God is good! This past year we have experienced the mercies of the Lord in ways we never anticipated. As the psalmist says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” We can attest to that for sure!

We have not felt forsaken by our God and know that our ways are not His ways, and our plans do not always align with His plans. But this Christmas season they did, and for that we praise the Lord!

Markus’ latest chemo round concluded mid-December and our prayers for him to be feeling well enough to enjoy a fun-filled list of family activities were answered. Sara and Aidan were here from Alberta, and we count ourselves blessed that nearly everything we planned we were able to do.

The pictures below are a testament to God’s goodness. He allowed us to share and make many special memories and we feel blessed for it. Perhaps the most special was an intimate time where we could share some of our hopes and longings for the coming year. When it was Markus’ turn, he said, “Stay’in alive.” Life keeps going and while we all have many other things that we are looking forward to, that one thought dominates them all.

The passage highlighted at our New Year’s Eve service last night was the proverb, “Many are the plans of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” Next Tuesday Markus is scheduled for a CT scan that will give us a good indication of where things are at with his fight against Ewing’s Sarcoma. It is our earnest prayer that we will receive positive news and Markus will remain alive for a long, long time; that the plans for his own business that he has put on hold will again be set into motion. Yet, if God’s purpose for Markus concludes earlier than any of us would want, we are at peace with that too, knowing our lives rest secure in the arms of Jesus.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b