When I first started thinking about the past year and what I wanted to blog about I originally was thinking what a terrible year it was. Then I read some things some other friends have gone through and really began to reflect on this year and realized while it has had some tough challenges it was not as bad as it could have been.
We made some pretty big lifestyle changes with running and eating this year. We can tell a difference even though you may not be able to since a lot of the changes have been internal (emotionally as well as health wise). We were truly inspired to keep working towards our goal when we got to witness my cousin's husband Gary finish his first marathon.Of course, I can't forget we ran our first 5k in June. I never would have thought I could or would do something like that, but I DID IT!!!!
We cancelled our trip to Disney where Rick was going to run his first half marathon because our septic system "died" and we spent all of our Disney money putting new field lines in our house. It was incredibly disappointing to realize we wouldn't be able to make it but knew that God was in it. We had just received our tax return and Rick had just gotten a large bonus from work and so we had the money on hand to pay for it all. Had it happened any other time of the year we would not have had the funds.
In March we got to go to Texas to see me grandparents for the first time in over 2 years. It was bittersweet for sure. To see my grandmother with Alzheimer's was heartbreaking. I will be forever thankful for the time I got with her while she still knew who I was.
We survived the tornadoes of April 27th, one touching down about a mile from our house. We could see God's protective hand on us when we walked out of our house and there were trees down all around us and homes destroyed everywhere, but we were fine. It was overwhelming to say the least.
I had my first ever "speaking engagement". I spoke at my mom's church at their mother-daughter banquet. I spoke on Trusting God. Satan had attacked before this event, but even harder since. Trusting Him, Fearing not, not being anxious are areas that have been such a struggle this year. Anxiety for me this year has been worse than it has ever been, and yet God has taught me so much this year. I'm looking forward to the day I do not struggle with fear and anxiety. It may not be until I get to Heaven, but I hope not.
I have made several new friends this year, most of them out of discovering we have walked the same difficult road in some way or the other . I am always thankful for new friends. I have also gotten to know some people better that I have known for awhile and I love that too. I also have relationships I have to do better on, even seek some healing in. That is one of my prayers for this new year.
I have seen so many people I care about struggle this year. Whether it was cancer, other illnesses, marriage struggles, children issues, depression, loss or other things. I have spent a whole lot of time in prayer for so many this year and while I wish hard times never happened it has been an honor to lift so many up to my Father. It has been a healing balm for me on days when I felt anxiety would swallow me whole to take my eyes off myself and lift others up. To stand in the gap for them. I have loved seeing answered prayer and I am looking forward to more of them this year.
We became parents of a teenager this year. AAHHHH! When Megan was born I immediately began to worry about 2 things. Potty training and teen years. We survived potty training, I'm not so sure about the teen years :D That makes me pray a lot too. Seriously though, I don't want to rush these years and I don't want to hate them. We have our issues but all in all she is a GREAT kid and I adore her.
Erika is still a mama's girl and I have decided she will probably never leave home. :D She still keeps us laughing, but she is also entering the tween years. Oh, the attitude that comes out and I begin to wonder what happened to the complacent little girl?? She is such a giving person, who loves to make people laugh and do whatever to keep the peace. I am truly blessed.
There is so much more that has happened in our life, but there is one other thing that I want to remember about this year. Today I finished reading through the Bible in a year for the first time. I have read it through one other time, but it took me almost 3 years. I don't know if it is right or wrong to be proud of that, but I am. Not just because I finished it, but because all the things I learned with my Savior this year. The times when I could read some passage back to Him as praise, or as a cry of my heart. The tear stained pages, the notes in the margin, the underlines...all evidence of my walk with my Jesus this year. That will be my favorite thing that happened in 2011.
So I welcome 2012, and wonder what it will hold for me and my family. I wonder what it will hold for my extended family and my friends and all those I have prayed for in 2011. Tonight I am thankful that even though I started out thinking this has been a terrible year I realized that a lot of it was just living life. Living the ups and downs of life with the amazing people God blessed me with. It wasn't all bad after all, it actually was pretty ok.
Happy New Year!!!
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