Goodbye 2008

so it is time again to bid farewell to another year gone.

People are stocking their bars, and planning their resolutions as we speak.

New Years is a time to begin again and start fresh on a clean slate. It's a time when, at least here, there is white pure snow on the ground to symbolize our fresh start.

New Years is also a time for countdowns and so here is mine from the year 2008 in random order and random thought process, from my own random life and the world...... because....well....I'm RANDOM!

I always start with the bad news because it reminds me that I end up happy :)

5 bad things of 2008 according to moi

- the Lakeland "revival" - I am personally so glad it's over, I mean that much heresy in one state should be illegal even in our crazy world. well that and I got tired of people telling me to go there to get healed, did you ever notice that people are happy to tell you where  to go get healed but they don't give you the money  to do it. So I am supposed to combine the "miracle" of extra cash to throw around with the "miracle" of hedonistic prayer "revivals"...........oh I am getting so sick just thinking about it.......I think my lunch just made a revival.

- the brutal murder of Brent Martin, a man with a developmental disability who was killed in the UK by three teens who just wanted to "practise" and show off their newly learned boxing skills. I'd like to "practise" shooting them out of a cannon.

- my chronic pain got worse and ....well.....chronic. I learned much about the uncaring, unprofessional, unintellegent medical profession and their incompetencies

- Robert Latimer, a man who killed his daughter who had Cerebral Palsy was released from jail after only serving partial sentencing for the 1993 crime, I wonder if he would have recieved so short a sentence if he had murdered a "normal" child...oh and the wonderful icing on the cake is that he now lives in my province!! too close! too close! run away Robby, buh and bye! 

- my dear sweet friend Bernie passed away in the spring, she was as much a mystery in life as her death was. I miss you Bernie Balogna

5 good things of 2008 according to moi

- people are still having babies with downs syndrome, at the beginning of this year all signs pointed to an annihilation of people with Downs through genetically creating designer babies, but it didn't happen and that signifies hope for me that somehow, somewhere, people are getting the message that life is precious and so is difference.

- I started to read the bible more fervently and actually bought my very first study bible!! wow I feel so growned up!!

- I won a contest, for a video I entered, at a chronic illness community website  that I belong to and I was in several radio shows speaking about the important topic of patient advocacy

- the disability world came together to support protests about the horrible language and degredation of people with developmental disabilities in the movie tropic thunder, it was a huge movement and it was very exciting to see so many mobilized.

- I spoke at a national convention in Chicago in July and I was even payed to be there! It was very exciting for me to speak with other parents who have little children diagnosed with the same thing I have.

All together it has been a great year and I can see many ways that the Father is drawing me closer to Him. God is good!

It is my sincere hope that your new year is filled with joy, happiness and a little hardship to help you appreciate the good times that much more.

Soli Deo Gloria.