The Sunday after we arrived back from PA we drove to Keller, TX, for a few days of house-sitting. Becca loves being at the Woods’ home – she always requests that we watch Snow White there. Josh was able to have “office” space to work on his dissertation while Becca and I enjoyed having the use of a washer and dryer.

New Year’s Eve Becca and I put together her gingerbread house. She did a great job decorating it. (Though Josh nearly ate all the decorating candy: photo at left.) Afterwards we had popcorn and played with the train set. (Thank you Uncle Joey for the Christmas pj’s!)

Looking back, 2012 was an adventurous year for us. I spent the first few months of the year wondering whether Isaiah was going to follow in his sister’s footsteps or if he was going to be a full term baby. Right about the time we were adjusting to Isaiah, we found out about Becca’s tumor. This pretty much sums up our year. . . pregnancy, Isaiah’s birth, and Becca’s tumor, along with Josh’s dissertation progress.

This new year holds a lot of exciting changes for us. Lord willing, Josh will complete his degree this semester. We plan to move to SC sometime in June, after which we will start deputation for Cambodia. CPBC has graciously allowed us to live in their mission house starting in July. It will be a year of change and adjustment and we appreciate your prayers for us.

I’m also wondering what “unplanned” events the Lord has in store for us this year. Looking back over our first 4 years of marriage it seems like each year God has allowed some big unexpected event: 2009 – Becca’s premature birth; 2010 – Miscarriage; 2011 – pursuing a domestic adoption which ended up falling through; and 2012 – Becca’s tumor. I’m not sure what God has in store for us this year, but I do know that He is a faithful and unchanging God. I know He will continue to work His will in our lives and will continue to purge our dross in His refining fire. Our prayer is that He will continue to work in us for His glory and that we will grow in our faith and that He will help us in our unbelief.

Books Read in 2012
(all links are Amazon affiliate links: if you click and buy, we get a small percentage of the sale, at no extra cost to you; be aware that some of these books are available for free in digital form: Chesterton, Monte Cristo, and Piper in particular)

Books read together: The Dragon’s Tooth: Ashtown Burials #1; Sense and Sensibility; Shepherding a Child’s Heart; Leepike Ridge; One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich; The Count of Monte Cristo (Abridged Edition); The Drowned Vault: Ashtown Burials #2; & Manalive.

Books Josh read (not counting all his school reading): The Mind Doesn’t Work That Way; The Ambition: A Novel; Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God; The Resolution for Men; Future Men: Raising Boys to Fight Giants; Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message; Men Made New: An Exposition of Romans 5-8; A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards; The Code of the Woosters; Eugenics and Other Evils; 1 & 2 Kings (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible);  Black & Tan: A Collection of Essays and Excursions on Slavery, Culture War, and Scripture in America; Missionary Patriarch: The True Story of John G. Paton; & The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright.

Books Amy read: Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus; The Resolution for Women; Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches; Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus; Don’t Make Me Count to Three; & Building Her House: Commonsensical Wisdom for Christian Women.

Hymns Memorized in 2012

Chosen as His Children; Before the Throne of God Above; Behold Our God; Come Thou Almighty King; His Robes for Mine; Holy, Holy, Holy; Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise; O God, Our Help in Ages Past; O Worship the King; & This is My Father’s World