Pain shared is cut in half, Joy shared is doubled!

"Pain shared is cut in half, Joy shared is doubled."

Since I tend to share the pain so freely, I need to share the Joy. I received a phone call a few minutes ago from my youngest son, my baby boy, Christopher, who is stationed in Germany. What a thrill to hear his voice! He has been there since March, training to deploy in March of 2005. His voice is strong, confident, and content.

First of all, I must tell you that when he was born, he was a very sick little cookie. By the time he was three years old, he had been hospitalized nine times, three of them in Intensive Care. He quit breathing at eight days old, when my mother resusitated him. Two months later, it was determined that he had idiopathic epilepsy, and had had so many seizures that the doctors told me he had a 50% of brain damage.

At one point in time, at three months old, he contracted double pneumonia, spent eleven days in ICU and very nearly died. He finally began to thrive health-wise at the age of 5. He is, without a doubt, my miracle child, healthy, strong, and wise.

From the age of fifteen through twenty one or so, his main activity was staying stoned...he was a Nintendo addicted pot-head, who lacked ambition, beyond working at a local convenience store.

Today, he is an MP in the United States Army, who is coming home on Christmas Exodus. He is my HERO. And just for the record, I have 3 HEROES in my life...my three sons. Two of them are soldiers, and one is an incredible daddy. God is so awesome, and they are His Handiwork. I am blessed!

And on top of all of this, I am being given a round trip ticket to Florida for Christmas, where I can be with him, his brother, Timothy, and my 10 month old grandson, and my best friends. There are no words to express how very excited I am. The only down side to this is that my oldest son, with whom I live cannot get leave and I will be leaving him here for Christmas.

Due to financial reasons, I didn't think Florida was even possible...and I had prayed and put the entire issue smack dab into God's Hands, being willing to accept the outcome, whatever it may be. Oh my God! You are awesome!

My joy this day is great and humbling, for I am not deserving. But...deserving or not, I am loved and blessed right out of my booties! Oh yes, God is Awesome!

May my God bless you richly this very moment!