The Gonzalez Home: One Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of our arrival into Denver.

It's been quite a year.

I've spent a good portion of this week reflecting on it all and thinking how strange it is that driving here seems like a lifetime ago, yet it also seems crazy we've been here a full year. I know that's such a typical thing to say but it's totally the truth! I also wanted to give a little update from my last post cuz it's been, oh, 2 months...

Not a whole lot has changed really, since I last wrote, save my mindset. Although, the situation, once we looked a little deeper, tweaked a few things, and it finally stopped snowing turned out to be not quite AS dire as it seemed at the time. It may have been one post written a little in haste, but it's what was going on in the moment so there ya go. ;) Cisco's hours have also picked up again, which does help a TON.

Regardless of the circumstances however, these past 2 months have been a long lesson of BEING STILL. Not one I'm very good at. Every time I would take the matter and our circumstances to prayer, that is what I got. BE STILL AND WAIT.

Although, when I really stop and consider it this has been a lesson I've had to learn many, many times over and I'm quite positive I will be sitting in its class many, many times more in the future.

It's not my favorite lesson...

But it is encouraging when you see progress in yourself and know that you fight it a little less each time.

We finished our first year (here) of homeschooling last week, which was nothing short of miraculous I must say! It was a rough year, but also good in many ways. We started over a month late (because of our housing situation at the time) and Josiah had a really rough time with math. The school talked a few times of holding him back if he didn't finish all his math lessons but he did!! We are so proud of how hard he worked and we all felt like we at least ended the school year on a good note.

At this point, it looks like I'll be homeschooling again next year. While I appreciate everyone's input on the matter, I'll also be honest. It's our only option right now. Which is why we did it this last year. We have one car and Cisco works crazy hours and over 20 minutes away from our house. So to take him to work every morning and pick him up isn't an option, for both financial and sanity reasons. However, I've come to the point where I know the Lord is in control, knows our needs, and this is our lot so I'm working with it to the best of my ability. The social part of our lives (more the kids than ours) has taken a large hit, but I'm hopeful that will change this next year. While I don't have all the answers on HOW or even WHAT right now, I'm ok and even excited for this next school year.

While at times I've definitely wondered what the heck we just did by moving here I've come to realize more and more the irony of the name of Pilgrim City Church and how this year has taught us, if nothing else, the reality of Hebrews 11. There is a large part of me that would love to put down roots and my heart has struggled (almost daily) with not being near any family whatsoever. I see my kids growing and grandparents that are missing that, aunt's, uncles, cousins that they may never be close to or know very well. And that hurts my heart. A LOT. But we also know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we knocked, even pleaded for those doors to open, for the Lord to direct in that way, and instead we got a clear NO. I don't understand that. But I don't have to and I've come to accept this. Whatever the Lord wants to do with our lives, wherever He wants us to go, I want to be willing to do that. And in the end, this world is not my home. The largest desire of my heart, to let Him do with our lives what He will, I pray, will always supersede everything else in there.

"Calmly we look behind us, on joys and sorrows past,

We know that all is mercy now, and shall be well at last;

Calmly we look before us, - We fear no future ill,

Enough for safety and for peace, If Thou art with us still."

- Jane Borthwick

And, just for fun, here's some photos from the loooooooooong drive out here.