PLEASE PARDON MY ABSENCE!!

Hello friends, it really is me....apologizing for my long absence from this blog.  The past few months have been a true testing of not only my life in numerous ways, but of my family, my mother, my church and my personal computer.  First of all, I turned 75 in October and am wondering if the Lord decided to test me to let me know I'm still capable of coming to the fore and meeting new challenges.

Plans had been made for my daughter and I to visit my mother during the month of November for the purpose of celebrating her 95th birthday and Thanksgiving.  We arrived in Portland, Oregon from Texas, met mama and my brother at the airport and stopped for a lovely dinner at Appleby's before going to mama's home where she and my brother live.  We settled down for the night completely unexpecting to be awakened early in the morning to mama having a stroke.  We rushed her fearfully to the emergency room at Providence Hospital in Portland beginning to realize that it truly was providential that we were there with mother.  Five days in the hospital, praying diligently for answers.  God blessed my mother with grace to continue her life, only quite different from what she was accustomed.  Her balance and ability to walk without help was drastically changed - and physical/occupational therapy began before leaving the hospital and will continue indefinitely at home.

Now...became a tougher test for me in particular.  Over the past twelve years of personally experiencing illness and physical setbacks, I became somewhat physically immobilized - enough that my husband became my caregiver, cook, housekeeper, chauffeur and encourager.  In Portland, God blessed me with a supernatural strength to nurse mama, cook, etc for the entire month of our visit.  It was difficult, to say the least - and oh, how grateful that I was able to help in this crises.  My daughter was extremely helpful during all of this time and has my loving appreciation.  And yes, we celebrated mama's 95th birthday and were very thankful at Thanksgiving.  Of course, now that I am home again, my husband is convinced that he will be the recipient of home cooked meals from his wife again.  So, Lord, hear my prayer!!

Before leaving for Portland, my personal computer gagged, hiccuped and passed out.  One of my sons is a computer specialist and lives in Illinois.  It's not possible for me to explain the logistics of how he was able to work on my computer in my absence from Texas....but I'm relieved to announce that during the coming week, my computer will show up on my desk once more.  In the meanwhile, I've been using an aged laptop, my Samsung tablet  and cell phone to communicate with the world.  Those authors who had requested my reviews kindly understood why I could not finish my work during this time.

However.....the testing isn't over yet!!  We arrived home hours before the ice age took over and we are still housebound.  But, this too shall pass and we know not what plans the Lord has in store for us - so our prayers rise to the heavens like mini-clouds of breath. Sure hope they aren't delayed by icicles hanging from their ascension.

Well friends, I can't promise a definite date when I'll be blogging, reviewing and writing again......but....I'll be back when the Lord assigns the time.  Stay safe during the rush and busyness of this season of celebrations.  Be blessed with the grace of Jesus at this festive observance of His birth.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!!!

Barb

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