2009

So it is the end of 2009 and everyone is in a thoughtful mood...thinking back over the past year and trying to set goals or dreams for the next year. I also, wanted to take a minute to look back over the past year.

2009 started as a year of challenges...last year at this time, Steve was in the midst of his depression. He hardly remember any of the holidays from last year. He was in a dark place and I was about at the end of rope. I was very tired of holding us all together...but God was so good (as always). He continued to sustain me and I continued to pray. I know that there were so many people praying for us through that journey. It seemed dark and endless, but we made it. The winter and spring of 2009 seemed to fly by. The kids were busy with school and I was busy in the library. We had a wonderful Book Fair and campus celebration day at school. We were ready to wind down the school year...then in May, something amazing happened...

One Sunday morning I woke up and Steve was in the shower (now this is strange because he had not been going to church with us for quite sometime) and when I asked him what he was doing, he said getting ready for church. I just cried...that was the end of darkness. I know that people do not come out of depression all at once. I know that it is a gradual process, a little everyday. But for us it seemed overnight. It was the miracle we had been praying for so long. Steve was better and he was back. It took me a while to believe it, but more and more everyday we began to see the old Steve back. He went back to working with the youth at church. He even went to Youth Camp. We went on our Disney Cruise and it was awesome. He was great and was great with the kids and had so much fun.

After that everything that happened in 2009 seemed to pale in comparison. Steve was back and it was a miracle. There are still moments when I think about what happened and where we came from and I am so grateful that I am moved to tears.

For the remainder of 2009, we still had our struggles. As I do every year, I struggled with where the kids should go to school. Because I am in education, I see the good and the bad and I am always wanting the very best and I have to remember that nothing is perfect. We still struggled with money because we are a family of five on one income which is challenging. But those did not over power us as they seemed to in the past.

These last few weeks of 2009 have been a perfect ending to a crazy year. We have had an incredible time with family. Christmas was better than I could have asked for. This past week has been a week of getting organized and ready for 2010. I feel we as a family are in such a good place to start this new year...maybe the best place in our married life.

For me personally, I feel like I am about to embark on a incredible journey with the Lord. I feel like I am right on the edge of something new and I am so excited and so scared at the same time. And when God is moving and we are walking in a new direction, the enemy is trying to thwart any progress.

But more about that tomorrow in the post 2010...a new year.

Happy New Year everyone. Let's say good bye to 2009 and welcome in a new year...a year of God's favor.