Goodbye 2021

2021.  What can I say?  It was a year full of highs and lows.  Great things, and not-so-great things.  Plot twists and fades to black.  Overall, I would say the Weavers had a pretty prosperous 2021.  But that's not to say we aren't fervently looking forward to 2022!  Here's a quick look back, followed by a TikTok recap of 2021.

Over the course of the year, Jake turned 14 in January, Emma and Lara turned 19 in May, and Finn turned 10 in October.  Britt and Betsey had birthdays as well, but just know they are over the hill.  Jake finished 8th grade and moved on to 9th at Stillwater Junior High while Finn graduated 3rd grade and moved up t fourth at Westwood.  Lara continued as a sophomore at Oklahoma State University, while Emma moved to Ark City Kansas to pursue a degree at Cowley College.  As we welcomed 2021, Britt had just started his job as "Noon Monitor" at Westwood, and he has really been able to grow and thrive in that position as we returned to a more normal school setting every few weeks.  Betsey started the year as Assistant Registrar at OSU, but finished her Master's Degree in May and moved to a new coordinator position in a brand new department in October.  Britt and Betsey both got new (to us) used cars late in the summer due to the Great Weaver Car Shuffle of 2021 which started with Lara totaling the car she got when she turned 16.  She is now driving the Jeep we had for several years, and we are starting to shop for Jake's car, while we wear in our newest additions.  This place looks like a used car lot some days when we are all here! Everyone is moving onward and upward!

Lara finished out her freshman year in the dorms at OSU, then came home for the summer.  She went back to campus in the Fall to live in the brand new Alpha Delta Pi house - appropriately nicknamed the "ADPalace."  The fall semester kept her busy with homecoming, having a new little diamond sister, all the social events and philanthropy events that happen in Greek life, and of course her courses.  She also worked her 2 jobs and ended the semester 1 credit shy of officially being a junior.  She will start the Spring semester as an officer in her chapter.  She is the Director of Alumnae Engagement.  Seems appropriate since she is a double legacy! She is excited about the position!  She also ended the year by applying to be a counselor for the fall formal recruitment process.

Emma finished out the Spring term at OSU, then lived and worked in Kay County with her paternal grandfather for the summer - including keeping her Auto Zone job from Stillwater and transferring it to Ponca City.  During that time, she decided to pursue her education at Cowley College in Arkansas City.  Late in the summer, we went up for a tour and to decide on housing,  She lives in a campus housing complex (a converted assisted living home) called "The Lodge" in a single room.  It is a little off-campus, but still part of the college.  She transferred her Auto Zone job from Ponca City to Ark City and had a GREAT first semester.  She is looking forward to classes starting back up in the Spring!

Jake started 2021 playing basketball and ended it the same way.  He has made the school team both years but also plays AAU and travel ball as much as he possibly can.  He spent most of 2021 on the Relentless Team.  They are a fun group to watch, and they win a lot so that's fun, too.  Jake has been in several advanced level classes as a Freshman and has done very well academically.  He has an amazing group of Christian friends, and his social calendar is always full.  So between basketball, school, and friends, he keeps pretty busy.  If not those activities, he is playing Xbox, watching youtube, or making TikTok videos!  Typical teenage boy!  

Finn has really matured a lot this year!  Life has thrown a lot at him,  and he turned 10, so he wants to do big kid's things now.  He has THE BEST fourth-grade teacher this year, and they have a special bond  He is also in the Gifted and Talented program at his school.  But I think the thing he loves the most about school is that his dad is there for lunch and recess!  Finn got to read the morning announcements at school recently and lead the school in the pledge of allegiance.  He is looking forward to things getting more normal again so he can maybe play piano, learn guitar, or play soccer.  But, he has a healthy fear of getting sick with covid, so he stays pretty close to home these days.

The holiday season was pretty low-key for the 4 Weavers.  Lots of baseball practice, video games, food, and local family.  Emma and Lara spent 7 days in Costa Rica with their Dad and Stepmom visiting their paternal grandfather.  The pictures were amazing and their stories full of life, but we were glad to be able to celebrate Christmas with them - a few days late - once they returned.  Surprisingly, I have very few pictures of Christmas day with my boys and NONE of Twister Christmas a few days later.  My parents joined us for both of these celebrations, so that was a blessing as well.

