2008- It's been a year of GREAT lessons.

Ok, you are not seeing double and NO I didn't mess up and re-post a blog. I wanted to re-post and add a little. I wanted to show how God was so amazing in all of the craziness of the past year. It is pretty cool!

*January*
-Diagnosed with Crohns God taught me to live instead of plan to live
-Missed our mission trip to Guatemala. Thank God I got sick before we left
-Spent a week in the hospital. Family was already planned to be in our home to take care of the kids due to the fact that we were supposed to be out of the country.
-Resigned from church because there wasn't enough money for the entire staff. Stepped out on faith that God would meet our needs. And "our daily bread" is always on time :-)
*February*
-Moved from a house that we could no longer afford. God dropped a job in my lap that we could not pass up. So we moved to Hubby's hometown.
-Moved into Hubby's childhood home. God's timing is incredible! Hubby's childhood home was empty and his parents willing for us to move in.
-I went to work full-time outside the home. Again, the job was just dropped in our lap. A christian bookstore.
-Hubby went to work full-time in side the home. (homeschooling, housing dealing, family sanity maintainer.) The opportunity for our children to see a man (my hubby, their daddy) fantastically step up to the incredible task of homeschooling 2 while and taking care of our home, is absolutely a gift from God.
March-August
- were a little calm. We spent many days at the pool. Trying to drown our $$ problems. Or at least having so much fun that we just forgot about the problems. Rest! even if it was small and/or delusional, it was rest.
*June* Slowly beginning to see the inevitable with my health. We knew that surgery was around the corner. God, gave me a brother who has gone down this road before me. And though my brother may not see it as something SO great, I sure do. His experience and willingness to share have given me so much.
*July* I got a new store manager, and then found out we had a date scheduled for my colon surgery. My new store manager has Crohn's. (Are you serious GOD??) This one was huge. A job dropped in my lap. And at the time that I need surgery, I get a new store manager who has the same disease as me.
*August*
-Surgery at a hospital 1 hour away. Hubby's parents keeping the kiddos. And my stay was shortened because my recovery was great.
-Removed 10inches of my colon. 10 inches must weigh something Right?? So this one we will call weight loss. :-)
-Out of work for 6 weeks. (This was good because it was paid) Hmmm, paid 6 weeks off. With my favorite 5 people on the planet. I'LL take IT! Thanks God.
*September*
-Returned to work. A job that welcomed me back.
-Began to prepare for Christmas at my store.
*October*
-Received foreclosure papers for our home in Maryland.
-Began to prepare for a weekend trip to visit a church for a potential job. A church who knows and understands all of our financial woes, and still wants us to visit.
*November*
-Visited potential church. God opening doors.
-Filed for Bankruptcy. Relief someway, somehow.
-House auctioned off (we think) Closure one step at a time.
-Dental bill that made us poorerererer. Money from amazing places has shown up to help.
*December*
-I turned 30. WOW! I'm still alive.
-IRS is trying to make us pay an INSANE amount of money for taxes that we DON"T owe. I am not sure where God is in the IRS, but I know that he is there somewhere. ;-)
-I had a woman yell at me because I wished her Merry Christmas. I learned that Christmas is not about what we say, but about how we live.

Bottom line.... No matter how many troubles we have.... no matter how many battles we fight.... God remains the same. He is the same this year as he was last year. I am thankful for the lessons that have been learned and the lessons that are yet to be taught.

Merry Christmas.