Read or listen to my Christmas/ New years letter! (about a 12-15 minute read/ listen)

Dear friend,

2024 came and went. I am choosing to hold onto hope as the year brought many blessings and also a heaping dose of pain and grief as well. How about you? It seems to be how life goes- it ebbs and flows with its highs and lows. Some years, though, there is more joy to be found. If we could plan life perfectly on our terms, we would naturally go for less sadness, darkness, pain or suffering. Through it all, I am remembering to count my blessings. I pray you can too.

If you’ve struggled with any ounce of perfectionism* tendencies (which I admit I have), you can be thrown for a loop when life doesn’t go as you had first hoped. The key for me is to rely on the only “Perfect One” to show me the way: Jesus, the reason for the season.

This blog post is my attempt at an “annual Christmas/ New Year” letter to share some updates on the Kozan family and share some inspiration as we head into January here. Thanks for taking the time to read/ listen here, as I know time is precious. So get comfy, grab your favourite hot drink, and as I share a bit of my life here from this past year, I hope it encourages you to reflect on your journey in some way.

Grief & Hope

Tim and I grieve with hope in the passing of both of our dads in 2024. As we reflect on this season, we are finding strength in counting our blessings, big and small. My dad took his final breath on November 18th and entered his heavenly home at the age of 79. I processed some of this grief in a recent blog post:
”Remembering Dad with both Grief and Gratitude”

I have found in life that answers to prayer are either "Yes",…"No",... or "Wait". Each day is a gift. The life lessons we encounter in sickness and health are there for us to learn and grow, even amidst the suffering. As much as I had hoped for Dad to live ‘til his 90's, 79 years is still amazing. We are all miracles in the making. Dad passed away at their home in Fargo, ND. It was an honour to be there with Mom for that month, serving them along with Sanford Hospice. Many “God moments” together with my parents, brother and sister during that time, were truly life-changing. Sure, God could have turned things around from his terminal liver cancer with a miracle to keep him here longer, but I trust in His sovereignty. The ultimate miracle is Eternal Life.

Family photo taken the day of my dad’s funeral at Bethel Church in Fargo, ND. (LIVESTREAM link) From left to Right: Back row: Brother- in- Law Greg Anderson and my sister Jennifer, my brother Roger anderson, myself and Tim. Middle row: My nephew Alexander Langevin, and his wife Britni, My sister- in- law Caitlin Anderson holding their youngest daughter Brynn, my mom Judy holding dad’s portrait, my neice (roger’s Oldest daughter) Ella Anderson, then our four daughters: Amanda Downing, Jessica Kozan, Jaclyn Kozan and Justine Angell. Front row are our three cutie grandsons: Kolten downing, Kylen Angell and Kohen Angell. (Missing from this photo are our two sons in laws Kevin Downing and Kaden Angell, and my step-niece Savannah) https://www.jodikozan.com/blog/remembering-dad-with-grief-and-gratitude

The loss can feel overwhelming at times, but the phrase that keeps coming to mind is “we grieve with hope” which is based on a verse found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The hope of heaven promises that there will be no more death, mourning, tears or pain there. (Revelation 21:4). The pastor who officiated Dad’s funeral (Pastor Jonas Bundy/ Bethel Church) sat with my family or origin just weeks before his passing. He encouraged Dad in his time of suffering and awaiting that uncertainty facing death that in heaven, he will experience life in technicolour and feel more alive than he’s ever felt here on earth. That certainty comes from our faith in God and the many promises in His word.

Remembering dad: Richard Wayne Anderson September 8th, 1945- November 18th 2024

Tim’s dad passed away on October 6th. Although Ted’s passing was more expected, as he was 91 and living in a care home this past year, the loss of a parent is still painful. No matter if we lose someone by disease or by more “natural causes”, i.e. old age, we grieve. It was an honour to be asked to officiate his funeral. A prayer that brought comfort in that setting is one that I share with you here. If you are struggling with facing the loss of a loved one, I encourage you to turn to the One who knows our hearts like no other.

A Sample Prayer As One Faces Grief

“O God our Father, Creator of us all, giver and preserver of all life: We confess to you our slowness to accept death as part of your plan for life. We confess our reluctance to commit to you those whom we love. Restore our faith that we may come to trust in Your care and providence through this time of grieving. No matter what age one passes, loss is always hard, especially when we share memories and experiences,... Help us to count our blessings, give us faith to see beauty amidst sorrow, and somehow, someway, would you surprise us with joy amidst our mourning. We invite your Holy Spirit to lead and guide our hearts and minds as we honour their life. Help us dear God to feel what we need to feel, give us the strength to grieve well. May we speak Hope, Life and Peace to one another as we consider eternity in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.“

Beausejour, Manitoba, Tim’s side of the family- photo taken after Ted’s funeral in Early October. Back Row: Our son-IN-law Kevin, our brother-IN-law Igor and tim’s older sister Cheryl, Tim and I, Tim’s younger sister Linda, her son-IN-law Tyler, Our brother-IN-law Todd. Front row: Our Daughter Amanda (holding our grandson/ her son Kolten), Our daughter Jaclyn holding her nephew/ our second grandson Kylen), our youngest daughter Justine holding her second son/ our youngest grandson Kohen), our daughter Jess, My mother in law Julie, my niece Ali (holding her and Tyler’s daughters Beth and Ruby ), Our niece Karlee holding her daughter Hayley), her brother/ our nephew Kurtis, and behind him, Karlee’s husband Dillan).

Thankful, Grateful & Blessed!

