Remembering 2005

It’s hard to believe that another year has passed. As we say “goodbye” to 2005 and “hello” to 2006, I can’t help but think about all that 2005 brought our way. Our nation continued to fight the war in Iraq, there were NO weapons of mass destruction, and Saddam Hussein was finally forced to stand before a judge. Our world was struck with earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes that left imprints of destruction in our hearts and minds, which will likely last a lifetime. Mark McGuire refused to say one way or another if he ever used steroids, Chris Carpenter won the Cy Young Award, and Busch Stadium was destroyed after 40 wonderful seasons. Brittney Spears had a baby, Tom Cruise got engaged, and Eddie VanHalen and Valerie Bertenelli split after 26 years of marriage. Mariah Carey had the top CD for the year, and Carrie Underwood was crowned the new American Idol. Moviegoers were thrilled with the release of the next installment of Harry Potter, Star Wars Episode Three, and The Chronicles of Narnia. It was in 2005 that everyone adopted his or her own blog site, and nearly everyone bought an iPod Shuffle. In other news, Martha Stewart was released from jail, Little Kim went to jail, and Donald Trump married Melania Knuss. Many were saddened by the deaths of the Richard Pryor, Peter Jennings, Bob Denver, Luther Vandross, Johnny Carson and the head of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II.

Well, that is just a little piece of what happened in society. What happened in our lives?

Bekah continued to do well in school, and became even more active at church. She continued to love music and theatre, and directed her first play! She achieved her first Jr. High solo, and was picked for Solo and Ensemble 2006. She had her first experience at Bible camp, and won first place in the JHDD Bible Bowl! (HOORAY!) She talked more about boys, music and shopping, and less about toys and chores! She found out that she loves to cook, and has given some thought to opening her own restaurant someday. Her favorite TV show this year was Law and Order (just like her mom!) and her favorite song was “Heard ‘Em Say.” We asked her what she was looking forward to the most in 2006, and she said, “MMmmmm… Probably more theatre stuff!”

Jason got a new job in 2005 and couldn’t be happier! He’s pretty pleased with the corner office that came along with this position. He also became more active at church, and had a lot of “fun” with the sound system and computers at church. Jason took a side-contracting job this year with an agency that our family holds dear to our hearts and he loves this part of his ministry. Jason spent most of this year working and taking care of his family- while mommy was pretty sick! His favorite TV show this year was “Smallville” and his favorite CD is “Nickelback- All the Right Reasons.” I asked him what he was looking forward to the most in 2006, and he said, “Growing even closer to my family, all of us experiencing good health, and helping the AV ministry to grow.”

My year was unlike any I have had before. 2005 brought two major neck surgeries for me, and months of recovery. I was faced with the reality that I am not Wonder Woman, and sported a PICC Line for 13 weeks. I became more involved with worship and music ministry, and learned how to build a church web site from home! I learned a lot about depending on others and even more about depending on God. I was reminded this year of how precious my family is, and how blessed I am to have Jason, Bekah, Mom, and Jenn. Prayer Group became more of a focus this year, and I finally made it through the Bible reading schedule. I learned that there is virtually nothing on daytime TV and what a blessing it is to be able to work. This year brought a lot of growth to friendships, and I learned that true friends are an amazing gift from God. I was blessed this year to take a trip to Vermont, and to take a trip to Memphis with a great friend to see other great friends! My favorite TV show this year was “Law and Order” (followed closely by the Apprentice and American Idol), and my favorite song was “All of Me” by Selah. As I look forward to the New Year, I pray for good health, and look forward to growing faith, family, friendships, and fun!

Well that is what happened to us this year! What happened in your life?