It's a NEW Year!

Happy New Year!!!   “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 

It’s been quite some time since I’ve blogged.  Not that I haven’t had anything to say, just that I haven’t been able to formulate the thoughts properly.   

Updates:  Hubs – I don’t think I’ve ever typed out just how much I love this man that God created specifically for me.  He encourages me in everything and is such an awesome daddy. 

The kids – EJ is now 3 ½ and that is a REALLY fun age.  Like…hilarious.  This kid says some of the darndest things!  My favorite from this last week:  “I can’t pee in the potty, momma…I already peed in my butt!”  (At the top of his lungs and very exasperated.) 

Evie is now 1 ½ (18 months) and is quite the comedienne herself.  She knows she’s cute and uses it to her advantage.  Her favorite word is “No” and she says it SASSY! 

As for me…well, I still have my pain.  Every day.  On the 1 – 10 scale, it’s usually around a 3 or 4.  Sometimes I have spikes, but not nearly as often as they used to be.  Basically, I have stopped going to the doctors for that because I was tired of being poked, prodded & tested with absolutely no answers.  Work is amazing.  I seriously LOVE my job.  Especially after being a stay-at-home mom all last week for their Christmas break.  I am NOT cut of the same steel as some of the amazing women I know who can have craft time, synchronized naps and dinner ready too.

My family…we come as we are.  I think we’re perfect for each other…

So…I bet you’re wondering.  “Why the ‘re-launch’?”  “What are your plans for 2013?”  “What’s with the map background?”  I am SO glad you asked!  J 

The re-launch:  2012 was on and off tough and crazy on us as a family with a lot of stuff going on that really didn’t matter for eternity.  We completely lost our focus as to what is right for us as Christ-followers, spouses, parents and people.  This VERY morning, hubs and I waded into the freezing Potomac River to rededicate our lives to Christ through water baptism.  We had both decided to do it and then when (shyly and awkwardly) asking what the other thought, we realized that God had put it on both of our hearts so that we could also recommit to each other.  This year, we’ll be celebrating 5 years together and I am so thankful that the Man Upstairs is in charge and not me! 

One of the most amazing experiences of my life:

My plans for 2013 are quite simple:  to focus inwardly while thinking outwardly.  A paramedic who is bitten by a snake on the loose obviously can’t save the man who called 911 in the first place, right? 

The map background is symbolically the most exciting part!  God has lain heavy on my heart since I can remember to help others.  Go.  Feed.  Clothe.  BE Jesus.  Taking a recent spiritual gifting scale test, I came in tied for #1 with Missionary & Hospitality.  For those of you that know me, I’m sure you’re completely shocked right now.  Our church sponsors a group to Nicaragua each year to help provide medical services to the community of HueHuete.  When they announced the trip back in August, I was sitting in my seat, minding my own business and I got this dry warmth that just surrounded me and every single word that was being said about the upcoming trip sunk through my brain like raindrops through a fog.  And then they STRUCK home.  I’m not the type that “hears” from God, but if that’s not someone telling you SOMETHING; I don’t know what is.  I committed to go.  I was excited and pumped!  I had a sponsor who said they would pay for my entire trip!  The time came to turn in the ½ amount for the plane tickets and the sponsor’s story changed.  I was devastated but put on a happy face at church and told one of the ladies going that I would just pray for the team and then save up to go next year.  During our after service worship, that very same lady came and laid a check in my hand for the exact amount due that day and said, “You are SUPPOSED to be there.”  It was amazing!  I was back in the game!   While in Nicaragua, we’ll also be helping to build an aquaponics system.  Here’s the Wikipedia link to learn more, but basically it is fish and plants living in water and thriving symbiotically.  Cool, huh?  In talking with a couple of my creative genius friends, we came up with the idea to ‘market’ the fish part. 

A small, portable aquaponics system:

Well, the trip is March 2^nd through the 9^th and I still need to raise the rest of the money...$800 total.  As a fundraiser, I am selling fish for $5 each, t-shirts for $25 each (hand screen printed by an amazing friend), and personalized photo books for $50 (filled with pictures that I take while on my trip and scriptures that inspired me to go).  P.S.  You can give ANY amount you’d like.  Every penny helps and contributes towards the trip.  To give, please visit my Facebook event.

Example of the shirt on a pink person:

Please don’t think that I just want you for your money!  I need lots of prayer in preparation for this trip as does our entire group that’s going as well as the community that we’ll be going to.  While this is more of a service trip than an evangelical trip, we are hoping to BE Christ everywhere we go. 

Thank you for reading and be blessed in this new and exciting time of year!

Love,

Chan