This song has been one of my favorites since becoming a Christian, but lately it is ringing true in my life and I've listened to it endlessly the past few weeks. The words are strong, true, convicting and emotional. It reminds me that it doesn't matter what happens in this life, what's important is that my soul is well in the truth. To me, it's a reversal in thought. In the past, I have felt that I had to right myself in life to feel my worth in faith. Instead, I need to right myself in faith to feel my worth in my life. By switching this thinking, I have found more satisfaction, appreciation and motivation to live my life the way I've wanted - happy and content.
This song was written by Horatio Spafford in the late 1800's. He lost financial wealth in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire (another famous song written about that would be "Miss O'Leary's Cow kicked over the latern...."). Then he sent his family ahead of him to Europe for a trip and all four of his daughters died when the ship sunk. His wife was the only to survive. While he traveled by boat to meet his wife, he wrote this song over the spot that the ship sank. Later, they had three more kids, a son and two daughters. The son died in 1880 from scarlet fever. I can't imagine the pain this man felt and still he wrote these words:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
AMEN!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
2013 Year In Review
Happy New Year 2014 everyone!
Boy did it sneak up this year or what? As usual, I thought a little about what I was going to put into my new years post this year but all the sudden it's the 2nd? Well, anyway, here we are, going into another year. In my line of work we are always working about 8 months ahead so to me it's almost like "finally, it's 2014". But then I look at Nora and think, wow, she was born in 2011, that will be 3 years ago in October - 3!
I remembered a lot of my resolutions from 2013 but I went back to see anyway - 2013 Post. I wanted to get healthy, spend money better and spend quality time with my kids. For really the first time, I thought about these things all year long. I started a work out plan in January with a high intensity interval training class and loved it. Over the summer, I really fixed my eating habits and boy did the scale move! I lost 15 pounds, my top goal! I also started running and did 4 races over the summer, 2 5K's and 2 10K's. I really enjoyed that and will do it again this year. Unfortunately, the last two months I haven't worked out much, so I'm looking forward to getting back at it. In regards to spending money, well, I did really good at that for some time as well, but the holiday's really had me falling off the wagon. Quality time with my kids is something I'm always working on, but I think I've done alright. When I spend time with them, I try to be aware of my actual presence and making it worthwhile, like teaching them words or colors or skills. Reed is getting to be quite the artist and writing lots of letters. Nora is speaking a lot of words, though still working on her pronunciation. I did also want to get rid of stuff around my house and I sold some things and gave away some things, this will probably always be a work in progress.
This year was not particularly special in any way but I do see it as the seeds to what is coming in the next few years. There seems to be a lot of little things that will grow into life long things, we will have to see how the next few years come about. My kids continue to grow, Reed turned 4 in May and Nora turned 2 in October. Fogg and I had our 9th anniversary. Lots of friends had babies in 2013 and lots more to come in 2014. We went on a few little vacations, nothing big, just drove around our area, some camping. Both kids broke their collar bones, almost exactly 6 months apart from each other, Nora first from a fall off a bench, and Reed second with a fall onto a tile floor. Though it seemed like a big deal at the time, just a blip in the road for each of them. It's amazing how resilient kids are.
Around the world we had a bit more excitement, and not really in the positive way. The Boston marathon bombings in April followed by a massive man hunt. In Bangladesh, a factory collapsed and killed over 1100 people. There was a plane crash in San Fransisco, there was a train crash in Spain, and a massive typhoon in the Philippines. There was a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington DC, the exact time that Fogg was there for work. There was a mall shooting in Kenya, the same time a friend of ours is serving only miles away as a teacher. Nelson Mandela died this December. Our government shut down for a time, affecting many people we know. More positively, there was a royal baby born and a new Pope was elected.
But you know what, I'm really excited about 2014, I think it's going to be awesome! Those little seeds that I mentioned earlier will manifest themselves into some awesome things. I am very very excited to celebrate our 10th anniversary in New Orleans this year. We are leaving the kids at home and gonna live it up in the Big Easy. One of my best friends just got engaged on New Years so hopefully we will be heading to a wedding this year. And my other best friend is looking close to the same... we'll see if that'll be 2 weddings - so excited! We are going to try to head out to Maine to visit Fogg's grandma and extended family as well. Fogg is planning on doing a big dirt bike race again this year and I'd like to continue doing some running races. We have planned a yurt trip with some friends in March and we will try to take our camper out for several camp trips. I'm looking forward to traveling a bit this year!
