2017, Thanks for the Lessons.

Long post this time, but I think it's worth the read. 😉

My goal for 2017 was to crave God more than ever before. Half way through the year He placed a speedbump in my path that made me fall at His feet and made Him my one desire. ( He removed something from my life that I maybe, kind of placed before Him in order of importance in my life. Learned my lesson, God....) 2017 was filled with lessons and growth. It may have been another painful year, but I grew and I'm continuing to mature into the woman of God I desire to be. (Praise God!) For 2017 I didn't have this goal until about mid January, but it became my desire to crave Him and that's what I wanted for this year. My gain goal was reached (forcefully) in July. Well it wasn't reached, but the process began. A few months later I had thought "Hey… God used this to reveal that I need to crave Him and He should be my main focus!" It was quite the epiphany when I made that connection. This year I started to fall in love with Jesus and was able to genuinely say "I love you, God.". I had already had a love for His Word before, but I fell even more in love with Scripture. While reading Hebrews and seeing Jesus depicted as the high priest to save us it really hit me how much of a love story the Bible is. It really is a love letter to me (and you!). God and His Word are so good! When you claim His Word for your own it makes all the difference.

With the close of the year I've been thinking about 2018 and what I want to accomplish in this upcoming year.

In 2015 my mom passed away. In 2016 I was trying to deal with it, I may not have dealt with it in the best way or how others thought I should. In 2017 I put one foot forward in resuming my education, but then I stayed there for a while. THEN, then July came around. I had to have a breakdown in order to have a breakthrough. It's very bittersweet because I wish it's something that didn't have to happen, BUT! But y'all I've grown and learned my own strength and that I don't have to be so afraid of change. I went and accomplished things that I could have accomplished without the "breakdown", but for some reason I didn't. Within a matter of three months I finally got driving lessons and my license that I was putting off! I made a degree change that I was originally unsure of because I had no idea how to make a career out of it. God would not let the feeling of needing to change my major go. It was so impressed on my heart that when I made the major change I was so stoked! AND I felt like I wasn't settling anymore. I don't want to settle for anything less than what God has planned for me. I'm so excited for classes to start in January because it's moving forward into the direction of making my dream a reality. I've had a person look at me like I was crazy when I had told them my dream with all my enthusiasm, but I've also had the encouragement to go for it. I'm not too sure why God would impress this much enthusiasm for a dream if it's not what He wants for my life. So much peace was granted when I decided to trust God and go for it. That's a lesson from this year: "Trust God and He will take care of you." "Be still and know." "Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you." I just need to trust Him. I'm going to be okay. I know I am. (If only you could see the peaceful smile on my face as I say this.) In November another hiccup presented itself and I became so overwhelmed, BUT I'm going to be okay. I'm taking steps that will hopefully make this better, but I'm taking it one day at a time. Seeking God and trusting God is all I need to do in order to be okay. I'm blessed that God has placed special people in my life that I can call to have pray over me and speak life into me when I feel knocked down. Satan can try to knock me down all he wants, but this girl is not only going to keep getting back up, but she's going to get back up stronger than before every single time. That’s right, because I got Jesus! Now in this month I have been taking it by day and taking steps forward and I plan on picking up this momentum into 2018.

For 2018 my goal is to fall completely in love with God and pay enough attention to Him to the point where I can see His hand (also His provision) in every area and second of my life. When something good happens I want to say "Wow, God, thank you. I know that was you and not 'luck'. It was all you." I had a moment like that last week when I was worried and the very next day I saw His provision. He is a good God and is concerned about the details of our life. We can realize this when we pay attention to Him. What I DON'T want for 2018 is to step into anything that is not in His will for my life. If God isn't in it I don't want anything to do with it. I want to grow in hearing from God and make my discernment even stronger. 2017 made me stronger and I discovered myself. I discovered the strong woman that I can be by God's grace. Instead of saying "2018, please be good to me" I'm trying to say "2018, I'm going to make you good and if you throw a curveball, I'm going to battle. I don't plan on striking out." (Played softball in high school and it taught me few good lessons.)

I plan on falling more and more in love with Jesus and the calling God has placed on my life in this coming year. I know God is going to take care of me not only in this coming year, but every other year that follows. I long to pay attention to the Holy Spirit's prompting and direction this coming year.

Blessings ! 💕💕💕💕💕💕