wow what a year.

Life.
For sure mine seems to have just picked back up this year. God has literally ripped the lid off of the box I called my life for the last 26 years this year. I realized that I was living in only about 25% of what is really stored up in me. I exchanged a hard life that I controlled and manipulated my way through before Christ for one that I controlled and manipulated my way through with Christ. What a cool revelation - right??? One that has come with much heartache, many tears and finally and best of all much joy and freedom. I think that I have experienced more emotions in these last 18 months than I ever allowed myself to in all of my life. Things have gotten pretty dark and seemingly hopeless. Many days I wasn't sure which way to go and then I read in my Word that though many rise up against me the Lord has been and always will be my sheild and that the reason I wake is only because the Lord has sustained me - many days this was very real to me. I have gone through alot. I am not sure that there is any area that the Lord and I have not at least touched on in my life, in my past and now looking forward to what my full future holds. Glen has been so good to walk right beside me all the way. My love for him grows pretty much each day here lately. I always thought he would never stick around if he would get to know the real me, but you know the more of the real me that is coming out I think he and I both like her alot better than what we have lived with all of our dating and married life together. Perspective. Transition. Confinement. Freedom. Learning that the way I have viewed life as a whole has pretty much been wrong. These words have taught me a great deal this year and a half - understanding for the first time - or should I say slowing down long enough to grasp the real meaning of them all and I think I am still working through each of them on a daily basis. Do you know what kind of freedom you can experience as your life transitions from confinement through your perspective changing?

Life is good.
The children have enjoyed the benefit of the work that the Lord and I have been doing, somewhat anyway, the hard days sometimes have been hard on them too but overall it is an excellent change for us all. We are in a really cool church that we are all enjoying the best part about it for me is that I am known as Glens wife! Yes I use an exclamation mark because this is the first time in our married life that I am known that way in our church. I am enjoying sitting back and watching he and Alyx make their place here. We all love Austin. The boys occasionally still yearn for WCA, Lafayette and Sunset but the Lord has been faithful even in that - given us great chances for incredible conversations. Glen loves his job. They just moved downtown and he is like a big kid and I love watching his excitement. Matthew has a girlfriend and we are all enjoying watching his excitement. Amelia is her name and she spent New Years with us. We all love her. Alyx is working at Starbucks and really starting to think about her future and even though it is hard it is exciting to see her work through it. She is an amazing daughter, friend and at times counselor. What a gift she has been to me - I was always so scared to have a daughter and as she grows I only find more reasons that I am so blessed to be her mom. The boys are great. Andrew is very very perceptive. He has a big heart and a strong sense of justice. He was in Lego Club last semester and the instructor was telling me that he was her right hand man - whenever she needed she could send him to help a kid that she couldn't. Thats who he is - what fun to wait and see the adult he will be. Cole is soccer extrodinaire. He has asked the Lord to play European soccer and it seems as though the Lord has taken him seriously. He is on the top U11 team in the southern half of the whole state of Texas!! I love watching he and Andrew when we babysit the children next door (ages 4, 3, 1). They are so kind and gentle with them. Then there are the twin boys across the street that are a bit active and their parents thanked Glen and I for the way that our boys are helping to teach them soccer and just being kind to their boys.

Life is but a vapor.
I am thankful for every single thing in my life from start to now. I am even more greatful that I can see things, hear things, taste things and enjoy things in ways that I never have before. Thankful for today and today alone, understanding more and more that my past is just that, my past. Looking forward with great anticipation to what our future holds.

Thanks for listening.
Much love to you all,
Stacy