Peace, Be Still

This has been an interesting year for our family. From the day Andy called with the news that his job had been eliminated, through months of unemployment, to selling our house and relocating in a cabin-- we have certainly been on a roller coaster of uncertainty.



We built our last home with the idea that it would be our last. We pictured our grandchildren coming there to visit and huge family gatherings after all the kids were grown and married with families of their own. We have lived within 6 blocks of our ward meetinghouse for 24 years and never intended to stray any further than that.



Apparently, the Lord had other plans. And we have gratefully, if not always happily, accepted that. His tender mercies have seen us through all of our lives and continued through the recent times of worry. Each visit to the temple brought us a sense of peace. Each change ended up being for the better. Each step into the unknown, guided by His hand.



The sale of our house and the timing of it: Truly Miraculous--no other way to explain it. That alone released us from what would have become a huge burden as the job hunt continued longer than we expected. The cabin was another blessing--it softened the blow of all the changes we had to experience and allowed us to live frugally and conserve our resources. It also gives us a place to come back to in our beloved Northwest.



We are thankful for the extra time we've had after we sold our house, to linger in our hometown with our ward family. Grateful to have some extra time serving with the amazing women in our stake YW presidency. Time to spend with my husband, who, for the first time in our married life was free to spend time with the family. The Lord truly has eased the way for this next phase of our lives.



I have always placed such a high premium on security, it has been a great year of learning for me--to let go and trust--REALLY TRUST--that the Lord is mindful of us and would show us the way. Faith is a great thing in theory but requires practice to really mean anything. I keep getting reminded that this life's purpose is to be tested.