But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, "You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off";
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:8-10
As you've probably noticed, I am a little obsessed with special dates and anniversary's. I just love looking back at where we were and where we are now! A year ago yesterday, we pulled out of our parking space on Lipsey St. in New Orleans and headed north following the Lord's leading to our new church family and home. Our 3-vehicle caravan arrived at our new house in Hughes Springs a short 10 hours later. :) Not necessarily a trip I want to repeat again, but I'm thankful for the result it brought.
This past year has felt like a whirlwind. Riley has changed from a 6-month-old who couldn't even sit up unassisted to an 18-month-old who walks around saying "helicopter," "ready?", "shoe," and SO much more! Daniel has gone from a part-time chaplain and full-time student to a VERY full-time shepherd of a wonderful flock of growing sheep. And I have gone from a full-time stay-at-home mom to a...oh yeah, that's still my job! :) So maybe my job hasn't changed, but the Lord has most definitely grown and shaped me into more of His image this past year. He has revealed sins to me I was oblivious to, He has shown me the power of prayer and what it means to "pray without ceasing," His Word has come alive to me through an awesome Bible study I'm apart of in a city not far from us, and He has guided me through the ups and downs of raising a child.
I love the passage I quoted at the beginning of this post. I realize it was written to the Israelites, but there is so much truth in it for us, too! He has been completely faithful this past year to uphold us with His righteous right hand. There were many times when He was all we had to cling to! I am thankful that Daniel and I can look back on the past few years and know without a doubt that it was the LORD who led us to this spot. He called us here, and He will be faithful to show us how to best minister to those around us. I am excited to see what He has in store for this next year. No matter what it is, I pray above all that He will be glorified in us and through us.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Psalm 115:1
Of course, much sliding occurred while at the playground
And playing with the mulch is a must!
Attempting to master the art of walking down stairs
Watching the wind blow the leaves
Looking cute and OLD! Where did our baby go?!
Such a fun morning! I'm so thankful for these two. They make my heart smile every day - usually multiple times a day!
