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!!! :)

Blog-iversary!

(As I was out of town, I was unable to post yesterday)

Yesterday marked the one year blogiversary- for my meditation blog, that is! My photography blog's first "birthday" isn't until September 2!

I remember when my friends Dakota & Marjolaine encouraged me to start a blog. I had heard of facebook, myspace, twitter etc, but I asked myself, "What is a blog? What does that look like?" Now, 121 posts later, I now understand the feeling. :)

You can read my first post (with photos) here. And my first "real" post here. According to my taglines, my favorite words to use are God, faith, family, CHEF (Christian Home Educators Fellowship), Church, love & memories. :) Just a few of the things that I'm passionate about. =)


It has been a very... ahem... interesting.. journey this past year. A lot has happened. Lots of changes. Lots of comings & goings. New faces, new friendships. New freedom. New responsibility. Hard, painful. Fresh, fun. I think (?) my blog(s) portray this.

And God has remained faithful through it all. I continue to "walk by faith." I view life through a camera lens & process it through a writer's pen.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. :) God's richest blessings to you, as we continue to walk by faith, in eager anticipation for our Final Resting Place in Heaven...

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New Series Update:
I currently have a lot of ideas stewing on the back burner. But the time is not yet right for sharing. Every day this week, I have opened a new, blank post, with ideas spewing over, just waiting for the pen to hit the paper... But I feel like God is saying "Wait. It is not yet the proper time." And so I wait for His Guidance & direction concerning the upcoming series (yet unnamed). In the meantime, I am researching & reading voraciously! Stay posted for new posts coming soon (the Lord willing!)...