A year ago, I was just emerging from the deepest darkest spot I had ever inhabited. God and all of you, especially RAE, POOH, FIONA, JENNA, SOPHIE, JACKIEY from those days wrapped huge hugs and lots of prayerfully divine shelter of my shattered emotions so I could be lifted up. One of my favorite Groban sung tunes YOU Raise ME Up so fills my soul as I cast an eye over the shoulder.

Without all who cared, and a lawyer friend, who instructed me to hand the phone to my wife, urgently calling for me to be taken into care, whether hospital or my doc, that lonely road time I spent could have shuttered my window on this blessed world of so many in need. Yeah, I had to have help, re-orient the vision to look outward instead of within..... and the ride the ensuing 2011 has brought.

We were anxiously awaiting our Army couple, our youngest son, now Sargeant, and his wife were expecting our first grandchild.... then we drove straight through 36 hours courtesy of our daughter Em, joining my wife and I so we could reach the hospital to be with our grieving children and the in-laws we had never met in time for the stillbirth of little Lily Eden [they saved the name they had wanted to use so maybe it could be used later]. Our hearts were rent.

We moved out of the home in which we had raised all of our children.... selling it to beautiful loving people who were so kind and spirit filled in helping us make the journey away from the home we knew, bank funds replenished from the sale.

We found the joy of my outreach to others as an overflowing blessing upon the whole of this family, for in it, I was truly restored to them all. God is so good.

We found further joy, even though legalities prevented me from working for pay as I worked pro bono for others, even the people who purchased our home, and that spirit of giving heaped layer upon layer of blessing upon this family.

We finally knew the blessing of permanence of work as pro bono developed in a growing young company to a position in which I am now once again a legal executive. Blessing both the company, its members, and my family. Just this week the legalities came to fruitition with completion so in the new year my position may ripen into compensable employment.

We learned our son and daughter by marriage [that sounds so much more blessed doesn't it?] are expecting again, and THIS time all things appear to be well, and the issue which took our first grandchild away, will not take this one. Thank you God.

Farthest from least of the matters upon which I reflect, I have so much more deepened my relationship with you all, giving for it is more blessed, and receiving because it is unavoidable. You all enrich me with blessings beyond number. In you, through you, with you, and before God, I am blessed.

You Raise Me Up alongside God, and you are such a team,
Blessed am I,
Mark56