"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 14:27
In the Central Valley of California we have something called Tule Fog. Tule fog is a thick ground fog that forms during winter and early spring after the first major rainfall of the season. You can have days were you never see the sun but have a haze of fog all day. There are people that are afraid to go outside some days because the fog can be so thick. Driving can be a challenge at times with visibility being close to zero.
I have had seasons of my life were I have been in a fog, afraid to go outside. We don't know what is out there in front of us every day. Tomorrow can bring joys or sorrows. We have a choice in this life to either stay home and hide from the fog of life or embrace it.
I love how peaceful it can be early in the morning out in the fog when all is still and calm, taking a walk just enjoying the wonders of life. No the path before me is not completely clear and when I have a choice I stay away from the thickest patches of fog. But life is the same, our way is filled with fuzzy paths, some clearer than others.
The peace of the Lord which passes all understanding is a great comfort to those that know him. To be able to walk through times of great trial and difficulty yet have this underlying since of peace is an incredible gift from God. This holiday season I have been thinking a lot about my parents and reflecting on how different I was in my walk with God from the time my father was killed to when my mother died and how that made a difference in how I dealt with the two deaths. Both filled with sorrow. One lead to destructful behaviors and the other just sorrow with an underlying since of peace.
Downtown Visalia is thriving these days. Unlike many downtown's across America no store fronts currently sit vacant. There is a waiting list of businesses wanting to get into downtown. Finding a vacant parking space on main street from the time stores open until closing is not easy. 
In the Central Valley of California we have something called Tule Fog. Tule fog is a thick ground fog that forms during winter and early spring after the first major rainfall of the season. You can have days were you never see the sun but have a haze of fog all day. There are people that are afraid to go outside some days because the fog can be so thick. Driving can be a challenge at times with visibility being close to zero. 
The peace of the Lord which passes all understanding is a great comfort to those that know him. To be able to walk through times of great trial and difficulty yet have this underlying since of peace is an incredible gift from God. This holiday season I have been thinking a lot about my parents and reflecting on how different I was in my walk with God from the time my father was killed to when my mother died and how that made a difference in how I dealt with the two deaths. Both filled with sorrow. One lead to destructful behaviors and the other just sorrow with an underlying since of peace.
Sunday evening I attended my first cookie decorating party. It was a fun evening with friends. Every one was to bring a finger food to share and the host had made sugar cookies and had lots of colored icing and things like sprinkles and colored sugar for decorating the cookies. We were to each bring a plater to put our cookies on that we decorated to take home.
I have been slow at adding ornaments to my Christmas Tree. However, today I was unpacking a box in my garage and found a few metal ornaments that my parents gave to me when I was a kid with my name on them. Every year they would buy new ornaments with our first names engraved on them for the Christmas Tree. I don't have all of them as some have been lost in moves over the years but today I found the box that had the stack of them that I still have along with the last stocking they purchased for me. The stocking is just one of the simple red and white ones with my name in glitter that is fading.
