Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:4-7
Over the past few years, since I left working in full time ministry, I have come to love Advent in a new way. The stillness I feel in the world once the sun goes down. How when it is colder outside, things simply are more silent. The quiet evenings sitting in front of our tree with a mug of tea and the Jesse Tree readings & my petitions. Opportunities to gather with those we love. It all simply brings me peace and a closeness with the Holy Spirit. When I was working in youth ministry, this time of year was “Retreat Season.” So I was going from Confirmation Retreat to Confirmation retreat, to Youth Minister Retreat, to another High School Retreat…crazy times. The past few years, I have truly had the space to dive in. I have come to truly LOVE it and cherish it dearly. Advent simply resets my heart to be one with our Lord. An opportunity to slow down and pray more. ;)
(As an aside, pray for all those in ministry, especially our priests. The Sacrifice they give by bringing Christ to us in all the Christmas Mass offerings is compounded this year with Dec. 26th being a Sunday.)
Today, Gaudete Sunday, is one of my favorite Sunday Liturgies. The prayers and readings of Mass on this day, just bring such joy, gladness, and hope. Something, I feel I have desperately needed in 2021. These weeks of preparation and waiting liturgically, tend to be dark, as we wait to celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas. However this day, we are met with the promise of Heaven, and our response is to Rejoice! For our God keeps His promises, and His promise to you and me is life eternally in Heaven, made possible through His Son.
There is always reason to rejoice! Rejoice Always! Even if we do not immediately feel like it. ;) Looking back on 2021, are we where we thought we would be when it started? No. But, Even so, God is still Good. This year has challenged Aaron and I to; Trust God, Let Go, and Find Joy. And that we have, in abundance. Every day, every moment is an exercise in this. Trusting God, Letting Go, and Finding Joy.
In the second reading today, St. Paul tells us to rejoice always and give thanks. Giving thanks can be a hard pill to swallow when you are suffering. Even more so to Rejoice when you are struggling in grief. Happiness can be fleeting and superficial and depending on emotions, but Joy is more substantial. Joy, the true Joy that comes for Rejoicing, is much deeper. Joy is a choice. A willingness to embrace God’s plan, whatever that may be. In prayer, doing the work to be truly Joyful, one finds there is, “ A Peace that surpasses all understanding.”
We are forever grateful for all the ways you have each helped us this year to Trust God, Let Go, and Find Joy. There are simply no words for the continued support you all have given us, and we are ever so grateful for you and your prayers for our family.
I have started this post about 50 times over the past months. It is beyond time for an update.
Over the summer, we spent many weekends at the lake with family and friends. It was glorious, and healing in a way we both needed.
In July, Aaron’s dear Grandmother passed away. She was a strong woman, who loved Jesus above all. She modeled this for her family, and I know her and Grandpa Wegenka are praying us all on from Heaven. Thus, we traveled to Nashville to be with family and lay her to rest. As with all things of that nature, it was hard but such a blessing to be with all the family. The extended crazy Wegenka family is her legacy, and it is Beautiful.
In August, we celebrated our 15 year wedding anniversary. I cannot believe we have been married that long, I feel we are still babies! To celebrate we plan to travel back to one of our favorite places, Costa Rica. But, as you can imagine, COVID has caused us to reschedule a few times. Our current plan is to go sometime in the spring.
Shortly after our anniversary, my parents had a leak in their home. This caused all the floors needing replacement. My parents bought the home when they were pregnant with me, and decided to take the opportunity to do some updates and other needed home projects. The past few months, Aaron and I have been helping them through this process and doing as much as we can ourselves. There were a lot of late nights and long weekends, but we are so glad they trusted us and allowed us to help them. They are back in their home now, yet still unpacking. Much to be Thankful for and Rejoice with this project. I am excited for the new memories to be created in their updated home.
Both our Dads turned 70 this year. We celebrated with Aaron’s family at the Lake House over Labor Day. Mark loves golf, so we had a Seven-Tee- th Birthday party. On my Dad's birthday, we invited all our family and friends over to our house for a surprise Fiesta!! It was great, although I am kicking myself for not getting a photo!
In October Aaron, his brothers, and their dad went on a backpacking weekend at Stephen F. Austin State park. They all had the time of their lives!
Early Fall, Aaron and I worked on, and completed our Home Study renewal. Over the past few months, we have spoken to a few birth moms, nothing has come to fruition. However, We are Trusting God, Letting Go, and Finding Joy. We know the Lord has a plan for our family, and He will not disappoint.
As we draw closer to Christmas, and celebrate the Incarnation, please keep us in your prayers. Pray for the child the Lord is preparing for our family. Pray for the hearts of this sweet child’s birth parents. Also, please pray for Marie, the birthmom of Philip and Katherine, the next few days and weeks will be filled with moments of sorrow in remembrance of this time last year.
Over the next few weeks we are excited for the time scheduled to spend with friends and family. Please know you are in our hearts and prayers. We pray that the joy of the Incarnation fills your heart and home with a Peace in the Promise of Heaven.
-Kristin
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