The Opportunity Store

We are ready to take on another adventure.

We knew it was coming and have known for the past 8 months.

The New Year has come!

We had been praying and praying that somehow a miracle would happen, that there would be a change. I just wasn’t seeing an end in sight. My husband is starting straight overnights for a year and we had hoped and prayed that somehow this would change. We had also been dealing with a lot of personal disappointments and questions.

This past week I was thinking of how God delivered Abraham at the last second as he was about to sacrifice his only son. I had seen God do this before.  Would he do this again?

Well, he did but not the way I wanted it to be.

It was a Friday night and the last child was waiting to be picked up. The child and I were sharing. The child then went into this story about a date with her mommy and it took place at “The Opportunity Store.” The whole story was really cute. But the part that spoke to me was the opportunity store.

That’s it!

Was I dreading going into 2014? Our world was about to be turned upside down again. With the daycare now filled with little ones, how are we going to do this?

Yes, we still question all this!

But, could this be the year for a date at “The Opportunity Store.” In this coming upside down year, could I, could we use it as our year of opportunity?

Life will be changing and I have to believe that our life is in HIS hands. He has it all worked out. I just can’t see the end yet.

After my husband and I spent this past weekend off cocooning before the change, it occurred to me that I may just have to find some creative ways this year to have an affair with him J.

Now, we are looking ahead to the year of 2014 as a year of opportunities. Being thankful that even out of the mouths of babes, blessings can come!

And my husband’s excitement is mounting because he feels he won’t have to make the bed for a year now. Seeing as when I get up he will be going to bed and as I go to bed he will be getting up.  I really hate to disappoint him……..

Yours Forever - Kari Jobe Feat Darlene Zschech

Traditions

Can traditions distort my perspective?

Does Christmas have to be on Christmas Day?

 I have a struggle with this. As I have fond memories of waking on Christmas morning. The day spent with family.

As with everything else the traditional Christmas idea is changing. Life is happening at almost too fast of a pace. Family is getting older and extended families growing. These dynamics are all part of the change and how our Christmas and ideas of Christmas may be shaped differently than in the past.

This year excitement was setting in as we were waiting for our daughter’s return for the holidays. Then my husband’s schedule is posted; working Christmas Day.  My heart sunk. He would only be having four days off in the three weeks our daughter would be home. This also would have him working on his family’s Christmas and on New Year’s Day. Now, we had to break this news to our daughter.

 This past fall in our ladies study we have been talking about giving thanks in all things. This was going to be the test. Do I practice this giving thanks or not? I decided to give thanks, to see the good in whatever I could. We decided as a family we would make the best of it all.

We have learnt over this past year to be creative. I reminded our daughter of this and how blessed we were for the gift of creativity.

It’s then that the miracles started to happen. There was a change. My husband didn’t have to work Christmas Day - he only had to go in for a couple of hours. He was able to enjoy some time with his family for our Christmas celebration.

We had been faced with many challenges over the holiday season.

The season that taught me that sometimes we have to let go of the “traditions”.

At the close of this past season we can say as a family how blessed we are.  Our daughter has returned back to school and our three weeks together have been a hoot! I felt like we had partied all the time (and we did that) and also enjoyed some quiet “time out” as a family.

The miracles happened as I first gave “thanks”. Then I had to let some traditions go-which would have changed the story. My perspective had to change in order for the real miracle to happen.

(But a little part of me wishes we could all be like parts of Europe; where everything is closed down. It’s a time to be celebrating and be with family. Oh dear, what would we ever do if that happened-changing our perspective!)

It’s all about HIS coming to us anyway!

Blessings for 2014!!!