Into December

Wow. Life is crazy. It's amazing that I'm sitting here a wee bit sickly (sniffle, sniffle - cough, cough) and all I want to tell you is how good life is. Good not because of circumstances, but simply because it is. I lost sight of that, honestly. I sat in church on Sunday after a few days of Thanksgiving-ness and everything that travelling and visiting extended family (I mean, they practically are) is - including watching children and dogs, traversing the farm, running errands, and spending time with loved ones and felt like I had breathed for the first time in a week. It was a good, long, deep breath that was full of gratitude (finally) and a reawakening of my perception of how much I have to truly be thankful for.

Even this cold. And the multitude of papers and projects due in the next two weeks. And especially the last week and a half that I have spent with one of God's greatest blessings to me. Seriously. I cannot even begin to describe how good it is to be with Cliff again - in whatever capacity we are together, both good and bad, easy and challenging, we are a team. Now, more so than ever. It's amazing the lessons we've learned in the last two years - especially in five months apart - I can only hope we are lucky enough to learn many more...

I started thinking a few days ago about the New Year's resolutions I wrote up just before the start of this year - I don't know that I kept the sheet, but I can recall a few and proudly say that I have accomplished many of them, most of which have been lifetime struggles and dreams of mine. As December approaches, I've started to think a lot about next year - not planning or scheming - just wondering with open and excited curiousity at all that God has planned.

I think that I have begun to realize more, the capacity to which I am able to achieve - especially when I place trust not in myself, but in He who sustains me. There is much to be excited about in the days to come, no matter how discontented I believe I may be sometimes with what is often routine or everyday about my life. Everyday can be an adventure - everyday can be a lesson and a triumph over living complacently. And that's because following God requires faith - faith that yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all in His hands and that's easy to forget, here - but Cliff mentioned the other day, what an opportunity we have here in America - of all places - to build faith in a land where it is hardly needed.

Cohesive? Hardly - but it's what's on my mind. And you're probably not surprised to know there's a whole lot more. But there's time for that...