Or Rather, A Lot (What Can I Say, I Like To Write)
There are moments like this, when I sit down to write, that I wish I were still in my childhood. A year seemed so long then and time had the ability to stand still. As I look back over this year, I can't believe it came and went so quickly, but I think 99% of adults say the same thing.
It was a good year, no doubt due to two significant events in our adult lives. That is not to say there was no heartache or disappointments. Those are things that every human being faces; no one is exempt. How we bear them is another story, and God has promised to shoulder the burden with us, even trading our burdens for His. Life is not a blog of only happy pictures and the portrayal of only the best there is. I believe that life is beautiful, and it is a gift, but it is not always roses and sunshine. For those that believe in Christ, it is but a shadow of what is waiting on the other side. I think the beauty now is nothing to what we'll see then, and there will be no sin to mar it, no heartache, no despair.
I would never want this blog to be a portrayal of "only the best" as if our lives were somehow perfect. Far from it. I am thankful for a great many things, but there are some things too painful to place here. I am happy with the events of 2012, but there were bumps along the way, as there is for every person along life's road. We are no different.
God did give us some wonderful gifts this year, and Brian and I are truly grateful. Brian paid off his student loan debt at the beginning of the year. (He has his master's; thus it took him longer.) We found a house that we love, and we didn't go over the price we had long ago set as the cap for which we wanted to spend. (After spending quite a time looking, we thought we might have to increase our cap.)
God also blessed us with a little life squirming and kicking around inside of me even now as I type. What greater blessing can there be than a new life? Each life is indeed a miracle, and the formation of it. We marvel at the videos online on baby websites that show the development of the child in the womb. It is fascinating, amazing, and just plain awesome.
Brian also began directing music at our church. He's more a song leader than the modern term worship leader, but he loves it. He also plays his French horn every week, which is something he's always wanted to be able to do in church.
When we moved into our own house, I finally felt at home here in PA. It took a while for me. I always knew living at the apartment was temporary, and I just never felt settled there, even to the point of leaving many things still packed. After we moved, I felt the freedom to spread out and make our house our home. There are things I am still adjusting to with living in the Poconos, the land of little convenience in terms of stores, malls, and just about everything. But there are deer and bears a plenty. Oh, and wild turkey, too. (And there was some unknown animal that left its paw prints in the snow, directly in front of our house. A little creepy if you ask me.)
Owning a house can be downright overwhelming, as Brian and I are always discovering. There's no landlord to come and fix something that doesn't work, and absolutely no one is going to come and clear out your driveway for you after a colossal snow storm or two. There's always work to be done around a house and lots of it, but there is something so satisfying about it all, despite the extra blood, sweat, and tears.
Brian and I also celebrated our one-year anniversary in August. Oh, I know it is nothing compared to some older folk who can boast 40 or 50 years, but it is the start of our journey and the life we share together. Marriage is wonderful, and while we certainly are not perfect, we do love each other. I don't ever crave my single days nor the so-called freedom it provided. So what that I report to my husband about every dollar that I spend? I'd rather that than live life without him. (Besides, I'm a pretty good shopper, I must say.) All that to say, I am glad to be a help meet to my husband, which I consider my greatest ministry. Goodness knows, I don't know how he lasted as long as he did without me. ~ I love you, honey :) ~
So the year ends, and we'll leave some heartaches behind, but we'll take their lessons with us. They have taught us; they have shaped us; they have made us even more grateful for all the good things. We'll continue to enjoy the good, and we'll look forward to the good to come, specifically, a good little something in May.
Thanks for reading along with us and letting us share our lives with you. May you be blessed as your year winds down and fades into your memories and a new one begins. May the Lord teach you through your sorrows and make you ever grateful for the blessings. Until 2013, then!
