Soli Deo Gloria: 2016 Recap

This year has been so crazy with so many changes! And as rough as it has been I keep coming back to God’s faithfulness and goodness.

Friend’s from our old church helped us buy a really cute mobile home in February. So we packed up and moved while I was very pregnant and did a remodel on our new home with the help of many servants. We planned on staying there for a few years so we could pay off student loans before Brian graduates from seminary.

In June our sweet Aaron Barnabas was born! Truly there is no baby sweeter than him. I cannot put into words the sweetness that is Aaron! God blessed us abundantly!

Then in August a HUGE prayer was answered and we were able to move to North County. God was in every detail of that move. We sold our mobile home for more than double of what we bought it for. Moving so much has been exhausting but God’s people continue to bless us abundantly. It was really hard to leave Grace Church. We had been there over 6 years and we were really involved. So many wonderful things happened at that church including our pastor marrying us! Grace Church will never be forgotten. Brian got 6 years of experience that will benefit him for years to come. We knew leaving Grace would mean a long pause for Brian in preaching and any kind of teaching. That for sure has been a hard transition for both of us. I know and see Brian’s heart but we also trust in the Lord and believe He has a plan for this season. From the moment we pulled up in our u-hual we have made friends that I believe will last a lifetime. We love our new church and look forward to what God has for us in ministry.

This year has been full of so many wonderful and hard moments. Our oldest son is walking a really hard path. We moved up here thinking we would see him often and it has been the opposite. My dad was diagnosed with Stage four cancer in November.

We have been in prayer more than ever. I have been in the word more than ever. I truly believe God uses all things for His glory. Though so many things are not how I would have wanted they are as God has purposed and that is what He believes is best for me.

All I resolve in 2017 is more of Jesus! That is all I wanted last year as well. I was in bed half of last year very sick and pregnant. This year I am running an accountability group with several ladies. I am looking forward to my time in the word and growing. I believe 2017 will be a very hard year for many reasons and therefore, I know Jesus is what I need most.

Thankful I can once again end 2016 saying Brian and I have a strong marriage united in Christ, our youngest kids are doing well, I am continually growing as a mother and wife which I believe is my primary role. I can also look back and say, “God is and has been sanctifying me. I have grown and changed so much from even a year ago.”

And lastly I am so grateful a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders this year that I have been carrying for years. It has been a huge answer to prayer. HUGE! While a new burden has been placed that is very painful I am so grateful for this answered prayer!

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

(Romans 5:3-5 ESV)

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

(1 Peter 1:6-9 ESV)

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

(Hebrews 11:1-2 ESV)

‘The LORD is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to him.”

(Psalm 28:7 ESV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)

You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,

because he trusts in you.

Trust in the LORD forever,