Sola Gratia

Happy New Year! Ryan and I have just come off the busiest season of our married lives. These last two weeks of vacation have been so nice and I am so thankful we were able to finally slow down, spend time with those we love, and soak up the Christmas season. Now that we are well rested and recharged, I think we are ready to embrace 2014!

But first, I want to reflect on 2013, and acknowledge the Lord’s faithfulness and kindness to us at every turn. I have seen the Lord provide and answer prayer in both big and small ways this year. Most notably, a prayer that began over a year ago after reading Jesus + Nothing= Everything and intensely studying the book of Ephesians. The Lord used both as a catalyst for spiritual growth in my life and inspired a prayer for Him to show me how to live in, extend and better understand the riches of His grace. 

Grace, unmerited favor, is not something we will ever be able to fully comprehend, is often abused and taken for granted, and can never EVER be earned. Grace saves, sustains, strengthens and secures us. It is wholly sufficient (2 Corin. 12:9) and is lavished on us- freely and generously (Eph. 1:7-8). 

I can testify, on this first day of 2014, that I have experienced the magnitude of His grace on countless occasions (both happy and sad) during this past year. His grace flowed down and covered us through…

-a sweetly blessed and joy-filled year of marriage

-the 5 year anniversary of my Dad’s passing

-the provision of Ryan’s job as Minister of Students at SVBC

-relationships with friends and family members 

-the unexpected (only to us) loss of our dear friend Lex Elkins

-the birth of several precious babies in our lives

-Ryan’s affirmed call to seminary   

-another year of ministry and growing closer to Him as a couple

The most exciting and hopeful thing about God’s grace is that it never runs out. Just when we think we’ve come to the end of it… “he gives more grace" (James 4:6). I praise God for His goodness and for His grace alone that carried us through 2013. I look forward to what the Lord alone will do in our lives and for His glory in this coming year. I am confident that no matter what happens in 2014, His grace will meet us there.

So once again my prayer for this year remains the same… that He will “tune my heart to sing Thy grace.”

((John 1:14, 16 ESV))

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.