Reflecting on 2008

Well, it's all over, at least most of it. The holiday rush has subsided and as soon as I can get the kiddos back to school, things will be back to normal or as normal as we get. I always love the weeks after the holidays when you're broke and the teenagers are bored and they're too old to get away with taking them to a park with a really good playground. Any ideas for free entertainment?

As I look back on this year I can't stop being amazed at what God has done. I never in all of my wildest dreams would have believed a year ago that I would be where I am today. After all the years of wanting to adopt and my husband's hesitance, I not only got my dream, but got to watch God change his heart (and mine) in a miraculous way. Not only did Jason agree to the adoption, but I got to watch his excitement grow with each passing class and interaction with Devin. And now I get to watch him be an amazing father day after day. God truly answered my prayers in ways I could never have imagined and I love how He always works things out in ways that He alone could only get the credit for.

I realized something kind of fun (yet frustrating) today. We will be eligible to file for adoption for Devin on February 5th. That's when our 90 day period is officially over. As I was taking down my 2008 calendar today and reflecting over what we'd done over the year, I realized that our first MAP class to begin our adoption journey was February 5, 2008; exactly one year to the day. Maybe it means nothing...it thought it was interesting at least.

I'm old enough that I'm kind of over making New Year's resolutions...they seldom last. But if I could pray for one thing in this next year it would be that God would help deliver me from my busyness so that I can be a more generous person with my time. I have struggled with this all of my life and really want to take the bull by the horns this year.

I was reading in a book last week that the Chinese join two characters to form a single pictograph for busyness: heart and killing. The heart is the place the busy life exacts its steepest toll. I work hard and fast and though the work I do is for the good, I often overlook people who need me in the process. Please pray for me in that area.

I'm so thankful to be where God has put me and to have the friends around me that I do. I am constantly surrounded by people who are not satisfied to accept the status quo and want to through God's power turn the world upside down. They want to first strive for holiness and change in their own lives and are willing to open their hearts to whatever God wants to clean up or mold. Secondly, they want to fight for those who have no one to fight for them, to hold up the cause of the underprivileged and disenfranchised. I am so proud to be associated with them and love how they constantly challenge me to not sit on the sidelines of life, but to be involved in changing the worlds of people who otherwise would have no voice.

God's blessings to all of you in the new year!