Bringing in the New Year 2014

Happy New Year 2014

Our family started the New Year of 2014 with Prayer.  In the summer, I had found a few antique canning jars and wanted to do something new and different with them, so I decided to make them into prayer jars for our own family and a few friends who rang in the New Year with us.  Having a prayer jar proved, for me, to be a life changing experience.  Prone to praying, laying my prayer at the feet of the cross, going back to it and picking it back up again rather than leaving it with Jesus, and the cycle went on and on.

My goal...prayer for 2014 was to pray and leave it with Jesus.  This seemed to work for me fairly well.  And, I added adding my family and friends to the jar.  I would get them out once or twice a month and pray over them and then put them back in the jar.  Not sure if this is Biblical or not, but it worked for me.  :)

As a Christmas Gift, Madison got me a blackboard which we hung in our family room.  In keeping with the desire to pray, we made it into a prayer board.  This held that month's current prayer requests and I loved having it right where we could see it as we walked around our home.  So simple to just look over and pray for those whose names were on it.  In addition to being on the board, I tried to write each friend a little note letting them know we were praying for them....

Madison wrote such a precious card to her Ladder Dad that we kept it for a long time hung in our kitchen where we could see and enjoy it.  God is amazing in His ability to bring people in our lives who can help us on our journey.

The year started out with a burst of cold and snow.  While not snow lovers, even our family appreciated the beauty it presents on a cold, Winter's day.

My boys have been together since birth, doing most things together.  Playing Youth League basketball is just one of the many times I have sat in the stands and watched them....and, it has been a blessing.

We were fortunate that they were allowed to play this last season because they turned nineteen back in May.  Our league, under wise counsel, decided to let nineteen year olds play if they were still in high school.  For that, I will always be grateful.

Both boys had a wonderful season.  Kenton was hot with the three's right off the bat and Johnson was his ever charging guard.

I cherish these simple, little moments.

Always.

And, as God is good to do, He answered our family's prayers to "bring Ian home."  Ian had worked since December of 2011 in Paducah, Kentucky.  A five hour drive he made each Monday morning at 3am.  He worked in Paducah all week and drove back home on Friday evenings (sometimes Thursday, if he was lucky).  He did this without fail for two solid years.  I am amazed at his stamina and commitment to be home with us each weekend.  I don't think most would do that, but he did.  I asked him once why he would drive that distance each week and why he left Monday at 3am instead of Sunday evening and he very simply said, "because I love you and the kids and I want to spend every single moment I can in your presence, going to the kid's events, being with our family." This restaurant, The Tousey House Tavern is where we went for dinner to celebrate his new position in Burlington, Kentucky.  He accepted a lateral move from Paducah where he managed eight counties to Burlington where he now manages ten counties for the Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Services.  God is good.  All the time.