Our pastor challenged us to share with our friends and family the things we're thankful for, and I decided that since I've really slacked on my blogging since we moved out here, that I should do it. I am most grateful for God's loving hand on our family in the past year. I would love to say that my faith has been unfailing, but that would be a lie. I have had moments of real desperation where I wondered what were we thinking, what was God thinking, was anyone actually thinking??? I realize how wonderfully blessed we were in the three years we lived in Maumee. We were relatively close to our parents and grandparents; we had a great church family and Matthew and I had the best friends.

But even though this has been a tough couple of months, I can see how (in His usual fashion) God has drawn me closer to Himself through this transition. I think of one of Peter's letters in the Bible, he talks about being refined by fire...I'll just find it with Biblegateway..."These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." That is what I am grateful for this Thanksgiving. I have experienced that inexpressible and glorious joy, not in spite of the trials, but because of them.

So, I am grateful for being a woman who knows she is broken and who also knows I need Jesus to fix me every single day. I am grateful for my husband and children, for our health, our home, our stuff. I am grateful for Metro Community Church that has so many people who welcomed us as though we were coming home. I am grateful for all of the people who took the time to say a prayer, take a plane, ride in a car for 30 hours, write a note, draw a picture, call on the phone, or mail anything - I appreciate you loving us so well and so much.