Saturday, December 31, 2011

Goodbye 2011....It's been a wonderful year!

I feel like a stranger at my own blog.  Funny, huh?  But I do.  For several years this was just my little online journal. Then about a year ago, I began to make a few online friends who became very special to me.  I also began blogging a bit more.  Posting more of our life and sharing my thoughts.  I began to love this little space and the friends I shared it with.  But as our pastor often says, "God is always taking us someplace new."  Well, He has taken me to a new season of life.  And it's good!

Now days I hardly even email.  I am rarely on the computer for personal reasons.  And that it good, too.  My life is full of people and things to do.  Sometimes that does overwhelm this self proclaimed HOMEBODY.  Life has been busy.....

and I don't like busy!  Busy can distract you from what really matters if you don't guard against it.

This is my end of year note to self.  Remembering 2011......

I have to say this has been the best year.  So much to be grateful for!  Undeserved favor from God Almighty!  My heart is so full of thankfulness for all that God has done for me.

For many years December only put me into a funk!  For many reasons.  This year.....

No funk!  Praise God.

It was a simple Christmas and yet, the BEST EVER.  My tree never got fully decorated.  I didn't wrap a gift until 10pm the night before Christmas Eve.  Even when I did wrap, I didn't have to wrap much.  We kept things simple.  And simple is good!

Everything I have ever wanted was right here in this house.  Healthy family.  Laughter.  Love.  God's peace and provision.  Joy.  Contentment.   Friends.  What more could a girl want?

God choose to bring Jesus into this world with simple people and humble surroundings.   Oh, I am so glad He choose to use the simple things and people of this world to bring Hope and Love into a dark and dying world.

Ok, I am getting sleepy and I need to hurry this along!  Soooooooooooooo much to say (sniff, sniff....I do miss being here.)   Wrapping up 2011.....

God did so much in my life and heart this year.  WOW!!!!!   A great season of life and reflecting on about 13 years of struggle.  But now I see how God used those years to grow me and teach me.  Wasn't fun, but very necessary.  If you are going through a season of struggle (and yes, it can last 13 years), don't lose hope or give up.  EVER!  Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, YES, wait for the Lord!  Psalms 27:14.

DUHHH....now I understand WHY God gave me that verse as a 20 year old new Believer.......just didn't know it would take me 20 years to grasp the Truth of that verse and really take to heart the lessons of waiting.

God turned my stay at home, homeschooling life upside down this year!  He gave me a job!  The perfect job.  I would love to share the story because it is a God story.  He tells me something crazy to do and I do it....and BAM.....

I end up working part time in the office at Emmanuel Christian School which is only 2 miles from my home and all three boys are enrolled and loving it.  I am so thankful I will cry if you get me to talking about it.  Trace, who is in the 5th grade, had never been to school.  He was very sad and a little afraid.  I told him that if God was taking us there, then He would take care of us.  Turns out Trace has a teacher he adores. She loves the Lord, and she loves my boy.  THANKFUL!  Turner is coming along.  It is a big change for him as first grader.  He still misses home and really doesn't care that much about learning to read and write.  He loves math and anything to do with a ball.  That boy loves sports!  Tolar loves school (7th grader) and is blessed with an amazing mind.  Both Tolar and Turner are like their mom, they like to talk.  That does get them to into trouble.  I just keep looking around and wondering how we got here.  I blinked and my babies are all in school.  What a blessing they are to me.

The people I work with are amazing.  The environment I work in is amazing.  And I am still right there with my kids everyday.  WOW!  And God did this for me?  I stand in awe.

Ok, it's late and I really need to end this....so here are some pictures from our year.

Happy New Year friend.  Hopefully I will get back here before next year this time.


















Happy New Year.....God is so good!