Thankful

Made it to my 39th today!

So very much has happened since I last posted, and I won't try to defend or explain my absence or even to catch everyone up in one post! All I can think about today is how grateful I am for the path that my life has taken. Especially when I thought it would look different at 39.

I thought I'd be married in my early twenties....I'm so grateful to the Lord for keeping Eric and me single until our later years. Cannot imagine another person who would compliment, love, and challenge me as he does. (He's been after me to pick up writing again for a long time now!)

I thought I'd have several children by now (biologically of course and then we'd have adopted)..... Thankful to be able to say that the very painful path to our two beautiful daughters was so very worth it. Worth the heartache, tears, and loss of many years to wake up now as momma to these two gifts. Each of their adoption stories has been full of beauty, heartbreak, and learning to have open hands.

I thought I'd be living in the mountains....Nashville has been a place of such growth and deep, deep friendships for me. I bought my first house here, I've been at the same church for nearly 10 years, and I've put down roots. I've accepted life-giving dares from dear friends here and came out on the other side of those challenges more free. (Although I secretly still hope for a mountain retreat someday in the future :) ..... that's ok, right?!)

I thought I'd have the same "good" relationship with the Lord that I'd always had...... Humbled that He would chose to put me through fire to experience a more "real" relationship with Him. He is more tender and lovely than I knew Him to be.

Those are the biggest ones. I hope to be writing more often.....we shall see :) ....