Life McDonald Style: 2014

Can I just begin by saying that I am so thankful for church! I am so thankful for the chance to get together with other believers and worship our AMAZING God together! It is such a joy and privilege! God was really working on my heart this morning! At one point this morning Mike was talking about how we neutralize good things…if you weren’t there I’m sure that you’re thinking, “what on earth are you talking about?" What he was talking about was how we lose sight and minimize the things that God has done or is doing in our lives. As I was sitting there I began to think that I needed to go home, sit down with Mike and make a list of all the ways we have seen God’s hand at work over this past year. I’m blogging about it because I want to remember but I also want to give Him the glory He deserves for all that He has done in our lives over the past year! I would LOVE to hear some of the ways that God has moved and provided in your lives over the past year!

Ok, so sitting down right after church didn’t happen. Didn’t my kids get the memo that everyone was supposed to take a nap today? Oh wait, they never get that memo! But bedtime is on the horizon and so Mike and I have a few minutes to sit down and begin to remember.

Wow, what a year it has been! There have been many tears shed but lots of joy and laughter along the way, and I am confident I have not gone a single step without Jesus by my side!

* We put in an application at Faith Church because we felt led by God to pursue this job.
* All the dates that worked out for us to come do interviews, even some that were very last minute but everyone was available.
* Though very difficult, family and friends were willing to let us go because it was God's best.
* Selling our house in Flagstaff for way more then we bought it for.
* Buying a house that sat on the market for months when all the ones like it were disappearing instantly! And it had ALL the criteria we were looking for, including a HUGE backyard!
* 10 year anniversary trip, that was the perfect rest we needed in the midst of a chaotic time in life!
* Many, many people helped pack us up and move us to Rio Rancho.
* A rental house in Rio Rancho with extremely low rent and no contract necessary.
* Many, many more people helped unpack us.
* My purse got stolen and I wanted to get discouraged but in moments of being downcast and discouraged God encouraged.
* People from the Faith Church helping paint the ENTIRE interior of our new house in 2 days! Then tons of people helped us pack up our rental and move us into our new house! (Everyone can rest easy, we’re NOT moving for a LONG time!!!)
* A lot of family had the chance to be here for Mike’s installation and my dad was able to preach for it! What a joy for them to be a part of where we are now.
* One of my biggest fears was Davis starting school here. He was shy and hated new things…Davis LOVES school here and can’t wait to go each day. That is something only God could have done!
* All the boys got amazing teachers that I absolutely love!
* I prayed specifically for friends for the kids that all love Jesus and here’s a shocker (not really!) God has provided all of our kids with great friends!
* The neighbors that we quickly came to really like had a potential job offer and sold their house. After I did lots of praying and them totally moving out, they had a chance to back of the sale and decided to stay in their house! It was TOTALLY a God thing! I’m SO glad they stayed and love having neighbors that we have a growing friendship with!
* Faith church quickly came to love Mike and it was a match made in heaven. Pun intended. :)
* I had the chance to speak at our women’s retreat. It was desire God put in my heart years ago and something only He could have brought about. What a joy that was for me!
* Mike is loving doing the job that God created him to do.
* I have been able to start a Mom's in Prayer group where 4-5 moms come each week to pray for our kids together.
* A staff at the church that Mike loves working with!
* Stefan and Jeannie moving here from Phoenix for Stefan to become the youth pastor. This was a HUGE relief for Mike and a total God thing that everything could happen so quickly.

People have helped out with our kids, brought us meals, encouraged our hearts in a variety of ways and loved on us! I might have said Mike and I were going to think of all the ways that God had worked and moved in our lives but what I meant was that we were going to just share the tip of the iceburg of all the ways God has worked and moved! I'm sure as I go to bed my mind will be overwhelmed with all the ways big and small that I forgot to include. We need reminders of all that God has done. Sometimes we (I) get so caught up in all the ways I think God should be working but isn't, that I miss out on what He actually is doing.

Here's the deal, we serve a mighty a God who works in our lives in SO many ways and he deserves ALL the glory. Sometimes we just have to stop and look to be able to see where and how He is working. THANK YOU Jesus for all you have in our lives this past year! My prayer for this upcoming year is that God would be more glorified through our lives then ever before!

When you come to New Mexico a phrase you hear a lot is "The Balloon Fiesta." There's a lot of hype about it and I was anxious to see what all this hype was about. Mike's family was coming in for the weekend so we could all experience this fun together.

So normally, if the winds comply, there's a big mass ascension at sunrise so we all got up around 4:30am to get to the park for the mass ascension. Of course, we had to start the day with donuts and coffee! It was the coldest morning we had had so far, so we bundled up and head out the door.