more prayers are needed...

doing Christmas Is A Child, God has led me to many things and many people...

encouragingly brave, strong and soulful people...

who have been walking through their trials here below...

I want to share this one story with you...

a mother called me last week...

was it ok for her to come to get toys for her daughters?

oh, yes, I said...

a couple of others had mentioned her name to me...

she was born with her skull being too small...

the pressure is intense...

the pain...

she just got back home, to her mother's home, the first of the week...

surgery in Chicago...

to remove part of the skull and to work on the vertebra in her neck...

her boyfriend, by her side...

holding her hand, taking care of her...

yesterday afternoon, he was deer hunting...

he fell 15 foot out of the stand...

laid there for hours, but another hunter found him...

lifeline copter flew him out of there...

broke his back, ribs and wrist...

the doctor says he will never walk again...

there are several vertebra involved, in the T section, so that's lower...

there are surgeries to go through...

she cannot be by his side...

she is still recovering from her surgery...

she was supposed to meet us up there today to get gifts for her 2 girls...

I told her we will take care of it...

I have an elf who knows her and her kids...

she will do the picking for her...

she is a child of the king...

during her hospitalizations, she has been ministering to others...

she has fed the hungry from her own hospital tray, sending food down to those on the streets...

she is heart broken and weary...

she needs prayers for her healing and his...

and for peace in her soul...

for her tears are full of pain...

physical pain is one thing, but soul pain is so much more...

its the soul pain she needs prayer for the most...

she is trying to lean on Him...

she is learning to trust Him more and more as each day unfolds... 

He has great plans for this one...

there is a reason, its not in vain...

and God will see her through it all and bring her out the other side...

stronger, better and more faithful...

he is molding her...

to expand His kingdom...

prayers from us, lift up those who are crawling...
her name is Lori...

lift her up...

lift him up...

to Him the glory forever and ever, amen...

Tori...

keep Tori in your thoughts and prays...

they are doing her amputation this morning...

they had a scare with her PetScan last week...

found 2 more spots on the lungs...

but they weren't cancer...

they did a biopsy Monday...

so they went ahead with her amputation plans...

taking her foot, ankle and part of the shin...

her grandpa is home now and doing well...

2 tumors, prostate...

but they are doing radiation and hormone shots...

and that should take care of that...

so, this family is facing some really trying times...

their faith is being tested...

prayers for all of those facing life choices and those who have to sit and watch a child in a hospital bed...

Tori right before surgery...

back home again, lickety split...

well, what a day...

started off with a head full of stuff and a head ache...

got that nipped in the bud and then this afternoon...

it was off to the doctor again...

got meds for this cold and ear infection...

got to be cleared up by the 11th...

got a Z pack and a shot in the butt...

cuz I have my surgery scheduled for the 11th!

gall bladder out and hernia fixed...

got a call from the cardiologist office yesterday and the sweetest little lady went through it all with me on the phone...

I am good to go...

wanted to know what sports I played...

hee hee...

I have no damage at all, and what they thought might have been a previous heart attack was a big NO...

so...

between all the calls and visits to the doctors...

CHRISTMAS IS A CHILD has been marching on...

and toys and money are coming in...

wrapping paper and tape, too...

looks like we will be good to go...

and I have secured an amazing shopper elf who will be taking the cash donations and filling in all the holes...

she will do that Friday after work...

so, that night, there will be a mad dash, when she gets back, to get her unloaded...

and tomorrow, Craig is picking up all the donation cans and boxes...

got a gal running the change to the bank to cash it in...

and we will be open for business beginning Saturday afternoon...

but supper time Sunday, it will all be over and clean up done...

Craig can turn the key back into city hall on Monday and another year will be under the belt...

so, HO HO HO to all of you...

and remember those who might not have something under the tree...

or a roof over their head or full tummys...

its time to step it up!

today...

got the living room cleaned and moved the furniture around...

then out came the tree...

and one snowman...

so far, that's it...

I am sure more boxes will be sneaking out over the next week to find a place to sit...

so, do you have your tree up yet????

I still have the one to go in the kitchen, but not over doing it in case they want to over haul me this week...

then, I can sit and order the guys around...

just like I did this morning...

no football until it was done...

they worked pretty darn good...

I will have to remember that...

elfing it...

how we will spend our spare time until the 1st of the month...

today we went up to the Columbian Building and washed off the tables...

sorted what toys we do have...

we used to have several programs in town...

all giving out gifts a couple of days before Christmas...

but the names on the Angel Tree weren't always far to siblings...

and you never knew what your child was getting or if they already had it or not...

so, I prayed about this and thought long and hard on how I would want it to be if I were in their shoes...

so for everyone involved, it has to be fun...

and for it to be fun, you have to let everyone do what they like to do...

donations are easy...

we take money...

and toys, brand new toys that do not need batteries...

so, you are allowed to buy whatever you want in whatever age group you want...

from a box of crayons to a bicycle...

its up to you...

us goofy elves then take it all and sort it out...

we have 3 sections...

high priced, medium and low...

then the parents get to come and pick out 2 toys from each section...

because the parents are the ones who know what the child likes and what they already have...

cuz its just not fun getting things you already got...

or getting a toy for the wrong age or sex...

we have shopper elves that take the parents around helps them shop for each child...

handing toys off to wrapper elves to gift wrap and name tag each gift...

we even have elves who carry out the items...

and we also deliver...

you have to live in our district and the child must live with you...

if you need help, all you have to do is come in...

this is not a hand out by any means...

its a hand up...

the city lets us use the community building for free...

the newspaper prints all our news for free...

the businesses allow us to put donation cans and boxes in...

and our school helps us out, too...

it takes everyone of us in these 4 little towns to make this work...

together, we make sure no child wakes to nothing under the tree on Christmas morning...

we never get to see the faces of the children on Christmas morning...

but we know they are there...

and we get plenty of hugs from the parents...

there are tears, relief and the most wonderful feeling you can ever feel this side of Heaven when you hug each and every one of them...

its up to each and every one of us to make a difference...

so, how are you elfing it this season?