We are starting 2022 with a Coivd spike it seems.  Britt and Betsey have worn masks at work all year, but the kids all started off Fall term strong with masks but fell off pretty quickly.  Finn was the most diligent, but he was fully vaccinated by Chsirmas and didn't wear one 100% of the time towards the end of school.  The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and seems to be more contagious and more potent.  So, we figure masks will be more popular as school starts back up.

So here's to 2022.  Covid, School, Jobs, Sports, and all the rest.  I am here for it!  I am glad for all the lessons 2021 taught me, and I am looking forward to more growth in 2022.

2021 Recap video I made for us:

@bdub74

Goodbye 2021! Six Dream Weaver style. It was a pretty good one. Bring on 2022!

♬ som original - luiza

 

Here's to a prosperous 2022!

Ho! Ho! Holy Snowballs! It’s almost Christmas!

How has it already been another month?  Time? Please slow down… The house is decorated, almost done shopping, and all the presents that are in the house are wrapped and under the tree.  This year, we assigned each person in the house a Christmas themed name for other gift tags, so no one (except the elves) knows whose package is whose. We have Fruitcake, Noel-It-All, Hot Apple Cider, Sleigh BElle, Jack Frost, and Silber Bells.  Still don't want them o shave all the presents, but this way no one knows who's is who's.  They think I chose names to suit their personalities.  But, Did I?????

We had a pretty low-key Thanksgiving.  Lara was staying with my parents due to her sorority house being closed for the week, and the boys (Britt, Jake, and Finn) and I went to Perkins for a nice lunch, so family time, board games, and all the storytelling we could handle.

Then, after that brief break, everything hit the winter stride.  When basketball season starts, we just get so crazy busy!  Add to that, Jake went to the eye doctor ad now has glasses and contacts – all new a week before his first game!  It’s been an adjustment (he missed ALL his shots first practice with contacts), and his lenses are on BACKORDER (thank you, global supply chain issues), so we are wearing contacts only for games and trying to save them while wearing glasses all the rest of the time. (PS - Britt measured the boys last week.  Jake is 6'7" and Finn is 4'6")

So while we have been in many gyms watching many basketball games the past few weeks – including our beloved OSU Cowboys, we also squeezed in some other fun as well.  We took Finn to the OSU Merry Mascot Christmas party with Pistol Pete at the Alumni Center.  He liked the inflatable slides, tolerated the line to get a picture with Pistol Pete, and LOVED all the Pete’s Pet Posse (P3) therapy dogs.  He has started a collection of their trading cards, and is already up to 8 or 9 in his collection! 

On campus, I was also able to participate in a fun activity during finals week to help get the students through a busy and stressful time.  We have a “Hugs from Home” event a couple of times a semester where a parent-led group partners with the Residential Life and Student Affairs staff, and we hand out gift cards, snacks, and HUGS!  We also have P3 therapy dogs on hand for cuddles as well.  It was SO COLD, but we were determined to be outside so the kids could see us.  We ran out of hot chocolate in about 30 minutes, handed out all the warm Chick-fil-A sandwiches in about 45 minutes, and by the 1-hour mark we were out of gift cards as well.  But we got to hug so many kids going to and from their final exams!  And the therapy dogs were of course a huge hit!  I even got to hug on my own kid, and her “little” as well!

Today is Cousin Kayleigh’s 15th birthday.  I haven’t seen her in a while, but the grandparents went down to Texas late last month to see her in her school play.  I can’t believe she is FIFTEEN!  And that means Jake will be 15 in 5 weeks, too!  HOW are these babies so old already???  We are wishing her a VERY happy birthday and hope she gets treated like royalty today!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAYLEIGH!

My college kids are done for the semester, and the boys go to school all this week, then Monday and Tuesday next week.  I am working Monday – Wednesday next week, then I will get a bit of a break as well.  So thankful to work at the university so I get a nice long break as well.  Not as long as the rest of my family (Lara gets like 6 weeks! Emma about 5, and the boys almost 3), but long enough to recharge some very drained batteries.  Still learning new things every day, and we are in the middle of having several systems ready for “go live” on Jan 24, so the next month will be intense!  I can’t wait for the next steps…

A time to be thankful… and KIND

Here we are over halfway through November.  Reflecting on the upcoming holiday and all we are thankful for.  I am so thankful for my amazing family.  And my new job.  I’ve been here a month now.  Challenging in s an understatement, but so is rewarding!  When you are learning something new, with others who are learning something new, every victory – however small – is celebrated!  And we celebrate with memes, gifs, and laughs.  We have had WEEKS of 2 steps forward followed by one step back, then one step forward and TWO steps back, but we are learning every day!  Add to that, we are all getting to know each other -professionally and personally.  What a way to be stretched!  While I am physically and mentally exhausted, I am energized by the newness of it all.  And oh so grateful for the opportunity.

