For the past year or so, many people in my life have been encouraging me to put my thoughts in writing. This is certainly a bit out of my comfort zone (for a number of reasons), but now that I have a shiny new laptop of my very own, I figure I might as well give it a try. The questions is, where in the world do we start?
If you know my family you are probably aware of how eventful the past year of our lives has been. If not, here is a brief rundown:
December 2017: road trip to Palm Springs, CA to pick up our nieces and nephew to care for them for about two months. Seven kids ages eight and under stretches me as I endure the first trimester of a somewhat unexpected pregnancy.
January 2018: God stirs our hearts to pray about joining a church plant team to Rochester, MN just as we leave for a ten day mission trip to Haiti.
February 2018: We return from Haiti, changed from the inside out. God confirms His invitation to minister to the people of Rochester, MN by joining a team of brothers and sisters from the Twin Cities and Ames, IA to start Living Hope Church. The job and house hunt begins, and relationships become tumultuous as we share the news. We also find out I have some sort of tumor in my abdomen that cannot be imaged until after the baby is born.
March 2018: One house sold, another house purchased, and Nate starts his new job. A close family relationship ends in ruins.
April 2018: The big move from Burnsville to Rochester! In the snow, of course.
June 2018: Deep in the heart of another challenging pregnancy, still unpacking, and pouring our hearts into the church, my mental health declines rapidly. After an evaluation at Mayo I am admitted for an eight day stay. We are devastated, and struggling to find hope amidst all of the change.
July 2018: Some encouragement and relief come with my new diagnosis of OCD. We begin the long and overwhelming journey of educating ourselves on the condition and making sense of how to live and thrive with it. Some of our dearest friends move to Italy to begin mission work, and our hearts are heavy at the loss but overjoyed as they begin their new chapter.
August 2018: We celebrate our ten year wedding anniversary and our sweet Ezra James is born after six long days of active labor.
September 2018: I undergo surgery to repair a painful umbilical hernia. We learn that the tumor is a harmless lipoma. The six week recovery from surgery is more challenging than expected, primarily due to parenting a newborn and transitioning OCD medications.
October through December have been filled with the typical ups and down of health, parenting, ministry, and holiday chaos. Here we are, a family of seven, learning to find beauty in weakness and strength in Christ alone.
I can say with my whole heart that I am thankful for the joys and challenges that 2018 has brought. I can also say that I never imagined we would end up where we are in one action packed year.
Most of all, today, I am thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ. As much as I love celebrating Christmas with family and friends, I also see how the true meaning tends to get lost. I see Christmas as an exciting new beginning; one where we can celebrate the birth of Christ, but even more so we can look forward to what is to come through His life, death, and resurrection. Christmas was only the beginning of a much greater story coming to pass. It is in that story that I have experienced personal redemption and freedom, and continue to grow in mission and purpose. It is in that story that I am able to endure.
I look forward to sharing more of this journey through writing. In the mean time, Merry Christmas and a blessed beginning to you all.
Most of all, today, I am thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ. As much as I love celebrating Christmas with family and friends, I also see how the true meaning tends to get lost. I see Christmas as an exciting new beginning; one where we can celebrate the birth of Christ, but even more so we can look forward to what is to come through His life, death, and resurrection. Christmas was only the beginning of a much greater story coming to pass. It is in that story that I have experienced personal redemption and freedom, and continue to grow in mission and purpose. It is in that story that I am able to endure.
I look forward to sharing more of this journey through writing. In the mean time, Merry Christmas and a blessed beginning to you all.
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