Another year almost behind us and another one stretching out before us. It's so hard to believe! I feel like the older I get the faster the time flies. As I've been pondering "New Year's resolutions" and the closing of this chapter there are two specific lessons that I really believe God starting to show me and prepare my heart for the coming year.
The first one is giving. For probably the past six months or so I have really struggled with tithing. Something that once came so natural has become a huge issue for me. As bills pile up it becomes harder and harder for me to trust God to provide for us and give Him His part first. Providentially, it seems like every Bible study or sermon I've been a part of the past couple months has addressed the topic of giving. My heart has been convicted. Furthermore, God has shown me that just giving to Him isn't enough. "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40KJV) The Lord has really been pushing me to pay attention to the needs of others and seek to help in whatever way possible. I honestly don't know how the Lord intends to provide the opportunities for me to reach out to others. Jeff and I are at a place in our life where we live almost paycheck to paycheck and we're not financially able to really be able to minister to other people in a financial way. My prayer is that the Lord will keep my heart tender to the needs of others and show me how he wants both me and my family to minister to them.
The second lesson has been to remember God's faithfulness. So many times in life I go to God with my needs and desires and beg and plead with him to provide and work out certain situations...and He does. And then I go about life and start worrying about the next thing that I need taken care of. I so easily forget God's faithfulness to me. This thought hit me like a ton of bricks about two weeks ago. When I realized how forgetful and unappreciative I tend to be I felt like jumping up and down and screaming to heaven, "I haven't forgotten God! I remember! I see how faithful You are!" As I go through this next year I don't want to forget or be blinded to all the ways God has provided. I want to live daily with the truth "GREAT is His faithfulness to me!"
As this year quickly closes I'm excited to see what 2013 holds for me! The potential for some very exciting things are just around the corner!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world."
Monday, December 31, 2012
New Year's Eve Ramblings
Monday, November 5, 2012
Thankful
Today has been an awesome day! This afternoon as I write this I am in perfect peace. Everything is as it should be...for the moment. I'm well aware of the fact that all this could change in the blink of an eye, but I am learning, ever so slowly, not to borrow trouble. When things are good I am simply going to be thankful.
Some things I'm thankful for today:
1. Jeff and I had a really big situation to deal with this morning that could have ended very badly for us. God in His favour showed us an abundance of grace and worked everything out the way we had hoped. (However, Jeff and I both were brought to our knees over the weekend and brought to the realization that whatever the outcome God was still good and worthy of our worship.) We are so thankful for the way things worked out.
2. We have been married for 9 wonderful days so far! So thankful for this man that I get to call mine for the rest of my life.
3. I picked up our marriage certificate today! (The downside to that is that tomorrow I get to spend all morning at the social security office getting my new ss card. Blegh.)
4. Starbucks has their Christmas drinks out now. There are not enough words in the world to describe how ridiculously happy this makes me.
5. I'm thankful for my mom. We have talked so much the last week and she's doing so much to help stock mine and Jeff's house. I love that she is almost as excited about decorating our home as I am.
6. I am so very thankful for our church. This weekend was consumed with a lot of worry and church yesterday was really an anchor for Jeff and I. Every part of the services from the messages to the music to the testimony that was shared comforted and quieted our hearts.
Today has been so wonderful that not even having to work tonight can dampen my mood. :)
Monday, October 22, 2012
So We're Getting Married
In every trial I shall trace its all-sufficiency.
My failing flesh will learn at length a daily triumph song.
Oh, trust in God, my soul; His holy will embrace.
Then I shall stand complete and whole, a trophy of His grace
As I trust God.
The path ahead, though now obscured, will open wide for me.
My life or death shall only prove its everlasting flow.
Oh, trust in God, my soul; His holy will embrace.
Then I shall stand complete and whole, a trophy of His grace
As I trust God.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Recap
--I hope to be a faithful blogger.
--I hope to run a marathon.
--I hope to be skinny.
--I hope to be finished with school.
