That One Stung For Sure 12/31/2020

 Good Morning,

A hot cup of Door County Gingerbread Spice Latte is doing it's best to wake me up, warm me up and set my feet on the trail of 12/31/20.  I wish we could all be together for a cup of coffee with a side order of biscuits and honey.

Romans, 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come  38. nor height nor depth nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Well, we will say goodbye to the year 2020 tonight and for many it will not be a fond farewell. Much has happened in the world this year including the pandemic outbreak that still has us pretty much paralyzed and looking over our shoulders. My wife Rene and I have decided to carry on on our New Years Eve tradition of  eating Italian food. There will be pasta sauce made from the tomatoes that last summer's garden produced. The sauce will smother some meatballs, homemade gnocchi, and some Italian sausages made from pheasant that was shot earlier this year. 

As I sit and write this morning, my mind has wandered to those my family lost this year, one due to covid and another to a horrendous battle with cancer. I miss them both and have found myself picking up my telephone to call them just to remember that I can't do that anymore. I am sure, I am not the only one this happens to. Some of you are nodding your heads in agreement right now. 

I was going to write a total review of the year 2020 this morning and discuss the pandemic, politics, the economy, world tension, race relations, and global warming. But really, haven't we hashed over that stuff enough? 

In the beginning of today's blog, I mentioned a tomato harvest from last summer. Dessert tonight will be apple pie, with apples harvested not to far from the tomatoes. The pasta sauce will have a little crushed red pepper in it harvested from the garden next to the tomatoes. Today as we head into 2021 I want to celebrate another year of life, the fact that I haven't lost more family, a wife despite all my faults loves me, friends that despite suffering are still here,  and My God who hasn't and will not forsake me. He will lead me into next year. So as I compare the list of hurts, and illness of 2021 I know my God lives and will lead me on. I will celebrate that tonight. Way back in February when Rene started the seedlings for our garden, God knew that the flowers would bring great joy in hard times. The vegetables would sustain us and would be considered special. He brought me to some pheasants and the garlic from the garden would be used to season them. 

If I were to review 2020 I would see God with me and my family and He was there in the storm with us. 

God bless. May our days be seasoned with Faith, Hope, and Love.

Marty