Falling Forward

We don't care much for New Year's Eve at our house. We cling stubbornly to the past, turning over memories and analyzing our behavior. Wishing  maybe we'd done things a little bit different. There are some (who will remain nameless) that fear change. We don't like resolutions because we'll probably fail at keeping them. We regard failure with great disdain in this here hive.
But having a child in the hospital at Christmas, regardless of the reason or the duration, has been a game-changer for me. The regrets of 2012 are fading and instead an attitude of gratitude is rising to the top. Seeing the many ways God brought us through the hard is a reminder of His faithfulness. Not just inside the walls of this little house, but in the houses of the people I love the most, He's still at work. He hasn't forgotten us and He won't give up.
I read this post today and I can't stop thinking about it. So I'm taking the joy dare and counting my blessings in 2013, all the way to 1,000. First on my list: these precious, healthy little boys that bring joy to our lives.

"...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:13-14