2011 Reflections and Prayers for 2012

As the year of 2011 comes to an end, many people stop and take some time for deep reflection.  Some ponder the life events that occurred over the past 12 months, and try to find meaning or purpose in all of it.  Others move past the past and look on ahead to the future; making resolutions and plans for a prosperous and successful new year.  Then, there are those who do a little bit of both, reflect on the past 12 months while also planning for the next 12 months to come.  

When I reflect on the past 12 months so many thoughts come to mind, first being of my sweet Eleanor who was born on February 28^th in the safety and comfort of our home.  Her birthday is special in two very important ways:

• 1)      The Lord blessed us with a new daughter, Eleanor Michelle!  I experience two very painful miscarriages (for a total of 5 miscarriages) prior to becoming pregnant with her and I had prayed fervently that the Lord would bless my womb again – and He did!

• 2)      I experienced the wonderful blessing of a homebirth.  It is by far my most cherished accomplishment.  Having Eleanor at home permanently removed all fear of natural childbirth that had been plaguing me since I had my first child 5 years ago.  The Lord proved Himself merciful and gracious in that He gave me the strength and confidence to trust in His handy work in creating and designing my body to not only endure the pain of labor and childbirth but to fully enjoy and  revel in the miracle of life in the most precious way possible.  He secured for me a special bond with my sweet Eleanor that only furthers my deep appreciation for the miraculous life of all of my children. He used that one single experience to breed a confidence and passion for life, truth, and wellness that no one can steal from me!

Honesty is the next thing that comes to mind when I think about the past 12 months.  Sometime in the middle of the year I shared some of the struggles that my sweet Sofia had been having, and to my surprise I received an abundance of encouragement and love that far surpassed my expectations.  I also learned that I was not alone, and that other Christian families had struggled with the same thing, or were currently struggling.  The Lord brought people into my life that He used to help us help Sofia.  Over the past few months there have been great changes and all glory goes to the Lord!  Modifying her diet, incorporating a few new vitamins and supplements, not to mention all the time we spent praying for wisdom, has born more fruit than we ever imagined it would.  We got our daughter back!  She hasn’t had a meltdown in a couple of months and has just continued to blossom under the close and watchful care of parents who would go to the ends of the earth for her.

I’ve found that in the course of the past 12 months I’ve grown closer to my husband, and even more reliant on him.  I’ve learned some hard lessons on friendship and where my loyalty is to ultimately lie.  I’ve learned that relationships change, some for the better, and some for the worse and that is ok – life goes on.  I’ve learned that no matter what happens, I can depend on my husband for the loving compassion and encouragement that cannot be rendered from any other person.  Whether I have one friend, five friends, one hundred friends, or no friends; my heart is cherished by no one more than my husband.

Oh my darling children – the Lord has used the last year to renew my love for my children.  They are the Lord’s little gifts of joy all wrapped up in tender sweetness.  I have the great honor and pleasure of loving such precious daughters.  Sofia, Charlotte and Eleanor are my true delights; packages of loveliness.  I love being the mother of three little girls; each one with their unique personalities adds something distinctly different to our family.  I pray that the Lord gives me grace and wisdom when instructing them in the ways of the Lord, and discipling them for the work of biblical womanhood.  I have watched Sofia and Charlotte blossom into such tenderhearted little girls.  The Lord is showing Himself Sovereign in their lives as we witness Him cultivating their hearts for His use.  They love to learn about the Lord and each day the Lord blesses us when they share their hearts with us.  What an amazing honor to know that, at this moment we have our daughters’ hearts.  May we never take the awesome responsibility of shepherding their hearts for the glory of the Lord for granted.  We take the duty of guarding their hearts and minds so seriously for fear the Lord would smite us should we cause them to stumble.  They are so precious to us, how much more precious are they to Him, the One who made them?

Biblical womanhood and the journey of being the keeper of my home has been a quest from the moment I married my husband.  I’ve learned that when you are the mother of three little ones, the best place to spend the majority of my time is right at home with them.  There truly is no other place I’d rather be anyways.  My ministry is to my husband and children, and if I find myself being busy elsewhere, then I’ve effectively neglected my post, and things begin to fall apart.  My heart and affections need to be “plugged in” at home, throughout the course of my day and even throughout the night.  The Proverbs 31 woman never let her lamp burn out, and thus is the life of a mother with little ones – especially an exclusively breastfed little one.  

Helping and encouraging my husband is so important for the vitality of our marriage and family.  When scoffers try and attack his character or the genuineness of his personality then of course I am right there to defend him and to pray fervently against the attacks of the enemy.  I love my husband dearly, and am so very thankful the Lord allows me each day to be his helpmeet. 

Within this past year I have finished my Bachelor’s degree, which I had feared would never happen.  There were times that I simply wanted to give up, but I had much to prove to myself and to those who have labeled me a quitter all my life.  I remember as a teenager someone saying that I would never amount to anything; that I would always be a “screw-up”.  I am thankful that the Lord chose to show Himself merciful in my life because I would otherwise be something to be pitied.  All of my accomplishments are His, for I can do nothing good apart from Christ.  I’m thankful that He has given me a tenacity and a fierce desire for Truth, because if you saw the me that was before Christ, it sure was a pathetic sight to behold.  To God be the Glory!

The Lord showed my husband favor shortly after Eleanor was born and provided a wonderful job as a QA Manager/Analyst/Program Designer/IT Support/whatever the boss needs done!  He works for a Medical Software Development company and has learned more about the medical industry than he knew before.  He has earned a raise and is due for another review in a few months with another raise in store.  He enjoys his work, and one of the perks is that he can work from home if he has to; and has on several occasions worked late into the night or over the weekends.  He is currently creating custom graphics of the different parts of the eye (another hat he wears at work), and has enjoyed learning about that as well.  There are several people he works with who are of the same convictions as we are on mainstream medicine and health nutrition - including the owner, and this has given us great encouragement in the face of some who do not have the same convictions.  I've had the pleasure of watching my husband grow in a company that has given him job security and a place to hone his skills.  God is Good!

Not only do I have a crochet/sewing cottage business, I have recently became an Independent Distributor for Young Living Therapeutic Essential Oils.  I'm excited about this new business venture and joining Mrs. Stacy McDonald and many others in teaching others about the importance of health and wellness and how true Therapeutic essential oils can play a vital role in achieving optimum health.  I created my own website Southern Scentsabilities and am behind excited to share everything I've learned and am continuing to learn about caring for your families health through  the use of essential oils! 

 As this year comes to a close, and we all embark on the uncharted journey of a new year, I pray that the Lord would continue to remove those things from my heart and my life that seek to draw my affections away from Him and my family.  I pray that He would continue to guide me and teach me His ways.  I pray that He would strengthen my love and devotion for my husband and children, and cause me to find even more joy in being the keeper of my home.  I pray that as I continue to share my life through Serving God and Family that it would always point people to Christ.  I am who I am because the Lord has been merciful to me, and I pray that even when I write things that are controversial or against mainstream philosophies that I will remain consistent in a Biblical worldview, never faltering for fear of scrutiny or hateful criticism. 

I pray also that each one of my readers has a wonderful and blessed New Year, and that you will continue to seek the Lord in all things.  Love your husbands and children, and most of all, love the Lord with all of your heart! Soli Deo Gloria!

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <><