Skip to main content

2008...











If you would have even tried to tell me what events would unfold in 2008, I would have shook my head and refused to believe. Not possible for so many soul stirring events to occur in one year! Not possible for so many I know to suffer so much! Not possible for my own path to include twists, turns and doubling back on itself! Not possible to have so much peace in the midst of so much chaos!

There have been moments I thought I would fold from the weight of the pain...my own and that of others...implode from the pressure of decisions and a search for clarity...For me, this has been a year of cracked foundations...a roller coaster ride of lessons that are still being learned in full...growth occurring in places I saw no need for change and enormous fallout resulting from unavoidable conflict. Humbleness...sadness...chaos...confusion...brokeness...loss of control...


Yet...This year has not left me hopeless or defeated. This year has left me no longer suprised by sin...the depth of my own or that of others. This year, and it's events have caused me to cling to the one surety...that God is sovereign and in control. This year has left me with a desire and thirst for knowing God that I may have not experienced any other way. I look forward with hope for the future.

What I am delighted by is the promise that 2009 is to be filled with living in Him...and that for today, for this moment my faith and hope is not in others or myself, but in Christ alone....and for this nanosecond I have submitted my will to His and will keep doing that one nanosecond at a time. One decision at a time...one action at a time...one word at a time... that by relying on Him...I just might be able to keep doing the next right thing...And that in spite of me...He will allow me to...



Trade these ashes in for beauty



And wear forgiveness like a crown



Coming to kiss the feet of mercy



I lay every burden down



At the foot of the cross...

I have no New Years resolutions...I have set no goals...I am letting go inch by inch...living moment by moment...releasing the facade of control I have over my life...emptying me of me...so that I can be filled up with Him.

Comments

Jessica said…
WOW - that is powerful writing there my friend, thank you for sharing your heart and God's love!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 2:20:00 PM EST
Anonymous said…
Great post Loretta! Good summary of the year, even better is your response to it.

May we continue to grow in Him as we trust in him alone.

Happy New Year friend.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 8:25:00 PM EST
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unexpected Blessings, Birds and Bees

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. It came on the heels of a weekend of sickness, both Nate and Joe. Nate was officially diagnosed with croup and exacerbation of asthma and is still taking steroids and sounds worse, but the light at the end of the tunnel is on! Joe stayed in all weekend and sounded almost as bad as Nate minus the wheezing. We kept our family home (even from church, small group, etc) feeling like hermits. And, even though the boys were both sick, I picked up sweet Bella the dog on Saturday from a friend who works with the NC Lab rescue group. We know we eventually want another dog, but not until Nate is old enough to handle it. Bella, a one year old yellow lab- sheltie mix, house-broken, crate-trained 28 pound sweet girl, is going to spend a little time at our house and see how it goes. The kids think we're pet-sitting to help out Mrs. D, which is true, sort-of. The sweetest moment came yesterday when Nate gave a bedtime blessing to Bella the Dog. ...
4 comments
Read more

Overheard from the front seat of the Mini-van...

Nate: "mommy is E (a friend's son) 2 or 4? Me: "He's 2" Nate: "Well, that's not far from 4" Nate: After a moment "Mommy, How did E's Mommy get the baby sissy in her tummy" Me: "Well, it's pretty cool...God made a very special way for Mommy's and Daddy's to grow a baby in Mommies' tummies kinda like planting a seed" Nate: "Can boys have babies" Me: "No, God just gave mommies the special parts to have a baby in their tummies" Nate: "I want you to get a baby in your tummy" Me: "Well, Mommies parts don't work to have babies anymore" Nate: "Mommy, how old do I have to be to play basketball...."
3 comments
Read more

Last week of summer vacation

We'll start our homeschooling next week. Yep, one week from today...we'll start second grade. I'd planned something fun almost every day this week. But, not today. Today was spent taking Nate for his follow up for his food allergies and asthma. He weighs 34 pounds....don't know how tall, but I think close to 36 inches (he's about as tall as a yard stick in height). The M.D. visit didn't reveal any earth shattering news...no real asthma issues since winter...eczema has been pretty stable since around March, still just seems to flare when he has a lot of dairy...probably will be years before he "outgrows" the peanut allergy. Later today, we went to our local hospital (which Emily still calls "Mommy's Hospital") for a blood draw for levels of antigen for all the most common allergens. We won't know the results for a few days/weeks. There is a possibility that some of the antigen levels have decreased and could indicate that he...
1 comment
Read more