Hey friends! It’s been a while since I updated you all, and the Lord is doing a lot. Starting with Christmas this year – it was the best kind of hectic with almost the whole family (from both sides :)) in the area to celebrate. As we spent time together, I was continually reminded of how different this year will look from next year’s Christmas. Not necessarily a bad kind of different but I will admit, it was a little sad. It’s sad to think I won’t be with my family next year, giving them gifts, making (aka burning) Christmas cookies, going to church on Christmas Eve, piling in the car afterwards to look at lights, and being woken up early Christmas morning by my little brother. Those things, among others, have made up the past 18 Christmases for me, so knowing that I’ll be away next year not only showed me how much I love them, but also realize how much I’ll miss them. But as I thought about this, I was reminded that ultimately, this isn’t what Christmas is about. Even beyond the laughter, memories, and family time, Christmas is about the birth of our Savior – and that is worth celebrating all around the world.
Psalm 91:1-2 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'” The Father draws us to Himself, allowing us to call Him our peace and our stronghold – our home. Jesus’ humble birth that we celebrate at Christmas isn’t about our parties, presents, or family dinners. It’s about Him, the one who brings us to the shadow of the Almighty, allowing us to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. And even though I won’t be eating breakfast with my family on Christmas morning next year, both my family and I get to declare His glory to our neighbors and among the nations, and for that I am so thankful and so excited 🙂
The Father taught me a lot this Christmas season, and He has provided for me in ways I had never imagined. So I want to say a huge T H A N K Y O U to you guys, first of all for reading this far into my blog 🙂 and really, to everyone who has supported me financially, prayed for me, or even started a conversation with me about my trip. It means more than you know and I can say confidently that when I committed to world race in August, I had no idea I would be in this spot by the end of the year. To help you understand what I mean by this, the $5,000 fundraising deadline is in May. We hit it in November. The $10,000 deadline is in August. We hit that one in December. The final $15,800 deadline, which covers the complete cost of my trip, is in December of 2020, and we are less than $3,000 away from it, here at the beginning of the year. So thank you – thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus, helping me prepare to declare His glory among the nations. Our Father provides with abundance, and your support has led me to His feet in worship. I can’t wait to see what this year will bring.