In reflecting on all the changes I have endured the last few weeks, I keep coming back to the word KIND.  I see it everywhere these days.  T-shirts, mugs, stickers…  People say it, and probably mean it, but then I see things that honestly aren’t very kind from some of those same people.  And believe me, I fall into that category more than I wish I did.  So, what is it to be kind?  And not just kind when it is convenient.  Or it fits your platform.  Or when being kind gets the results you want.  What does it mean to BE KIND and to ACT WITH KINDNESS all the time?

Here is what I think it looks like, to me anyway: Grace.  God’s grace. God’s grace flows from the essence of his being: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).  Read that again.  Merciful.  Gracious.  Slow to anger.  Love. 

So, in everyday situations, it means no judgment.  It means your story has WORTH and it is HONORABLE – and so is mine.  Your choices, while they still have consequences, are to be met with love and mercy.  And so are mine.  You are WORTHY, Loved, cherished.  AND SO AM I.  Kindness is a two-way street, with no end.  If you want kindness in return, be kind.  If you show kindness and it is not returned, BE KIND. You can only control your own actions.  So just BE KIND.  No matter the intent, no matter the IMPACT (which can be in conflict), show God’s love, grace, and mercy.  Love conquers all.

And a quick Weaver Family update: We are looking forward to Thanksgiving week!  A few days off our routine, good food, and family.  Emma is going to Louisiana with her paternal grandmother and her boyfriend to see some extended family.  Lara must move out of her sorority house, so she is bunking at Nana’s for the week.  Jake and Finn are glad to be out of school, but Jake is going to fill some of his time off by working out with the Varsity and JV Pioneer basketball teams since his 9^th grade team is off the whole week.  I know the girls are both looking forward to their Fall semesters ending!  Lara ends the term as a junior and is already enrolled for the Spring.  Emma’s courses roll forward and she will have a few schedule changes as well.  We are excited for Freshman basketball – the first game is December 6!

All 4 kids in one place! 11.07.2021 

Relentless Basketball (Jake's travel team)

Austin, Emma (and Finn!)

Finn says GO POKES!

Austin and Emma

Jake: STRONG MAN

Lara all dressed up!

ADPi Philanthropy Night

Veteran's Day at Finn (and Dad's) school

 

Weaver Life Update

As I posted about the new job, I realized it has been NONE MONTHS since the last post.  Still working our way out of the Pandemic Fog, and adjusting to life with two 19-year-olds, a 14-year-old, and a 10-year-old.  TIME FLIES!  Two in college, one in high school, and one in elementary school.  Full-time job, part-time jobs, driving carpool, all the things to make a home run...  We keep pretty busy!  So, here are a few updates on the Dream Weavers and what we're doing as Fall 2021 is in full swing.

BRITT: Britt started his job at Westwood Elementary school last December.  After navigating a Spring 2021 term with scattered attendance, remote learning, and lots of challenges and changes to navigate, he was happy to return to a more normal environment this Fall.  He works lunch and recess for Kindergarten, 2^nd grade, 4^th grade, and 5^th grade (lunch only).  He is very good at opening chips, drinks, yogurt, and any other pre-packaged food!  And he is a master of dad jokes – which particularly irks the kindergartners.  For the first 9 weeks of school, they had the playground segregated into different areas and only a certain number of kids could be in each area due to Covid protocols.  Just a couple weeks ago, they opened the playground back up and all the kids are playing together again!  At the end of the day, he works dismissal for all of the van rider students – the kids that go to daycares and other after-school care and activity facilities after school.  Between all those obligations he also completes “other duties as assigned.”  He keeps the office ladies giggling and truly embodies the sign at his desk, which reads “CHAOS COORDINATOR.”  Working part-time also gives him LOTS of time to drive junior high carpool, take kids to doctor’s appts and haircuts, and still keep our home running smoothly. He is going to be a hairband rocker for Halloween – going to confuse all his playground friends with a head full of black hair on the Friday of Halloween week!

