New

It's the eve of 2014, over four months since my last post. I didn't intend to leave my blog high and dry. In fact, it probably would have been a good thing for me to have been blogging consistently this past year. 

I imagine as I blog (hopefully) more consistently in 2014, the events of 2013 will weave themselves into my posts - and I hope they do. While 2013 has not been the easiest year I've ever lived, it has been a fruitful, valuable year, and I do not want to forget it.

I'm in a new state, a new town, a new house and Sabian has a new job at our new church. Addie will go to a new school and both she and Olive will encounter all sorts of new. We've made new friends and hope to make more and have new, fun adventures as a family. I am hopeful. And yes, I am sad to be away from family and close friends yet again, but that's what comes with all of this newness.

New. In some cases, when it comes to clothes and furniture and, well, stuff, new is welcome in my book. When it comes to new experiences, new places, new people, it is harder to write those things in my book. Not impossible, not completely unwelcome, just harder. It's easier to choose a new chair for my living room - it's a lot harder to move my four year old away from her family, school, friends...her comfort. But, she'll likely adjust much better and faster than I will. The encouraging part of this is that we'll all adjust and learn and grow together.

As with any other new year, we all face the new. Last year as a family we faced a lot of new experiences just as 2013 was dawning, and the same goes for this year, as 2014 approaches. One thing that remains the same is God's faithfulness, which then prompts this reminder:

"Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

New mercies. Never failing faithfulness. What a way to end and start a year.

I am thankful for God's faithfulness. Happy 2014!