To “Count my blessings”, my top 3 today include:

I give thanks to God for the gift of faith amidst all the chapters in life, especially the challenging times.
So very grateful for all those friends who have supported my parents, family or me directly during this challenging time. We appreciate the love and care shown to us.
Recognizing the blessings of family. Both our family of origin and our immediate family. Tim and I will be celebrating 35 years of marriage on August 4th, 2025! Together, we continue to look for ways to support each other in this season of life. It’s fun to bond through the years as we cheer on our kids and grandkids, as we are enriched when their lives expand and grow in so many ways. A glimpse of where they are at below!

Our Kids/ Grandkids

Following in her dad’s footsteps (and her uncle Stacy’s), our oldest daughter Amanda is rocking her new career shift to being an associate financial advisor with Sun Life/ CastleGate Financial Solutions here in Saskatoon. It was a big leap for her, but it is proving to be a successful one! Our son-in-law Kevin continues to work hard with his electrical business Kadco, with over 20 years of experience there. Having a hard work ethic is something I admire in them but truly, all of our kids. They’ve learned the joyful balance of working hard, and resting/playing hard as they rest up at their lake and give us ample opportunities to cheer on our 6-year-old grandson Kolten (now in Kindergarten), on the hockey rink!

Jaclyn continues to work as a nurse in both cardiology and children’s pre-op in the beautiful city of Victoria, B.C. on Vancouver Island. It’s great she can fly home and pick up a shift to upkeep her license here, too. Another incredible community she has been connected to these last few years is the 18 Inch Journey ministry out of North Carolina, where she was invited back recently to partake in a live recording of their next album with Jonathon and Melissa Helser with Cageless Birds, which will be released in the spring of 2025!

Jess, too, has fallen in love with B.C., but her nest is tucked into the remote part of Vancouver Island in Canada’s surfing haven of Tofino. Her nursing position there has expanded her reach and passion as she serves the community in a variety of ways including the honour of expanding services to the First Nations community on nearby islands that make up nearly half the population of that region. Tim and I had the joy and honour of watching Jess in her 3rd surfing competition out there this fall at Queen of the Peak.

Our youngest daughter Justine and son-in-law Kaden welcomed their second son, Kohen in 2023, so it was a ton of fun co-hosting his 1st birthday party theme “One Groovy Guy,” at our acreage this fall. His older brother Kylen is pumped that his little brother, is also his little buddy now that he is walking, and learning to talk and interact more, which is so much fun! Even though these two began their educational journey as teachers, they both shifted gears to wear some pretty solid business owner hats! Kaden, co-owner of Rubber Stone Paving (soon to be rebranded: “Resurface”) continues to expand in multiple cities. Justine adds business owner as she and her friend Cassidy opened up Be Well Studios in the heart of downtown Saskatoon. It offers a ton of options including boot camps, pilates, mommy and me classes and more.

Wellness. It’s not just physical; it’s also emotional, relational, mental, and spiritual.

The longer I live, the older I get, I consider it pure joy to learn more about the truth of what it means to have “Life to the full” (John 10:10). Thank you, Jesus. This abundant life Christ calls us to doesn’t come without suffering. I like to envision prayer as an open invitation to approach God’s throne room with grace and confidence. As we go through life’s challenges, there is no need too great or too small for God.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

— Hebrews 4:16

My Hubby’s Health Update…

Tim faced a cancer scare in the spring of 2023, just before we left for our tour of Israel together. As a result of that news, we somehow appreciated our time together there with incredible peace and focused intensity to receive all that we were meant to. We also received some good news though in February 2024 that his cancer is in remission after many treatments of radiation and other therapies over 6 months to keep the cancer from spreading.

In Dad’s case, his cancer was very aggressive and caught much too late. In Tim’s situation, it was caught early, and prostate cancer was more easily treatable. Through it all, I have come to a deeper understanding of “health”, as not to idolize it, but to seek alignment by embracing health through a more holistic perspective: Spirit, Soul and Body. In life, there are no guarantees that we will live another day on this side of heaven. So for us? We focus our attention on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:-13).

My Journey of Faith- update…

Where am I at these days? Well, outside of my passion for prayer, spending time with loved ones and serving our community, I continue to plug away at a writing project that is near and dear to my heart. It is more of a theological memoir. With all life has presented me, it feels like I am working at a snail’s pace, but little by little, I’m making progress. I sense with all that has transpired this past year, I had more lessons to learn that will inspire the completion of this work!

A definite highlight that I look forward to in 2025 is attending the Women’s Journey of Faith conference on April 25-26 “By Design” which will help mark and celebrate 25 years in ministry since its formation. If interested in attending, check out the website for tickets, as Lisa Bevere is coming as our keynote speaker!

Visit www.wjof.com tickets available on eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/by-design-tickets-888412374327

New Year’s Blessings!

What are we doing tonight on New Year’s Eve? Having a romantic evening at home (haha!) babysitting our two youngest grandsons, ages 1 and 4. We’ll dance in our PJs to Cocomelon I’m sure. Maybe even make a New Year’s toast with chocolate milk and cherish the opportunity. After a heavy year, we think it’s the perfect way to reflect on the past year, be present in the moment, and wake up to a fresh new start once again. As we are in this “sandwich generation”, our grandsons remind us in this time of grief/ (missing our two dads) that legacy matters.

In closing, may you press on through the highs and lows of life through faith, hope and love in 2025 and beyond! Though life brings both joy and sorrow, let’s cherish the moments that warm our hearts and the love that surrounds us.