How is tomorrow February 1st? 2016 is already starting to fly by. But before we go there, I want to back up a little bit.
The holidays here regularly get a mixed review from me, but this past December, two great gifts reminded me what I LOVE about the season. Wellington's sister and nephew who live out of the country came to visit, for the first time in FOUR years! Being a part of the surprise, watching the family reconnect, wow, it made my heart smile. Plus San Juan has the GREATEST holiday display ever. My second big God moment of the season was the Sunday after Christmas. Routinely the protestant churches do not do much for Christmas (there's lots of reasons behind that, that I won't get into here), and I MISS singing and hearing Christmas hymns. As Wellington and I entered, there was a palpable feel of LOVE and JOY. And then a tiny elderly woman stood up, introduced a small choir that she put together especially for this time of year, and they sang O HOLY NIGHT. Goosebumps and tears. Wellington whispered "now I understand part of what you miss. That was incredible."
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| My beautiful mother-in-law and sisters-in-law |
And now, 2016! I've been pretty open about struggles that I've been experiencing, and I've been working to reclaim hope. I'm not so into new year's resolutions, but I am a fan of picking One Word as my focus for the year. Inspired by a bracelet that a dear friend gave me (Thanks, Nicki!), my word for 2016 is POSSIBILITY. My goal is to be mindful of the possibilities that exist in each moment, relationship, situation. It is never as dark as it feels sometimes. There always exists a possibility of light.
So here we go!
The CNP continues in full swing. We have such a great team. And the first SRI groups of the year have been so generous with us, to help us provide even more for the families we work with. Thank you! I'm excited to see what this year has in store.
Back into the swing of groups, sponsor night continues to be a favorite. Yes, there are a lot of phone calls, and a bit of nerves as we wait for everyone to arrive, but the joy of the night certainly overshines any of that. Relationships are being built, families are connecting, people feel that they matter. Love.
And, too, January has brought the celebration of ONE YEAR with my favorite fella. We've been married one whole year! Ups and downs and twists and turns, and I love doing life with him. We had such a good weekend getaway on the southwest coast to celebrate...
And well, we try to create fun, wherever we roam...
What possibilities does 2016 have in store?
I guess we'll have to wait and see, but let's be always watching for even the smallest of God moments, and together RECLAIM HOPE.
