What really happened in 2014?

It seems like after the excitement of Christmas passes, every single year I pause and think, How is it already the end of the year?  

Today in church our pastor spoke about remembering the past.  What happened in 2014?  The ups, the downs, the good and the bad.  Our memories are so often cluttered and unorganized.  We vividly remember some experiences, either because of great pain or joy while letting many memories slip away.

In Acts 20:17-21, Paul remembered both the bad, hard memories as well as the good.  During the bad times of heartache and humility we are able to experience the grace of God.  God uses those times to grow us and prepare us for the future that he has planned for us.

After leaving church and reviewing my Instagram posts (which are only highlights, not lowlights, of my year) to jog my memory, I came home to try my hardest to remember... What really happened in 2014?

So here we go...

Honduras
On New Year's Day I submitted an application to serve in Honduras, fully trusting that if I was accepted, it was God's will for me to do so, therefore I need not stress about the funding or other possible issues.  Then whatta ya know?  I was accepted to the team and my trip was more than funded (thanks to generous friends and family).  The trip was an incredible experience.  It was so neat to see God work within our team and in the villages we served.  A trip like no other, with God's presence throughout.  One of the most amazing blessings.

our team in the Pech village in Honduras

May
I think it would be safe to say that the single busiest month for me is always May: Mother's Day, Byron's birthday, our anniversary, and now our niece's birthday!  Not to mention it being the end of a school year, which as any teacher [or any teacher's husband] knows, means a month of craziness on its own.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would not have made it through this May without the comfort and peace that only Jesus brings.

I will spare you all of the details, but May was the darkest month I've ever experienced.  My anger encompassed all of my being and I was completely unwilling to give forgiveness.  So how was it that I did in fact forgive?  Only, and I mean only by the work of God.  I am only human, and when a human is hurt to the core of their being, it is not a human's desire to forgive, and even if it were, we wouldn't have the strength to do so.  Only because of the Spirit of God within us can we forgive while we are still hurting.

To be shattered, yet feel such great peace in the midst of it, is an incredible experience.  I do not ever wish such pain on anyone, but the comfort and undeniable presence of our Savior when it's needed the most is something that I hope everyone experiences.

Woodland
Each summer one of my favorite weeks is the one I spend at Woodland Christian Camp, serving as staff for a group of middle school girls.  God always shows up in a big way and this year was no different.  I don't attend any of the churches that send campers, so I come into the week without strong relationships with any of the campers.  Probably not ideal, but it is unbelievably cool to see the growth of relationships in only a week.  This year, one of my sweet campers accepted Christ as her Savior while a camp.  Through conversations, Bible study, and worshipping together over the week, I knew by the end of the week that her heart was genuine and she was serious.  The campers are only there for a week... but I think God thinks, I get these campers for a whole week!

cabin selfie 

our camper, Anna, who accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior

San Francisco
Not only was the trip a lot of fun, but it was definitely exactly what Byron and I needed at exactly the right time.  [thanks, God!]  Marriage is hard. And whoever tells you differently is lying.  It's way too easy to live in the same place, even if it is a 720 sq. foot apartment, and distance yourself from one another.  I'm not saying we needed to flying across the country to spend quality time together, but when the opportunity presented itself, we'd have been fools to object!  San Francisco is an incredible city.  It was on my travel bucket list before visiting and is still on it!  In fact, before we landed back in Atlanta I asked Byron when we could go back.

SF love

We loved everything about the city -- the beautiful homes and views, the eclectic people, delicious food and drinks, and hilly streets.  But we also gave each other our undivided attention there.  We were able to mend parts of our marriage we weren't aware that needed mending as we shared a giant plate of friend rice in Chinatown and biked across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Moving
Thanks to Byron's gracious, generous parents, we were finally able to move out of our terrible, tiny apartment in July.  We moved into the home where Byron grow up; moving me much closer to work, but him much farther away.  It provides us with much more space, which the dogs love.  Moving has been such a blessing.  Both Byron and I are much more joyful here.  We are growing in our interests and living much healthier.  Although it is not permanent, it is definitely something we are not taking for granted.

new digs and a new couch.  Bridget is in heaven!

Beginning of a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad School Year
I will begin this segment by stating a disclaimer: I do truly love my students and my job.  However, this school year has been quite the challenge.  Add together an interesting mix of students, a new parent conference program, and the lack of a routine to a classroom, and what do you get?  Chaos and stress.  Words cannot describe how thankful I am for my wonderful, supporting team of teachers I work with [I'd have gone crazy a loooong time ago without them] and my encouraging, understanding husband.  Since it's my 2nd year in 1st grade, I am also incredibly grateful that I have some experience under my feet with this grade.  I am also thankful that this year is halfway over -- only 18 more weeks until summer!

the first day of school

End of our Married Small Group & our Beginning at Grace
Byron and I began attending Buckhead Church during the Fall of 2013, which is where we met our wonderful married small group.  In this group we met some of the most wonderful friends.  They are undoubtably answered prayers.  Over the past 18 months our group met, enjoyed fellowship, and studied the Bible together.  Once we moved to Lawrenceville, we knew immediately that we would need a new church, and come December, our group would end.  As our group finished its meetings, Byron and I began church hunting once again, which led us to Grace Fellowship.

love these people

If this experience has proved anything, it is that God always provides when you depend on Him.  At Buckhead we found the community that we'd needed for so long, and at Grace we have found the teaching and truth we've been longing for.  Although we haven't been there long, we are excited to see how else He will provide.