A Look Back at My 2011

Honestly I am the person that does not like to rush time by. I know that life is short, but I am ready to kick 2011 to the past. I've been waiting for a long time to see this year go. Perhaps this has been the most challenging year for me, but I also am going to note the positives.

January:
Another birthday came and went for me. I really didn't look forward to ringing in the new year knowing what would lie ahead.

February:
GEM celebrated her 4th birthday! Sean and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day. 3 days later I lost my grandmother and drove myself to GA.

March:
EMM celebrated her 9th birthday! I was blessed to go to Hearts at Home with friends for the 3rd time.

April:
We had bad flooding here with much of downtown submerged. We celebrated the resurrection of our Savior!

May:
Mother's Day was rough. :( School kept me really busy though. EMM sang her first solo in the spring program! She also did her first big project on penguins for Academic Night!

June:
School's out!! HEM and I went with my school through American Christian Tours to Washington, DC. It was incredible (and hot!). My husband celebrated another birthday!

July:
I directed my last Vacation Bible School (for now). My husband left for Ft. Rucker for his Warrant Officer school.

August:
My husband graduated at Ft. Rucker! The girls and I (and Sean's mom) were able to go and I even got to participate in the pinning ceremony. Another school year began with a wonderful class!

September:
HEM celebrated her 13th birthday! HEM began participating in marching band and volleyball.

October:
I attended the Emmaus 75th reunion and enjoyed seeing friends from many years ago! I said good-bye to my mentor as she and her husband moved (but not too far).

November:
My grandmother would have been 86 on the 7th. Our family enjoyed Thanksgiving with my Dubuque family this year.

December:
Shopping, Christmas programs, and lots of yummy treats! Blessed with Christmas, but sad that for the first time in my life I could not tell my grandmother 'merry Christmas'. After being unemployed for a while, my dad got a job!

I look forward to what 2012 will bring for me and my family. There will still be some hard times ahead, but I trust the Lord will bring me through it and give me back some of the happiness I've lost. Thanks to all my family and friends that have helped me through 2011! Many blessings to all of you and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

View for the New Year

I've never liked making New Year's resolutions. I suppose I know I won't keep it well so why disappoint myself. I have enough failures in my life. With each new year I find myself longing to enjoy each day more. As the days of my grandmother's life draw to an end, I am reminded of just how temporary this life is, and I do not want to look back with regret on what I missed out on. What I have been thinking a lot about lately is how to not miss out on things.

I think many of us have the wrong idea about taking advantage of every day. I know that many times I feel I have to participate in everything I am invited to or that I must enroll my children in endless opportunities whether it is sports, church activities, school activities...you get the idea. God has been speaking to my heart lately though about this particular matter. What I've come to realize is that many times, filling my days up with numerous activities, attending every social event, and looking for ways to make my children "happy and successful" really has nothing to do with making the most of every day. Instead I am filling a void. That void only becomes larger the more I try to fill it! Instead of making the most of my days and my life with earthly things I should be filling them with heavenly things. Instead of a night out with the girls, why not a night out with my Savior? Instead of finding a new sport or extra-curricular activity for one of my children, why not spend the time with them growing our relationship with Jesus? My kids don't need to play soccer, they need to understand the basis of their faith. It is NOT a Sunday only job, nor is it the responsibility of a church to turn my children into faithful followers. The church should be coming along side of me, not filling my place. If I only demonstrate a life of busyness, then that's the only life my children will know.

So instead of making revolutions I hope to keep, I need to actually make life changes that reflect my heart and that also reflect the will of God. Allowing myself to be consumed with things of this world (activities, appearance, etc.) are only making me a slave to this world rather than an ambassador for Christ. Imagine, if everyone gave as much of their time, energy, and money for God's purpose and work and we do for ourselves, how much better would our world be? How much better would our witness be?

Christmas Preview

I've rarely had time to get on my blog since returning to work. It's just not easy to work full time and still be a wife and mother. It does teach me more appreciation of our time together at home!

An update on my grandmother:
She is still with us. She is in hospice and still at home. She sounds good on the phone, but she is getting very weak. We feel the end is near, but only God knows her appointed hour. Our family is loading up in a few weeks to be with her for Christmas (but shhhh....it's a surprise for her).

