Don’t you just LOVE surprises? Yesterday I came back home to Kansas City, MO, after my 10-day stay in Florida. When I came through the kitchen door, there was a glass vase of beautiful, long-stemmed red roses on the table with a note from Ray, “Welcome home.” To my SHOCK, he also had thoroughly cleaned the house for me, baked home-made pita bread and fixed home-made hummus (a tasty Middle Eastern dip made of chic peas, tahini, garlic, sesame seed, and olive oil), and he had flank steak marinating in the fridge for our dinner together tonight. Hey, maybe I should fly out of state more often!
Since Ray was working at the hospital when Leah and I arrived yesterday (but he had these things ready for my arrival), our oldest daughter Heather picked us up from the airport. I had a craving to eat at a Japanese steakhouse before going home. Grilled chicken, fried rice, vegetables on the grill, salad, and a little cake dessert – mmm, delicious! Here is the chef creating the onion “flaming volcano.”
The chef put on quite a show, and was hilarious. When he caused the soy sauce “lava” to bubble out of the “volcano” onion, he suddenly hit the the side of the oven with his spatula for the “volcanic explosion,” making a loud noise and causing the three of us to jump. He laughed and said, “No hard feelings, eh?” We all busted out laughing. The joy of the Lord is our strength! (Nehemiah 8:10)
The chef also invited Heather to try to catch “torpedo” shrimp in her mouth (catching shrimp in her mouth one after another, at a rapid rate, not using her hands at all). I tried to snap a picture of Heather in action. She managed to catch a few, lol.
This meal hit the spot after a long day of flying. Everything was so delicious. Once again, I just thanked God for His goodness to me.
I want to ask you something. What good things are you anticipating for 2010? What prayers are in your heart that you desire to see answered? God’s word says, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)
Psalm 34:8 also says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Do you know that God is just longing to bless you, to show you His goodness and favor this coming year? Do you understand that no matter what storms are going on around us in this world, Jesus can speak peace to those storms, “Be still”? Do you sense that despite the chaos, confusion, fear, and darkness that are increasing in these end times, that God is about to show up in a great and powerful way for His kingdom and His glory?
Oh, I do! God has good plans for you and me! (Jeremiah 29:11) The best is yet to come! 
It’s good to be back home now with Ray, our kids, and grandkids, and celebrating Christmas this week. And I am looking SO forward to 2010! I anticipate that 2010 will be a year of God’s goodness and blessing to His children.
Like the unexpected roses, clean house, hummus, and flank steak dinner that Ray had ready for my homecoming, I believe God has many pleasant “surprises” in store for us His beloved people this coming year. Are you ready?
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