Happy New Year!

Goodbye to 2021. You weren't the best year but you weren't the worst. I'll take my blessings as they come and you definitely were full of those. 

Like many others, I always pray at the end of a year for God to give me a word for the next year. A word to focus my prayers on, a word to look for His voice in, a word to guide me in making decisions, etc. 

Last year, God gave me the word "joy". I tried very hard to focus on being joyful but I found that wasn't always easy. I consider myself to be one very blessed woman. I have far more in blessings from Him than what I deserve: my relationship with God, my health, my children, my family, my friends, my hobbies, my overall outlook on things. None of these things are perfect.But I'm so thankful for each and every one and I try really hard not to take any of it for granted. 

The times I couldn't BE joyful, I tried to find the joy in the situation. That wasn't always easy either. How do you find joy in losing your job? Well, you pray, of course. You start making findiing a job your job. You take inventory of your finances, resources, and avenues of earning a living. You humble yourself into asking for help when you need it and commit yourself to making good use of everything you have. You stretch your pennies by doing without, stretch your food by not being wasteful, find side hustles and just keep on networking. And it all pays off. God blesses you with a job that pays far beyond what you ever expected, offers benefits and a working environment that far suppassed any expectations and definitely what you had previously.  You get rewarded by finding JOY in the challenge of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. You find JOY in knowing that what some people meant to destroy you, God used for good. (Remember Joseph?) You find Joy in knowing that no weapon formed against you will propsper.  You find Joy in His promises and repeat them over and over to yourself until they manifest.

It wasn't all difficult. This year also borught two weddings in the family: Zac and Kelsey in May and then Kyle and Tabbitha in October.  

This year saw Cooper graduating from 5th grade and going to Middle School.

This year  my parents moving to Oneonta on a few acres near the lake--my dad's dream.

This year Kayti graduated nursing school--PRAISE THE LORD!

This year we got to get together with extended family again. I got to hang out with my favorite cousin more and we got to go to Grandma Margie's (she's really my aunt but since Maw Maw passed away in 97, she kinds stepped into the role of everyone's grandma) for Thanksgiving again. 

I got to see my sister that lives in Athens twice!

I got to take my dogs on several excursions!

I continue to have a great relationship with my ex husband. Oh how I wish everyone could do this. It tends to make some people think we'll evenutally get back together and I won't say that's never going to happen because stranger things have happened. But I will say it's unlikely. I am just really proud that we are able to let go of the past and be not just civil but lovingly friendly for the sake of the three best kids ever. I know some whose parents can't even be in the same room with each other because they are still bent on hurting each other. That hurts my heart. I want nothing but the best for the man that was a great husband, is a great father and an amazing friend. And I know he wants the same for me. I don't understand what's so hard about that? If you have kids together, you're tied together for all life and eternity. Why make everyone miserable, including yourself?

I got to watch my favorite ball player play some great ball!

I bought a whitewater kayak but the plans of learning that skill had to be put on hold. It will be resumed shortly!

I got to spend time with some great friends. One of my friends lost her precious husband close to the end of the year and we are devastated, shocked and heartbroken. I wish more than anything I could do something, anything. I wish I had words of wisdom for her. I pray for her strength and for her comfort. It's really hard to trust that God has a plan when something like this happens but what else can we do. I know it isn't an easy thing to do and I know she'll never be the same. But I hope she knows how well he loved her, how much her family and friends love her and that God loves her. and I pray in time, she'll be okay.

I still have both my parents. The older I get and the more I see friends' parents pass away, the more thankful I am that mine are still here. This hasn't been an easy year for dad heathwise but he's still hanging in and I'm praying he'll feel better soon. The move hasn't been an easy adjustment for mom either. She's never been much of a "country girl" but I know she wants to make Dad happy and I admire her for that. 

But probably my biggest blessing this year was that I was asked by my best friend to help take care of her mom in her last months. Honestly, I was hesitant at first. I've taken care of dogs, babies and little kids my whole life but adults in particular the elderly? That is not something I ever considered a calling. But it came at a time when I needed some help financially and I wanted so desperately to help my friend that I agreed to give it a try.

Miss Linda and I bonded instantly and became very close, fast friends. She told me stories of working two jobs to take care of her three kids. She told me stories of stunts they pulled as kids and how proud she was of  the adults they became. She told me stories about the men in her life, people she had worked for and with and we laughed! Boy did we laugh! Turns out we had similar senses of humor and sometimes we laughed so hard we were in tears. 

She was so tiny! I was afraid at times that I would break her and I amazed her great-granddaughter when I just picked her up in my arms one day. But she could tell I was nervous and wanted to do a good job so she never criticized or fussed at me and I quickly got the hang of it. When I would make a mistake, she would just laugh like it was no big deal but to me it was. She was one hell of a woman and deserved the very best. I always told her I loved her when I left and I meant it. At first, I loved her because she was my best friend's mom. But I quickly came to love her just for being Linda.

She passed away early October and I miss her terribly so I know her children and family do. It's amazing how God uses people and situations to show you so much. I learned that I could not only care for someone but do it well. I learned that every life has a story, a purpose and a meaning. I learned that time is so precious. I learned what God can do and what He can use me to do. I learned so much that my words here really are inadequate to explain it all. But believe me I am so very thankful. 

Joy comes in so many ways. Sometimes it's overwhelming happiness. Sometimes it's the quiet peace found after hurt. Sometimes we have to CHOOSE joy in order to find it. 

Thanks for the JOY, 2021!