BETSEY: I finished up my Master’s Degree, in a PANDEMIC!  So many twists and turns, obstacles, and opportunities to pivot.  It all culminated in an OUTDOOR, socially distanced commencement ceremony at Boone Pickens Stadium on the beautiful campus of Oklahoma State University.  Truly one of the crowning moments of my life.  In the three years it took me to complete my degree, I learned so much, met SO MANY people, and got to use my new skills hands-on in so many ways.  Just this month, I started a new position at OSU after a lengthy, and adventurous, post-grad job hunt.  I am so happy to be in my new position and to be able to impact students at OSU.  I truly bleed orange, and this is a dream come true.  I am sad to leave my Registrar friends, and I also had to rescind my membership on the Executive Committee of the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officials.  I will miss those folks, the evens we put on, and the fun we had.  My last duty with them was to present at the Fall 2021 Annual Conference, appropriately called “PIVOT!”  My presentation was called “OK Boomer!” and it covered the differences of the five generations we have on college campuses today and how to best meet the service level expectations of Gen Z on a college campus.  Seems appropriate that I started this new job just days after that presentation! I am going to be Wonder Woman for Halloween, since, well, the last 20 months have tested me…

EMMA: After a year at OSU, living in the dorms, as an Engineering major, IN A PANDEMIC, Emma has started a new educational path.  She is in her first year of courses at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas.  She is studying non-destructive weld testing.  She will graduate in 2 years with an Associate Degree in Technology.  She will work towards a Certified Weld Inspector certification after graduation and aspires to work in the oil field.  She had started working at Auto Zone in Stillwater while at OSU, transferred to the Ponca City store in the Summer while she lived there with her grandfather, and was able to join the Ark City team when she started at Cowley.  She works (too) hard and has earned herself a nice promotion and raise recently.  She’s great at what she does, and there are many customers who ask for her specifically.  She has also gotten to taste a little bit of the farm life as she befriended a local family who put her to work on the tractor a few times.  She lives in a “dorm” that is part of the campus; it’s a converted retirement home!  She has a single room, and she and her plants are really doing well in Kansas.  She is really thriving and maturing by being up there and more on her own.  I love it when she calls me about once a week with a “life update!” We like having her there because it’s not TOO far away, and we get to go see her and explore new towns and restaurants!

LARA: Lara has been perfecting her time management and organizational skills by managing life as a college sophomore, working 2 part-time jobs, and being an active member of her sorority.  At the end of this semester, she will be just a couple hours short of being a junior in the Spears College of Business at Oklahoma State University.  She is a double major and recently declared 2 minors as well.  She works 20-ish hours a week at the Stillwater history museum (the same job she had last year), and another few hours a week at a local church in their nursery and children’s ministry.  She worked at the museum all summer from a grant they received, and she was able to sort, catalog, and learn so much more about textiles and the curation process.  This semester, she lives in a brand-new palace with 150 of her sisters.  Alpha Delta Pi has made her a “BIG” sister this semester, and she is currently awaiting elections to occur as she is running for an executive board position.  This opportunity has really stretched her!  She is VERY grateful for a more “normal semester and being able t participate in more college activities like game days, homecoming preparations, coke dates, and sorority parties.  She is going to be red-headed big sister Candace from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb for Halloween.  Fits, she since has two annoying brothers and red hair…

JAKE: Jake is a Freshman (!!!), and he is measuring 6'6" tall these days.  But in our school system, 8^th and 9^th grade are paired in one school – the junior high.  He is taking several advanced classes and is playing school basketball.  He has a GREAT group of core friends.  They carpool together, play ball together, go to church youth group, high school Christian fellowship groups, and men’s bible study together, stay at each other’s houses, travel to football games together, and generally have a great time as a crew.  They have a lot of the same classes, even if not in the same hour, so they have a group chat for each subject for homework help and assignment reminders.  He loves his phone – since that’s where Snapchat lives, video games, and making sure he knows where his next meal is coming from.  His bedroom is currently decorated with LED color-changing lights, an American flag, a print of all the NBA logos, and a flag of McLovin’s fake Hawaiian ID (from the movie Superbad).  He also plays for a travel ball team which is a few Stillwater boys and some from surrounding communities called Relentless.  They are 9^th and 10^th graders, and they're super fun to watch.  If he is not on the hardwood, he is probably playing XBOX.  Rocket League, Fortnite, MLB The Show, and others I can’t remember the names of.  And he likes Clash of Clans on his iPhone. His favorite question (besides “what’s for dinner?”) is “When do I get my braces off?”  We’re close, but I am not sure when they will come off…  He is going to be Phineas of Phineas and Ferb cartoon fame with his friend Sam (who will be Ferb).

