Joyful, Joyful.

I realized something about myself this Christmas when it comes to gift giving.  I am a joyful giver but an ungrateful receiver.  and - I haven't always been that way... and it's definitely something I want to change.

I love giving presents.  It's probably one of my favorite things to do, besides laugh.  :o)  Finding the perfect gift for someone is one of the greatest feelings ever.  and - when their reaction is exactly what you expected...it just makes that experience even better!  So - I'm a joyful giver!

But.... an ungrateful receiver....

The good thing is that I don't expect presents.  Well... not from my friends, anyways.  I do from family and that's where this whole joyful giver, ungrateful receiver thing comes into play.  With my family.  I'm not usually one who enjoys much family time.  The Lord has been working on me in that area though so I was convinced this year would be different.  It was in some ways but... not so much in others.  This year I put a good bit of thought into my gifts for everyone.  Well, everyone but dad.  I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO GET HIM.  Luckily, he loved it all.  That or he pretended to.  Either way is okay with me.  ;o)  Anyways... my disappointment mainly is in the gifts I get each year from my sisters.  I get presents for them AND their children.  and - not just one but quite a few for the children AND for them.  I guess I just expect more because of that.  I don't want to feel that way but... I do.  and - I really need my heart to change on the matter because I don't like feeling disappointed because I expected more.  I mean, I was being such a brat about it all.  I didn't act like this around them, of course.  It was all in my head... but they knew something was wrong.  I can't hide emotion, remember.  It's written all over my face.  Bleh.  

I'll do better next year.  I hope.

My Love Goes Free

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

Truth. That's basically what it is. The above quote really made me me think. It made me curious as to what kind of love I think I deserve. Or - better yet...what do my actions say about this?! I'll share my ponderings with you, of course. But - I'm not very happy or proud of the conclusions that I've come to about myself. That said, here it goes...

I examined a few areas of "me"...meaning me in high school, me post high school, and me now.  I think in each setting I've been very desperate for love.  To be loved, to be accepted, etc.  I've gone through many phases of what I'll call crushes... or infatuation.  and - this wasn't just me liking a guy for a week.  I liked most of these men for years.  and - not many of them ever showed signs of being interested in me.  But - I let the friendships continue in the unhealthy way because any attention was better than no attention.  At least, thats what I had convinced myself anyways.  These unhealthy friendships led to major attachment and dependence on my part.  Most of these guys were super close friends of mine and that made it even more difficult...on both of us.  It usually ended up putting a strain on the friendship and made me an emotional mess.  Out of all of these "men" that this occurred with... only one was man enough to call me out on it.  I'm thankful to say... he's one of my best friends today.  Some of the others I'm still close to as well, which kind of blows my mind because I was def a little crazy back in the day.

Luckily, the Lord has really protected me when it comes to relationships.  I've never dated anyone.  and - if a guy has liked me I usually don't find out until he isn't interested anymore.  I say He protected me because I know me... and I know that I would've done anything necessary to keep a man, had he shown interest.  I'm not saying that's right... and I'm definitely not saying that'd be the case now.  But - it most definitely would've been the case then.  Even after meeting Jesus, I still looked to people to satisfy me.  I will probably always struggle with that.  BUT - He's working on me and in me and He has done a great work in me.  and - He will continue to do so.  I am not the person I once was... and I am so thankful for that.

So - what about now?  Well, I think it just depends on the day.  But - for the most part, I am not looking for a man to fulfill me.  That can only come from Christ.  and - if His plans for me are to have a husband... then I'm totally okay with that!  But - my standards are set high... and I think that's definitely a good thing!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I love this time of year.... 

Absent From Flesh

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Philippians 2:3

That verse kind of hit me in the face today.  I've had a few conversations lately with a few people about relationships and about being angry at others because of their sin.  Or - just being angry at others in general.  Because - sometimes it's SO HARD TO LOVE OTHERS.  I mean, seriously.  There are some days that I want to throw my hands in the air and say I'm done.  But - what good would that do?  I'm better than that.  So - I fight.  I fight to love.  I fight to serve.  I fight for them.  and - honestly, it's hard.  It's a struggle.  I don't always succeed and I don't always get it right.  But - hopefully... after all is said and done... they can say I loved them.  I fought for them.  I was there for them.

I've been thinking a lot about death lately and for some reason I was wondering what my tombstone would say.  I, more than anything, want it to say "A woman who truly LOVED."  or  a funny one would be "Favorite to Many, Loved by All".  Hahaha.  OR - "Aliens are real.  REJOICE!".  Hahaha.  I don't know why my thoughts ventured there.  They just did.  and - maybe it's revealing my sin, in a way.  I don't necessarily need people to believe those things as much as I long for them to be true.  I want to love and love well.  Whether it's acknowledged or in secret.  I want to love Christ, his church, his people, and THE WORLD.  I don't want to love the people it's convenient to love... I want to love the difficult ones, the unreached, the left out, and everyone in between.

