I think it's time for a post...

Happy New Year!

My goodness. Here we are in 2011. I know it's cliche, but the time really does fly, and seems to move by ever more quickly when there are little ones in the picture. Evelyn is 20 months old today. When Adeline was this age we were only two short months away from welcoming Evelyn into the world! Each day is filled with more joy, more challenges, and more lessons to be learned. And each day requires just as much if not more faith and trust in the Lord as the days prior. God seems to be teaching us more and more with each passing day to lean on Him completely. He has certainly provided for all our needs and even some beyond that.

My prayer is that He will give me the desires of my heart. If the desires come from Him the satisfaction and joy is multiplied exponentially when he fulfills those desires. It is a difficult prayer to pray. Sometimes - to be truthful, too often - I fall into the trap of American materialism and kick it into high gear with "get it done" mode and try to fulfill all my needs and wants on my own. When I do this I am thankful in the end that God has placed limitations on my life, even thorns in my flesh, that prevent me from doing too much on my own. Otherwise I know I'd be in a whole lot of trouble!

I am reminded of the story of Rebekah, when she tricks Isaac into bestowing the birthright on Jacob instead of Esau. God had revealed to Rebekah years before that Jacob, the younger son, was going to receive the blessing, but instead of trusting in God to work His will in His own time, she saw Isaac dying and decided to take matters into her own hands. But Isaac ended up living another 35 years! I am convinced by this story that this is why God does not tell me more than I need to know for the moment. It is a daily process to die to myself, my selfish desires, what I think is right for the moment, trying to force something that I believe God wants for me but just not yet... By the grace of God I am learning to lean on and trust in Him more each day.

So I suspect 2011 will include much of the same "hurry up and wait" feeling I often get these days. But I can't tell you how excited I am to see what God has in store for us, for 2011 and to the end of our days here on earth, because His blessings are, simply put, the best. Nothing compares to the glorious feeling of being right within the will of God, right where He wants you, primed for His goodness and blessing in our lives. That is my prayer for my family, and it will be my prayer for yours.

Love and blessings,
Meredith