Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Welcome 2014, Bring your new!


Amen.

 This past year was pretty brutal.  As I talked about  here , 2013 was all about survival.  I think my little family did a pretty good job with that.  We learned a lot and we grew.  Painfully, we expanded out of old ideas and comfortable places.  As Onnie told me quite wisely yesterday,

"I am making my New Year's resolutions based on what I learned in 2013.  It was a very tough year, but I learned a lot about myself.  It would be dumb to move forward pretending I don't know important things about myself, or to ignore them."  

Wisdom.  

I am breathing in the new this morning.  There's snow on the ground outside...unexpected after the warm temperatures of the past week.  It's gorgeous and perfect...clean and new for this first day of a fresh starting year.

I wrote on January 9th of last year that I felt 2013 was to be a year of preparation for something big, which was coming for my family in 2014.  I declared 2013 to be The Year of the Wait. I excitedly posted about preparation, naively not remembering that preparation is hard work, and often full of discomfort and stretching and pain.  Last year held us hostage to those experiences, and more than once I honestly didn't think we were going to make it.  But we did.  We came out the other side...today, the fresh start of 2014...stronger.  Closer, to God and each other.  The hardness of 2013 is softened by that truth and comfort.  Yes, it is.

I also declared the song of 2013 to be I will wait, by Mumford and Sons.

Honestly, I am still waiting.  

But I feel ready now.  Last year did prepare me for whatever good this new year is going to hold.  And I know it's going to be good...I declare it to be good.  I am ready for new adventure.  The preparation and growth of 2013 will allow for the good of 2014...I see the processes and I am thankful.  

So

Welcome 2014!

Bring your hope peace joy growth beauty

Good.


Peace, friends.