Wow. 2009 is here already. Amazing! What I wrote in my September 7, 2008 blog came true - the end of the year was so busy that "in a blink" 2009 appeared. And, now that we are receiving Wedding, Bed and Breakfast and Tea event inquiries and bookings for 2010, I'm going, "Wait! Hold on just a minute! We haven't had 2009 yet!" My husband and daughters are saying, "Mom, you go ahead and enjoy the moment; we'll take care of the future." Works for me. Somebody has to stop and smell the roses. :-)
Let's reminisce.
We've met many, many lovely people in 2008 through our Bed and Breakfast, Wedding events, Tea events and Tours. Local folks and others from all over the world have come to east Texas and have found themselves at Roseland Plantation for one of these events. And that's the best part of this business - the people we are blessed to meet and get to know. Many guests come to get away from it all and want to be recluse - and Roseland Plantation is a great getaway for peace and quite. Other guests love to socialize and Steve and I really enjoy sitting in the library and visiting with them. We'll talk about our families, work, east Texas, who's who and what's what. We have hosted ministers, Realtors, computer programmers, authors, lawyers, judges, teachers, construction workers, police officers, firefighters, military men and women, housewives and househusbands, bankers, tellers, musicians, retail workers, doctors, health care workers, television show producers, conservatives, liberals, Christians, atheists, Hindus, Jews, white, black, Asian and more. We may not agree on every issue, but we'll generally have lots of laughs and most of the world's problems solved, more or less, before we call it a night and go to bed. Ha! Ha!
Our owner’s living quarters is still a work in progress. Projected completion dates have come and gone. It's very, very frustrating. I keep trying to focus on the blessing it will be once it's completed and try to be grateful. Hopefully we’ll get to move in mid-March 2009. I had to type in “2009” in the last sentence because it feels like it could very well be 2010 before it’s done. ☹
Let’s look forward.
Steve has several projects for early this year. January, February and March are considered “down time” and the perfect time for maintenance. It’s fun to spruce things up for the New Year. We are painting the entire chapel and pews, the ballroom, repairing and expanding the brick walk from the Windsor House to the chapel, adding an office and doing much landscaping and adding gardens. There's more of course, but I can't remember everything right now.
Our spring/summer 2009 calendar is pretty booked and our fall 2009 and spring 2010 is filling up – yea! Who could ask for anything more?
Gratefulness
Let me just say that through all the ups and downs, trials and joys, fears and great expectations of 2008, God has been faithful. The economic recession is difficult on many and, OMG, who could believe the $4 per gallon gas prices we had last year! On top of everything else, the return of my cancer in early 2008 was completely unexpected. The extent it had spread throughout my body was shocking. But look at me now, still alive and kicking due in no small part Dr. Seidel of Tyler, Texas who I believe God used saved my life. He referred me to my wonderful oncologist also of Tyler, Dr. Vukelja and I am in one of her studies. God continues to save my life through her good work. Though I had a rough 2008 with many hospital stays, currently my tests are excellent. Dr. Vukelja says I should be “The Poster Child” for the study I’m in because I am doing so incredibly well. I could live with that, having ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of my internal organs plastered in medical books around the world showing the effectiveness of the study I’m in. True, it’s not American Idol, but since I can’t sing or dance, I have to take what I can get.
So why am I still here?
If you are a Christian, you know the answer – to proclaim Christ and the good news of eternal life in heaven through His incredible gift of salvation. But there is an urgency I feel now. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
*the word catholic here means the Christian Church as a whole, not the Roman Catholic Church
I pray grace and peace to you in 2009 and beyond,
Debbie
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