2006-A Year of Blessings

I pray 2006 will be a year of blessings for you, and for me-after 2005 was a year of lessons. Just on Christmas Day, Russ and I said we would be glad to have 2005 behind us, because it had been a year of several trials:
-A bid for the house of our dreams (old house like we like), was accepted by the seller, then we found out we didn't have job security and had to let it be taken back out of escrow
-The news that we didn't have job security in Wilmington and we were desiring ROOTS
-Getting a job as executive director of a crisis pregnancy center, only to have to turn it down after finding out we would be moving soon.
-Having major gall bladder pain, followed by gall bladder surgery, followed by moving just 4 days after surgery! (what were we thinking?!)
-Picking a great rheumatologist here, and having several good office visits, only to get word that he was moving away.
-Getting news that the adoption we were hopeful would work out, was not going to happen.
-Finding out my cousin Mark, who was like a brother to me, had passed away. This did a major number on me, because I had not spoken to him in several years due to life getting in the way (I won't let that happen again!)
-Not to mention, still missing our Boston Terrier, Mijo, after we had given him away in 2004.

But there was still one more lesson to learn, when I lost my job due to downsizing at the newspaper. It is still new-only 17 months old-so I guess they are still learning what positions will work with their budget.

But-now we are to 2006. The best news of all is that none of these bad things took God by surprise. He knew all along, and He had just what we needed to not just survive the loss/transition, but to grow and thrive. That is why I can say I'm still living out loud!

I pray 2006 is a year of blessing for you-and for me!