“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

This poem/ song was in a message i heard form the pulpit of our church ( great job Trey) this christmas eve. After hearing about the origin of the song and the suffering that came upon Henry Longfellow during this time in his life when he wrote it and how he lost hos wife in a tragic fire  and a year later recivein word that his son was shot in the civil war. While helping his recover He had come to learn admits great tragedy God still shines His love for us. Like the bells that still ring Gods glory and love ALWAYS is present.

This year was a year like most full of love,joy, new friendships old friendships, loss of loved ones, loss of friends i have seen families torn apart and others brought closer together. I have come to unsderstand that our lives are what we focus on.. was my 2016 the year of loss, injury, family struggle, watching great friendships sink into utter destruction….or do i see it as a year of teasting  and growth?

Do i choose to hear the bells on Christmas day?

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Through the tragity that unfolded upon us this year, do i choose to see the strength i have found in my wife, in my Lord?

through the loss of friendships do i choose to wallow in the loss in despaired, closing my heart off to the possibilities of future loss? Or do i choose to see the amazing friends my Lord has bestowed upon my life?

I have learned through this year that above all else God is good! God is in control, and His hands are those that let me experience all I do in my Life!

It’s always so easy to utter the words God is good, or i trust the Lord. but as they say , its when it hits the fan, when the rubber meets the asphalt. That’s when our words are put to the test. You cant sharpen iron without first applying the heat and fire and beating into shape……

So for this year 2016 I thank you Lord for all you have given me…..

I was able to see my Auntie before she when home to the Lord…

I was able to reconnect with friends through their grace of God and have those friendships grow stronger…

I was able to start a business with my beloved and meet so many great people through this journey.

I was able to grow in my walk with the Lord and see fruit from seeds long ago planted.

I was able to spend another year with my amazing and blessed family.

to  celebrate another plethora of anniversaries with my beloved and cross over into 21+ years together….

So yes as i did have my struggles this year as i am sure we all did. But what is your take away for the year? Joyful glee or gloom and sadness.

We must remember God is in contol

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So as I thank you Lord for my family and for my life, i am excited to see what other joys you bring forth in 2017…

We thank Him in the good times and the bad….

God bless

love and blessings and may your 2017 be all you choose it to be..