Happy New Year

  

and what a year it has been!

As I look back on 2012, I am in awe.  

There were struggles for sure but out of the struggles, came deepening trust, strengthening faith and a whole lotta practice in patience.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

We were never promised an easy life but as my kids will tell you, "We are not living for this life; we are living for the next!"

Something I wish I had "gotten" so much earlier in my life.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

"Perfect and complete, lacking in nothing"

I know the outside world looked at us over this last year and thought we were completely lacking...

or completely crazy!

I mean, we have a fairly large family already, with lots of pets and responsibilities.

 

We were just beginning to recover from a very long bout of unemployment when we found our 6th child.

 

We put our house on the market and decided to down size our home while upsizing our family...

 

 and then, the unthinkable...

another job loss and right in the middle of our adoption.

GASP!

 

Yep, sadly, to most, we were completely lacking and most definitely crazy as we made the decision to continue on in our adoption,  job or no job.

I hesitate to even say that it was a hard decision, cause it really wasn't.

Maybe, hard to explain sometimes but not a hard decision to make.

She is our daughter and the Lord showed us that at every turn, many times through the love and support of our amazing "adoptive family" friends.

We had peace at a time when many in this fallen world would have expected stress and anxiety.

It seemed as if every single time, the world started to creep in, the Lord showed up big and showed us very clearly that our sweet Lucy was coming home...

job or no job...

and that all we needed to was to trust and give our worries to Him and after 3 years of financial struggle which led to 3 years of intense growing and emerging faith, we were at a place where that was expected and easy and a relief!

We could cast our cares and know, truly know, that God had this and that in His time (not mine), He would provide the way for us and for our Lucy and after 6 months - He - did - just - that.

We don't yet know why we have to move to a different state for His provision but again, we are at a place in our faith where we can just let it go and know that there is a plan and we definitely want to come along for the ride.

I mean of all the places in the World that He could have sent us, He sends us to the one place where Hubby's entire family lives.

Gotta be something good going on, ya know!

I know that it won't be without adjustments as demonstrated by 3 out of 5 kiddos getting car sick as we drove around to look at various neighborhoods in our soon to be new stomping grounds!

I guess we will need to work on our "mountain legs" instead of our "sea legs"

 

and I will need to work on my fear of heights thingy as most of the backyards are sort of like, well, cliffs!

 

I will definitely need my front porch!

 

Yep, that is a must!  Heh!

So as I look back on 2012...

I find myself once again, thanking Him for the struggles, for loving us enough to slap some sense into us to show us the way through His loving correction...

and as I look forward to 2013...

 I am excited but at the same time in a place of peace.

We got these new pictures along with an update of our sweet Lucy right before Christmas and if she really did color that pic, well...

 

she colors better than I do!

Check out the pillow (in the background) that we sent to her!

If she is like our other kiddos, she happily drools on our faces every night as she sleeps!    Never thought I would love being drooled upon but the thought just makes me smile! 

I did feel as if the Lord was telling me that she has had to wait for a reason and that she may have to wait a little while longer but after the last few years, I can let it go and trust in His perfect timing.

2012 was surely a year of coming into peace and I feel as though 2013 will be a year of dwelling within that peace.

  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27

SO AWESOME!

I cannot wait to share 2013's mis-adventures adventures with all of my sweet bloggy friends, whom I know...

GET IT!

HAPPY NEW YEAR