Will is 10!

December is a busy month at our house.  On December 20th, Will turned 10... now we have 3 in double digits!  Will just wanted to hang out with his good friends, Ben and Jon.

My friend Ginny also has a December birthday, and this year she turned 40!  Laura and I had a surprise party for her, and she was really, really surprised!  Ginny is a super special lady, and we wanted to honor her in a special way this year.  My friend Laura posted this on Facebook, and I want to copy it and say "ditto."  

Remembering aloud God's kindnesses:

Well, this morning, my post will be two-fold. First, I will praise God for His kindness in yet ANOTHER area of my very blessed life, then I have a prayer request for you all. 
Today I remember the gift from God of extremely good health. I've never had a terrible disease. I've never had to live on disgusting medicine (like my parents have told me about my Uncle Bill having to do for about 10 years, I think), I've never been subject to multiple surgeries. I've never had to spend more than a day or so in a hospital. I've never lived with excruciating pain day after day. I've never had difficulty eating or breathing or walking or running or doing anything I wanted to. I've been healthy. Why? Because God has been kind to me. In His kind wisdom, He's not required these things of me - He has blessed me abundantly.
Sometimes God shows His kindness in other ways. It is easy to look at a life of health and see God's kindness - His love. But are we as quick to think, "How kind God is" when we see someone we love hurting or sick? It was not as easy for me to think that when I watched Daddy hurt terribly and be so sick for the last weeks of his life. But my lack of faith in no way diminished God's kindness. God was still kind when Daddy was sick - kind to me, even kind to Daddy. Why did God make Daddy suffer? Well, I can't answer that, but I can say with 100% certainty that His reasons for doing so were for Daddy's eternal good...and isn't that the ultimate kindness of a loving Father? 

So what's my prayer request? Well, all those things that I just said I'd never had to endure HAVE been the lot of my dear, dear friend, Ginny McCallum. Many of you know Ginny. Many of you do not. For those of you who don't, Ginny has a bum knee from a skiing injury many years ago. She lives in terrific pain every day. She has had around 30 surgeries in the past 12 or so years (on her knee and various other health issues). She is never pain-free. She was a competitive, energetic athlete who loved playing sports, hiking. None of that is possible for her anymore. Ginny's two sweet boys have had serious health issues most of their lives, and she's spent more time in a hospital or Dr. office than I'd care to think about. I've never heard Ginny complain or whine. Not once. She's the toughest, kindest, most self-sacrificial person I know. She is ALWAYS looking for ways to serve others - even in the midst of her pain. And now she is struggling with yet another medical crisis. She's unable to eat. Literally. Ginny hasn't eaten anything to speak of in weeks, and there's no cure for her problem. Ginny is very sick today. There's really no prospect of her sickness abating. Would you please join me in crying out to the Father of all mercies, the Great Physician, our KIND God today for Ginny? Please pray that God will heal her. Please pray that if He chooses to use medicine to do it, that He will direct her and her husband, Nathan, in what to pursue. Please pray that God will strengthen her heart, that she will lift up her eyes and see her Help coming down from the hills. Please pray for peace in her spirit, for the nausea to subside. Please, please, please, assault the throne of God today for Ginny. All the wonderful things I said about Gin are true - but they are only true because what is true of me is true of her...God has been kind to Ginny. In the midst of her pain, her sickness, her HARD life, He has given her eternal life - given her a great Love for Him - given her His Presence. Ginny, in and of herself deserves nothing from God any more than any of us do. But God does not love us (praise His Name!) on the basis of our worthiness. He loves us on the basis of His Son's perfection that He has imputed to us. On THIS basis, pray for Ginny. Not because she's a good person, but because she lives for a good God. I thank God this morning for my health, and I cry out to Him for Ginny's... won't you do the same?

So, here is the Birthday girl...  

The men hung out in the kitchen...

 And women crowded around the table...

 Ginny and Nathan