Dear 2011...

Dear 2011,

You haven't even started and you are already doing a great job of being suspenseful. You may be trying to upstage 2010, which was a great year, by blowing our adoption news out of the water with even more surprises.

With hubby's pending grad school graduation, the unknowns of our future job(s)/ location / residence/ church/ etc, you sure have us scratching our heads already. And if THAT weren't enough, we sure can't even make guesses as to the timing of first-time parenthood. So congrats, 2011, you are doing a great job of keeping us on our toes. Which is EXACTLY where we need to be, I guess, because on January 1, 2010 we had NO clue that we would have had the year we did, especially since adoption was barely on our radar. And although 2010 had many challenges, growing pains, and stretches of faith and finances, boy oh boy was the Lord faithful and the road worth it. We needed the challenges of 2010 to shape us and make us more like the Father so that we could glorify Him better, and that doesn't come easy!

So I'm not begging for trials and I'm not asking for the path-well-traveled, but I'm just saying this: bring it! Bring on the laughs, the second anniversary, the new nephews, good times with family, investment in my husband and our marriage, the growth of our church and our love for Jesus... and bring on the pruning that makes us more refined like Christ.

We know there are some tough times ahead- decisions about the "right job" post-graduation, having to move from our seminary apartment, hopefully getting a referral and making quick travel plans to Ethiopia, meeting our child and then leaving him/her in Ethiopia while we painstakingly return & wait to bring our baby home. We expect an adjustment period as we learn to be parents and learn how to balance our new life; we know that we won't be perfect and will make mistakes throughout the year, but also know that we have a source of unending grace through salvation in Jesus Christ!

So 2011, although you are hiding your secrets right now, we can't wait to see how you unfold!

Here's to hoping for a fruitful new year,

Rebekah :)

“I (Jesus) am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.     “I (Jesus) am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." 
 John 15: 1-8