Reflections

2008. What a year. I think that God has done a whole lot more for us than we have done for him this year. I love lists, so here is a few highlights of God's work in the Harrell family this year:

1. Jake has had an amazingly healthy year. 2007 was full of asthma attacks and trips to the allergy doctor. He has been breathing easily in 2008! He still has all of his food allergies, but I truly believe that he is healthier than he would have been without allergies.

2. Isaac has adjusted beautifully to going to pre-k everyday. The Lord has blessed us with very flexible children. Isaac just goes with the flow and finds fun in everything! As I am writing this, he is driving his new remote control car around with a tie dye t-shirt and his underwear on. He doesn't really like clothes very much! What a kid he is!

3. Who would have thought that the Lord would call Chris to a different ministry? Who would have thought that the Lord still wanted us to stay in Jonesboro and at the same church? The Lord works things out better than we could ever imagine. Chris moved from youth minister to Associate Minister in September. That move was full of mixed emotions, but the Lord knew exactly what He was doing. Chris is perfectly gifted for his new role!

4. This time last year I was as happy as a clam working part-time at Paces! The Lord started putting people and opportunities in my lap. The doors just kept opening and here I am teaching Jr. High. Chris stopped working with teens and I started! I has been hard and a major adjustment, but I feel like I am exactly where I am suppose to be. Our family was ready and the Lord knew it!

5. My crazy eye. What else can you say? I have this incredibly rare congenital birth defect in my eye and the one of the best doctors in the world lives less than an hour a way? Way to make something crazy a blessing God!

6. Disney World! We were planning on going this year. We had no idea how we were going to pay for it, but we were going to go anyway. Then the church goes and gives us a free trip!

7. We have had 2 water leaks in our foundation this year. Jack hammers, concrete, mud, major mess! Well, our carpet was looking pretty bad and the Lord provided us a way to get all new flooring! Not only did he help us pay for redecorating, he also gave us a place to stay while all of the work was being done. Now, I am not saying that I want to do this ever again! But, at least we saw God working even in the bad stuff!

8. Laundry Ministry! We were out of our house for 6 weeks while all of this mess was happening. We were living at Marion Perkins' empty house on Rosewood Circle. The Rosewood Circle 40 Days of Community Group took on our family as their service project! They did our laundry the entire time we were out of our house. They would take turns coming every few days to pick it up and then bring it back the next day. Can you ask for anything more?!

To say the least, God is Good! We are amazingly blessed. Chris and I are wonderful. I love him more than I ever thought possible. Jake is gentle and strong all at the same time. Isaac is loving and so funny. We have a wonderful healthy family. Thank you Lord for a great 2008. Please keep blessing us in 2009!