sitting at the bar counter
of a hamburger hot spot between
southern methodist university and
the george w. bush library where
colson has worked. on brock's
days off from bank of america,
he's here. taking orders. tending
bar. all four of my sons are hard
workers.
tomorrow
is the end of this party of
love and vulnerability and
laughter and hugs.
we go to our separate cities and states and
jobs and worlds. and...
go to work at the
ominous job of addressing
our sins and failures of 2013,
so we have some thoughtful
insights on making 2014
a more peaceful and holy year
for God's glory.
the most sobering day of my life
every year is new year's eve.
am i farther down the road with
Jesus than 12 mos. ago? what,
with God's help, does God expect
of me in 2014? how does He
want me to run the Race?
never have i been more excited
about a new year...as i am today.
to step across the chasm of such
pain and despair.
to know God is pouring courage through my veins,
and into the bloodstream of my
soul so i won't be afraid to face
myself in every area that unveils
my mass of shortcomings. i
want us all to grab hands so we can
stand steady and firm together.
can you already detect
some pitfalls? rocks...boulders..
strewn along the race course?
are there areas you know will
have to be faced before you
can be fully used of God? just
some things to consider as we
approach the new year.
oh, i always hate saying "goodbye"
to my children. truly, you can't imagine
how much fun we have
together. colson opened the car
door, this morning, and got in before
he realized it wasn't taylor. scared
colson and the man half to death.
and, yes, taylor and i took him
directly to the optometrist, and
lenses are being made.
the angels came.
the choirs sang.
Jesus wrapped us
in His arms, and washed us
with love. He spoke to our
little family, and bound the
chord of love and trust even
more tightly around
us. we are restored in the
magic of His grace and
magnificent love.
"we are marching to Zion.
beautiful, beautiful Zion...
we are marching onward
to Zion..the beautiful city of God."
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| taylor |
 |
| brock |
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| colson, taylor |
oh, Ann! I read your blog entries in the mornings with my coffee while I wait for my meds to kick in so I can start my day and you coax me to trust Jesus for that day. You encourage me to share him with those I meet…no longer a speaker or teacher either.Hugs and wishing you the opportunity to see how God is working in your life and those of your boys!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing pics of your boys. They are handsome. I'm so glad that they are such loving sons. So glad that you've had this time with your boys. May 2014 be a wonderful and blessed year for you.
ReplyDeleteWell, Ann, I wish I'd known how close by you were - I would have loved to meet you. I live only a few blocks from SMU and now will be stalking your son! I have loved following your journey since I was in 7th grade. My friend Sarah and I had read all your books to that point (about 1982) and we got special permission to skip school and hear you speak at a luncheon at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. Everything seemed pretty cheery and easy back then, didn't it? Who knew the strong winds that were ahead? I so appreciate your transparency and willingness to share the grit of your faith. Life is hard, and it is so encouraging to share the struggle with others trying to face those winds. I love reading your blog - and again, so appreciate how real you are. Know that you are loved and your words - even after 25 years - continue to make an impact on my life.
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