Reviewing 2012 & Eagerly Expecting 2013!

HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR!!!

  Yes, I know today is now the seventeenth day of January. Yes, I know that we are well into our way into the near year. But... It has been a busy couple of weeks & this is the first time I have had time to sit down & reflect on what God has been doing in my life... So... Here we go!

2012: A Year in Review

 Please check out my photography blog for a photo post of highlights from 2012. Thank you! :)

 My highlights/ favorite events from 2012 were...
The annual CHEF Conference (& Scottish Ball!) in June,
Traveling to Yellowstone in June
Making some new friends,
And...
Beginning a Courtship with Mark in August!

Favorite memory from 2012: Dancing at the CHEF Ball with my best friend!!! :)

The most impacting lesson I learned in 2012 was to: learn to surrender my precious dreams to God! [You can read more about that journey here, here & here]

Verse of the Year: Isaiah 55:11 (For context, click here)

Best books I read in 2012 were: Jesus Culture by Banning Liebscher & It's (Not That) Complicated by Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin

Summary: 2012 was a hard year for me. Full of lots of decisions, stretching, trials & pain. But it also had its highlights, that's for sure! Not as much growth as I would have liked. God taught me a lot during the year- about Himself, His Faithfulness, myself, life, family, love, friends... He was (& still is!) Faithful, Sovereign & Good. He had a Plan & a Purpose (Romans 8:28) for the Path He took me on! Looking back now, it sure was a crazy ride, that caught me by surprise (in a good way!)... :)

My top 5 most popular devotion blog posts of 2012 were: Avery John Notgrass, What is "True Modesty?" Part II, Guard Your Heart, Joshua Steven Eddy: Go With God & A Multi-Generational Vision.

My top 5 most popular photo blog posts of 2012 were: CHEF Scottish Ball Photos I, Conference Photos Part III, Conference Photos Part I, Last Conference Photos- Part IV & CHEF Paintball Event.




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So, in hindsight... Some questions for you:
What were the most significant events in your life & your family in 2012?
What did you read that most impacted you the most in 2012?
How did your relationship with God change in 2012?
What was the most important life lesson you learn in 2012?
What was the most significant decision you made in 2012?
What habits (good & bad) did you form in 2012?
What is your favorite memory from 2012?

2013: Expectations!

New Year's Resolutions: None (I don't believe in them).

Some of my goals for 2013: Make improvements/ growth concerning my character, journal daily (not going too well so far), pick a verse for the year (soon!), read 52 books (one book a week) in the year (4th year running, still unaccomplished, as of yet!), as well as some personal goals, not to be blasted all over the Internet! ;)

Expectations for 2013: Growth. Change. Major life changes. Um... Yeah. We're gonna leave it at that! ;)

Prayer request: Character growth! I desperately need to grow in the areas of maturity, trust, discernment & wisdom!

Verse of the Year: ??? (undecided, as of yet!)

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So, looking ahead... Some questions for reflection:
What are some of your "New Year's Resolutions"?
What do you expect God to accomplish this year, in your life?
What areas of your life most need improvement?
How are you a different person, than you were a year ago?

Have a blessed New Year! May 2013 be the best year yet!!! :)

Don't Waste Your Life!

My beau & I have spent the last several days answering some questions concerning our courtship. Questions about our faith, doctrine/ theology, experience, values, preferences, expectations, convictions, traditions, strengths, weaknesses, habits, interests, talents/ gifts, personalities, standards, behaviors etc as we get to know each other better & pursue the possibility of marriage.

 [Once we're finished answering them, we're going to discuss them with our parents] And believe me, there are some hard questions in there! Some that made me drop my jaw & say, "WOW. Did they really just ask that??" [For a complete list of the questions, click here]

Anyway, one of the sections was about values, goals, dreams, plans etc. Some of the questions in that section were as follows:

1. What do you value most highly in life? Second?
2. What is your "life purpose"?

3. How you intend to use your interests, experiences, skills, and talents to serve and glorify God?)

4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 20 years?
5. How would those who know you well describe your personal character?

These made me stop & think- Why am I on this earth? What has God sent me here to accomplish? What am I to do with the time He has given me? What are my goals, aspirations, dreams, "plans" etc?

Then I got to the next question-
 

 "When the Lord calls you home, how
would you like people to remember you?" 

 WOW. That really made me stop & think. It's one thing to talk about your goals, dreams, plans, aspirations etc when you're in your early twenties. It's quite another to think about your death- How you want to be remembered, what you want to be known for, what you want to accomplish in your lifetime etc. I really had to think about that one...

So... Some questions for you-

What do you want to be remembered for most?
What do you want your eulogy to be?
What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime?
What do you want to be "known for"?
What is your Calling?
What is your life's Purpose?
Why are you here on this earth?
What are your goals, aspirations, dreams, desires?
What has God pre-ordained you to do while you are on this earth?

I am not trying to be morbid or dark here. Just something to think about. It is never too early to address these sorts of "heavy" topics. We do not know when our time will come or when the Lord might return (Matthew 24:36-44). Life is "but a vapor..." (James 4:13-17).[For more on this topic, read here & here].


 I think we should be "known for what we do," more than for what we don't do. I don't think it's good enough to be known for being the "good girl," for not "doing bad things." Our standards should be way higher than that. Instead of being known as the one who simply "didn't do bad things," we should strive for a higher standard- being known for the good, right, honourable, righteous, God-honoring things that we do. [For more on this topic, read here]

DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE.

DO HARD THINGS