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  • Writer's pictureBeth Hildebrand

Good-bye Winter: Thanks For The Joy

Winter is drawing to a close. We’re getting some of those 70 degree days already here in NC. Different birds like gray titmouses and blue birds are starting to check out the bird house nailed to the tree right outside our sun room.  I”e been trimming back the flower bushes and my husband is fertilizing the yard.  As new life and resurrection are right around the corner, I don’t want to leave winter without thanking God for the gifts and joys He blessed me with at the start of 2016.


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#2764  The cloud display on the drive home from the hospital from visiting my dad

#2765  Able to go to the hospital to see my dad

#2766  Dad’s text message

#2767  Great news his bladder is now longer the size of a pea but the size of a small orange

#2768  chemo seems to be working

#2769  special talk with dad about how he’s doing

#2770  husband and kids manage just fine without me

#2771  encouraging emails from fiends

#2772  heated seats in the car

#2773  working on Summer 2015 vacation picture book

#2774  laughing hard with a friend on the phone especially when it was really needed

#2775  thank yous

#2776  new rice cooker

#2777  a snow on Sunday morning


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#2778  ledding!


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#2779  Winter scenes


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#2780  celebrating husband’s birthday

#2781  celebrating my mom’s 70th birthday


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#2782  joy on mom’s face as she opens her birthday gift about her grandchildren

#2783  celebrating niece and nephew’s birthdays

#2784  serving communion at women’s brunch

#2785  dreaming about going to Europe with our family

#2786  fire in the fireplace on a cold winter night

#2787  dad feeling better and went and did some work and his woodworking

#2788  son still having fun on the basketball team even though they haven’t won a game


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#2789  women praying for me.  Friends and Bible study.  And I didn’t ask.  They just told me.

#2790  Manager at Food Lion donating drinks and food for IF

#2791  Abbey taking over the Bible study so I can focus on IF

#2792  Praying for friend to be healed

#2793  The Love God Greatly bible study “Growing Through Prayer”

#2794  the letter from my mom

#2795  special talk about how she’s doing

#2796  Edmund who shows up to pray for her just when she needed it.

#2797  hearing dad is going to meeting he hasn’t been to in a year

#2798  when I felt God’s Spirit with me on my walk as the sun shined in my eyes when I had felt burdened


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#2799  the women who always just “shows up” when I feel attacked and prays for me

#2800  photocopy machines

#2801  Rena and Tyler’s help again with IF printing

#2802  Daughter helping sort cards

#2803  son having first job interview

#2804  son being hired for his first “real” job at our small-town ice cream shop


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#2805  IF:Gathering 2016


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#2806  The women who came to IF:Alamance


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#2807  artist who painted while we worshiped at IF


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#2808  Almost 1  million women around the world watching IF and worshiping God at the same time February 5-6

#2809  The speakers who spoke Truth

#2810  The IF:Alamance leadership team I was able to work with


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#2811  All the women who volunteered to help

#2812  Local church who allowed us to use their space and resources

#2813  Pastor’s wife at Trinity who was so helpful

#2814  Maria with her patience with me from all of the roster emails I sent her

#2815  no technology problems with IF live stream

#2816  The song Great Are You Lord at church the day after IF.  I felt the weight of God’s glory while it played.

#2817  50 teenagers gave their lives to Christ at Walking Wisely Weekend

#2818  making breakfast for 12 guys on a Sunday morning

#2819  My husband who cleans and cooks and does our taxes

#2820 friend who picks up our daughter and take her to school each morning

#2821  fun with friends at a Super Bowl party

#2822  Funny taste dares


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#2823  Valentine candy – the cinnamon heart gumdrops

#2824  Our dog didn’t get sick after eating 16 pieces of chocolate

#2825  husband taking me to Maxie B’s for Valentines cake

#2826  seeing God work through a couple of girls who are students at Elon who want to serve God by starting FCA back on campus.

#2827  FCA’s first meeting on campus in years


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#2828  over 60 student athletes showed up for first meeting

#2829  mom and dad took a little trip to come visit us for the afternoon and evening

#2830  walking on campus together

#2831  friends came to church we’d been praying  for a long time

#2832  Girls Beach Weekend


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#2833  our husbands who encourage us to go

#2834  laughing all weekend long

#2835  early morning talks with friend while looking at the beach

#2836  friend able to go

#2837  full moon over the ocean


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#2838  Getting on the beach at just the right time to see the sun rise over the ocean


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#2839  watching hundreds of seagulls

#2840  toes in the sand in February


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#2841  journaling on the beach

#2842  able to serve God by taking pictures for church to use to promote non-profits in our community

#2843  taking pictures of volunteers

#2844  buying our daughter a ukulele

#2845  friend and her baby son healthy delivery

#2846  holding a 1 week old baby so close

#2847   Young Life staff and volunteers

#2848  Seeing birds checking out our bird house

#2849  flowers starting to bloom


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#2850  A great day (all happened in 24 hours #2851-2860

#2851  Call from Dad that Dr. had a good report and plan!  Less chemo  and improvement!

#2852  time with sister through Christ who has the same last (maiden) name as me.  Sharing where God is directing us and we have similarities in relation to our families

#2853  walk on a spring-like day with another Christ-follower and while sharing challenges, dreams and possibilities

#2854  taking 16 year old son to the university to work out – hard eucharisteo

#2855  taking daughter to first ukulele lesson and she left with a smile


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#2856  going to Elon University’s FCA meeting – whose chapter started 3 weeks ago.

#2857  hearing student’s testimonies


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#2858  memories when I was involved with FCA when I was a student at Elon years ago

#2859  sharing my testimony with area FCA “coach”  of when I gave my life to Christ at n FCA meeting in 1993

#2860  Wednesday morning talk and prayer with friend and learned yet a couple more ways we’re SO much alike

#2861  Got I Believe in the mail!


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