I digress. Here's a little recap of what's been going on...we've been sick, we've worked, we've gone to church, we've been sick, we've played enough games of Spades to last until the day we die, we've worked, we've been sick...I think you see the pattern here. We're really very boring and here recently we've been even more boring than usual. I am going to blame that whole boring thing on how much we've been sick. It's been awful. We just seem to go back and forth between stomach viruses and colds and then there was an episode where I had a horrible allergic reaction to some sort of mosquito bite and the whole trunk of my body swelled up. That was very attractive...not.
And here's a little recap in pictures since everyone would rather look at pictures than read a narrative of my boring month. :)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Well hello there Monday morning...
We spent most of this weekend doing absolutely nothing. Jeff had to work Saturday morning so that kept him busy and unable to blow up my phone and wake me up. I got to sleep until noon for the first time in months. It was wonderful! Saturday evening we babysat for a couple of friends so they could go out. We had a blast. Loaded the kids up on sugar and watched movies all evening.
Sunday we spent most of the day at church. Sundays are my most favorite days of the week...my anchor day. We've been so blessed by the ministry and people at Grace Church. I could go on and on about our love for that church and church family. It's so nice to have a church home and family . We'll be attending a new member's Sunday school class for the month of September and then, Lord willing, we'll be officially joining the church in October.
Sunday afternoon we spent running errands, since that's the only time it seems Jeff and I are ever off work at the same time. I will NEVER NEVER NEVER...NEVER go to Walmart, Target, Staples or any similar store again the day before school starts. It was awful! I would even say it could rival Black Friday shopping.
A highlight of this weekend was while at the mall right after church. I had worn the cutest, howbeit very unpractical, shoes to church yesterday morning. And by the time we had walked the mall I was ready to cut my feet off. I really was going to try and tough it out and make it back to the car, but my sweet man noticed how bad I was limping (and I think he may have been a little embarrassed about how I was waddling through the mall trying to get some relief for my feet) ad took me to Shoe Show to get a pair of flip flops. (I got a pair of Polo flip flops that we're on clearance and 50% off clearance price for $5!! Yay for end up summer clearance!! ;)) My sweetie then walked me out to a bench in the courtyard and got on his knees and changed my shoes for me. If that's not love y'all I'm not sure what is. :)
Here's some pictures from this weekend...
Sunday, July 29, 2012
I'm Back...
1. I am now working (and living) in NC
2. I absolutely LOVE my new job! Seriously the best job I have ever had. I work in the operating room with seriously the best group of coworkers.
3. FINALLY found a church about a month or so ago after 3 months of looking. It is so nice to have a church home and family again. I never realized how much I not only needed, but CRAVED, the fellowship of believers until I went without it for awhile.
4. The past 6 months have been really rough. The past month has been especially rough, but in spite of everything God has shown His goodness to me again and in so many new ways. I've been reminded again how little my faith is.
5. My favorite song right now is "O God, My Joy". The second verse says, "O God, my joy in trial in pain I trust Your wisdom and mercy. Through suffering that Your love ordains more like Your Son You will make me." I'm learning how to really trust His wisdom and mercy. I'm a big work in progress.
So much more has happened, but for tonight those are the things that are on my mind. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and...well, you get the picture.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Day 32-- God is Good
Over the past month or so God has really been trying to teach me that He is good. He's good all the time even when my circumstances are far from good. God never changes, so He can't be good in the good times and then all of a sudden bad in the bad times. And not only is my God good, but He has good plans for me. Even when my actions create bad situations and the times when bad situations just happen upon us God is working it out for my good. He's good because He loves me enough to punish me when I sin. He's good because He allows me to go through trials so I learn to trust Him more than I ever have. God's plan for me is make me more like Christ, so anything He brings in my life to accomplish that purpose is good.
Day 31--Who My God Is
As I continue on this journey of working through unfathomable hurt with God's help I was given some verses today about who my God is. It's easy to focus on circumstances, but what I really need to focus on is my God.
