Every word I type, I am reminded of how much it is a blessing to be in contact with you. Not just the fact that the internet is incredible. But I have faced major opposition to getting these messages out to you! My computer seemed to have become possessed every time I would try to work on material. It was laughable but then turned to the point of discouragement. Hard work would be erased, things would freeze, uploading would take forever, etc…and none of it coordinated with each other. Just random technical difficulties that seemed to have no end in sight.  And I am not a newbie when it comes to technology, so I couldn’t blame it on that. I know my way around programs and computers but it would give me grief every time. With a lot of prayer, factory resetting my computer and persistence, I have finally got out my message. However, the quality of my uploads are not as good as I would like since I have had to spend so much time on just getting it up. All in all, the adversary is real and it is a testimony to me to keep sharing and spreading my own unique light of Christ. Excited to do it again and share the gospel in any way I can.  But it didn’t stop. This time the opposition was in the form of other people coming after me online. It was heavy and disheartening. I had to decide how to handle the situation and keep it free from contention. Unfortunately, that meant to stop all communication with them. I will explain more and share that story for another time. But wow, the opposition keeps coming. With your new year, I hope that you will be savvy on how you avoid the adversary. Understanding our enemy is key. Playing on the offense with continuing our conversion to Christ and his gospel, WHILE we play defense and not allow negative influences in our lives. Checking where we can improve and fix those breeches will look different for everyone. Invite the spirit to be your guide as you evaluate what that looks like for you. On that note, I deeply evaluated what that looked like for me at the beginning of 2023. I made a LOT of changes and now I am sharing that with you today in my 2023 year review with many stories sprinkled in. I decided to let go of my business, after seeing a lot of things that I didn’t want to align myself with in the industry. The spirit had told me to shift how I spend my time, and now I was to fully engage with being a Wife, Mother and Homemaker. It has been a beautiful journey and I love how our home feels now.  God was also so good to me and knew that I still needed a bone to chew. I NEED something for me to work on at any given time. Since we had thought about homestead for a long time, I decided to finally take the plunge and start actively looking for our next home and land. It felt like it was time. We found our place and are moving this summer. God Shaped Me in 2023 for the better and I can see more clearly now. I invite you to look at your past year in the same way. God is in the details and when you use the Spirit as your guide, he will NEVER lead you astray.   With love, Laura Cragun