As the Sun Sets on 2016...

The past few days I've been reflecting on the end of another year...and as I normally do, I have been journaling a summary of the year as I remember it. My troubled thots from the past few weeks on 'why do I feel dull and tired in my soul?' suddenly became clear to me:

IT'S BEEN A WILD RIDE!

But oh, the blessing as I review it all and see the hand of God as He penned

the lines of my story each and every day.

From identifying
with Jesus thru gossip
and slander spoken
unjustly,

to walking with some very dear friends through some tough

spots in the journey and seeing God work amazing miracles

of healing in their body, soul and spirit,

to having my daughter walk thru a hard time for 4 months of the this 

past year in Lyme-related struggles and watching God heal her

and help her to return to more normal living that she has known

since 2014,

to having my husband go thru a scary health crisis and watching God

bring healing and clarity to that situation,

to helping to prepare for and enjoy a special wedding,

to saying goodbye to the bride who moved cross-country,

to having some deep disappointments from sources that we

never expected,

to being mysteriously ill myself and seriously 'hindered' for 10 weeks

at the beginning of 2016, and then slowly feeling the healing hand

of God bring me back to mostly normal again,

(and wading through the unexpected $10,000.00 medical bills;

thank God for his provision in helping us get them paid, tho we

had other 'hopes and dreams' for that money),

to 2/3 of our children becoming licensed drivers this year,

to having the unique situation of having ALL of our children

be teenagers at the same time (for one year only...)

to turning 40,

and celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary...

Yes, the year has been filled with much

that has been beyond our control...

But God has been faithful and through every 

trial and every smile, there has been 

the undeniable knowing that I am my Beloved's

and my Beloved is mine.

The year has been filled with moments of awe...

the powerful Holy Spirit that helped us over

the rough waters of annoyance at each other

(oh my yes, my Farmer and I have those, too!)

and choosing LOVE instead...

the moments of tender, loving care from my Farmer 

and our children when I was sick and could not

walk (I shuffled!) for awhile...

the sunsets enjoyed over the lake,

the friends gathered in our home various times,

the worship services with our church family,

the connection with those of like precious faith from 

various churches whose hearts beat with ours in

wanting the simplicity that is in Christ

(this is special, because for many years, we have known

barriers and walls that satan helped to erect that are not

God's heart),

and family times reading through Proverbs, or reciting 

Scripture, or simply playing games and laughing together.
I loved all the deep hearted conversations I've had
throughout the year with friends both young and older...
Sprinkled among the mundane, these have been
sweet gifts from our Lord to my heart!

The waters of passivity lap dangerously close to my feet

these days and I think I need to simply stop and 

drink more deeply from the Well. My spirit is a bit tired

as we end this  year, but I am holding to God's unchanging Hand.

As the sun sinks beneath the horizon,

ending the year 2016,

my hope and plea is that we all will

make Jesus our everything...

and that we will live the purpose that He 

gave us on earth:

to Know Him and making Him known,

to love Him with our all,

and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

All else hinges on this purpose. 

If what we are about to do or say does not

fit the purpose, let's purpose not to do or say it.

Here's looking to the dawning of another year,

as God tarries.

Love and blessings,

Marcia

PS
The other day, as I was journaling my year in review,
my daugher was listening to music in the other room as she
folded laundry.
This song came across her playlist and I
immediately was struck with how well it fit my thots.
I share it here for your inspiration.

Amazing God