I sat last night and reflected as we had a very quiet evening. I could
easily say that 2013 was a really hard year. Between Michael’s leg, his mom
being sick, my issues needing address through surgery, our adoption not being
completed, relationships disappearing, the fight for others being intense and
hard, I could sum it up with one word HARD, but was it ? When you sit and look
back, could you say it was hard.
2013 brought:
·
Seeing God’s provision in our adoption. (for
those who say it is to expensive, take it from me, God will provide). We are
within a miniscule amount of it being fully funded. That is right FULLY FUNDED!
In a 12 month time span. While we paid for some things before last December, we
really started last December. ONE YEAR is what HE did it in.
·
Friends came up behind us for all the craziness,
including garage sales, fixing things while Michael was laid up, helping us
with car repairs, praying with us through thick and thin. Basically doing life
with the crazy Bowden house.
·
God repairing some things in my heart beyond
anything I could have ever imagined, taking the hurts of the past and making them
an after thought. Giving me tools to deal with the current hurts and the hurts
to come. Giving me a deeper appreciation for what unconditional love looks like
through HIS eyes and putting people and situations in my path where I could
show that.
·
Continuing to strengthen my marriage as we press
through one of the hardest relationship journeys of my life. Marriage is hard
work, and those who go into it with different expectations are sadly mistaken.
·
Watching the healing of people, children, my own
family that I have had the privilege of praying for.
·
Opportunities to serve others.
·
Lessons on what ENOUGH really is. Giving us a new
perspective and new is not always better. Being content (Although still working
on this with what is present and in front)
·
Our Daughter- Lord willing she will be home in
early 2014. Her face lights up our life. As the New Year was coming in, we sat
and watched her video, thinking this is the year we have waited for.
·
Our Daughter- She is not ours. She is on loan for
whatever time God sees fit as a gift to nurture and raise. To equip her with
the tools she needs to walk.
·
A love for the work I get to do beyond imagination.
I am at the back seat of watching God change lives through living overseas.
·
Giving me a perspective on taking care of myself
that I would have never expected. Self-care, but also really considering what
it is that I put into my body and what the ramifications are.
·
Having to deal with the issue of infertility and
bring it to the forefront. Learning that it is not the end of the world. HE
knew it when HE knit me together. And I am not damaged goods as others would
have me try and believe.
·
We continue to maintain our debt free status.
Along with watching HIM provide for the adoption, we have watched as we have
had the money to pay for all medical bills in cash, keep a roof over our heads,
eat, drive two cars, gas for the cars and so on. We strive to honor with our
finances and are richly rewarded in the process.
·
Learning to wait on God with expectancy just as
the word promises.
And this is just a small list. So I was expectantly on this first day
of 2014. Expectant that there will be times of great joy, sadness, lessons
learn, opportunities to love, opportunities to speak truth in love and most of
all opportunities to grow.
Much love,
Jennifer
Our house is in a great amount of turmoil at this point with
everything going on. We have construction going on getting ready for Hosanna,
lots of painting, cleaning, paperwork, piles beginning to grow that will have
to go to China…. Needless to say lots happening. 
So here is the crazy ask, WE NEED YOUR MILES. Each round trip is about
70,000 miles. We have three adults that will be going which would be 210,000.
Even to get one round trip or two covered would allow us to be fully funded. 