Music to Our Ears

I'm not very good at keeping secrets, although I admit I've been keeping one for about a month now. To catch a glimpse of what I've been "hiding", check out the video below:

In case you couldn't quite figure out the tune, Jonathon is playing "Little Brown Jug", the VERY first thing he learned to play on the guitar, compliments of his grandfather, Big Hal (my dad). That song was the beginning of Jonathon's interest in learning to play, so it seems fitting that it would be one of the first he would re-learn. He played this along with a few other "teasers" on Christmas night for us and promises that he will continue to work on regaining this very special gift he has. I am amazed that even though it's been almost four years, God is STILL answering our prayers forJonathon. It makes me think of Hebrews 11:18 where we learn that "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

We have no idea where God is leading any of us, but by faith we desire to go where He wants us to be! With the progress Jonathon has made, how could any of us doubt God's plans and desires for us?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

For as long as I can remember since having children, we've waited until Christmas morning to place baby Jesus in our Nativity. I wanted my children to fully appreciate that we were celebrating the birth of our Savior and to be excited about that moment when He arrived. I didn't want the placing of the Nativity to simply be another decoration we hauled out every year, only to pack away and forget about until the next Christmas season arrived. I wanted it to MEAN something to them. This year--without fanfare--as the rest of the family still slept, I quietly placed our baby Jesus into His "spot" in the stable and felt an overwhelming sense of calm as well as a bit of sadness that we hadn't made a production out of placing Him in the stable. I reflected for a moment and then realized that's exactly how He DID arrive........quietly, while much of the world was still sleeping, in a tiny stable in a tiny town. Whew! Talk about that crazy feeling you get inside when something more powerful than you've ever felt takes over your body! I could almost feel my heart racing! I stared for a moment at that tiny porcelain baby staring back at me from His tiny porcelain manger, and for a brief moment I even thought, "His eyes should be closed; He's supposed to be sleeping in the manger." And the next moment, I realized that His eyes had always been on me, on us! What a beautiful, beautiful Birthday Boy! I closed my eyes and thanked our God for the Son He so generously gave so that we might be saved from ourselves and find shelter from all our storms. I thanked Him again for the beautiful family He has blessed me with and for the miracle He gave us nearly four years ago in sparing our Jonathon. Happy Birthday, Jesus! Merry Christmas, Everyone! I hope that your Christmas has been as blessed as ours.......

Still grateful for your prayers,
Mary

Oh, Christmas Tree: Or around here...Glory, Glory to Old Georgia!

I'm posting a picture of the tree in Jonathon's room, one that was first decorated in 2005, the year he moved into his "new" room. At that time, we decided that a Georgia (as in UGA) tree would be appropriate since the theme of the entire room was red, black, and definitely Bulldog! As I put the tree up this year, I couldn't help but be amazed that this is the FOURTH year that I've been able to do this! I continue to be amazed at just how far we've all traveled in Jonathon's recovery--Jonathon, of course, most of all. His endurance, determination, and spirit are a constant source of wonder for me. I often ask myself if I had been faced with the same challenges as he has whether I would have risen to them as he so consistently has. I'd like to think I would, but I often think that I wouldn't have had the strength. (I AM old, after all! Haha!) I try hard not to dwell on the past, and for the most part I think I do a pretty good job, but I know without a doubt that the past few years have totally shaped our present. Although our lives have returned to a degree of normalcy, none of us will ever view "normal" in the same way again. Just last night, in fact, David anwered the phone, and when I heard him respond to the caller with "Yes, we're Jonathon Clark's parents", I literally felt myself struggling to breathe. Jonathon didn't come home this past weekend, so I feared that this was some sort of notification call. Crazy, isn't it? David was doing his best to give me signals to let me know everything was okay, but by the time the call ended I was crying like a baby! Talk about coming unglued! (And the truth is........it was merely someone soliciting funds for UGA!) Ah well, I guess that as tough as we try to be, a mama's heart is a fragile thing.

On a lighter note, I'm including some other photos of Jonathon's UGA room. Is it any wonder that when he's home, we have to pry him out of his "Dawg" house? Yeah, he really has it rough.........or should that be "ruff"?

Complete with the "G" And.......UGA
And a place for some Dawg talk....
As well as some Dawg food.....

(yes, those are signed photos of Vince Dooley and

Mark Richt on the wall as well as one of the team!)

And definitely a place for a Dawg to rest!

Great is Thy faithfulness,Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!