An Adventure In Faithful Living

As many do, I have been reflecting on the past year as it comes to an end.  It has truly been an incredible year for Joel and me, and we have much to rejoice over and be grateful for as we close out 2012. 

As you who visit my blog have read ~more than once~ Joel was healed overnight on January 24th 2012.  It rocked our world and put us on a quest not only for my healing, but also to learn all we could about this new adventure God had for us.  A big earthquake-like shift took place not only in Joel's body but in our minds and hearts.  We could never go back to the before, after experiencing what what we are learning now in the "after".  It was one of those precious times that defines you.

In retrospect, we can see how God slowly guided us for 3 years, providing information through people, books, teachings, and the Bible. I think He must have sighed and shook His head more than once at us and finally just decided to shake our world upside down with His power, so we could move deeper into our relationship with Him and His will for us. 

Yes it has been quite a year.  Up and down, round and round, and often just being still, we have stretched and grown in faith and understanding, coming closer to Father/God in ways we did not know we needed. 

Joel has been healed of Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, Hypothyroidism, Arthritis, and a number of debilitating symptoms occurring with those diseases. Just writing all those nasty illnesses and conditions out gives me pause and I can only bow my head and give thanks to God!  Joel is active and working again and LOVING IT!  He is riding his bike again and LOVING IT.  Yes, it has been an amazing year.

2012 has also brought us to our knees in obedience and patience as we struggled with why my healing did not happen "overnight".  Yet when we look back, we have seen so many changes....mostly deep inside of me.  Dealing with and healing from some PTSD as a result of the surfacing of repressed memories of sexual abuse has brought me closer to God and changed my relationship with Him in many positive ways.  I am physically stronger, able to manage exposures fragrances, etc. much more, and we are seeing some big physical changes take place.  I am rejoicing in all that I have been able to do in the past 6 months.  I am also impatient, but learning to rest in the Lord (Matt. 11:28-30),  trusting Jesus in the process.  His plan is always best as are His ways. 

Our family has been blessed this year for the most part with good health, good provisions, and protection.  They live in faith, and for that we are so grateful!

Certainly, life is not all roses and sunshine.  Death comes to those we love and care about, and so does pain and suffering.  Our country struggles with paying its bills, our communities seem fractured, and as human beings we cannot grasp why innocent children die at the hands of others.  It is with effort that we move our eyes and focus away from those things and keep our eyes on Jesus.  It is with joy that we take hold of the many blessings we have and treasure each one knowing that in this broken and fallen world, God is with us.

Today, with the close of 2012, we give thanks that this year has been such a treasure chest of blessings for us and we rejoice that God walked with us through such a wonderful adventure in faithful living!  We hope and pray the same for all of us in 2013!