Hope...tis the season

This is Joel in Mexico, Chritmas of 2003


Ever since Joel and I moved to Seattle it has been one thing after another of things to deal with. Whether it was the settling in to our not so polite apartment building, to immigrations, to Joel's job taking him away from his home and family. Every step we have taken here has proved to be challenging and humbling. I have to say that I have learned a lot in the last 7 months about myself, about my husband and about how God works in our lives. I have figured out the way in which God tends to work in both Joel and my life is by using a whole lot of patience. One thing we both struggle with, but also the one thing that we can count on for our hope in God working things out.
You see it is that he makes us wait and hold on to whatever it is we want for so long it is almost impossible to think we will ever get our way.... until the very last moment when He gives us just enough to have the patience for whatever comes next. I think more and more, as we sit back and look at all that God has worked out in our lives we realize how important our hope in God needs to be. I know now, from wasting to many days thinking about "when" I get to, that it is a lot less stressful to focus on "what" I do get to...right now. There are many things I get to do right now that I wouldn't if I was working or going to school full time. Right now I have the time to explore hobbies, write what I want to write about, workout, play... And something my friend reminded me of...I get to be there to greet my husbands return from work, which my friend confessed is something you truly miss once your to busy.
When I realize the blessings I have had these last months, even through tough times I am more encouraged about the reasons God throws these experiences at me. I know he is teaching me something, and growing me into something I may not understand yet, but hope to do it justice. When I can look back at how depressing a time these last 7 months have been, but only remember the joy and smiles I was lucky enough to have it gives me hope for whatever it is God chooses to challenge with me next. So there may have been rough spots in our time here in Seattle, and now that we are moving and starting agian somewhere new I hope that I ahve more wisdom to expect the challenge but deal with it in the patience and faith God strengthens me with. This whole experience has taught me that there is no "in my time", and that all I can do is hold on to hope until something happens. Becasue God has proven to me that He will make it happen...still...even if it was the minute of the last hour of the last day of possiblilty. Because for God possibililty is everlasting. Have hope no matter what

Praise

Have you ever had one of those experiences when you were sure that God was laughing at you. Well Joel and I just finally got a huge answer to prayer this last week, and it was almost like He wanted to wait as long as he possibly could just to see us squirm for a while. For those of you who don't know the whole situation here it is. Joel works for The U.S. Coast Guard and has been stationed on an ice breaker for the last 7 months. This specific boat is ordered to go to Antarctica for at least 4 months and has actually left today!! Now you may be wondering why I am not crying right now, and that is simply because God finally decided Antarctica wasn't where He wanted Joel to be. Just last week Joel received his orders to move on to the School he applied to become a rescue swimmer. So now we are moving to Port Angeles in 15 days to sign in by the 20th, and Joel's training to become an official rescue man starts in the new year. So God pulled a fast one on us. Pulling us along until we had settled with the idea of being away from eachother for months, just to find out that we weren't going to be getting rid of eachother that easily. So here we are... about to embark on yet another chapter in our lives together.