one year: posts

Writing posts has been really enjoyable and beneficial to me this year.

First, it has been a great opportunity to gain perspective as I look back over this past year. So much has changed in what now seems like a breath of time.

"Jack's grown so much!" commented a friend today. We hadn't seen this guy in a while, so from his perspective, there really was a physical change in Jack. My perspective? It's daily. I'm up so close. The kids' growth is so minute from day to day. The change is almost imperceptible. But seeing things through my friends' eyes gives me perspective that "Yeah, Jack really has grown."

And so it is, looking back over this year of posts. In the middle of our "daily-s" - changing diapers, preparing meals, washing dishes, tucking in - change is hard to see. But looking at the pictures and text from the blog I can see growth - physical, emotional, communicative, developmental... and it's so encouraging!

It's been especially encouraging to look back over the past year and see God's presence, care, and involvement in our lives - in both the joys and challenges.

I don't know about you, but sometimes in the middle of a challenging time, I can have this pervading sense that "things are never going to change." It can feel overwhelming and discouraging. So to look back over a year of our lives as I review the posts of this blog, I feel God has taught me a better perspective on those times and the feelings around them. Yes, they were real. But no, they didn't last forever. It's a reminder that things aren't "always going to be this way." We learned and changed and grew as parents. Our kids learned and grew and changed. God is faithful!

I feel having this perspective has helped me have a more growing sense of endurance during those challenges. I don't feel so bogged down in the overwhelming emotion of them, but sense a growing ability to persevere through them. It reminds me of my days of distance running: what distance once seemed impossible is, after practice and training, endurable... and even enjoyable... even though it's still hard work.

Psalm 90:12 says "So teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom." I feel that being able to review the past year has been a means of God's teaching me to number my days, and for that I am grateful.

Second, writing posts has been a very good medium to keep in touch with our friends and family who are far away. (Especially when I haven't yet bitten the bullet to join millions of other people in the world of Facebook!) I haven't felt obligated to regularly keep up with the posts; sometimes I need to focus on living and our children's lives, rather than writing about it. But as I'm able and have something relevant to share, I've appreciated the posts as a resource and tool for connecting with you. I love being able to share with you the funny things, the joys, the challenges, the things we're learning through our lives.

... which brings me to the other side of this bloggal coin... YOU!