It Isn't Always Pretty

 The first good snowfall hit and our historic neighborhood is a glistening wonderland.

Heavenly hosts, and all that. 

But through the doors of our drafty home things are not always pretty.  Sometimes, dare I even admit, the cohabitants are downright ugly to one another.  There are times the pretty decor is overridden by the weeds of homeschooling and creating.  There are times that the kitchen is disgustingly dirty.  There are times when illness hits.  I think that all of the above have applied to our home at one time or another over these last couple months. But something quite unexpected happened last week and I'm not good at talking about it.  I don't know why, because I'm good at talking.  About almost anything.  

But when prayer is needed, it's time to speak up.

Many of you have met my parents at our market events.  We host The Vintage Market at their home.  Most of you know that I am very close to them.  We eat Sunday dinner together every week and talk on the phone everyday. So I'm sure you understand the rattled-to-my-core feeling at learning that my dad has been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.  "Six months, if left untreated" the oncologist says in the middle of lots of big words I didn't understand.  I find myself falling apart, tripping over pieces of me as I'm trying to keep everyone else together.  

We are still preparing for a lovely Christmas and praising God for all the family coming to visit and the beautiful things about this season.  We are laughing when we can laugh, trimming the trees, hanging the holly, and loving the freshly fallen snow.  We are playing Christmas music, enjoying the twinkling lights and reminding the kids that Jesus is why we have Christmas.  We are creating and baking and conspiring about gifts.   

But it isn't always pretty.

If you would pray for us, we would be so grateful.