Maybe you’re like me and you have been going through your Facebook feed of pictures, events, and celebrations you shared throughout the year 2019.   I am recalling all the good things that we celebrated this year and couldn’t be more grateful.  

The profile pictures that are selfies or with loved ones.  Memorable vacations or your proud parent moments.  Whatever you hold dear to your heart usually becomes the highlight, the shout out, the statement of the hour, day or month.  I honestly can’t come up with one perfect moment this year.  The top ones are usually the ones not captured on film.  Many moments this year were celebrated with James and Blaire getting married.  I think the moment I cherish the most is when Blaire and I laid on her bed the day before her wedding. We just had an emotional family breakfast and her bedroom furniture was being moved out of my house and into her new house.  We held hands and cried.  We laughed and recalled great memories.  Knowing our relationship would change was difficult but I celebrated her new life as a wife. 

The ten days being shown around California by Jacob and Rachel was memorable since I wanted to love the state that claimed their second and third year of being a married couple but also knowing they were moving back to Michigan later in the year.  We laughed, we swam, we tasted wine and ate great food. 

The moment we surrounded Scott the night before his long awaited race in Boston can’t be captured by a camera.  We presented him with a binder of letters and pictures celebrating his running career and his ultimate goal achieved in Boston!  So precious as we saw tears stream down his face and I could feel the relief and pain and dedication and pride all rolled into one moment. 

Celebrating both my parent’s birthdays is always precious and not taken for granted.  Family weddings and welcoming new babies to our growing family.  Scott and Jacob launching their new company and seeing the highs and lows of being a boss, leader, mentor.  Proud moments of when Zoe steps up to be kind or when we have a good hair day.  They aren’t captured on film but so important to our story of 2019.  I guess I haven’t thought much about the last decade since we are turning the calendar to 2020 in one day.  I have a word for the new year but a word that comes to mind for the last decade is HOPE.  Scott began his crazy marathon training ten years ago!!  He has run 20 marathons and not slowing down.  When we decided to run for a purpose it changed our lives for sure.  Not long after in 2013 we got to bring Zoe home and for a few years in a row one of us has had the privilege to visit Africa and serve the people there.  Raising money for clean water has been a family mantra for sure.  A drive to make our actions count.  Running has definitely defined us in the ’10’s for sure.  

Pain hit me in the beginning of this year and getting a procedure on my foot gave me hope.  It gave me a change in attitude and later in the year made me get a handle on my health and eating habits to be the best me for 2020.  This is the year Scott and I turn 50.  I’ve been experiencing some pain in the same foot again and trying to stay positive.  I had hopes for a half and full marathon by May and I might have to settle for just one half.  Stay tuned.  But, if I head into 2020 focused on just me, it will be a sad year.  God has shown me through Scripture and well, obvious signs around our house, my word for 2020 is SERVE.  I’m expecting I will be able to serve in areas that won’t be captured on film and hopefully go unnoticed.  A friend posted this quote talking about Scott’s company. ‘To serve is beautiful, but only if it’s done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.’ (Pearl S. Buck).

Celebrate the hurts, the struggles, the victories, the milestones and just every breath.  

1 Samuel 12:24 says, ‘Fear God and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.’

Happy New Year!