAVE MADE DONATIONS AND REACHED OUT IN ANY WAY WE CAN, BUT FOR US IT'S NOT ENOUGH!....WE WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO BE THERE!  WE'VE NEVER WITNESSED AN EARTHQUAKE, (THANK GOD) BUT FEEL SO EFFECTED BY WHAT THE HAITIANS ARE GOING THROUGH, STILL. EVERYDAY, IT'S SOMETHING NEW ON CNN, SOME GOOD, SOME PROGRESS, BUT MOSTLY BAD. LOST LOVED ONES, NO SHELTER, LACK OF FOOD/WATER, ETC. IT'S SO SAD! WE ADMIRE AND APPRECIATE THOSE THAT ARE THERE TO VOLUNTEER AND OFFER RESCUE AND RELIEF. THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN EVEN MAKE DONATIONS THROUGH YOUR CELL PHONE, JUST BY SENDING TEXTS. REFLECTING ON THESE ISSUES AND OUR BLESSED LIFE, I DECIDED TO BLOG ANYWAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. WE BELIEVE THE LORD USES DIFFERENT ONES AND DIFFERENT THINGS TO LET YOU KNOW WHO "HE" IS AND WHO'S IN CONTROL! WE JUST PRAISE HIM AND LIFT HIS NAME ON HIGH BECAUSE ONLY "HE" KNOWS. OF COURSE OUR KIDS HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND THEIR LITTLE HEARTS JUST GO OUT TO THEM. BUT, WE JUST REMIND THEM THAT YOU CAN'T QUESTION GOD, JUST HAVE FAITH  IN HIM THAT A BLESSING WILL COME OF ALL THIS AND MOST OF ALL....PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! THESE ARE CALLED TESTS, TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANY OF US. WE DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL TO BE HAPPY, HEALTHY, SAFE AND WITH EACH OTHER. BUT NOW, WE ARE EVEN MORE GRATEFUL, NOW WE ARE EVEN MORE GIVING, NOW WE ARE EVEN MORE AWARE OF HOW TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED. NOW WE ARE EVEN MORE HUMBLE....AND THAT TO US IS A AWESOME MINDSET TO HAVE TO START OFF THIS NEW YEAR.
DINNER, CHAMPAGNE, CHURCH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS IS HOW WE SPENT OUR NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY..... NEW YEAR'S EVE WE CELEBRATED WITH NEW FRIENDS, (KEITH AND NATASHA SPENCER). WE WENT TO DINNER AND THEN OUT ON THE TOWN FOR THE FIREWORK DISPLAYS. THE FIREWORKS STARTED HERE ON DECEMBER 30TH AND JUST RECENTLY STOPPED. IT WAS LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY HERE IN AMSTERDAM! LOL! ON NEW YEAR'S DAY WE CELEBRATED AT HOME WITH OUR KIDS AND HAD LOTS OF SNACKS, TREATS, MOVIES, DANCING, PRAYING AND GAMES. WE PRAY THAT YOU AND YOURS WILL HAVE A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY, SAFE, AND BLESSED YEAR IN 2010!
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