2011... Count it all joy
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
(James 1:2-8 ESV)
I know everyone says it, especially the “old” people, but the years seem as though they are moving triple time. Maybe it’s having two toddlers at home and having not a second to think, ponder or plan, but 2011 is nothing but a blur. It absolutely flew by. We had lots of ups and downs, as everyone does, but when I look back on it, the things that first come to mind are the multiple doctor visits and the fourteen nights (not consecutive, thankfully) that we spent with Madden (three nights) and Murphy (eleven nights) at LeBonheur. As a follower of Christ, as a family that believes, we know that despite any downs, we are constantly on the upward trajectory - fighting from victory, not for it.
The times we spend in the hospital forced us to slow things down, spend time together, and realign our values. We crossed paths with new people, and hopefully left as much as we took - or better. At the end of it all, our children are well and we can truly “count it all joy” as our faith was strengthened. And as an aside, let me just say that the book of James, as short as it is, is one of the most powerful books for anyone needing a “motivational” speech (and yes, that is an understatement).
As for the ups, we have many. Murphy’s school expanded just in time to allow him at least another year or two with a talented and caring group of teachers. Madden is quite likely the smartest little two year old I know and continues to amaze us every day. Murphy has made tremendous strides and may just be the next Eric Clapton - that boy can jam. We had a great vacation watching our beach bums take after their parents and be content to hang out in the sand and surf all day long. And we topped it off with a great Christmas season - the first one in which both kids finally knew what was going on.
Moving on to 2012...
