Blessings In The chaos!

In my last blog I shared how life was a little tough at the moment!
Selling our dream home and continuing health issues have been a constant challenge this year.

But you know what?
It’s not all bad! I don’t share the struggles for sympathy but to share my journey as openly and honestly as possible. God has asked me to do this, and until He says otherwise, that’s what I’ll do!

And so to make sure it’s not all doom and gloom, I want to share my top 5 highlights from this year. I love sitting by the lights of the Christmas tree, contemplating the year, and thanking God for all He has done. Again, I’m not sharing this to brag but to show that even amongst the hard and the hurting, God is in everything!

1.Phil.
He is always at the top of my thankful list. Always.
Sure, he snores too loudly, leaves his coffee cups in the sink, and can be super grumpy when he’s tired, but those things pale in comparison when I think of all he does!
As well as running a Church, being on community boards, overseeing the running of companies, and caring for those around him, he is a loyal and devoted friend and one many turn to in times of need.
He is always my biggest supporter and this year he has gone above and beyond. Being so ill has slowed me down a lot and Phil has picked up the slack. He has been chief house cleaner and my taxi driver to appointments and hospital visits. He has cooked countless dinners, done all the dishes and has never complained once.
On top of all that, he has encouraged me and championed me in my book-writing journey and has had more faith in me, than I’ve had in myself!

2. Kids.
I now have 3 kids as we officially welcomed Kelan into the family this year.
I cannot believe what an incredible blessing all 3 of them are to me.
They are the most generous and thoughtful kids and are always shouting us lunch, turning up with gifts or surprising us in some way.
Sure, we all have our ups and downs, but we are a team that sticks together.
In October we all went to a conference, and seeing all 3 of them with hands in the air praising God, was everything to me! Houses come and go, but a family who love and serve God, trumps everything in my books.

3. Grace & Kelans Wedding
The day was wonderful and one I will never forget.
2 families coming together to celebrate their kids making a lifelong commitment to each other. What a joy and a privilege to witness. Family and friends come from near and far for the special day, and what a celebration we had. Tears of joy flowed all day from start to finish. God was the centre of the day and that was never more evident than in their vows and the speeches. I was one proud and happy Mamma.
They have settled into married life and I’ve never seen them happier!

4. Geoffery.
For those of you who may not know, Geoffrey is Jackson’s Golden Retriever.
Jackson got him as a puppy at the start of the year, and it’s been a treat watching him grow from a pup to a beautiful dog. He has the loveliest nature and is super sweet.
This may seem like a strange thing to be thankful for, but what I really love, is watching Jackson fall in love with this wee ball of fluff, and his relationship with Geoffrey. They are so cute together and I love getting photos of Geoffrey when he’s at doggy daycare. We even had a 1st birthday celebration with pup cakes and special treats! It’s like he’s always been a part of the family!

5. Our Dream Home.
As I said, we are selling our dream home that we spent 2 years planning and dreaming about. It has been quite a process dealing with all the emotions that come with selling. But God has a different plan for us, so we need to be blindly obedient.
But planning (and living) in this home has been an incredible blessing. Phil and I loved the process (and will most likely do it again!) and we have loved living in something we created together. What a blessing to live in an incredibly beautiful home, even if it’s not for as long as we imagined!
And seeing my Christmas tree in the place where I always dreamed it would go, well that is something I am so thankful for.

To be honest, it was hard to limit my list to 5 things. There are just so many things to be thankful for…..publishing 2 books, amazing friends, travel, missions trips, and incredible times with God, to name but a few.

And so as I end this year I am thankful, happy and content in the knowledge that I am truly blessed.