Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends!! Christmas is without a doubt my FAVORITE time of the year! I love every aspect of it and never tire of the songs and completely enjoy the spirit of the occasion but then when I think about Jesus’ birth I love Christmas even more!
We were blessed to have all of our children with us this year and also Mark’s parents, his Aunt and Uncle and both brothers and their families – we had a total of 21 for Christmas dinner and two babies – what a blessed time it was to be together.
I remember last year having a hard time because during the holidays Mark was very much in pain and with the doctors at MD Anderson giving us not much hope I honestly was worried it may be our last Christmas together. But here we are – another year behind us! Unfortunately Mark is in pain again this Christmas season. It is very hard to know and to see the man you love suffer daily. I am amazed at the strength that God gives him daily. The way he describes his pain is like a whole body toothache that he can’t get relief with even with all the pain meds he is on. His attitude is beyond amazing – I’m with him 24/7 and I can tell you he doesn’t complain – he may hurt and he may pray for relief from the pain but he doesn’t complain about it.
He is so grateful for the blessings God had provided over the past year. I see the verse “In everything give thanks” lived out in his life and I’m thankful for the example that he is to me and to our family.
He just re-read the book “The 4:8 Principle” by Tommy Newberry and has shared with our family as well as our class at church. Phil. 4:8 can be life changing if you apply it and live it out. I’ve been watching Mark live it out and know that only thru the power of the Holy Spirit living in Mark could he be living the way he does with the pain he is enduring.
He is still doing the treatments that I’ve mentioned before. We did get our ozone machine and have started doing those treatments. The hard part is finding a time when he actually feels like doing it and I hate to push him to do treatment when he feels lousy.
We continue to pray for a miracle and know that God will and can do it! Please join us in prayer for healing and for relief from the pain.
We hope that each of you had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed being with family and friends. I didn’t send out any Christmas cards this year as that seemed like one thing that I could take off my plate to help out with my time. I hated not doing it but felt like I needed to take the pressure off somewhere! With that off my list my other Christmas “chores” (which I love to do) were that much more enjoyable without something hanging over my head.
Thank you for your continued prayers with us and we hope you all have a blessed and happy 2014.
Much much love, gratitude and prayer,
Mark and Lee
The Real Christmas Story
Luke 2
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
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