Day 30--Promises
A few weeks ago I was reading the story about Sarah and Hagar in my devotions. I noticed several things reading through this account this time that I've never really paid attention to before. The first thing I noticed was the humanness of all the characters. I think sometimes we imagine Bible characters as characters from a fairy tale, but in reality they are, or were, real people just like us. As I was reading I kind of felt sympathy towards Hagar. After all, she was only doing what her mistress had told her to do and yet even her blessing was somewhat of a curse. I also kind of sympathized when Sarah when she dealt harshly with Hagar. Let's face it...2 women and 1 man NEVER ends well in any situation. I can imagine Sarah was extremely jealous of the fact that Hagar had conceived when she hadn't been able to. And Sarah was probably jealous of the fact that another woman had part of her husband. I mean, wouldn't any of us be jealous and react harshly if another woman was with our husband for any reason??
I think the most important lesson I've learned from this story though is that God has a plan for each of us individually. When we think of the covenant God made with Abraham we tend to just think of it including God, Abraham and Isaac. But in reality, Sarah was very much a part of the promise too. Hagar did have a son and if God had chosen He could have fulfilled His promise through Hagar's son, but He didn't. God fulfilled His promise to Abraham through Sarah. Sarah had been hurt a choice that she foolishly made and a choice that both Abraham and Hagar followed through with, but yet God still fulfilled His plan and His promise to Sarah. The thought that has really impacted me the most is this...the same God that fulfilled His promise to Sarah is the same God I serve today. He's the God that promised me that He has good plans for me and plans to prosper me and give me a future and a hope. People may hurt me and consequences from my own actions may hurt me and leave me devastated, but in the end my God will still fulfill His promises to me. I just need to trust Him and stop trying to do things in my own strength. I truly believe that God in His providence allowed me to read this story a few weeks ago so I would already have it in my head and my heart when my current circumstances arose. This particular truth has been one that I have clung to in the past few days.
Day 29--Times are Bad, but God is Good
I'm not sure what to write on this day. It was most certainly a memorable day, and not in a good way. In all reality it was probably the hardest day I've ever had. There is no way to put into words all the emotion and hurt that was felt on this day. It's hard to even look back at it and remember. I think my coping mechanism has been to just not think about it. But one thing I can say that I've learned so far is that God is faithful...always faithful. I struggle to see it and believe it sometimes, but He promised that He would never leave me or forsake me. He is always, always by my side The simple fact that I am still alive and breathing and able to write this post right now is a living testimony to His faithfulness.
Thankful for a faithful God!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Day 28--Retrospect
Writing these posts after the fact has allowed me to see my life in a different perspective to a certain extent. On Monday, January 23rd I was blindsided by some really upsetting things. So as I look back on what happened on this day, the 22nd, I can't help but realize that on that day I had no idea what would hit me less than 24 hours later. I guess the lesson I see from this is to really enjoy each moment. We don't know what will come to us tomorrow or even an hour from now. So enjoy each moment of your life. Whatever you're going through be all there. Plan for the future, but live in today.
Day 27--Thankful for...PLUMBING! :)
They say you never really appreciate something until you have to go without it. Well, I REALLY appreciate running water now. This was the day our septic tank banked up and we had to go without without water for about 12 hours. It's never an encouraging thing when you get a phone at work telling you you should probably use the restroom before you get off because you can't use the one at home. Not fun!
Thankful to live in a place where we have comforts like indoor plumbing and running water! :)
Day 26-- Be Still
Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God..."
The past couple of weeks God has really been convicting me about just being still. I am a worrier, a fixer. I will worry about things that are going on, things that have gone on and things that could possibly go wrong. And as soon as I see a problem or potential problem I worry about how I can fix it. I struggle to just be still. I feel like if I worry or keep myself busy in other ways then I don't have think about trials or troubling situations. The moment I try to be still and allow myself to think I immediately begin to feel extremely overwhelmed. But the second part of the verse that I started this post with says, "Know that I am God." When I feel overwhelmed I can rest secure in the fact that He is God.
