Dear Reader:

It’s here, the first day of January, the first day of the new year-2016! Isn’t there such a clean feeling about starting over again with a new year in wait? It’s like smelling a recently cleaned kitchen floor or the scent of fluffy white sheets and bedding from the washer and dryer. Or a fresh breath of air floating through the house from a newly opened window. Yes…a fresh start is upon us.

God talked of a fresh start in Revelations (21:1,5) “Look, I’m making all things new.” (5) “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Some of you might remember how worried I was that “Big Red” my favorite geranium, a symbol of my fight over cancer, might be on its way out…a few weeks ago. The stems were unhealthy, sickly-looking and the plant had produced no blooms during the spring, summer, or fall seasons.

Then one day in late November there was one tiny bud, a few weeks later, one bloom, and at Christmas I had two blooms with one about to open…in the title photo you can see three large beautiful red blooms now…but what you can’t see are four more bud clusters about to open….”Big Red” has a renewed life going on now and is entering 2016 in better health than ever….green and fresh-looking again…like in its youth. Seven years old and still going strong!

If we believe at some point in the future God in the Trinity, will return and make this old earth new again, white-washed and beautiful…then we have a lot of work to do this year.

If we believe God is at work right now to bring this world to its final fulfillment…then we’d better get busy helping God in this enormous undertaking. If we look in the mirror and believe that God is perfecting our very selves then we need to be working closely with Him to achieve just that…

If we don’t believe any of these things….and some people don’t…then there probably is no harm in living 2016 exactly the way we have lived all our others years…. doing our thing, wandering along aimlessly, and just getting by…

But if we do believe there is a time in the universe when all creation will be made new again…then we have our work and hope cut out for us this new year.

If we meet every person we encounter along our journey this year and see someone who is being “molded for glory and is just a split second from shining like the sun” (Quinn Caldwell…”All I Really Want:) then our relationships will change dramatically. 

Our first assignment is to pick one thing in a room,  our home, yard, garden, or porch and then imagine what it will be like when God’s done with it For me I chose “Big Red.” Look how far it has come already…I can only imagine its beauty and glory with four more clusters of buds about to arrive.

Our second assignment is to treat people we meet this year as if the “glory of heaven” is in them…over and over again, day after day. Then let’s see if a new world begins to emerge for us.

So until tomorrow…Let’s clean our slates today and start looking at life differently…with open acceptance and love for mankind for the New Year.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday was definitely Clemson fans’ favorite day….what a win! Donna Clark had given me a beautiful purple scarf and official tiger rag over Christmas….I wore it proudly and victory came….so guess what the Boo is wearing January 11…the only problem is that I crunched, scrunched, and even chewed on the official tiger rag until I was afraid that i was going to tear it….but a wash and a dryer should have it ready to go for the final game! Whew….tired but happy…. still energetic enough to do the happy dance!

The Tiger Rag Before and After the Game! Much chewing going on….

PARTY TIME!

Jackson said it was too funny…Libby went and got champagne glasses, party horns, and candles to display on the table….only they had no champagne and she figured they would both probably be sound asleep when the 2016 ball fell in Time Square….at least they played the part…welcome to the 60’s! Welcome to 2016!!!!!

Carrie went and picked up Eva Cate yesterday and took her home with her to spend the night. That angel was helping Mandy out by keeping Eva Cate entertained while Mandy’s foot slowly begins to heal…the pain medicine she is on is making her feel queasy and the foot feels like a magnified throbbing tooth-ache.

So you can imagine how delighted Mandy was when Carrie called and said she would take Eva Cate home and they would see the New Year in together. Last night after the game…she sent me two photos of what they had been doing all day and evening….

COOTIES!  2015 ended with playing COOTIES. Eva Cate wanted me to see them…I think it is a hint to get some before she spends the night with me next week.

Carrie also taught Eva Cate how to make Playdoh and then she made some cool things. A picture of the playdoh cook.

Carrie…you are the bestest “Auntie” in the world! How lucky Eva Cate is to have you in her life and wake up to a New Year with you! Love you girl!!

Oops! I was about to forget to remind everyone to say “Rabbit“…I got so caught up in the game last night and the New Year that I forgot it was the first day of the month and New Year…Duh! Here she is…all ready to party!