Farewell 2008

I was driving home from Target this morning, teaching Grey some really good new car dance moves, when a song I have heard a million times came on. I don't even know the name of it but I do know it says Hallelujah lots. As I was singing, I realized that tomorrow is 2009! So I began to tell Grey about how tomorrow starts a new year and 2008 will be over. Then I was asking Grey if he liked the year 2008 and in Grey fashion he said "Yup." So I kept on singing the song praising God for 2008 and really started to think about the year. It brought me to tears. I began to really think on God's perfectly orchestrated plan in the past year. I became so overwhelmed with who He is and why He does the things that He does and chooses to use me to bring Himself glory. Here are just a few of the things I was thinking about:

• Matthew and I's (is that correct English?) decision to move from Columbia to Fort Mill trusting this is where God wanted us to do ministry
• Trusting the Lord to provide financially with 2 house payments
• The training on in-depth study of scripture that we received upon moving to Fort Mill. Through this, understanding that seeking the Lord through His Word is the most important thing that I can devote my time to and then watch the way that He glorifies Himself through teaching me His Word
• Through scripture and other Godly wisdom, understanding the Lord has called me to our home as a wife and a mother; trusting Him completely with our finances again in deciding I would not work
• The understanding He gives us ALL things: our life, our breath, our children, our spouses, our gifts, our jobs, our salaries, our food, our clothing, our shelter, all our possessions, our time, etc. - it is the furthest thing from ours...it is His.
• He provides always what we need and not always what we want and this teaches us
• Having the opportunity to study Romans and understanding my salvation in greater depth
• Having the opportunity to do ministry with Matthew and learning tons and tons from Johnny and Trish whom we are very grateful for
• new friendships in a new place
• The opportunity to watch the Lord grow our son physically and mentally
• Having the opportunity to shape lives for the glory of God
• Learning my spiritual gifts
• God providing a beautiful home here and selling our other home in His perfect timing
• Learning that the Lord desires for us to give to others the way He has given to us and actually doing it
• Watching my husband grow in the Lord and seeing it seep out into every single area of his life
• Understanding greater my role as a mother
• Understanding that God creates babies and we do not; experiencing another life that He created inside of me
• Learning from my parent's walk with the Lord
• Studying God's character and seeing him all around
• Spending time with close friends and having really good family time
• Celebrating Grey's first year of life on May 4
• Having the opportunity to encourage others as God leads
• Understanding that it is all about Him and His kingdom. He desires for His children to seek Him and in turn follow Him. This is what our lives are about.

These are just a few of the things I was thinking on. I noticed something similar in all of these. God has been revealing Himself over and over and over again and His true desires are becoming clearer and clearer. Though things weren't completely easy all year in many different circumstances, His faithfullness continued and we had much hope because of who He is. I am so thankful for this past year and cannot wait to see more and more of who God is and let that shape us to His image even more in 2009!