Daily Archives: December 4, 2010

faith, holidays

Christmas preparations

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With this sudden move looming, I won’t be doing much to prepare for Christmas. Our outdoor lights won’t be going up. I did decorate a little inside, but sadly, that will all come down within a couple weeks.  What preparations we’re doing comes in the form of decorating with friends, or just personal focus shifting to the season. I have a few gifts purchased, and I look forward to wrapping them. I need to put my cards in the mail soon, as well.

Last week, I started a focus on Advent. Tonight, I will continue it here:

Week 2: PEACE

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”  Its one of my favorite hymns. I remember one particular Christmas eve night. I was riding the back seat of my parents car, on our way home from midnight mass. It was cold, and the sky was clear. A million stars twinkled above, as we cruised down a small farm-to-market road through the country. I felt so peaceful. I think its a moment in time when I can pinpoint feeling total peace. A shooting star streaked across the sky, and I closed my eyes to make a wish. I don’t remember the wish, but I remember that it didn’t matter if it came true or not. All that mattered was how perfect that night seemed…

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27

faith, moving, news

Everything happens for a reason…

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My husband and I live by the motto that everything happens for a reason. We’ve both seen it ring true time and time again, so any time something happens, we put out faith that there’s a reason for it. Oh, when its something “bad” we do our own share of asking, “Why!?” and it’ll get us down for awhile. But in the end, we end up saying, “Everything happens for a reason.”

This week, my blog has fallen rather inactive. Life’s had us dangling by a string, and I had neither the time or interest in writing for awhile. I guess you could flat out say, I was depressed.

First off, its the end of the year. Money gets incredibly tight right now. This year just seems tighter than normal. It gets you down to see people out Christmas shopping, getting gifts for everyone under the sun, when you’re just hoping you can pay your utility bills.

Through the generosity of family, I think we’re going to make it. We are deeply grateful to have family willing to hold out an open hand when we need it most. There are no words for how grateful we are… It’s going to be okay!

Then, though, the news came that we’re going to have to make some changes in where we live. The reasons are personal to the couple we rent our home from, but we found ourselves having to find a new place to live on a short schedule.

I sent an email out to a friend, who, my gut just told me I should contact. He and his wife are kind of like adopted Nashville parents to us (as well as to many others!). Lo and behold, the next day, he had found a mutual friend who was about to put their home up for rent in the next few days. We went to see it, and less than 24 hours after being given notice, we already had somewhere else to go!

No one could believe how it all fell together so perfectly. We needed somewhere to go the same time our friends needed renters. And they are going to work with us as we juggle finances to make the move. Talk about God working in mysterious ways!!

In the end, we believe this will all end up being a blessing in disguise, despite our stress and lack of good sleep for days on end with worry. We still worry here and there, but over it all is a deep gratitude. To our families for their help. To our friends for looking out for us. (Several already volunteering to help us move!) And to God for putting it all together. It’s His plan, and we’re just trying to navigate through it as best we can, living on the faith that everything happens for a reason, and that it will all work out in the end.