Creating Living Spaces: 2019 Year Review

The end of a decade...2019 has been an interesting year.  As the decade came to a close and a new one began, our family began to experience closings and openings of chapters.  Thank you for all your support, prayers, connections and friendship.  Without you and God’s unrelenting expressions of love, we could not have thrived through it all.

As the kids grow, we are learning to redefine our family.  We are discovering who we are, how we interact and how we connect with the outside world.  It's because of this that after much reflection, I am going to write a reflection purely from my perspective, to respect every member of the family and their wishes to share or not share in such a public way.

God speaks all the time; but we don't always hear it.  One way I've discovered in the last few years is that God tends to catch my attention through WORDS.  I supposed that is not surprising since language is something that I've always been interested in.  I just never considered God would use my interests to speak to me!

So as I peruse through the pictures on my Google Photos account, and look at all that has happened through my Calendar, I am being taken back to all the highs, lows, joys and pains of 2019.  This, in essence, is how I can summarize it all:

It has been a year of creating and re-creating spaces to live, to feel, to think and to be.

Creating Spaces

We are learning that part of the joys of living (not surviving) life is to ensure we all have SPACE to be who we are.  Without these spaces, we cannot discover.  Without discovery, we cannot feel and think, and without feeling and thinking, we can't really be. 

2019 has been a year learning that planning 'what to do' isn't as important as 'where can we be'. 

Creating Spaces as a family
 God always provided opportunities and many of our families' outings this year have come with minimal planning.  Learning to just find spaces to be a family, and to reconnect, rather than worrying about what to do in those spaces, has been at times challenging, and later on, freeing.

New Year's Fireworks from our Hotel Room at Niagara Falls

To ring in the new year our family went to Niagara Falls for a night - and it was so much fun seeing the fireworks from our hotel.  Stephen and I had a chance to go on our 7th couple's getaway in the spring and discovered Caledon, ON.  We did not plan any major trips in the summer but instead went to the beach and went camping twice, and at times, brought along other friends.  And of course, our highlight of the year was our year end trip to Peru.  We just came back a few days ago.

Getaway to Caledon, ON

Camping at Sandbanks - our yearly tradition to unwind

Machu Picchu!

We also had many SPACES to connect with loved ones.  One of my cousins married and we were able to reconnect with family members from far away.  In addition, our family attended our church wide retreat in July and we were able to connect with our church family.  As the years pass, I am learning to appreciate these opportunities more and more.  It is not so much what we did when we saw each other, or what was said or heard, but just learning to enjoy the moment, treasuring the space we had to just be with one another, that mattered most.

Church Retreat - just strolling around campus

Sharing meals together

Creating Spaces for Others

One of the most exciting and encouraging things in 2019 has been to see God open doors through my teaching journey.  In the winter of 2019 an opportunity came for me to open our home to a few ladies from my class to start studying the Bible.  Since then, we have been meeting every Wednesday afternoon and some have become followers of Christ.  We continue to open our homes as spaces for celebration and connecting during Easter, Victoria Day weekends, summer time, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  God's timing is always best and 2019 has been a year of God reminding me not to worry about over planning, but to create spaces for God to work.  Learning how to be courageous in sharing my faith with those interested has been challenging but also so encouraging.  Seeing some wrestle with mortality has been humbling, and witnessing their thirst for the Truth has been eye-opening.

Spending a weekend away from the city with the Bible study ladies group

Easter party at our home

Bible Study group

Creating Spaces for the growing 'kids'

The kids are growing and entering adolescence.  With it, comes freedoms and challenges for all.  We are thankful 2019 has been a year where God has given us spaces where we could each learn to feel and think in safe spaces. Counselling has taught me much to understand my own biases and my kids' needs.  I've been humbled to learn that I still have much to learn about being a good listener.  Seeing the kids begin to question their faith was very nerve wracking but assuring, knowing that this is the only way for them to personalize their journey with Jesus.  Seeing them begin to attend Youth Groups and explore new relationships surprised me.

Both kids are learning about themselves, and how they fit in this world.  We are thankful for all the people God has surrounded us to help us with tools and moral support.  2019 has been a year of transitions, and of learning new ways to create spaces, share spaces, respect spaces.

Kids going to a full week of cooking camp

Can you find my son?

Breakfast in the highlands of Peru

My daughter asked me why I still write these year reviews.  That is a good question.  I suppose it is my small attempt at staying connected with all of you.  But deep inside, I know.  If I did not do this, I would have forgotten all the amazing blessings and miracles of the year.  I would have forgotten our trip to Point Pelee National Park.  I would have forgotten how the kids faced the cooking camp challenges and excelled at it afterwards.  I would have forgotten that it was in January that we had decided I would quit teaching my afternoon class to carve out more time for myself.  I would have forgotten the amazement at seeing the kids 'be kids' at the church retreat, and I would have forgotten that back in January of 2019, my son was still shorter than me!  God is faithful, God is good.  His love endures forever and He never gives us more than what we can handle.  His plans are not our plans, but His plans, and His timing is always best.  2019 was not always easy, and there were times when we worried, were discouraged, felt helpless and alone, but it never lasted.  God was always there.  God would always send help in the form of His Word from Scripture, a friendly call or email, a hug from someone, time to digest things and more.

As I wrap up I pray that you may discover the spaces you need.  That you create spaces for yourself, your family and for the world.  That you remember that God is Good and He is Faithful!

Thank you again for all your prayers and support.  God continues to answer them day by day.

PS:  I will be posting on our trip to Peru ... stay tuned :D