Back to anger.  Ha.  So - during one of these conversations with an awesome friend... He put it this way... "It's like this... think of something you struggle with and haven't really been able to overcome.  What if someone was mad at you because of that sin?"  That statement literally blew my mind.  I mean, if that was the case... everyone would be mad at everyone the majority of the time.  Who am I to judge?  I mean, if I'm a friend and there's an obvious problem, I think I'm totally justified in confronting you in love and in private... but there's no reason for me to be angry.  So - I'm working on changing my mindset in that area.  and - praying that the Lord would bring that about in me.

So - LIFE group was tonight and, of course, it was AMAZING.  We watched a video and there were a few things that were mentioned that I'd like to share.  :o)  The main thing is this... Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.  Come on!  THAT'S GOOD, YO!  Because - deciding to hold on to things isn't hurting the person you're upset with.  Not really.  It's hurting you.  It's creating bitterness and is leading you to a very ugly place.  He also said that forgiveness is a command AND forgiveness needs to be continual.  It's an ongoing thing.  and - because we were forgiven we should forgive.  It's not easy.  But - it's completely necessary.

GOD IS SO GOOD Y'ALL!!  FOR REAL.

James

Bring Me to Life

I mentioned in my last post that I was going through a LIFE group this semester that my friend is leading.  It's through her church, of course.  Thursday was our groups second time to meet and it was really our first time to kind of dive into the material.  Let me just say this... I am very excited about this group. AND!  I really loved the material that we went over this past week.  So much so that I figured I'd share it with all of you.  :o)

We watched a video of a sermon Pastor Chris did on the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  It.  Was.  So.  Good.  There were a few things that stood out to me that he said during that message.  The first was this:  "There's no one who knows your sin life better than God and he still loves you!  He still wants you!".  I love that.  and - I know that to be true.  But - having that reminder was so NICE.  Thinking about it even now brings tears to my eyes.  The creator of the universe knows me... knows me better than anyone ever will... the good... the very bad... everything... and he still chooses to love me.  Still chooses to use me.  CHOSE TO DIE FOR ME.  I mean, that is for real.  and - it's amazing.  Doesn't it just make you wanna shout?!!  WHOOOO!!  It does me.  Ha.  The next thing is this:  "The goal of Christianity isn't to know the bible more.  The goal of Christianity is to EXPERIENCE the bible more!".  I love the way he worded that.  Because anyone can have a head knowledge of Jesus and his word.  But - to experience him is a completely different thing.  It's literally the difference between heaven and hell.  We are to experience the bible more.  Know Christ more.  YES!  The last thing was this:  "God gives hope NOT condemnation!".  YES, YES, YES!!  Because of Christ I'm no longer condemned!  I'm set free.  He took my punishment  upon himself so that I could live.  It really is mind blowing.  and - SO GOOD!!  Haha.

Well... that's what's going on so far.  It's just been super good.  Such a blessing and so refreshing!  I'm super excited about the next 9 weeks and about the LIFE retreat in December!!  It's gonna be AMAZING!!  YESSSSS.

I suppose that's all for now.  Haha.  More to come soon, I'm sure!

'til then,

James

  

Another One Bites the Dust...

I've been thinking about death lately.  I don't know why.  It's just really been on my mind.  Weird, I know.  I keep trying to imagine how I'm gonna go.  Will I get some illness and know that my days are numbered?  Or - will it be sudden?  and - if it is sudden... will the people around me know how much they meant to me?  Did I tell them that I loved them?  and - more importantly, did I show them the love of Christ?  Did I sacrifice my time for them?  Did I sacrifice myself for them?  Did I truly love them while I had the chance?  I want, more than anything, for my life to have meaning.  I want to know that I didn't waste my time here.  I want to make a difference in the lives around me.  Am I currently doing that?  Ha.  I have no idea.  But - I sure hope so.

B.t.dub... I think the Lord is about to do something CRAZY AWESOME in my life and in the lives of the people around me.  My church is going through an amazing sermon series and our small groups are reading an AMAZING book.  Plus, I'm going through LIFE group with another church.  Things are about to get REAL up in here.  Serious business.  So - get ready.

I plan to blog on a pretty regular basis... so I'll def keep you updated.

'til then,
James

Brokenness Aside.

My heart is heavy tonight.  I'm making decisions I never thought I'd make.  I'm choosing to let go.  To walk away.  I'm choosing to let whatever may come.... come.  I'm not usually a woman who does such a thing.  I'm not one who lets go easily but I feel like the time has come to make such a choice.  It hurts... I hurt... but I know this is what has to be done.  I feel as though it's my only option.  What exactly does the future hold?  I have no idea.  I'm realizing more and more each day that the future I thought I would have might not be what the Lord has in store for me.  The things I thought would last forever... well... they aren't.... and that's okay.  It wasn't.  It hasn't been.  But - it is now.  

Praise be.

It takes a little time sometimes...

I need some time alone. Yes, I just said that. No, it's not the end of the world. Ha. I have finally reached a point where I need some time for myself and I'm going to make it happen. So - tonight is the night! If the living room is vacant I may watch some Olympics. If not, I'm closing the kitchen door, putting some headphones on, listening to music, and reading 'til I fall asleep. That and I do need to clean my room. Maybe I'll skip the television altogether. ;o)

Shoot. Those plans sound delightful!! Never thought I'd say that! I guess I'm growin' up! ::tear::

God is Here.

