Dear friends,

I am FULL of anticipation for 2007.  Last June, I felt the Lord whispering in my heart to turn and face my past, and finally deal with the unhealthy, entrapping patterns I had picked up over the years.  It was a rather bittersweet but FRUITFUL time of retrospection, reflection, and repentance.  I think that intense season is now over, because a week or so ago while I was lying in bed, I felt that God was graciously saying to me, “Enough of that.  Now turn and face the future.  It’s time to move forward in joy and freedom.”  When I shared this with my husband Thad, he smiled and reminded me of Proverbs 31:25 -- “She laughs at the times to come.”  So let this be a year of laughter and liberty!  The Lord has been so good to me!

Speaking of laughter… Last week, I rushed to fix tacos for dinner so we could get to Julia’s basketball game on time.  I grabbed what I thought was my bulk container of taco seasoning, and didn’t realize until I gave it several liberal shakes into the meat that I had picked up the cinnamon container instead.   My friend Beverly claims that I was trying to cook Greek food instead of Mexican!  And my friend Nancy told me of the time she refilled her small cinnamon shaker from her bulk supply, and found out when her son went to make cinnamon toast that she had accidentally filled it with…. Cayenne pepper!  Yow!  You would think home school moms could read container labels!  (In my defense, I will say that I didn’t have my glasses on.)