Praying that God helps me learn to just be still and listen to His voice.
Day 25-- Friends
I'm so very thankful for the friends that God has blessed me with. There are a couple of girls in particular that I know I can always go to no matter what. Pretty much any time day or night they are there to talk to me, encourage me, pray for me or just cry with me. I can only hope and pray that I am half the encouragement to them that they are to me.
The other night one of my very dearest friends told me something that encouraged my heart more than she could ever know. She started off by telling me that no matter what she would always be my friend because she loved me and followed that by saying, "Ashley, we're all in this journey that God has set before us together. Not one of us is better than anyone else. We all struggle and we all fall, but we're in it together." I am so thankful for friends that love me and are there beside me come thick or thin, but I am also thankful that God has given us people to walk through this journey with us. God never intended for any of us to go through this life alone. No man is an island. I'm thankful that God in His mercy gave us friends!
Day 24-- Here is Love
The following post is the lyrics to a song that God has really used to encourage and comfort my heart here recently. I don't think any further commentary is necessary because the lyrics say it all so perfectly.
Day 23--Just Trust
I read a quote by Corrie Ten Boom today that absolutely sums up so much of what I've been feeling lately.
Day 22--Time to Play Catch Up
I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog. What started off as just being a few days behind ended up being two weeks behind now. Life is crazy insane right now and I've been dealing with a lot these past two weeks, but it's time to get back to updating. I've actually missed my little blog. Even though the following posts weren't posted on the actual day they were intended for they are about lessons that God has been teaching me over the past two weeks. Sometimes the things we learn and the things God teaches us aren't just intended for one day. They are lessons that take us time to learn and grasp.
So here begins my temporary journey of catching up the blog...
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day 21-- Break my Heart
I heard this song a couple of months ago while I was running and it's really been on my heart since then. The past few days especially I've had the above lyrics stuck in my head. I've really been convicted that there are people all around me fighting some kind of battle whether by choices they've made or circumstances they can't avoid. I feel like so many times we all just pass through life and by each other without ever stopping to notice anyone but ourselves. God never intended for us to go through life alone. If He did He could have put us each on our own little island and left us to take care of ourselves, but He didn't. He gave us the body of Christ to encourage each other and build each other up. He also commanded us to show His love to others including unbelievers. "Inasmuch as you've done unto the least of these you've done it unto me."
Here's my problem though; I go through life and just pass everyone by. I'm too selfish to take the time to look for people to be a blessing to. We don't make an effort to reach out to people until it effects us personally. Or at least that's how I am. Sometimes it takes a broken heart for us to realize how much other people need encouragement and in some cases, a Savior. So my prayer for this new year is that God would break my heart and break it until I am willing to move to help someone.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Day 20--Blue Hole Falls
Friday, January 13, 2012
Day 19--Lessons from Zumba
I've started going to Zumba classes at the gym as I'm able to as part of my exercise routine. I really enjoy it. It's a fun way to work out without feeling like you're working out. Here are some things I learned tonight as danced my way to a skinnier me...
1. I do not have even one ounce of Latin in my body.
2. If you haven't had any kind of rhythm your whole life don't think it will suddenly come to you as you dance in front of a room full of people.
3. My hips are firmly attached to the...ummm...rest of my body?? They will not move by themselves, no matter how much coaching you try to give me.
4. I can only move one thing at a time. (Refer back to #3). My whole body is firmly attached to itself, so I can not move the booty in one direction and the abs in another and the shoulders in a third. It just isn't happening.
5. I learned that I am very thankful that there are people who are worse dancers than me.
6. I learned that standing behind the person who is struggling worse than you are helps take some of the attention of how bad you are.
7. I sometimes get my left and right confused.
8. I absolutely need the instructor to be facing the same direction I am for me to follow her. If you face me I get all confused about whether the left or right side should be the one moving.
