Sunday, December 31, 2006

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Only an hour and 15 minutes left in 2006, and I have to say that I am VERY excited to leave this year behind! I have great anticipation about 2007! I believe this will be the year that the Petrees will leave the wilderness and walk into the promised land. But God has reminded me that this will not come with out trials and battles....and I think they hit this past week!

I am very excited about our work in Liberia and what God will do there, but I seemed to hit wall after wall this week. God is reminding me to look to Him and wait on Him and He will provide the strength I need to persevere. I wrote myself a letter from God on Dec 18. I know, its weird, but I just felt God speaking to me so clearly through some scriptures I read and I knew that They were words for hard times ahead and encouragement to keep on keeping on. So I wrote the letter, printed it, and hung it above my computer. I have already had to read it to remind myself to keep on keeping on!

2006 brought the coping of leaving Eden behing in Sierra Leone. Dealing with God on why this had to happen! Learning to trust God again after feeling like He let me down. (I know that can't happen because the Word says He never fails us!) But I just didn't "feel" like that was true.

But 2006 also brought the birth of a new life into our family. Little Miss Ava is God's love letter to me that life will go on and He does still hear my prayers! She is a daily reminder that God has a perfect plan...He knew about her when all with Eden was falling apart. How I wish I could see the big picture He sees...but then I guess it wouldn't be faith would it?

They did an amazing analogy in church this morning that had me sobbing by the time it was over! I forget just how much Jesus suffered in order to offer me a free gift of salvation...and not just for eternal life after I die, but for an abundant life here on earth! All I know about 2007 is that I want to look back a year from now and know that I have done a better job of living worthy of the call! I want to know I have been a good steward of my time, talents and finances. And most of all I want to know that I have lived every day in a way that points others to Christ.
I want to be less focused on me and more focused on Him!
And I look forward to seeing where God takes each one of you also! Happy New Year everyone! May God bless you in 2007!