A Time....

I can't believe that it is already the 2nd month of 2012. Not sure where the time has went. As I look back on 2011, I see a year of change.

It started with my daughter finishing high school and moving out on her own. It was an unhealthy relationship that she moved in to, but I praise God that she is on the other side of that now. It was hard to let her go. As a mom it hurt so much to see her walk away from what she knew was right, but I did what I can do. I encourage her to get back on track, and I pray for her daily. I trust God will be faithful to his Word. Proverb 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. I know that she will come back to God.

Then in May she actually graduated. That was a whirlwind time. As we were celebrating her success at school, Joplin was being destroyed, as was my place of employment. Our guests had actually left before I knew of the devastation that would await me the following morning and for months to come.

Shortly after, I learned I would be a grandmother. By the time I was really coming to terms with it, she miscarried. It was enough to break the bond she had with the young man, but it is heartbreaking to have to go through and even harder because it was my baby in pain. I find comfort knowing that my grandchild will never have to face the life that he/she might have had and the struggles that would have surely come and that instead the child is safe in the arms of the Father waiting to meet those of us still here on the earth.

Then we hit some problems with our son. It completely took me off guard. It was amazing to see Tim come alongside and really support my position during that time. It really brought us closer together. Not that we saw eye to eye, but we supported each other.

In September, we decided to relocate back to Arkansas to save money since we were already spending more time there than anywhere else as well as the gas to get there. Mid-October we made the move to Centerton. The children changing schools from a small school to a class size similar to their old school's entire body.

In addition to the move, I decided to leave Mercy and return to a place that has deep meaning to me, but this time on the helping end instead of the receiving end. Havenwood, a place I stayed when my world was upside down - divorced, single pregnant parent of two children barely twenty years old. It is wonderful to be giving back. I know I am not where I need to be personally, but I have a testimony that can certainly encourage those there. I also am encouraged by them.

Then in December, my little girl got engaged. I know this new young man makes her happy. It is great to see her smiling again. I pray that they will take the steps to make their young marriage successful, and encourage that. I admit it is harder for me to not push my own beliefs and training in this area, so I have had to just completely step back from it.

This year has been a time....

Ecc. 3:1-8 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up, a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to hug and a time to stop hugging, a time to start looking and a time to stop looking, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear apart and a time to sew together, a time to keep quiet and a time to speak out, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.