As I'm sure you can imagine I am quite the sight at my Zumba classes. But it is fun and good exercise. And we all need a little lesson in humility every now and then, right??? :)
Day 18--The Church
Can I be thankful for something I already wrote about again? Of course I can! We should never stop being thankful for the things and people God has given us. Today, I am thankful again for the body of Christ. I am thankful for the encouragement that they provide. God never intended for us to go through this life alone so He gave us the blessing of the Church. Thank you, Jesus for another one of you acts of kindness toward us!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Day 17--Traffic Court
Yesterday I got to spend a fun-filled morning in traffic court! (Thanks to my bestie, who also happened to be the other vehicle in the wreck for which I was ticketed, for getting up to take me since I am car-less this week!) Let me just say, there are all kinds of characters in the courthouse. So despite the fact that the judge made me keep both the points AND the fine we managed to have a little fun laughing at all the different characters we saw. One particularly funny one was the man sitting next to us who decided to join our little commentary and poke me to tell me that the judge sounded "just like that guy off The Price is Right. " Ok, sir, thank you for that input. :) All in all it was fun morning complete with an early lunch at Chick-fil-A.
For posterity's sake here are some pictures of our wreck where, yes, we hit each other. Now we can truly say we do everything together. ;)
So thankful that the only damage was to our cars and not our bodies!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Day 16--New Day=New Chances
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)
Every day is a new opportunity to live well and great. We all fail and make mistakes, but we serve a forgiving God who takes away those mistakes and allows us new opportunities every day to grow and change. His mercies are new to us every morning! AMAZING! So stop dwelling on the past and live today!
Day 15--What's in a Name?
"Be it true or false what is said about men often has as much influence upon their lives, and especially upon their destinies, as what they do." Victor Hugo in Les Miserables
"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1 (ESV)
What people think of you IS important! I have really been searching and trying to find a way to live that deserves respect and honor. What people think of you can effect your testimony, your reputation and your life in general. So live WELL!
A few little ramblings for tonight...
Day 14--Sick
I inspired anew to try to find ways to be healthy because being sick is NOT fun. I spent pretty much all of today in the bed trying to knock this winter crud out of my system before work starts back tomorrow.
This week I am going to start making a greater effort to be healthy. I do believe more sleep is a good way to start! :) So here's to earlier bedtimes....(hmm this one could be a challenge)
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Day 13-- Who do I Love?
That same God wants me to love Him more than I love anything else in this world. What am I loving? Is God my first love or am I loving other things more than Him?
Day 12--Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Yesterday was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Well, in reality it wasn't quite THAT bad. But it was one of those days where everything just seemed to go wrong. It started out with me forgetting that I needed to get gas on my way to work and leaving late and not having time to get gas. That resulted in my gas gauge saying I had 5 miles to empty right as I pulled into the parking garage at work. Of course, no one was available to bring me either money or gas at that time (because of course I had no cash on me at all yesterday to even go get gas anywhere). There's a bank right next to where I work, but I don't get off until the bank is closed so that was of no use to me. I didn't even have my debit card to run by an ATM. After a few moments of minor panic I remembered that I had just switched insurance companies earlier this week and my new insurance has roadside assistance. I promptly called and within an hour they had someone on the way to my work to fill my tank up with gas. But of course, even that couldn't go smoothly. We were so swamped at work that I couldn't get 10 minutes to get away and get to my car to unlock it for the man coming to bring me gas. So after spending 10 minutes on the phone with him giving him directions as to where my car was parked and then making him wait for me for 30 minutes I sprinted outside unlocked the car and then had to sprint back to work where we stayed ridiculously busy for pretty much the rest of the day. Needless to say, I was very happy to put my head on the pillow and officially end the day.
In other news I have consistently worked out for 3 days in a row now. Yay me! ;) I've done everything from running to Zumba to some weight lifting to a work out me and my workout buddy totally made up as we went. Looking forward to continuing the healthiness this week. :)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Day 11-- Security
Security for Tomorrow. “. . . the Lord will go before you . . . .” This is a gracious revelation— that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our “rear guard.” And God’s hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience.