FINN: Baby Finn.  He just turned 10 a few weeks ago, so I guess he is not a baby anymore.  Fourth grade and he LOVES it.  He has the very best teacher!  She and Finn were made to be in a classroom together!  Finn has several good friends in his class, and he also has a few neighborhood buddies he plays with outside.  He LOVES his baby doxies, Ama & Jasper, and usually tolerates the Mutt, Evie, pretty well as well.  He likes reading books that have a comic book feel, all things MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) LEGO bricks, and video games.  He plays all kinds of games on his Nintendo Switch and his phone, and sometimes Big Brother will let him play XBOX when he is out of the house.  He is going to be some version of Spiderman for Halloween.  Since there’s like a dozen now, I can’t keep them all straight.  Finn misses his sisters being in the house, and he sure is excited when we get to see them every once in a while.  He is NOT, however, excited to watch all of Jake’s basketball games…  He spends some weekends with Nana and Grandpa (who spoil him) so he doesn’t have to go on trips to Oklahoma City.  He is set to have some orthodontic work starting soon to work on his severe underbite.  Hope to get that ball rolling before the new year.  He is sweet and kind and smart, and has a stubborn streak a mile long!  

And the dogs! 

Evie will be 3 next month.  She thinks she is a lap dog – loves to hug and cuddle, but 60 lbs of fluffy white fur DO NOT belong on my couch.  She loves tennis balls, mealtime, and catching snacks that are thrown to her.  

Ama turned 1 in April.  She is a tiny ball of long-hair love. I spend most of my time trying to get her ears back to “factory settings” as she loves to pinch them down and fold them back.  She gives lots of kisses, likes to be close to someone, and never tires of chasing her brother.  

Jasper just turned 1 this month.  He is my velvety baby who makes noise constantly!  He just learned to catch tennis balls in his mouth, eats his food like he’s never been fed before, and has 2 speeds – 0 and 100.  He sleeps like a rock, and barks at every single thing.  They just got their orange fall collars last week, and I am already looking for Christmas ones! We love having fur babies!

So, Mom got a new job...

 

8 months
42 applications
22 phone and or zoom interviews
6 candidate finalist interviews
5 campus visits in 4 states
And I ended up 30 yards north and 4 floors down from my current position!

Friday, 10/15/21 was my last day as Assistant Registrar over Registration and Enrollment in the Office of the Registrar at Oklahoma State University. After a long, nationwide job search, Monday, I started in a new position – at OSU - that may be the best fit I never knew I needed!

I was selected by Dr. David Mariott and his selection committee as the Department Coordinator for the newly created Student Success CRM Department. We are a small, but mighty, department of 4 who will be implementing Slate CRM for Student Success across campus with our current students, as well as faculty and staff initiatives. I will manage 2 team members, under Dr. Mariott’s direction, as we work towards student retention and completion goals. I will help with strategic planning, implement new software initiatives, and assist with assessment and reporting. This is all very new, and very exciting, but also a little intimidating.

I have just finished out the first week, and I am exhausted! But I have learned so much, and I am ready to dive in and begin making a difference next week. There is a HUGE learning curve for me, but I am READY! Since we are a brand new department, we were greeted with 3 empty offices with desks from surplus, and we have spent the last week procuring chairs, and bookshelves, and getting computers imaged, and all the things that need to be done to make an office run. We are in 3 offices in the basement of the Classroom Building, but each of our 3 offices has a window! It's not a bad spot at all, but we know as we grow we will have to relocate.

I am overjoyed by this opportunity. This role incorporates all the things I am passionate about and am GOOD at! And I am thrilled I get to stay in Stillwater and be a Cowboy a little longer!

GO POKES!

Parenting Adult Kids

 

Several days ago (January 7, 2021, to be exact), I made this fun graphic and posted it to my socials with the caption:

Y’all. It’s real.

#halfemptynest #adultchildren #mamaprobs

And, because the internet never fails me, I got a lot of support and a few not as friendly answers.

Many of my peer mamas (and papas), empathized, sympathized, laughed, groaned, gif'd, or meme'd.  Just as I would expect.  But a couple basically said "they are grown.  Quit parenting.  You don't have to parent them anymore."  Supported by examples of their own tactics with adult children (mind you we are all talking 22 or under here - they are BABY adults!).  This gave me pause and made me think.  Over the last 10 days, both my baby birds, separately (trips overlapped by 2 days) have gone on extensive trips with families I know nothing about (college friends - one flew, one drove), done things they have never done before, and allowed other people to pay their way in some fashion.  I almost feel like I have to say "Sorry, this is weird to me."

