Here's to a "Strong" year!

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I'm on the upswing from this Wednesday's chemo round!  It went well, having chemo on New Year's Eve.  I was there in my easy chair with a bunch of other people who didn't want to be there even more than usual.  The nurses were anxious to get on with their celebratory plans and the patients were (if they were like me) wishing we could just get on with life.

We had a nice New Year's, I made it till about 10, when I basically stopped getting off the couch, but it was better than I thought it might be. I was largely down and out for Friday and Saturday but I feel measurably better today (Sunday) - like well enough to marshall my troops to put the Christmas decorations away, albeit slowly.  I'm sure they prefer me being a little less well.

It feels like it's been rough around here since Christmas; we've all been sick in one way or another.  My last healthy one came down with the fever Friday. I thought she'd escaped!  I'm really hoping I've escaped.

I have nothing profound nor witty to say today.  I'm saving my mental energies for the re-start of school tomorrow. I did none of the re-planning, re-organizing or re-energizing I had hoped to do, so we are in just the same state as when we left it all before Christmas. I'm hoping the agony of getting up and getting going tomorrow morning will be so all consuming that it will buy me some time tomorrow afternoon/evening to do what I should have done over the holiday ; )   I'm thinking the chances are pretty good.

I will share with you one awesome present I got from my fabulous husband, whom you may or may not know does a little sign-work on the side:



We've had this big brown wall on which I've been imagining wall writing for about 3 years - and voila!  
"The Joy of the Lord is our Strength"  !

The actual verse is of course: 

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10

But I thought that since this is our family room it would be more meaningful if it were personal. 

I've thought a lot about this verse.  What *is* this "joy of the Lord" that is supposed to be my strength?  Well, I think it's joy in His promises.  Both the ones He has already kept (what a great track record) and the ones that are still to be fulfilled (what hope we have!).  Without hope we are sick, but with this hope we are healthy and, yes, strong! 






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