Last night I was sitting outside in the wetness of the evening thinking about the coming year. 2009 is just around the corner and in another couple of days, it will be upon us all, whether we like it or not. I can say with utmost certainty that I am more than ready to welcome a new year. 2008 has been most changeling for me and my family. All of the readers of "Buttons N Woodenspoons" have stuck with me through this past year in times of hardships and rejoicing. I am so grateful to all of you!

Yes, even though 2008 was an extremely hard year for us, I am thankful that we were able to go through the trials. We started out weak, and ended strong. God has taught me a very important lesson this year that could only be learned by going though what we did. He taught me patience on an extreme level. I'm not sure if you've ever thought about it or not, but everything in life takes patience. Everything from the big stuff to the little itty bitty things, like waiting for the mail. Patience is such an important thing, and I've learned that this past year.

God puts us through trials to bring forth the good in us. He makes us go through refinement so that we may be shined up and let the gold through. Without trials and hard things in life, what would be the purpose of a Saviour? What would even be the purpose of life? We could never learn anything without enduring hardships, going through pain, and walking through dark tunnels with our eyes closed. A quote by Minnie L. Haskins come to mind, from h er book called "The Desert". It says: "And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: "Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown." And he replied; "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way." How true that is and was for me. So many times in 2008 I forgot to put my hand into God's hand, I tried so hard to use my own light, the things I knew, to get me through trying times. The unknown ways that my family and I had to travel this year went much easier and were much safer when our hands were in the hand of God.

While the trials in life are not over for me, I am now better prepared to face them with God at my side. He is always there for me, and for you. God sent us through the trials of job loss, house loss, new neighborhoods, many moves, tons of boxes, unfriendly people, friendly people, and so much more all so that we could learn to trust Him more! Sometimes the hard things in life and very often the most rewarding. I can say this for the year 2008. While it was the absolutely worse year I have ever had to endure, I say that it was the best. And I can say that without cringing.

Along the path this year, mixed in with trials, tears, and sadness, God also gave us many bright spots. He gave us friends like the Demerlys, who always made sure we were taken care of, the Bennetts, who made sure we had all the milk we needed, Mrs. Witt, who gave us free piano lessons when we couldn't pay for them, the Mazurs, who blessed us with food, toilet paper, and other necessities, the Jachims, for having is over for dinner, our wonderful church family at PBC for always providing wonderful friendship and great snowball fights, Mrs. Harmon and the many other ladies who gave us frozen dinners and so many other people. We were blessed with wonderful fellowship all along the way! So you see, even in hardships, God gives us a song! This reminds me of my favorite hymn called "O Rejoice In The Lord" by Ron Hamilton. One of the verses goes: "God never moves without purpose or plan, when trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long; in darkness He giveth a song." How true that verse really is. God really was testing us this past year. He was seeing how much we really trusted in Him. Not enough, I'm sorry to say. But through it all, we have all learned a very important lesson: Always rely on God.