2012: A Year in Photos

Vašek now understands that the year is coming to a close.  It’s fun to see how kids learn to perceive time as they grow older.

Many people look back and ponder the highlights of the year.  I looked through our family photos and saw how much the Lord has given us this year.  I feel blessed.  We were truly able to do so much this year!

Ice-skating. Swimming. Vašek’s Kindergarten graduation.  Vašek starting 1st grade. The beauty of God’s creation. Family times. Travels. Caramel apples. Thanksgiving. Snow in early fall. Biking.  Poetry Recital competition. Folk dancing and singing.  And much more…

I also realized that the photos don’t show the times that were overwhelming, stressful and frustrating.  But those times were definitely a part of the year as well even though they may not have been very convenient.

Recently, I read that the first Christmas wasn’t very convenient for those involved either.  I never thought about it that way.  Each character in the story was experiencing something that was less than convenient at the moment.  And yet the truth is that,

Despite the overwhelming feelings of stress, frustration and fear that the characters in our Biblical Christmas story faced, we most definitely do NOT see those things as the focus of their story.”

Instead, the story is one of hope, faith and salvation.  It’s the story of Emmanuel – God with us.

We praise the Lord that even though that this year brought the times of hard times, stress and frustration, those times do not have to be our focus.

The focus is His story.  Through all times – even times such as these – His story is the one that dominates.  His Word assures us that it is so.  His Word gives us courage to believe that it is so.  His Word lifts us up and focuses our eyes on Jesus.

The kids may not fully understand the passing of time, but they sometimes better understand how big God really is.  Praise the Lord!

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Rom. 8,38-39 (ESV)