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Dear Family and Friends,
“When you’re troubled and you can’t sleep,
Just count your blessings,
instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep,
Counting your blessings…”
Long before I ever heard Bing
Crosby sing those words in “White Christmas” my mother sang them to me as a “But I’m not sleepy!”
little girl. Since it was about 3AM when I started this letter, I thought I’d try counting my blessings for 2004.
We
are so thankful for the blessing of dear friends who keep us in their thoughts and prayers and on their Christmas list! This
being our first letter since 2001 (I think) we are so thankful you’ve kept us on your Christmas letter list. We love
hearing from you.
From August 2003 to June 2004 we had the once in a lifetime blessing of being able to help Gail’s
sister Sammie care for Gail’s parents during the last months of their lives. In August, Gail’s mother was hospitalized
with multiple problems, including heart failure. Shortly after that, her father was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer.
Both were also suffering from dementia and required 24-hour care.
What a blessed privilege to be at a point where we were
able to rearrange our lives to spend extended periods of time taking care of them in Texas and eventually to move them up
here to Iowa, Dad in our home and Mom in a nursing facility nearby. What a blessing to have Gail’s sister, Sammie, and
husband Stan to share the in this awesome responsibility!
Dad went home to be with the Lord April 1 and Mom joined him
on June 4. They left a legacy to their children of two parents who loved each other and stood by each other through thick
and thin. They let their children know they loved us, they always thought the best of us and they taught us about God. When
I remember Mom and Dad, I am blessed to recall so many years of unconditional love, riotous laughter, and stubborn hope in
the face of some pretty dire circumstances and consistent good humor. You know, I don’t think I ever saw my mother “in
a bad mood”. That would have to be a kind of “super blessing.”
During the difficult days of caring
for Mom and Dad, our church family continued to amaze us with their loving support, caring concern and constant prayers. God
used them to encourage us in countless ways. What a blessing we count for Rick to be beginning his 11th year here at Pleasant
View Baptist Church.
On April 24, our family received a great blessing when my son Josiah married the love of his life,
the Fabulous Shannon Donbroski in Minnesota. It was a wonderful God-honoring ceremony and we are thrilled to have the Fabulous
Shannon in the family (not to mention unloading Josiah, ha-ha).
Perhaps our most thrilling blessing of all came last
month when our daughter Christal and son-in-law, the Amazing Craig Fendley, told us we were going to be grandparents for the
first time, next July! How great is that?! God is sooooo good and we are soooo excited as are Christal and the Amazing Craig.
Email
and unlimited cell phone minutes remain great blessings for us and our budget with our family still spread out over the country.
One really unexpected blessing came this fall when our oldest daughter Stasi went back to school, to Fuller Seminary,
as husband the Incredible John continues his work on his doctorate. Both have part time jobs, which allow them to pay the
bills. A real blessing for them has been the opportunity to live right downtown in Los Angeles, CA., for a time on the same
floor and in the same building where one of Stasi’s great-grandfathers had a law office. They have two adorable cats,
Kitty and Tyke. Stasi had fun winning the Downtown News’ “Best of Downtown” contest the last two years.
They
love their church and remain active serving the Lord there, Stasi singing in the choir and the Incredible John in various
capacities.
Josiah and the Fabulous Shannon live in Champlin, Minnesota, where the Fabulous Shannon is a nurse extraordinaire
and Josiah works at their church wearing several different hats. We had a great time visiting the Minnesota State Fair with
them in September, eating deep-fried cheese curds and garlic French fries and other disgusting fair food. (I’m not so
sure that food was a blessing!) An update since I started this letter, Josiah’s band, named “The Good Foot”
(I think) won a battle of the bands last week. Money and studio time---whoopee! He plays keyboards, sings and may play some
guitar too.
We are truly blessed to have Christal, daughter number two, and the Amazing Craig still living near us
here in Iowa. Christal continues working for the Putnam Museum as an outreach teacher, and though the Amazing Craig is currently
laid off, he is continually working on design projects and hopes to start his own machining business with another laid off
employee. Christal also sings in the choir at her church.
Other joys of the year have included several times we were
able to get together with all three of our kids and most of their spouses. In October we had another “once in a life-time”
blessing when the church where Rick’s father pastored for many years decided to dedicate a refurbished building “to
the glory of God and the memory of Graeme C. Smith,” Rick’s dad. It was a wonderful time of reminiscing with old
friends and catching up as almost all of Rick’s family gathered in the family’s hometown of Vista, California
for a sort of mini-family reunion.
As we close this letter how very grateful we are to our God for His continued presence
and blessing with us throughout the past year. There have been many days of sorrow and times of difficulty, but God has been
with us for every moment---teaching, comforting, sustaining and loving, always loving. It has been a difficult year, yet we
have learned so much about God and how very much He loves us!
It is our prayer this Christmas that Christ will reign
in each and every heart and that through His love the world will know peace.
As you go to bed tonight, my friends, may
your heart overflow with God’s peace as you “count your blessing instead of sheep.”
May God grant
you a joyous Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Rick and Gail Smith
5134 Surrey Drive
Bettendorf, Iowa 52722
563-332-6468
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