Through many trials, toils, and snares....

....I have already come, but GRACE has brought me safe thus far, and GRACE will lead me home.

This hymn "Amazing Grace" has been playing in my mind so often lately. I know it's been a YEAR since I've last posted, but so much has happened in this year. I will give you a little run down and you can read if you're interested:)

First, we have moved from Louisville where David was in seminary (he graduated!) to Maryland where he was called to pastor a church. We are loving it here! God has been very faithful to us and continues to bless us. We are feeling more at home every day. We love getting to now our church family members better every week!

Secondly, we went through a traumatic miscarriage just over a month ago. It was hard. However, I can't help but feel at peace. God has always taken care of us, and I do not doubt that he will continue to do so. I'm reminded that our outlook/perspective has a lot to do with our contentment. When our perspective is "me" focused it's easy to feel lonely and that life is unfair because we only look at how it affects "me." However, when our focus in on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, we look at trials as ways to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. He always provides, but we do not always notice. We tend to think that if our bank account is running low, God is being unfair. Or if we get bad news we are being punished. The truth is that God loves us. Bad things happen because sin entered the world. Sin negatively impacts every person on this world. But God has given us a way to leave the world behind by providing salvation and eternal life in heaven. God has saved me from being held bondage to the evil of this world and it's evil mindset.

This passage of Scripture has been encouraging to me...

James 4:13-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

My life is not about my life. It is about serving the One who has saved me. The One who has given me His amazing grace.

Hoped this encourages you.