As you know, I have created a brief, but ambitious dream list. It starts slowly and modestly, and ends with a big crescendo. Not that this marks the end of a life, but I will surely choose to wind things down.
My last journal recounts the beauty and wonder of my Memphis trip. I still cannot put into words the true gift that this trip bestowed upon our entire family.
We returned from Memphis, high on life and holiday magic, only to quickly prepare for another road trip. Friday, Jan 5th, we left out to Wilsonville, AL.
In the Sweet By and By
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.
We had a “Calma” / “Mace” mini family reunion that was just short of heaven for me. There are many relatives that I have not seen in such a long time, some new “members” I have not yet met, and definitely those I have not truly talked to, other than to give a quick hug. My cousins Matt and Tina hosted a large get together that brought together family, food, and new memory opportunities that hopefully will spark a new beginning for all of us. There was love, joy, forgiveness, and acceptance in abundance…and my heart is still singing in song.
There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit in this Place,
There’s a sweet,
sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord;
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.
Sweet Holy Spirit,
Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us,
filling us with Your love.
And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived,
When we shall leave this place
Next, on my “list” comes my BIRTHDAY BASH! I turn 50 you know, so this is truly a marker. To commemorate the occasion, I would like to hold a modest get together where folks can drop by, eat and greet, and meet at their leisure. And casual! …you know me. I have attached an evite at the end of this entry and would love it if you could come. Please do respond so we can know who to expect. If unable to make it in person, we wish you well and appreciate your continued love and support. I do love all of you so much.
Lastly, I will say that this cancer is continuing to take a toil on me. With time, I do become weaker and require more rest, recovery, and general assistance. I appreciate your patience and understanding as I may not be able to accommodate as many calls, visits, texts, emails, etc. I am trying to take gentle care of myself with the help of a few others. I REALLY WANT TO SEE EACH DREAM FULFILLED ON MY LIST!!!!! And it will take everything I have to get through each one…one step at a time.
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
As always, hope all of you are well. I hope that you had a beautiful Christmas and continue to have a blessed and happy new year. Much love, Peri FOR THE PARTY EVITE, GO TO EVITE.COM AND FIND PERI’S FABULOUS FIFTY, OR GO TO http://www.evite.com/event/03A6Z72UMG532A6D6EPDPFKS6XRQI4