Happy 2014!

Thinking of all the amazing possibilities that lie ahead in 2014 but still there is a cloud looming overhead that it will all be done without my mom being here. I miss her so much! The other day I caught myself at night realizing I had gone all day without crying. Somedays I feel such an incredible peace just like I know it should be. I catch myself being worried that a memory is going to catch me off guard & knock me down. Still I am so incredibly thankful for those memories!

Mike & I have been praying about some changes God is leading us towards in our life. We are looking forward to those challenges & working towards a better life. Being in God's will is always such a blessing even though we know the enemy will work a little harder. So very thankful for all the blessings God bestowed upon us in 2013. 

As we reflect on 2013 with our family & friends there are things I would change but that's all in the past. This year I will use those things as a reminder of the person I should be & truly want to be. I see the blessings that were so unexpected & so very welcomed. 

I love looking back on the year to see the struggles that I thought we wouldn't make it through at the time but looking back see how clearly it was all part of God's perfect plan. Maybe just maybe I will remember & cling to that in the struggles of 2014. 

Each night my journal of 2013 includes a blessing that I was & am so very thankful for. So many of those blessings include ya'll. You may not even have known you were a blessing to me that day. I am sorry I didn't thank you at the time. 

Thank you to each of you for touching my life. My prayer for each of you is if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you will find Him right there with you. I pray for each of you that have a personal relationship with Him to grow daily in that walk. May you be blessed by those around you & may you be a blessing to them. May you overlook faults & downfalls in others, show kindness & love to those that you think deserve it the least. 

For my precious husband, my rock, I pray that he continues to put God first & me second. I pray that he doesn't compromise his values for the betterment of himself whether in work or with friends. I pray he knows how much I love & admire him always. 

My prayer for our children is health & love. I pray that Mary Elizabeth has a healthy 2014 filled with lots of smiles. I pray for less seizures for Michala & to better adjust to teenage life. I pray for health & happiness for Marlee Anne. I pray she has joy, lots of laughs & continues to grow in her walk with Christ. For my Abe I pray for less seizures & more laughs. I pray for his & Mary Elizabeth's lungs to be strong & healthy. For all our children I pray that they know they are loved first by God & second by a mommy & daddy who loves each other dearly & them just as much. 

My prayer for my sister, brother, nieces, nephews, aunts & cousins is that we find strength in each other to get through this year without mom. She was truly the glue that held us together. 

My prayer for myself is that I will work everyday to be the person God has created me to be. I pray that I will be open to His word as He speaks to me daily. I pray that I will be a God girl, supportive wife, loving mommy, & caring friend. I pray that my eyes & heart are always open to those around me that are in need. 

May 2014 be filled with growth, health & blessings for everyone. Happy New Year!