A Summary

A letter to an old friend summing up the last year:

"Matt and I are doing well. Thanks for your warm thoughts.

We have been blessed by God and God alone. Rachael is growing strong and well. We are getting ready to celebrate her first birthday. And come late June we look forward to celebrating our second child's birth - provided that God continues to bring that into event. I have learned this past year that sacrifice is necessary, but it still hurts. I am looking forward to leaving full-time employment at the end of this week and being a stay-at-home mom of Rachael. We'll be making sacrifices to get this accomplished (like my cell phone for one), but it is well worth it. I look forward to getting the opportunity to raise our little girl and as I type that statement the hurt still wells in me from watching others raise her this past year. Oh they have done wonderfully, but still - she's my little girl. But alas, as you too can see the good and the bad in New York, I too can see the good and the bad in our choices. Matt's continuing on in seminary and has been promoted to assistant pastor of Miamisburg First Baptist Church. While it continues to be a challenge to be "the young people" of the church with minimal friends - and no one even close to our age bracket, we have found that life has grown us and changed us too. It's funny to admit, but I feel more like a 30 y/o than a mere 24.

I personally, have been finding the struggles in accepting God's love for who I am and His mission for my life in all areas of where He has planted us. So much of me would like to only do the easy work and shy away from the hard. I have found myself looking in the mirror of other's lives and counting myself as "inexperienced" or "missed opportunity". But the Lord is slowly pulling me back from my reigns and reguiding my feet to His path. I have found it's so easy to be "used to" the Bible lessons - so much so that you begin to stop listening to their importance and their crutiality in your life. Alas, I guess this is just what aging in the Lord means- you must fight harder for seeing God's word anew. It's helped to start writing letters to Jesus again. Makes me focus more on His life and not just his death. It's so easy to think of God as the Ancient of Days and miss His work all around you.

Anyway, that is where I have been and where I am growing from.

Continue to be in earshot of many, but in the active mind of few - and that's okay, I really am okay with how life has whittled out the masses and boiled it all down to the few that have stuck with me through it all. I am blessed to hold out a handful of friends after all these seasons."

And I thank God for His provision of a good handful of encouragers.

Thank you to those who have encouraged me and supported me through the seasons. I look forward to "doing life" with you in the future.

And thank you, Lord, for the honesty of this past year. I thank you for returning me to yourself, again and again. Even in the sacrifice, I know you are there. You are always there. I love You.