Ebbs and Flows

Hummmmmmm....Ebbs and Flows...
I've been using that term-phrase a lot in verbal conversations lately.

Ebb and Flow

Noun

ebb and flow (plural ebbs and flows)

1. The flowing out and in of the tide.
2. (figuratively) A large flowing out and in.

I think of it more as ups and downs/good and bad/happy and sad times in your days. It's just part of life. Okay so knowing that .... lately I've been feeling like I'm on a December raft that is "ebbing" and "flowing"

*My poor Mom was admitted to the hospital on December 12 and remains there. My family and I have been driving to the hospital (30 minutes/one way) every day since. 


*I struggled to get things done for Christmas.  The tree sat undecorated for days (weeks), gifts were not bought, wrapped or put under the UNdecorated tree in a timely manner. I believe we finished shopping on Christmas Eve on the way home from the hospital. 

*I didn't get the baking done I wanted to do. I saw all these FABULOUS recipes of bloggers to try. I'm hoping to make Gingerbread cookies this week! Oh brother!


*I had a hard time getting all my "stuff" done for school to be out on the 17th.

*I still have not sent out any "Christmas" cards...They will be called "Holiday" cards if and when they go out.

*I do not have Christmas decor put up....I'm giving myself a break on that one.

 *My Mom did really well after her 2nd Broncoscopy. Then she has slipped into a state of unable to eat and swallow well.  My husband and I had to make a really tough decision yesterday. The doctor advised us to have a feeding tube put in. The other choice was she would be sent back to the nursing home "as is" and try to sustain her life on what she eats. He said eventually with the Alzheimers she would begin to starve. We could not make that choice. We chose to see if the feeding tube would build up her strength and get her back to where she was.Today it was put in and she came through it well.  They will begin to feed her with it. Our prayer now is that she will get stronger and get back to where she was healthwise. 

*I have cried in front of about every nurse and doctor at the hospital that has treated my mom. I'm sure I look like a "Basket Case" to them! They have become like a second family to us!


*Sunday we were almost to church and we got a call from Lace. She and Blake hit a deer. NO, I take that back. A deer hit them.  A huge buck ran into their car on the passenger side. It broke out the passenger window, shattered the windshield, tore off the side mirror, and damaged the whole passenger side. Lace crumbled into her husband's lap and ended up with glass cuts on her face.  She had glass in her hair, and even somehow got through her heavy coat/dress/leggings/underwear!! Weird, huh?

Here's a few pics...just practicing with my camera!

Mr. Buckaroo first hit the front windshield and ripped off the mirror.

 

He also proceeded to bust out passenger window where he and Lace met face to rack! 

And left a lot of hair debris.

 

And then proceeded to roll to the back of the car and leave a nice dent.

 Lace got cuts and bruises on the face.

*I have not slept in one day over Christmas break! Rats!

If those are ebbs, here are some flows....If those are flows...here are some ebbs!

*I have spent a lot of time in quiet prayer with God. He is always there!


*I have got to spend a lot of time with my family in the car, watching movies, cooking, talking about good stuff, and praying with them.


*My family and I have had a lot of special time with my mom and got to take care of her doing things she can't do.... putting lotion on her, rubbing her lips with moisturizer, combing her hair, covering her up, feeding her.

*I have let the dishes/laundry/vacuming go when it needed to and not worried about it.


*My kiddos and husband have been my rock when I needed it. 

*I get a lot of support, inspiration, and uplifting words of wisdom from so many blogs. 


*My daughter and her husband's deer accident was not worse than it was. We are thankful for that.


*It was a great Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. We really enjoyed it.


So, do you ever feel like you are in the midst of ebbs and flows? 
I think living here on Earth, we can't avoid them. Now Heaven...ooohhhh...that's a different story! It will be so good!

Revelation 21

 ¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
 ²And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
 ³And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 ⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
 ⁵And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
 ⁶And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
 ⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
 ⁸But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
 ⁹And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
 ¹⁰And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
 ¹¹Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
 ¹²And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
 ¹³On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
 ¹⁴And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
 ¹⁵And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
 ¹⁶And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
 ¹⁷And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
 ¹⁸And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
 ¹⁹And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
 ²⁰The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
 ²¹And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
 ²²And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
 ²³And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
 ²⁴And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
 ²⁵And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
 ²⁶And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
 ²⁷And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.


2011 is nearing and to many a New Year is a New Start. I like to think about it like that too.  I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I have a feeling there will be ebbs and flows throughout 2011 too. That's okay....as long as I've got God for my captain on my boat everything will be just fine! :0)

By the way, it just hit me....January 1 will be 1-1-11 ... You probably knew that....I'm a little slow on the trigger girls!!