Fall will soon be ending as winter takes over. The leaves have almost completed their shedding process and the temperatures continue decreasing with no promise of "one more" warm day. The stores have already decorated for Christmas neglecting Thanksgiving in the process and even a local radio station is playing 24/7 Christmas music. The kids are excited at the thought of beautiful dresses, Christmas carols, new toys, and time with family. I'm trying to share in that with them, but at times am held back knowing there will be no more for my Grandmother. Actually I feel like I'm trying to pray her through this Christmas!

I'm reminded everywhere I go that God is good ALL the TIME!! We all have to face our mortality yet I am rejoicing as I know that I have an immortal soul and spirit. As for my grandmother, regardless of when Jesus calls her home I can rest assured knowing I will see her again.

Now to figure out what people want for Christmas!! I think I'll wait till after Thanksgiving! :P

Happy Easter!

This is the most important event to recognize as a Christian. This is the event that separates us from other religions. We serve a risen savior . We serve a Savior that predicted His own death and resurrection and whose death and resurrection was foretold by prophets. We serve the only Savior that conquered death and that did it out of His love for us.

"and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:4

Our family enjoyed a beautiful day in church celebrating Jesus' resurrection. HEM got to recite Isaiah 53:5-6 in church. The children sang beautifully as did the women's choir, and the congregation. I love playing the piano when I can hear such a wonderful sound! It was a treat to hear from the Chinese choir, too. The musicians were excellent and great people organized everything today, all because they serve a risen Savior, too! Rejoice Christians! He is risen, He is risen indeed!

My 2009 Recap

Hard to believe another year has begun today. Many people are excited to be rid of the previous year and hoping for something better in the coming year. I look back on 2009 knowing there were some trying times but also seeing the blessings that it brought.

January: We began the new year with many of our friends in our home. I celebrated yet another birthday. We also said good-bye to our friend who has almost completed one of her two years serving missions.

February: My husband and I celebrated our 11th anniversary and GEM's 2nd birthday.

March: My husband was in S. Korea when we were in a car accident. God provided all our needs! My EMM celebrated her 7th birthday and I enjoyed my first attendance at the Hearts at Home conference. I thouroughly enjoyed the Go Fish Guys in concert there, too!

April: I got to take HEM to the Revive Our Hearts Conference. It was a great bonding time for us and a scary wake up call to the danger facing my children's innocence.

May: I spent a weekend with my friend in Chicago and began preparing for my next homeschooling year at the big sale there. I was blessed to celebrate Mother's Day with my family. HEM got her braces on finally. We also got to see our two oldest daughters perform beautifully in their dance recital.

June: My husband celebrated another birthday. I got to see old friends at a graduation party for someone I had known since she was 2! Sadly on the way to the event I got the news that my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 3 stomach cancer. She was given 6 months, maybe more with treatment. (She's still here!! :D)

July: We had our annual 4th of July event at our house and enjoyed the fireworks with friends despite the rain that afternoon! HEM went to horse camp at Hidden Acres for the first time (and it was my first time being there, too). All the hard work for VBS came together and I was blessed to see the fruits of our labors as we saw 7 children come to know the Lord!

August: Our family drove down to Georgia so that the girls and I could spend 6 weeks there having quality time with my grandmother. As a family we enjoyed a day trip to the St. Louis Zoo (a fave of the girls). I also got to attend my 16th year high school reunion.

September: Enjoyed my final weeks in Georgia including a trip to Panama City with the girls, my mom, and step-mom. My mother-in-law was able to fly down too. We got to enjoy the GA Aquarium and experience the Creation Museum on our journey back! We also celebrated HEM's birthday and then had to say good-bye to friends that moved to Maryland.

October: One of the people that introduced Sean and I got married. We were able to be there to celebrate with him and his new wife and see some old friends, too. I spoke for the first time at our women's retreat introducing my testimony to a wonderful group of women.

November: My grandmother celebrated her 84th birthday! We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family in our home.

December: I finally got a physician who has discovered some of my health "abnormalities" and am making progress to get back to normal! We celebrated another Christmas together as a family and also celebrated the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the year ended we were blessed to have friends over to bring in the new year with us.

So what will 2010 bring? I really can't say. It will reap many things I sow and there will be things that I have no control over. I wonder will my grandmother get to enjoy much of 2010 and will we all stay healthy and well? Will I take advantage of the opportunities to share my faith, to grow stronger in my relationship with my Lord? Will I go without things I want for the sake of others and to give in the name of the Lord? What accomplishments will my beautiful girls have? How will HEM do in school next year? How will I do with HEM at school next year? :)

May we all take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead and not dwell on the negative things, but be blessed with all the positive things that God gives us this year! Happy New Year to all my family and friends!

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