The Year of the Anvil

Well, 2005 is coming to a close. It's hard not to think back over the events of this past year without some sadness. However, there are moments in my memory that are liberally sprinkled with the dust of happiness and joy and so, in the spirit of Christ, I'd like to reflect on these first. This year saw my little baby growing into a little boy as he learned to walk and talk and show his temper and say "I love you" and stomp his feet and charm everyone he meets. This year will always be remembered as the year I went back to university and earned four A's and a B+ after not being in school for 16 years! (It's amazing what a little maturity and a healthy dose of motivation can do for a formerly rotten student!) It will be the year that the Lord loved me enough to chastise me and call me back to Himself in a way that a gentle hand could never have accomplished. It will be the year that I began to discover who I am and what I want to achieve in this short span of time we call our lifetime. This year will be the year I discovered who my true friends are and how important the love and support of family can be in time of crisis. These are lessons that I will never, ever forget and am so thankful that I have learned them before I am out of time. 2005 will be the year that I discovered that I have more patience, hope, love, endurance, courage and strength than I ever would have thought possible for me to have and so I will also remember it as the year I truly learned that 'all things are possible with Christ'. And finally, it will be remembered as the year of sorrow, loss and loneliness. But even these memories will, in time, become cherished ones as I see my life laid out on the anvil, pounded and hot from the fire finally taking on the shape that the master designer intended for it to have all along. God bless you all in the coming year and may He fill your hearts with love, hope and peace as you seek to live your lives for His glory.

Love Becky