A New Year Brings New Opportunities....

Today has been a good day at church. I feel at home there. I guess cause I have spent a lot of my time there.

This past week has been pretty laid back. My brother came into town this weekend. I have gotten to see him the past three weekends. That was good! I really don't get to see him much since he is all the way in Mississippi! But, we got to see each other a lot lately and that has been nice. I am not sure when I will get to see him next! That is kinda sad...

My little sister got a trampoline for Christmas. And, I hadn't jumped on one since I was growing up in Mississippi. We had one back then. Me, Sara and Molly went out there. We played all the dumb games we used to play on the trampoline and we had a lot of fun! It is amazing how much higher I can jump now that I am older! It's more fun nowadays! Lol. WE jumped on it for like forty minutes. It is a good workout. I was out of breathe within about five minutes. ha!

New years is fastly approaching. Casey preached this morning at church and he preached on New Years. He talked about how last year (and every year before that) is a hallway full of doors (doors of opportunity) and we opened some doors we shouldn't have and passed some we shouldn't have. Sometimes we go through time without taking the opportunities God gives us to do the things He wants us to. Sometimes we force open doors that God wants us to leave shut. And, we have a brand new year to change all of that. We have a new year full of new opportunities/new doors that we can walk in or not. A lot of it was about finding God's will and how prayer is a big part of that.

Isn't it weird how New Year's seems to hold out a sense of hope? It is like a new beginning. A chance at starting over. A time to reflect on the things we have done wrong and try to get them right. It is a time where anything is possible really because nothing has happened yet. You don't know what it will hold. You don't know how things will turn out. Even if last year was crappy it just seems like looking towards the new year you can hope for something better, or different than that. It is weird how hopeful the New Year is.

To be quite honest, looking over this past year I have to say I do have some regrets (like every year...I mean, I am not perfect by any means). I have also seen how far God has carried me though. He has stretched me and taught me so many things. It blows my mind looking back at where one miesly year can take you! IT has taken me far. I have been through lots of heartache and lots of joy, too! I have enjoyed myself and been miserable at times. Sometimes waiting on God can be tough. Sometimes I speed ahead of Him. Sometimes I try things on my own until he kicks me back on my butt and shows me I can't do anything by myself. I need Him. I really do! And, I am hoping this next year that Christ will lead me down the hallways. That I will open every door I need to and keep every door closed that needs to remain closed. I pray I will allow Him to do this. Because I know He wants to. IT is how he designed it to be.

I think a lot of the highlights that had to do with this year mainly had to do with being with family at times. And God moved me into a trailer full of seven other girls. Each one is completely committed to Christ and doing His will. Each one is encouraging. EAch one is goofy. Each one is really encouraging to me! I think God put them there to help me get through last semester. Because I really needed some encouragment. ANd they gave it! Our poor trailer has been through a lot from the stove catching on fire, ants taking over, the internet going out everytime the wind blew, the bathroom flooding, being invaded by lady bugs to the elctricity cutting out and the dvd player stopping. But, it made us laugh. And, I have really enjoyed being with these girls. They were God's gift to me.

I also saw God clearly direct me to where I was supposed to go this next summer for Summer missions. I will be headed to Davao, PHilippines in June.

I have seen God get me through a really hard (academically) semester and keep me sane through it all.

I have gotten to be with friends and family. I have also been through a time in my church where I think about 12 people in a span of 2 weeks died.

And, I hope this next year takes me even further. I, of course, hope that it is a good year. And I hope that maybe God wants to teach me lessons this year in a less painful way. But, I am thankful for what God has shown me. I am thankful that He is so good to me.

I definitely know there are things I can improve on: I want to get better in my prayer life. I really just want to learn to rely and trust on Christ more. I want to wait patiently for God and I want to spend more time studying in His word. I want to put Him first and not be so busy I forget about my relationship with Him.

I also want to love others more. I sometimes don't do very well at that. I want to show them the love of Christ. I want to be sympathetic and be understanding more often.

I want to keep in touch with people better. This past year I was so bad at keeping in touch with those who weren't in my general vicinity.

I want to have joy. That means, consistency and constance.

I want to continue working out and trying to eat more healthy.

I will stop making a list before I really let myself down later on! Lol. But, these are just a few things I see room for improvment in. I know I have been through a lot this past semester. And, I know no one, no matter how close they are to me really knows how much it has been. But, I know God has had a purpose. I have grown a lot. And I anticipate growing still.

Bryan told me this morning in Sunday School about the Peach Drop in Atlanta on New Year's Eve! Sounds awesome to me! I must say!!! I looked it up! I want to go! HA! Maybe one year!