Reflections of 2011

       

 Owen's snoozing soundly in bed and it's time to relax and reflect on this beautiful year that I have been blessed to have. I am certain this year has been superb due to my walk with Christ. I have put forth more effort during 2011 than I have my whole life towards choosing good and living that way. Sure, I fail sometimes. Don't we all? Yes, we do. Whether you choose to admit it to yourself or not, we all do fail sometimes in our walk. The great part is, everything is a learning experience and we can all do differently when faced with the same situation in the future. 

I have made a conscious effort to do many things this year including:

• Detaching myself from a crutch I've somehow formed since I was 15 years old --- alcohol. Today makes one year without it and I've only had the urge once; back in August (needless to say, I fought the urge and won). The only other time in my life that I've been without alcohol for this long was during pregnancy/nursing, which wasn't a problem at all because I had too. This time, however, I had no reason to quit other than the fact that I no longer wanted it in my life. That's a good feeling of accomplishment and very much progress for me in my life, here on Earth.
• Eliminating venomous relationships and/or people from my life; no matter what the immediate cost. I'm sure this sounds harsh, but it isn't intended that way. This is truth. I try very hard to help anyone in any way that I can, but at some point I started realizing that not every one wants help; some folks just want to take advantage of kindness.
• Strengthening my relationship with Christ. Walking with Him helps me to make the best decisions for me and my family.
• Continuing with my degree at OTC. It's been stressful at times, but will be worth it, in the end. I am very excited about graduating from college. I should graduate in 2013. I'm proof that it's never too late to go back to school.

These are just a few highlights of my glorious year. 2011 has been the best [whole] year of my life (so far) and I look forward to many more years to come (God willing).

Take a moment to reflect on what you're grateful for instead of the things you're not. You may just find you're more blessed than you think.

Happy New Year!