2018 Year in Review
“While God, for the most part, allows this cosmos [creation] to work according to the laws of nature, there is never a time when He is not actively involved in every detail of life.”
— Charles Swindoll
I have always been one to believe that all the small things are truly the big things in life. However, this season of life finds us in a place where it is necessary for us to take each day at a time and to treasure every moment. If I am honest with myself, it is something I really have to intentionally work on because I can get so caught up in the tasks of the day to day.
I say it every year, but I can hardly believe that another year has come and gone! 2018 has been difficult and amazing all at the same time so I thought I would take a moment to fill in our friends and family with our year and how God is working in and through our lives.
We finally moved into our new home at the end of May! While I still feel like there are spaces that need certain pieces of furniture and bare walls that need decor or pictures, I know those things will come in time. We are enjoying our home and we know that we will continually fill our home with pieces we love that will create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. I never got around to having a “house warming” party, but we welcome friends and family anytime! If you are in the area (Nixa) please call or just stop by! I will gladly make some coffee or tea and whip up some sort of appetizer or treat. ;)
Homeschool has been going well! Jude is in 3rd grade this year, Lila is in 1st grade and Gwyn is working on her preschool work right along with the other two. I would say that all the plans I had for a rich and vibrant homeschool experience this year have not quite gone as planned (because God always seems to invite us into HIs bigger and better plan). While I wanted to work more on creativity and outdoor learning, instead we have found life lessons on flexibility and servanthood to be especially important. I truly love the aspect of homeschool where we get to talk about these important character traits and put them into action. I love walking through life with my children and having Josh as our backbone.
Every season is different and new and I love everything God is teaching us in each season.
Business is going well! Hook grew, I think we more than doubled in size with employees this year. God has been so faithful to provide the perfect fit at just the right time. We have grown so much in fact, we are talking about looking for a temporary space to grow into and even what a permanent space might look like for more growth. We are so thankful for all the ways God has truly blessed us and in turn, we hope to be a great blessing to others around us.
As if my super amazing husband did not have enough going on, he decided to create another business with his buddy and business partner Bryan Simpson. They traveled to China this Fall and started a Kickstarter campaign for a product called “The Big Blanket”. It is a huge blanket and as a family of 5 who is always fighting over blankets, we are so excited for this product. You can learn more about it here. We have had really great feed back so far and we are excited to see where God leads us in 2019 with Big Blanket Co.!
God has been so so good to us and we give Him all the honor and praise He so very much deserves. 2018 was different, and even though the trials that came our way (all year long) felt very much like a struggle at the time, I know God was kindly taking us by the hand and molding our hearts.
Reflecting on our year, I know that God has been steadfast in His pursuit to work out things in our hearts, in our marriage, in our family, our business and in all aspects of life as we continue to seek Him and trust Him as Lord over our life. I have learned that when we try to reach for other anchors, such as control, trust in people or words, anything tangible, they always fall short and never leave us with the secure hope and peace that only Jesus can bring.
The world does not give peace, so we can not continue to look for peace in our circumstances or in people. Only the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, can do that.
God is teaching me to look up when troubles come, because they will. We must seek the heart of God. Those momentary troubles are nothing short of His grace in our lives, even if they do not feel that way at the time. Through this season, I believe with all my heart that God may lead us to and through some deep waters where grace and mercy abound because of His great love. Because we do not know what He knows and we do not see what He sees, but if we know the heart of God, we can trust that whatever it is that He leads us to, it is out of steadfast love and faithfulness for our good.
We get to know the heart of God through His word and then even more so through thankfulness and praise. So when the Lord leads us to a dessert or deep waters, we thank Him and we become desperate for His presence again and again. This is ultimately what our every day should look like and because the Lord knows us so intimately, I am thankful for those trials and momentary struggles that keep me seeking the only one who can satisfy the cries of the human heart.
God has grown our character and our hearts for Him as a family in ways that are hard to put into words.
Each new year it seems we have had plans to look forward to, something that will define that very year. Some years it has been a new child, moving, building a home, a big vacation. As I look at the calendar for 2019 we do not have any set plans or vacations booked for the year. I feel strongly that God has positioned our hearts this year to be ready for the plans He has in store for our family this coming year.
Honestly, blogging has been a struggle the past 6 months with the whirlwind of life. My only plan is to seek the Lord and step out in obedience when He calls. My heart is for the Lord and for my family and I am not going to push myself to blog if it is not something the Lord has laid on my heart, and if He does put something on my heart, I know he will make the time for me to write about it. I love writing, but serving my family has been heavy on my heart these last 6 months and I know that is where the Lord has me in this season. That is exactly what it is, a season.
But God.
He is bringing us into a new season this coming year, and I am over-joyed to see it unfold.
I didn’t get a chance to do Christmas cards this year, and I did not even post our family pictures. So, here they are! I pray God pours out more blessings than you can contain (because He is that loving and generous) in 2019! Photos by our lovely friend Katie Day.
The Lord is so good, and I hope you take a moment to reflect on all the ways he tried to pursue your heart, the things He is speaking to you and all the blessings He has graciously shown you and your family this year.
