An Eventful Decade

Let's see if I can even remember half of what happened in this 10 year period. Much of it I'd rather forget, but well - that's not how it works. I already know that I'm leaving a lot of major stuff out, but here are some of the biggies...

2000

Celebrated our 1 year anniversary

2001

Watched, along with the rest of the world, two planes change our world forever.

I'm sure there's plenty more to document, I was just too busy misbehaving to notice...

2002

Lost my oldest, dearest and best best friend in a car accident.

Started attending Kensington Community Church and found my way onto the path back to God. Can you say Prodi-Gal?

Quit my job and returned to school full time.

2003

School school and more school.

2004

Had a wonderful student teaching experience in the 2nd grade. My first peek into the very difficult job of being a teacher.

Graduated from U of M Flint with a teaching degree.

Joined a Women's Small Group Bible study that was utterly and completely life changing.

2005

Counseled for a week at Senior High camp and realized I missed my calling.

Was miraculously hired by Flint Schools. Seriously, God gave me that job. No other logical explanation.

Fell in love with a world that was very different than my own and began learning that different doesn't equal wrong. Frustrating, but not wrong.

2006

Was laid off from school and had to play the waiting game, also known as the Trust the Lord game. Was hired back in July, before I really had too much of a chance to get worked up about it.

Bought a house with 28 acres very close to where Frank and I grew up and was ecstatic about being close to family and friends for the first time in 7 years.

Lost my Grandma who was one of my very best friends, very unexpectedly 2 days before Christmas. This shook me to the core and catapulted me into a depression.

2007

Things changed at school and being laid off would have been a blessing. After much soul searching, decided to resign from my position of 7th grade Science teacher at Northwestern High School. One of the hardest, yet easiest decisions I've ever made.

Within 1 day of making it official, God confirmed my decision with a little pink line. Or was it two lines?

2008

Chloe Earlene was born at home; healthy, happy and weighing in at a whopping 8lbs. 15 oz.

Began attending The Freedom Center. Very different from what were used to, but so so good for us.

2009

Realized that I had been suffering from some form of depression for a few years. It felt so good to finally be me again.

Finally started making efforts to get plugged in at church. Began volunteering with The Baby Closet, joined the MOPS steering committee and actually started getting out. What a difference!

Lost my other dear grandma who I loved more than words can portray. Left a hole in our family and a very lonely man to figure out how to do life alone after 59 years of marriage. (Father God - draw my grandpa close and comfort him during this time of transition...)

Began therapy with an amazing woman of God and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was hope and healing and that life would never be the same.

2010 - I've deemed this year The Year of Transformation and Intentionality. I have the greatest feeling about this year and can't wait to see what God has in store for us. Some of the verses that I'm focusing on are...

Ephesians 5:1-3 The Message

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Galatians 5:6b NIV

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

This is my prayer for myself and those that I love...

Philippians 1:9-11 NIV

⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.