Reflections from 2015

~As I draw an end to a very long day, I'm struck by a thought... Isn't it strange how life can be so filled with joy amidst sadness, so filled with peace amidst chaos, and filled with so much love amidst sorrow? The latter of each of those are from man, the former are of God. We get to choose which occupies our mind and heart.... I'm thankful for that. Nite all.... ~

 

The above words are something I wrote and shared on my personal Facebook page this past year.  They are the sincere words of my heart.  The past year has blessed us with the development of some amazing new friends, a prosperous year for the business, and a move into our new farmhouse in the country. We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, milestone birthdays, and the 10th anniversary for our business.

But amidst all of the joyful events and blessings, we also experienced great loss. This past year we lost both my brother and my mom to cancer, as well as my husband's mother to Alzheimer's. Even still during those terribly hard months, God also blessed our lives with the love of two granddaughters.  His timing is sublimely perfect.

 

Spiritual growth in 2015 has been abundant, more so than my entire life.  The three biggest lessons I've learned over the past 12 months is that it is possible to find joy in the midst of grief;  that the simplest things in life are the most precious, and that a heart filled with gratitude is the most powerful weapon on earth.  My prayer for the coming year is that my heart forever resides in this space. 

I cling to His Word.....  "Be joyful in hope, patient in tribulation, faithful in prayer." ~Romans 12:1

 

Wishing each of you a prosperous, healthy, and thankful New Year.