Reflections of 2015

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." - Isaiah 61:10

We rejoice as we reflect on the significance of Christ’s birth, sinless life, selfless death, and victorious resurrection. We are grateful for His sacrifice for us so that we can have God’s great gift of salvation. We revel in the hope of living with Him for all eternity. While we long for that day, we also see God’s purpose for us right where He has us and are honored to be his instruments of His Gospel plan.

With the close of 2015 and the entrance into 2016, our hearts are overflowing with joy for the abundant answers to prayer we have seen this year and the countless blessings, and we eagerly anticipate all that God will do in the coming year in our hearts and lives and those He brings across our paths.

David, now 9 years old and in 4th grade, is becoming quite the violinist. He also started taking piano lessons at the beginning of the summer and is quickly learning that instrument as well. He was gifted with an incredible musical ear and a love for music. We love when he uses His musical gifts for the Lord! He started doing Taekwondo over the summer and just got his yellow belt with a white stripe completing the test by breaking 2 boards with a single snap kick. David has officially been off of antibody transfusions for a year and is the healthiest he has ever been! David, our failure to thrive infant has just recently moved into the same size clothing as his older brother who has always been at the top of the growth charts – truly a miracle! David loves reading, doing art, and loves building Legos.

Josh, now 11 years old and in the 6th grade, is finishing his last year in elementary school. He loves
earth science, health class, and gym class! He is finishing his second year of piano and voice lessons. This has been a year of transformation for Josh. He has come off of all but 1 of the original 10 medications he took in a day, and the last one he is taking is only 1/3 of the dose he was originally on. His doctor would like to wean him off of this last one starting in March if all continues to go well. This is a huge answer to prayer and one which we are still praying fervently about. Josh loves playing board and card games and is difficult to beat. Strategy games are his most favorite. Josh also loves swimming, riding his bike and scooter, reading, and building Legos.

I continue to work as a special needs pediatric trach/vent nurse for Bayada Pediatrics. I love working with my patients and their families. My business Balanced Essential Living is officially a year old. I get so much joy helping to educate and empower people to improve their health and well-being through the use of natural solutions in the form of essential oils. My business has allowed me to get out of the home more and meet all kinds of wonderful people I would have never met otherwise. It’s been a huge personal development opportunity stretching me well beyond my comfort zone and growing me as a person. I have also thoroughly enjoyed improving my own family’s health. It has been amazing to reflect back on how far we have come since using essential oils almost 2 years ago! My headaches and migraines are truly a thing of the past, and I only had 1 cold all year! I’ve taken on a new role doing quarterly partnership newsletters and monthly prayer partner updates for Asia Minor Partners (AMP), a partnership with a country in the Middle East that Tim and I have been involved in for 7.5 years.

Tim continues his position as financial advisor/wealth manager for The Life Financial Group. He

began his studies to become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) this year and anticipates taking the CFP exam by next Fall. He does a great job balancing work, his studies, being a father and husband, and working around our house inside and out. He continues his role on the Leadership Team for AMP. Our family has been praying about the opportunity to go over as a family for a ministry trip to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ in that country. We had hoped to go this year, but God closed the door, so we are praying for an open one in 2016 or at the latest 2017. Tim continues to serve as a deacon at our church Grace & Peace PCA in Pottstown and is a leader in Kid’s Club.

We are so thankful that God holds us in His hands and that nothing that happens is outside of God’s will for our lives. We know that God does work all things for our good and His glory and pray that He will continue to shine His light through our lives to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him. We pray that each of you know this hope and trust in God in your own hearts and lives and if you don’t, we pray you come to know it even this year! May God richly bless you in this year to come!