This morning as I was scrolling through my FaceBook page, several memories came across from 2012 that made me just sit back and reflect on several things. First of all, it made me miss everyone who was a part of our lives back in 2012, but also reminded me of God’s goodness, as we move from state to state. Thinking back first of all to 2010, I remembered crying all the way across the desert, as Randy’s new job was taking us to Los Angeles and what in the world was I doing moving so far away from our family and friends? It is so interesting to look back and see how God intervened and blessed us both beyond anything we could have possibly imagined. The friends that were made in CA remain to this day like family to us and was indeed some of the best years of our lives. When we moved back to Dallas, we leaned on the Lord for purpose, for comfort and for a new direction in both our lives as we entered a brand new season. That move was one of the hardest that we had ever had to do, but we were so blessed to have friends there in Texas who still loved us and still allowed us to come back into their world, even though we had been gone from theirs, for 3 1/2 years. We found out that true friendship doesn’t have to end, just because you are many miles away and that truly was something that helped us both get through a rough couple of years.

After those two years back in Dallas, we knew that the Lord was causing a “stirring” in our hearts that led us to move to Arizona. Once again, we would be starting over in a new place, with having to begin, once more, making history with new friends and searching for the place we felt God calling us to serve in church. I have to admit that there were some days that made me feel that I was getting to old to “start over” as thoughts of “can I really do this again” haunted me whenever I met a new friend. Did I have the energy to invest in new friendships? Because I am such a people person, I had that answer even before finishing the thought. Of course I had the energy to invest in friendships. Part of my survival mode when we move to different places is trying to fit in the community as quickly as possible. If neighbors don’t knock on my door to welcome me to the neighborhood, I bake something to take them and go knock on theirs. It makes the transition so much easier.  This brings me to the present. As we live in a community where many folks drive golf carts and it is a gated community, it has made it so much easier to meet people. Because of the classes and the activities which are available here, the Lord has once again, blessed us with the privilege of already feeling like this is our home. When I sat and thought how wonderful it is that there are ladies here that have already opened up their hearts to me, it just made me realize how great our God is to provide friendships, no matter the place, no matter the season. Today was filled with coming home after church, where we already know friends who we enjoy  sitting with and corporately worshiping together, before baking for a ladies open house in the morning I am having.  It makes it feel like home to stand around after church and visit with couples who end up inviting us to a Super Bowl party at their home.

All this to say that last Christmas, as we were packing to move from Dallas to Phoenix, my mind was filled with wonder; wondering if the new place would feel like home, wondering if we would be able to find a church home. Wondering if people in Arizona would be as nice and welcoming as the friends we had in Texas and California. We wondered if our hearts would stay in Texas, or California even though our home was going to be in Arizona. We wondered if we would find purpose in this new place? Would God use us where we felt led to move?  So many questions. We have lived here now almost 8 months, and we feel that we are in the place where God wants us. We have been, once again, blessed with new friendships, new dreams and even added some new things to our bucket lists.

Yes, God has continued to show us His faithfulness by bringing us blessing upon blessing. Here it is Christmas, the time to reflect on the greatest gift of all, God’s Son, who came as a baby into our world to give us eternal life, which will allow us to live in His world one day.

So much to think about, so much to give thanks for and so many blessings which continue to point us to His love, grace and faithfulness. Merry Christmas to each one who has loved us through the years and to those we have just not had the opportunity to meet yet. This week, remember to thank the One who came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.