Security for Today. “You shall not go out with haste . . . .” As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness. But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.
Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.
Day 10-- Love and Holiness
"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. So the Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.' " Genesis 6:5-7
This passage jumps out to me every time I read the story of Noah. I wonder just how bad the people were that God would say He was sorry they were ever created. I also wonder how God could be sorry or have regret over something He did when He is perfect and not capable of making mistakes. I have really been pondering this passage the past few days so last night I asked my Dad about it. (Thank you, Lord, for a godly father or can help explain Your word to me.)
God wasn't so much sorry that He had made the people because of how bad they were. He was sorry because in His perfect holiness He couldn't tolerate their sin and His justice dictated that He would have to destroy them. He was sorry because His love for the people whom He had created was so great that it grieved His heart to know He was going to have to destroy them.
I am absolutely amazed by this passage. So many different attributes of God are seen in these 3 verses. But I think what amazes me the most is that even though He was about to inflict severe punishment, destruction, on the people of the earth His love for them was so great that He was grieved.
I think there are 2 applications for us today from this passage. The first is that God very much is holy and just and can not tolerate sin. That sin will have to be punished and I think we would do well to remember that and flee from sin and seek to live our lives in a way that's pleasing to God. The second is that the same God that loved the people in Noah's day is the same God that loves us today. His love never changes. The past few weeks God has really been showing me in a whole new way just how much He really does love me and this passage has spoken volumes to me. For 2 days this is the passage that has consumed most of my thoughts. The God of all the universe loves sinful me enough to grieve over the thought of losing me. Incredible!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Day 9-- I'm a Treasure!
There's one particular line in the song that says, "When I don't measure up to much in this life, I'm a treasure in the arms of Christ." Not only am I loved by my God, but I am a treasure to Him. Even when I mess up and fail over and over again He still sees me as a treasure.
I’m forgiven I’m forgiven
My mistakes are running through my mind
When I don't think and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere
Monday, January 2, 2012
Day 8-- God is Good
I am so thankful that God has shown His goodness to me in a very new and real way. Such a blessing to know that the God of all the universe has the very best for me planned.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Day 7-- The Body of Christ
There was an older gentleman named Sam that I met this summer at the hospital. Every Sunday afternoon without fail he was walking around the hospital looking for people to talk to and pray with. He was always looking for an opportunity to share the gospel with someone in need. One afternoon we were pretty slow so I got an opportunity to talk to Sam for quite awhile. He told me how he had been asked to leave before because he might bother people trying to witness to them, but Sam's response was, "I still come every Sunday. I'm not trying to bother people, so I just come and walk around quietly and pray that God will show me the ones I need to talk to." I couldn't help but be amazed at his quiet obedience to God to continue spreading the gospel to those that needed to hear.
Sam shared with me the story of how he and his wife met and how they were high school sweethearts. They got married and spent over 60 years together before the Lord took her home. He told me about how he was by her side when she died and how peaceful she was about going home. He told me how he still loved her so very much and missed her every day. I once again was amazed by this man and the beautiful love he had for his wife. That's the kind of fairy tale love you don't see very much anymore.
On several different occasions when Sam would see me across the hall he would make it a point to come over and pray with me for just a few minutes. I don't think he will ever know how much God used him to encourage me and bless my heart. Through all of my interaction with Sam I was reminded of how God gives us a bond with other believers. It was neat to see in such a tangible way that God does very much use the church, the body of Christ, to help lift us up.
I haven't seen Sam in a few months now and I may never know what became of him or see him again this side of heaven, but I am very thankful that God used him in my life to both encourage me and teach me a lesson.
Day 6-- Happy New Year!!
One of my favorite quotes is from Anne of Green Gables. It says, "Tomorrow is a new day fresh with no mistakes in it yet." That's the way I feel about this year...there are no mistakes in it yet. This year is a fresh start with a ton of potential. It's time to leave the past in the past and focus on what I'm going to make of the future.
Happy New Year!