It was one year ago today that I came before you asking for prayers for my daughter, Christina, who had been involved in a head-on collision with another car. My daughter was a social worker for hospice for 10 years and was using alcohol to deal with her anxiety and inner struggles and on this day she was drinking coming home from a hospice visit and caused the wreck that injured an elderly couple. You rose to the occasion and today marks her one year "Happy Birthday" anniversary celebration of sobriety.

My family is grateful for all the prayers that have been given up on our behalf. I am grateful for the advice of friends that helped determine the necessary course of action and for those that continually remember our family in prayer as things have evolved over the past year and will shortly come to a final conclusion...from a legal standpoint anyway.

Christina was charged with 4 felony counts (injury/DUI). The couple has recovered and they won a multi-million dollar civil lawsuit against her former employer. They told Christina through their civil lawyer that they forgive Christina and are praying for her, which meant a lot and has helped her to forgive herself for being responsible for their injuries.

Christina has 2 children aged 4 and 7 who she left to do rehab in March of last year for one month. She has faithfully attended Alcoholics Anonymous and is learning how to live life sober. She says the most important thing she has learned is to live in the moment, which opens up a whole new way to live life...much different than how she was living. She is in counseling and after 10 months went to a chiropractor and discovered she had chipped her tailbone in the accident. This has been a very LONG year for my family but God has been faithful and healed so much that was broken.

Her husband has also attended Al-Anon and he is learning valuable insights into how to live with someone that has abused alcohol. He also accepted the Lord as his Savior this year which is such a blessing. There is much healing and growth.

Her case is scheduled to come before a judge in March. We are praying that God will be merciful and that she will not go to prison. There is certainly earthly justice but we are praying for God's heavenly mercy that will allow her to remain with her family. She has beome stronger over the past year and is prepared to accept whatever the future holds but we know our God is able to do exceedingly more than we can ever imagine.

I ask for your continued prayers as March approaches and I thank you all for your prayers and lovingkindness toward me and my family. God never promises a life without struggle...but He assures us that He is carrying us through to the end and He is the healer of broken hearts and dreams. It is so wonderful to bask in the everlasting love of our Abba...His faithfulness cannot be measured. Thank you all for being there...prayers have been answered.

Happy Birthday Christina...one year sober with many more to come!