But I AM NOT SORRY!  I am their MAMA!  And my nest is 1/2 the nest it used to be.  And it is WEIRD!  And that's OK, too.  You don't have to agree with me.  Or empathize, but why try to make me feel bad in response to this new time in my life?  A time that has left me unsettled and questioning?  I am trying to learn my new role.  I am trying to appreciate the tiny humans that I have molded into thriving, full-sized members of the greater society.

Anyway - this was the response I penned (and the main reason I started this blog today -- to share my heart on this matter):

So it is apparent to me that some of us may define parenting differently. I supposed what I mean is more on the mentoring side. I’m still their mom. They still need to hear my voice, feel my hugs, experience the highs and lows and be able to come to me for a soft landing. That kind of parenting. I have set them up for success. Loaded their tool boxes with all the things I had at 18/19 and all the things I wished I’d had. We have taught them well. Given them roots to hold and wings to fly. But I will always ALWAYS be their mom.

It’s weird for me to hear them make plans and handle arrangements and take care of their business without me having to do it. Signs I did a good job. But it’s still weird to me. They tell me what they’re doing instead of asking. They want advice, but they may not take it. They do things I don’t necessarily agree with. Those parts of parenting. I still need to (get to, want to) be there for those parts!!!

All that to say - I love being a mom to my amazing adults.  But, it is disconcerting at times.  And I still have 2 more at home.  Hopefully, the lessons I am learning in this season with 1/2 an empty nest (it is hard releasing 2 at once, even if one of them didn't live with me full time) will serve me well when I have a FULL empty nest in about a decade.  In the meantime, I will keep on parenting!

The Thrill of HOPE (One Word 2021)

 

A look back on 2020: Well, THAT escalated quickly!

Global Pandemic will do that to you!  2020 was rough.  In a lot of ways.  Too many ways.  But while there was loss, and missing out, and pain, there was also growth, resilience, and closeness.  As I sat down to write about my One Word for 2021, I reviewed last year's word, breathe,  and reflected on how it impacted my year.  This is the closing paragraph of the blog from last year: 

A new chapter, a new year, a new DECADE!  So much will be changing in my life over the next 12-24 months.  And while I cannot wait, I also know my anxiety will be high.  I am working hard this year to stay in front of it.  Medication, prayer, and just breathing.

Man!  Talk about prophetic!  Changed my meds early in the year - for the better.  Endless prayer for so many situations over the past 12 months!  And, because of the lockdowns, closures, remote schedules, and distance learning, I was able to breathe.  I didn't always recognize it in the moment, but it was there.  I was reminded over and over I was not in control.  GOD is in control.  It was my job to pray, listen (One Word 2019), and just breathe. 

The year 2021, for so many, is a year of HOPE.  Hope for a vaccination so we can get back to a more normal routine.  HOPE for families to recover financially from the stress this pandemic has caused.  HOPE for growth and development from the lessons learned over this tumultuous year.  HOPE for peace from all the divisiveness in our world.  HOPE for a break from the stress and strife.  I know where to find that hope - IN JESUS!

This year's word came to me over the Christmas season.  I have always loved the song "O Holy Night."  The line "A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices" spoke to me every time I heard that song this past month.  The THRILL!  A sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure.  We all want that for 2021!  And HOPE!  A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.  This year is ripe with expectation and desire. "For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."  2021 is a new,  and glorious morn!  There is HOPE!  We can fall on our knees, and love one another! We can live in His law of love and Gospel of Peace.  

Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  He knows!  He knows we are weary, broken, and looking for more.  REST in him.  LEAN IN to the hope he has for us.  Hebrews 10:23 says "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."  This is your call, too!  Profess your hope; God is always faithful.  He will continue to strengthen you while you are in a place of waiting.  Isaiah 40:31 tells us "those who hope in the Lod will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

So, in 2021, I will stand in my faith.  I will HOPE for my future, my family's future, and the future of our local community, our state, and our nation.  I will take action when guided by the Holy Spirit, and I will pray for discernment in all my decisions.  I will continue to listen to God's whispers, and I will also breathe through the tough moments.  

"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Psalm 71:14

Welcome to 2021.  I hope you have a GREAT year, and you can renew your strength from the lessons 2020 forced us to learn. Sing sweet hymns of joy and Praise His Holy Name!  There is a THRILL of HOPE!

I can see HOPE in 2021