2016: A Year of Joy and Peace

This past year has been a year of changes and growth for me. Last year, I wrote about improving my fiddling. It has been fun to actually be able to play some tunes. I was blessed to be able to play the kids to sleep on Christmas Eve with soft Christmas Carols and wake them up Christmas morning with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas!" I am excited to continue to learn with a book I received for Christmas.

However, the biggest changes have been in my heart and desires. Thailand has finally become my "home," and God has softened my heart to give me a real love for the Thai people and passionate desire to share Jesus in this dark place. Being part of Immanuel Baptist Church, a community a believers who actively share the light of Christ, has greatly helped me in this. We have been able to teach Sunday School, participate in a shanty community children's ministry, and give a Christ centered Christmas party for children our neighborhood. God is faithful to make us into who He would have us be; I am excited for this year in which He will continue this work.

This year begins with many unknowns. We are unsure of where will live when our lease runs out at the end of March. God may provide a way for us to continue in our home; we have some other possibilities we are praying about as well. God will clearly show us His will. We are unsure of whether Philip will continue to be funded by his home institution. God will provide for our financial needs; we just don't know how. Philip hopes to finish his dissertation within the next year to year-and-a-half. This means applying for jobs and many big unknowns to contemplate. As all these (and more) have been running through my mind lately, the Lord has clearly laid on my heart the words "Joy and Peace." This was confirmed by my remembering a verse recently posted on Facebook by a good friend; then I noticed the same verse in the elevator at church.

God's promise to me for 2016:

The God of Hope will fill me with all JOY and PEACE as I trust in Him, so that I will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (Personalized adaptions in italics.)

Here's to a year of joy and peace and even more fiddle tunes.