A couple of years ago, my husband and I went through an extremely difficult time that involved him voluntarily spending 3 months in rehab for alcoholism and, afterward, serving a 6-month jail sentence for something he had done.  He is now, I am very proud to say, over 2 1/2 years sober, and our life together is truly happy for the first time in many,  many years.

A couple of nights ago, we got a phone call from a gentleman with whom Shorty coached baseball years ago at College of the Redwoods and with the Humboldt Crabs.  It had probably been at least 4 years or more since we'd last seen him because he and his wife moved away to be closer to their kids.  Tom and Phyllis made a tremendous impact on our lives during the time we were blessed to be around them, and Shorty and I were both saddened to learn that Phyllis passed away about a year and a half ago.  And as I listened to Shorty's side of the phone conversation, I couldn't help but feel so proud of him as he talked to Tom about the difficulties we went through, which Tom was very aware of, and how our life together has been turned around.

Last night we got a Christmas card from Tom, and inside was a totally unexpected surprise over which I am still in shock and which is, without a doubt, an answer to my prayer of a couple of days ago.  I still have to fight back the tears because I just . . . . I'm just in total and complete shock.

Every day - EVERY . . . SINGLE . . . DAY - God showers Shorty and me with His blessings.  To know where we came from and to see where our lives are now, how could we not believe that all this has only happened because of God?  Through God, ANYTHING is possible - we are living, breathing proof of that - and I thank Him each and every day for the hardships we faced and for loving us, for believing in us, for not giving up on us when we had given up on ourselves.

This Christmas season, I thank God for the greatest gift ever, his Son, Jesus Christ, and for our richly, blessed lives.

Merry Christmas to you all, and may God shine His glory all around you ~