Looking Back on 2009

Wow, what a year! I can't believe that there are only a few hours left until 2010! How 2009 has flown by!

Though it flew by, 2009 has brought many changes for my whole family.

1. We have moved 3 times in the past year.
2. My dad lost his job.
3. We are now a family of 5.
4. There is a possibility that my family could be moving to Washington. (I'll write about this in a future post.)

Even though there has been much uncertainty, pain, doubt, and joy throughout 2009, God has been teaching my family and I through each major change in our lives.

God has been so faithful to us! As I look back on this year, I marvel at how God has been working in intricate and always amazing ways!

Yet, even though I am excited by how God is working in our family, I know that God needs to do so much more in me to make me more like Him. In other words, while being amazed at his goodness, I am also amazed and awed at his mercy to me. So many times throughout the year I said things, thought things, and did things that I regret, things that were not pleasing to the Lord. But praise God that "as far as the east is from the west,so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103: 12)

Looking ahead to 2010, I pray that the Lord will grow me in even greater ways. Not only me, but that the Lord would grow this generation up to serve him. Oh God, let 2010 be a year of revival, a year in which your name is glorified and exalted throughout the world. May the Church of Christ be emboldened to step out of our comfort zones, get out of our comfortable pews, and spread the gospel throughout the world! Equip us with compassion for the lost. Grant us hearts so in love with you, that that love would pour out into our actions, into our thoughts, into our words. May your light shine through us, that we would be as a city on a hill. Use 2010, Lord. Use it for your majestic and holy name, I pray! Amen

Or, as Paul says in Philippians 3: 13b-14, "Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

WE GOT THE CALL!

God is so good!

After 14 months of learning to wait on the Lord during our adoption process, we "got the call" on November 25! I know...I should have written about this when it actually happened.

Unfortunately, I've been a little busy. Getting Charity's room ready, cleaning the house, and making sure everything is ready for her to come home has taken up my time...on top of schoolwork. ;)

Since my dad lost his job, Ariana and I won't be able to fly to Hong Kong, but praise the Lord that He has blessed us with the finances to adopt her and have my mom and dad pick her up.

I would love to describe the journey that our family has been going through over the past few weeks, but because of time's sake, I'll have to write about that later.

My mom and dad will be flying to Hong Kong on the 16th and getting home on the 22nd, in time for Christmas (that was one of our answers to prayer). The time difference is tremendous, so we would covet your prayers! Most likely, that will be the hardest part of the adjustment period.

So, it's finally happened...we're finally going to be able to hold her in our arms!!! How exciting it will be! Our God is so good!!!

Hopefully, I'll be able to post more info soon and some family pics when she arrives!