Happy New Years!

Happy New Years my dear readers. I greet you all over our wonderful world. May you have peace and blessings in the coming year. Our journey is not an easy one, but one day we will reach that glorious City, a Celestial City that is not movable. The sun was shining where we live today, but the nights are chili. We keep covering our dear Tiger on my porch, the mother cat of Deborah's cat, Moonshine,  with wool blankets, and she has become more furry than before.. She truly looks like a Tiger.
 I am on pain medication as my hip hurt more than it did in the tropical land of Florida. Apparently, the specialist referral is in, but I have no idea how long I must wait for the surgery. I was told to bombard myself with calcium/magnesium pills as well as vitamin D, however, too much of the calcium, may cause kidney stones, I've been told, so I have to be careful. Ideally, if the Lord heals me would be the best way.. I have been home bound and somewhat miserable. Non activity is a bad thing. I'm thankful, I am not traveling.  Our faithful, dear friends have had us over for dinner. Such generosity. We've had candy jars too where we had to guess the number of candies.. The winner got gift cards to Subway, Winners or MacDonalds. I had some wine, and steak with my dear family. It was nice to not have to worry about cooking. After much laughter and sharing, we all came home. Seeing Deborah's obituary photo, framed in their house always humbles, me. How even family friends can honor my daughter in their quiet way. Deborah.. I know you are Asleep, and I can't wait to be reunited with you. I am sick with Love for you. My life will never be the same. As we try to suppress our emotions, we know you shine in the firmaments, and are in the presence of our dear Lord.
This coming Wednesday, is the day in the Creator's Calendar that Haggai talks about.. Maybe we too will have a shaking on our planet.. Please read in full.

Haggai 2New International Version (NIV)

2 ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: ² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? ⁴ But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁹ ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: ¹¹ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: ¹² If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’”
The priests answered, “No.”
¹³ Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”
“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”
¹⁴ Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
¹⁵ “‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on^[b]—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. ¹⁶ When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. ¹⁷ I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. ¹⁸ ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: ¹⁹ Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
“‘From this day on I will bless you.’”

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ²¹ “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
²³ “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”