Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 in review...oh how sweet Jesus is.

As we are coming up on the end of 2012...I just want to take a glance at what it looked like for our family.
2012 was the most emotionally draining year for us.
We started going to a new church. This may seem like a normal thing to most but for our family it's not. We don't church hop. We don't leave a church unless god calls us out. And our preferences are not "being met" at this church...but god has called us there...and preferences or not we will stay until Jesus says otherwise.
My brother and sister and niece and nephews who were our next door neighbor moved to California. I've never cried so hard saying goodbye.
My oldest turned 12...he's such a sweet boy...even at 12...perfect no...but blessed to be his mom..YES!
My daughter turned 8...oh where did the time go??!! She is a delight.
We received our first foster baby in 1.5 years. Sad that our agency can hold a grudge for so long. I loved that baby. Even with all his withdraw issues and parents that hated me...he was so worth having in our home. We had him dedicated before his grandma got custody. Saying goodbye brought all of us many tears...it hurt to raise him and then let him go...but we knew god had a plan for him...and we were just a little piece of his puzzle.
Ezra turned 11... And he has started going in reverse...some people have problems with there children getting too distant at this age...not this boy. He has decided he doesn't want to be separated from me. Even so much as he wants to be homeschooled...I told him I'd pray about it...he said let's keep Isaac and Emma in school so I could still come play with my friends at pick up...oh this boy. So sweet and silly.
We saved enough money to go to Africa.
God revealed through a friend where in Africa we are to go....
Flying to Africa was a bit scary! Meeting with people you've never meet but only fb before was even more scary....
Having to say goodbye after a week and half...so sad...watching my oldest son say goodbye with tears in his eyes...heartbreaking. In fact he made all the mamas at ebenezer cry too.
We came home in July. We were kinda in a funk for a month. Kinda like you planned and planned and planned for something and then once you've completed it, now what? Thankfully the lord has opened up doors for sponsorship of families through this and our church to come along side and support ebenezer grace.
And we are in continual prayer to go back with a team to help build and outreach in Awassa...we are thinking he is leading for 2014...so be in prayer about joining us!
My brother leased his house out to some pretty janky people that trashed our family to the rest of the subdivision...all lies...and god is our defender...but it hurt, so much! My kids have been kinda black listed for a while...thankfully they ended up being completely evicted and the neighborhood is starting to get back to normal.
We received our second foster child this year. This was a very hard case. We ended up having him for 3 months...and that started another issue with our agency. Too much to go into.
Tony coached football for the warriors. He did awesome!
His business really took off this year. Poor guy is working 12-15 hour days...but thankful for his provisions.
We bought 1 new to us car.... I love it! And we bought tony his first ever new car for work...he's been driving 10+ year old cars for years and I'm thankful he could get a new car...he'd use to come in the house smelling like gas...because his 1996 Oldsmobile Lls had a major gas leak problem! :/
We got our 3rd foster child this year. Oh my heart! She was in the nicu for days. 3 of them completely alone,I can't help but cry when I think of this baby girl being abandoned...we hoped to keep her but our agency had promised another family they could adopt her if they got licensed. We fought for her. I don't regret that one bit. After seeing our agencies true side and watching the many lies come from them and that they'd be willing to remove this baby girl from us...the only one she has known since birth to an unmarried, financially hurting couple...
It had made us think twice about our agency...we will see what God does with us in 2013.
Our church had our friends from ebenezer grace come out...we raised a little $$ for them while they were here...and our church provided the orphanage with a new washing machine which they needed...which was a surprise to us as well as the orphanage. God is good to lead our pastor!
We started working on pallet art...the more pallet art I made the more I desired to make more...and I asked The Lord to bless it and shortly after that we started selling our art in two stores in Michigan! It's selling well and all the money we get from it goes to ebenezer grace children's home. It's been exciting to see The Lord provide for the orphanage.
My family came out for Christmas! I'm so happy they are here...I've missed them so much! And to see our girls play together again...just like old times...and to see the boys grow and really get along...they really love each other.
And to continually add to our year of hurt...I made a comment to a lady I thought was a friend...I said it in love...but she took it completely offended...I reiterated that I thought she was a great mom...and being a fellow believer I would I said I thought she would have moderated her comments to not let her followers attack me but she must have felt joy in that...and she then thanked each person for their comments. One comment on her post said because I miss spelled there and their i made no sense...well I know I don't spell the best but If that's the worst accusation against me at the end of my life then I will take it. Then she decided to continue to make herself an advocate...which is kinda funny to me..but I was really appalled when she felt compelled to tell me, the mom of my boys, the boys that god gave me to parent..not her...how to raise them...prideful...sounds like it...but that's between her and God...
I sat in church on Sunday...and just lifted my heart to Jesus and just told The Lord how I lay all this junk aside...the idle babble talk...and just want to please him...and since then I feel god has given me a peace or a piece...hehe and The Lord had blessed me with great friends on Instagram and Facebook that encourage me...God is so good!!!
So here I lay myself and my family at gods feet for 2013 and can't wait to see what he does with us.
I just want to please him...the love of my life and the lover of my soul.
Thank you lord for all my blessings and even the heart ache of things this year...what the enemy meant for evil god had used for good!
Love you all friends!
Gina

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