And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. ~Abraham Lincoln

Has it really been 10 month since the last post? Ten months? Sadly yes. Somewhere between welcoming in the New Year and preparing for another mission trip, someone must have hit the fast-forward button. Time may march, or ebb, or sift, or creep, but now in October, it feels as if time has bolted like an angry dinner guest, leaving conversations unfinished, resolutions undone, sorrow lingering but lessened with the joys of birth, farewells to old friends and greetings of welcome to new.

The loved ones we lost this year have left some of us with a profound feeling of emptiness. An empty place in your heart that you think will never be filled. Eventually, though, your heart is healed, and the sadness and mourning are replaced with acceptance and even the ability to smile and laugh about memories when you think of them. It is such a cliché when people say, "It gets better with time." But it’s true. You never become completely accustomed to being without your loved one, but it does get better, more bearable with each passing day.

This year has also brought blessings – three babies: Caleb, Lucy and Justice. Three beautiful, healthy babies to love, to hold, to whisper sweetly in their ear, or nuzzle gently in those soft, folds beneath their chins. It’s almost magical watching them grow from one Thursday to the next – mastering new skills and developing their personalities.

We’ve said goodbye to members who, for life reasons, had to leave the group. But saying goodbye did not mean the end. The friendships made will endure and paths will cross again. We’ve bid a warm welcome to new members. And, we’ve continued to development relationships with God and with each other.

Yes, time over the last 10 months may feel as though it has bolted but it has not --each hour, each day, each pasing month has moved at the pace God intended and we have been blessed.

“Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world that you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn't buy an extra hour. What will you do with this priceless treasure Remember; you must use it, as it is given only once. Once wasted you cannot get it back.” Author Unknown