OMGosh! Where has the time gone?? I feel like the older I get, the faster time flies by!! This has certainly been one of the most eventful years of my life, and it feels like it’s literally gone by in not even a blink of an eye.
2018 has definitely been a year of growth for me — spiritually, in my career, in my marriage, and within myself.
- I was baptized in January, alongside of my wonderful husband — and both of our faith and relationships with God grew at an extremely rapid pace thereafter.
- Chad and I closed on our first house together in March, and officially moved in at the beginning of April.
- I was promoted to a Charge Nurse position, and completely changed specialties (from the heart to the spine/brain) in May.
- We found out we were pregnant with our first baby at the end of May.
- Our son Noah was diagnosed with a neural tube condition in June that shook us to the core, and prompted us to really seek God’s presence and feel the power of the Holy Spirit within us for the first time ever in our lives.
- In September, I gave birth to our sweet Noah but we had to turn around and give him right back to God. This was when I experienced my first true heartache, and had my first small taste of motherhood.
- Shortly after we laid Noah’s body to rest, we traveled to Orlando FL for the Habitation Conference. This is where we experienced days and days of God’s presence, and witnessed His Spirit flowing through all the preachers, worship leaders, and through ourselves. It was literally a life-changing experience, and changed the course of our passion for God and supercharged our pursuit after him even more than before.
- In October, a new purpose stirred inside of my heart after attending a charity gala to support the Pregnancy Care Center — whose purpose is to provide assistance, resources, ministry, and mentorship to women who are living through difficult pregnancies, with the primary goal of diverting their paths from abortion. After discovering this type of ministry, I knew I had to be a part of it. So I decided to take an additional job opportunity to become the Nurse Manager of this center.
- We experienced and survived our first holiday season in November and December without our baby boy here on Earth with us.
Now here we are. Just a few days away from the end of this crazy year, and about to welcome in the beginning of next year. It has definitely been a rollercoaster of a year with all of the huge “milestones” that Chad and I tackled, but in the midst of all of the craziness.. the one thing that sticks out in my mind the most is: GROWTH.
Growth of our house as it was being built. Growth of our endurance to work all the long hours needed to obtain said house. Growth within my career paths. Growth in my marriage. Growth of our baby inside of my belly during all of those beautiful months–and also the growth of his hygroma and his impending farewell to us. Growth in my strength and confidence as a mother, wife, and person. Growth in my purpose here on Earth. And most of all, growth of my faith in God and all of His goodness and glory.
So to close this end of the year reflection… I wanted to let it be known that despite of everything I went through this year, I can truthfully say that I would not go back and change a thing. In Psalm 139:16, David states “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” God has already written my whole entire book of life before I was even born, and the rest of my life are just chapters I haven’t gotten to yet. I have complete and utter faith in my God and I trust my life in His hands, to guide me through the rest of my story — even with all the bumps and kinks along the way. Only God knows what’s in store for my future. And as I’m feeling bittersweet about leaving the most memorable year of my life, I’m also so incredibly excited for 2019 to be here. To live out the testimony God has planned for me, and to see what blessings He has in store for me.
From deep within my heart to yours,
God Bless.
Noah’s Ray of Sunshine 