And yes, I'm into resolutions cause it gives you a new start. Even if we've failed before, it gives us a chance to start again. I'm not above setting new ones at any other time, but there is something about a fresh new year that gives you a chance to look back (as I do every single year) and make some new goals or refresh your excitement about old ones that didn't really pan out. So here they are, my new/renewed resolutions for 2014:
So onto a new year, where we get to move forward, move on, move up and enjoy life. My hope is that every single person who reads this has the best year yet, as that's what I'm hoping for myself and our family.
Cheers~
Meg
Boy did it sneak up this year or what? As usual, I thought a little about what I was going to put into my new years post this year but all the sudden it's the 2nd? Well, anyway, here we are, going into another year. In my line of work we are always working about 8 months ahead so to me it's almost like "finally, it's 2014". But then I look at Nora and think, wow, she was born in 2011, that will be 3 years ago in October - 3!
I remembered a lot of my resolutions from 2013 but I went back to see anyway - 2013 Post. I wanted to get healthy, spend money better and spend quality time with my kids. For really the first time, I thought about these things all year long. I started a work out plan in January with a high intensity interval training class and loved it. Over the summer, I really fixed my eating habits and boy did the scale move! I lost 15 pounds, my top goal! I also started running and did 4 races over the summer, 2 5K's and 2 10K's. I really enjoyed that and will do it again this year. Unfortunately, the last two months I haven't worked out much, so I'm looking forward to getting back at it. In regards to spending money, well, I did really good at that for some time as well, but the holiday's really had me falling off the wagon. Quality time with my kids is something I'm always working on, but I think I've done alright. When I spend time with them, I try to be aware of my actual presence and making it worthwhile, like teaching them words or colors or skills. Reed is getting to be quite the artist and writing lots of letters. Nora is speaking a lot of words, though still working on her pronunciation. I did also want to get rid of stuff around my house and I sold some things and gave away some things, this will probably always be a work in progress.
This year was not particularly special in any way but I do see it as the seeds to what is coming in the next few years. There seems to be a lot of little things that will grow into life long things, we will have to see how the next few years come about. My kids continue to grow, Reed turned 4 in May and Nora turned 2 in October. Fogg and I had our 9th anniversary. Lots of friends had babies in 2013 and lots more to come in 2014. We went on a few little vacations, nothing big, just drove around our area, some camping. Both kids broke their collar bones, almost exactly 6 months apart from each other, Nora first from a fall off a bench, and Reed second with a fall onto a tile floor. Though it seemed like a big deal at the time, just a blip in the road for each of them. It's amazing how resilient kids are.
Around the world we had a bit more excitement, and not really in the positive way. The Boston marathon bombings in April followed by a massive man hunt. In Bangladesh, a factory collapsed and killed over 1100 people. There was a plane crash in San Fransisco, there was a train crash in Spain, and a massive typhoon in the Philippines. There was a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington DC, the exact time that Fogg was there for work. There was a mall shooting in Kenya, the same time a friend of ours is serving only miles away as a teacher. Nelson Mandela died this December. Our government shut down for a time, affecting many people we know. More positively, there was a royal baby born and a new Pope was elected.
But you know what, I'm really excited about 2014, I think it's going to be awesome! Those little seeds that I mentioned earlier will manifest themselves into some awesome things. I am very very excited to celebrate our 10th anniversary in New Orleans this year. We are leaving the kids at home and gonna live it up in the Big Easy. One of my best friends just got engaged on New Years so hopefully we will be heading to a wedding this year. And my other best friend is looking close to the same... we'll see if that'll be 2 weddings - so excited! We are going to try to head out to Maine to visit Fogg's grandma and extended family as well. Fogg is planning on doing a big dirt bike race again this year and I'd like to continue doing some running races. We have planned a yurt trip with some friends in March and we will try to take our camper out for several camp trips. I'm looking forward to traveling a bit this year!
And yes, I'm into resolutions cause it gives you a new start. Even if we've failed before, it gives us a chance to start again. I'm not above setting new ones at any other time, but there is something about a fresh new year that gives you a chance to look back (as I do every single year) and make some new goals or refresh your excitement about old ones that didn't really pan out. So here they are, my new/renewed resolutions for 2014:
- Continue to be healthy - get back into a workout routine and work on eating habits.
- Work on spending - don't spend a bunch of money on little things, really think about it. Also sell some stuff that we don't use anymore.
- Spend intentional time with my kids - put down the phone, turn off the TV, get on the floor and learn with them.
- Work on our marriage - spend time together, work together, communicate better.
- Make meal plans - we want to put together a bunch of meals and have a plan further ahead of time than in the past.
- Get the kids to bed earlier - both for their benefit and for ours.
So onto a new year, where we get to move forward, move on, move up and enjoy life. My hope is that every single person who reads this has the best year yet, as that's what I'm hoping for myself and our family.
Cheers~
Meg
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