My Year in Review!

Well, last year is over and it is a New Year! We all look forward to it as a new beginning and fresh start, with hope and a sense of moving forward. We all want it to be different then the last, better than the last... I don't believe that that is ever different. We may have good years but we always want the new year to be even better than last. It is the same for me, I so want it to be better than the last. But in order to know if it is better we have to look back and see where we were, how far we came, and how God's hand was in the midst of it all, so that is what I am doing.

Last year for me was a year of turmoil, good and bad. We started off rocky, Mark was new at his job and money was extremely tight after him being off work for 8 months. We didn't know how we would make ends meet with what he made at work and that stressed us both very much. But we believed God would provide, He always had, and behold, Mark was promoted 4 times in the next 6 months with 4 raises. Unheard of with the state. God truly blessed us, He took care of us. We still struggle making ends meet because of the crazy gas price issues and the fact that food and essentials are so much more expensive than ever before, but we are sure God will make a way for us, He has proven faithful every single time.

We bought a house in the spring and with that came more stress. It was the 5th move in 2 years and it was enough to almost drive me batty. But it is a beautiful piece of land in the country/mountains and I love it. It has been a challenge to fit our stuff into our new home since it is much smaller than we were used to, but that too is a good thing. What is really important? When it comes down to it, not much! One of the biggest struggles I had with living where we do this last year is making it into town. It is 30 minutes to the nearest place, and 45 to most and with gas prices outrageous it was a juggle to do what I needed, all in ONE day with a 3 year old in tow.

Mark worked through the summer in Seattle on union negotiations 2 hours away, so he would leave at 4 in the morning and not be home till 6, 7 or 8 in the evening, sometimes not making it home till after 10. For me those were extremely lonely days. I was only going to town once a week, so my contact with real people other than my daughter was limited and for me it was almost like being help prisoner by my own home. But, Mark is working from Oly again and so he is home before 6 every night. He is my best friend and I adore having him around.

My daughter this year has been a blessing to us, we can't imagine life without her in it, or what it was like before. She gave us a few scares this year with her asthma issues, having to go to the hospital. But God has kept her safe and she loves life, even if she hates treatments.

We started our business this fall and have a ways to go before it is what we want it to be, but it is started and for that, Yahooo! Now, we need to make the time to work on the site, and on Mark's art. He has hundreds of drawings/paintings to upload, which takes hours. Each painting has to be changed to a different size when uploading for every single product. So if I want to sell a cup, the graphic has to be such and such size, while the shirt is a different size. It makes it very time consuming. But what a blessing it will be if we continue to persevere and make this work the way we want. My hope is it will bring enough money in to pay for extras like vacation, school things for Charis, and fun stuff for her like dance or music... whatever she falls in love with.

My relationship with God isn't where I want it to be at all, but if it was I think I should be scared. I don't think any of us will ever be where we need to be when it comes to our relationship with God until we are fully in His presence and this world is washed away. But my longing is to get closer to Him, to feel Him in my life, to rely on the Spirit and to long for My KING. I read a blog the other day, and the man was talking about his Papa, and how amazing he was. He was so loved by his Papa that nothing else mattered. His Papa was God and for me God has never been daddy, Papa or anything so endearing. Father and God yes, but not Papa. Father and God seem very formal, revered, and authoritative, but Daddy, Papa seem so loving, devoted, cherished, and deeply caring. That is how I want to see my God now, as my Papa, and I will ask Him every day to show me that part of Him.

So I look forward after looking back, knowing that God will provide me and my family with health, a place to live, food to eat, and love to share. He will become all that we need, making everything else less important, even our own agendas. He will increase, I will decrease. My next year will be better than the last, deeper than the last, more beautiful than the last. And if the world continues to get worse, fall apart, move into upheaval I know that there is One who will sustain my path, calm my fears, and protect every step I take because He loves me more than any imagining could congure. And for that I am grateful and I can say, Happy New Year in my Papa's name!

God bless!

Christmas is Coming!

Yes, Christmas is coming, and sometimes we need something to lighten the load... So here for your laughing pleasure is Straight No Chaser with 12 Days of Christmas! Enjoy!!

My Princess, It's Never too late

Devotional by Sheri Rose Shephard. Touched me deeply today, I hope it touches you.

It is never too late to turn to Me, My love. I didn't start a countdown when I gave you the choice between life and death. There is no time limit on My love for you. I am patient, yet I don't want you to miss out on any precious time with Me. There is no place you have to go to find Me. Just cry out to Me, and I will come to you. Wherever you've gone My grace has followed you. Come to Me today, and I will do more than repair the damage done... I will restore what was lost. Someday you will look back on this moment as the turning point that transformed you into the princess I called you to be. Now come to Me, and let's fall in love all over again.

Love,

Your King who knows no limits

"The Lord said: It isn't too late. You can still return to me with all your heart." Joel 2:12 CEV

Money

The older I get the more I really despise money. I need it, to do the things that I have to do, like pay for our house, utilities and buy food, and on and on. But I also like it for other things. But with the way prices have risen it is crazy how much things cost and how fast money goes. I hate that I need money, and I hate that I like it. I don't want to be rich or poor... I would like just enough money so that I don't focus on it because either I don't have enough, or I have too much and become selfish. Gas is going down, now I wish everything else would too!

My rant for the day :) Thanks!

Totally Crazy Day!

I will start this off by saying, I totally hate the phone, I was born to chat online, NOT the phone.

Well, I have talked to Qwest, for a half hour, Verizon, for 20 minutes, Church for preschool for my daughter, waiting for call back, I have talked to my mom, husband, picture place that doesn't know they exist, yes I said that, its true, then husband, then friend, AHHHHHHHHH

I am not made for the phone. I am lucky that good things have come out of it so far or you would be looking at a very bald, blood shot, bright red woman with fire flowing from the tips of her fingers and toes.

Did I say I hate the phone?

Breath.... Sigh.... Breath.... Sigh.... ahhhhhhh much better :)

My beautiful daughter has also decided to use the potty this week, how exciting for her, and for me. NO more diapers... ~~Happy Dance~~ Well, I guess with panties comes drama. And boy has the drama been abundant today! Everything has been a big deal, and sobbing, crying and laying on the floor begging for her daddy to come home is just some of her sad rants today. I just hope she isn't getting sick. I hate it when she is sick, makes me sad to see my baby hurting.

Right now, things are bliss, Charis is happy, phone isn't by my ear, and fingers are happily writing as fast as they can.

Anyway, now it is off to do some vacuuming, laundry and other basic cleaning. I don't really enjoy the cleaning, but LOVE the cleanliness!

Oh, by the way, its only noon!

God Bless, Enjoy the adventure!

Mean Kitty Video

I watched this video sent to me from youtube, called Mean Kitty. It is adorable... and my daughter Charis is in love with it, she knows half the song already. Have fun!!

Here is another song I love :)

Take My Life, by Jeremy Camp

I absolutely love this song!

How Many Kings, by Downhere

Enjoy!!