The Lord is crazy awesome. I've really been struggling lately and He continues to put people in my path to speak amazing truth into my life. Some of these people really have no clue about what's going on in my heart and in my head but the things they say....the things they are sharing about themselves are the very things that I need to hear. They are the very things that I'm working through. It's such a blessing to hear their stories and to hear what God did in them and through them. The Lord really does know exactly what you need and when you need it.

All We Need is You.

I'm a sinner. I'm rotten and dirty. I'm selfish and unforgiving. I'm vengeful and unloving. I am not perfect. I fall and I fail. But! I am a child of the King! Hallelujah! All of that nasty is covered by the precious blood of the Lamb. And - He is working in me to get rid of all that bad. I'll still mess up and I'll still fall but He's slowly but surely changing me. I'm so grateful for the work that He's doing, the work that He's already done, and the work that He's going to do. God is SO GOOD. It really blows my mind sometimes.

He knows exactly what we need...when we need it. And - most of the time, all we need is Him. His grace. His mercy. His love. His kindness. His forgiveness. His salvation. His healing. His justice. His discipline. Him. We often look for so many other things to satisfy us....and they can't. They literally never will. Not fully. They will always leave us wanting. But - Christ....He is what we need. All we need. In Him is our comfort. Our rest. Our joy. Our peace. Our salvation. Our LIFE.

All we need is you, Jesus. Let me believe that. Understand that. Grasp that. Cling to that.

Satisfied.

Contentment is defined as a state of happiness and satisfaction.

I'm surrounded by people that aren't content.  I see people full of desperation and it makes my heart hurt for them.  They are dissatisfied with their job, with the fact that they haven't found their spouse yet, or with where they are in life in general.  Shoot... maybe it's all of the above.  I want so badly for them to be content with where they are.  To be satisfied with Christ and where He has them at this particular time.  I long for them to know that He is all they need.  I want to shake them and tell them He's in control and His plans are greater than any we could ever think or imagine.  Just wait.  Wait for the Lord.  His timing is perfect.  His ways are higher and greater.  Rest in that.  Believe that.  Cling to that.

His Story.

"Rather than trying to write God into our stories, we would be wiser to sit patiently with our Father and let him tell us his. We would surely find ourselves in his story and learn that we are not defined by our hurts or our sins, as we may have believed. As he tells us his story, we must be willing to let go of the stories we've told to make sense of our lives. We must let his story rewrite ours and sweep us up into something much greater than ourselves.

.....Your hope need not rest in making sense of it all; rather, you are invited to set your hope of redemption in the Redeemer."

The above is taken directly from a book I'm reading. It's called "Redemption: Freed by Jesus From the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry". It's written by Mike Wilkerson, a pastor at Mars Hill Church. I'm only 33 pages in and it's already SO GOOD. Shoot...I'm still in the introduction and I'm LOVING it. The above statement alone is profound. I've seriously never thought of it like that. I guess I've always considered my life to be my own, even though I know I was purchased by the blood of the Lamb. And - I know it's not about me. It's so easy to rely on yourself. Or - to surrender certain areas of your life but hold on to the rest. In reality, this life...this story... is not about me. I was created to bring honor and glory to the name of Jesus Christ. I'm just lucky enough to be a very small part of such a beautiful story.

A Beautiful Exchange

I'm amazed at how much I have changed in the last 6 months. God is SO good. It hasn't been easy. Not one bit. It's been painful and ugly.... but beautiful too. There were times when I thought certain friendships were over. Thankfully, they weren't. Those were times of learning and growth for me. I'm so grateful to have gone through all of that and to see where we are now. It's most definitely a beautiful thing. I imagine that without Christ the outcome of all of this would've been completely different. There would've been no love, no forgiveness, lots of anger and frustration. We wouldn't have made it through, we would've ended up hating each other. And - I'm not speaking of one friend. There are at least three that come to mind and maybe more. It just goes to show that Christ changes EVERYTHING. He changes how you speak, react, think, love, forgive (and - I mean REALLY forgive), show grace and mercy, give, serve...He literally changes all of you. Every single part and it is AMAZING.

The Prodigal God.

I just finished an amazing book written by Timothy Keller.  It's called The Prodigal God and I highly recommend it.  It's basically about the story of the prodigal son... it's just done in a way that I've never heard before.  and - it's amazing.  Most sermons I've heard on this parable focus mainly on the younger brother, the prodigal son.  This book takes a look at both brothers.  The younger brother who leaves and then returns... and the older brother who stays.  Neither one is better than the other.

"Underneath the brothers' sharply different patterns of behavior is the same motivation and aim.  Both are using the father in different ways to get the things on which their hearts are really fixed.  It was wealth, not the love of the father, that they believed would make them happy and fulfilled."

The younger brother was just honest about what he wanted.  The older brother kept his sin hidden.  Both were wrong.

This was kind of an eye opening book for me.  It talked about how we can use our good acts and our obedience in certain areas as leverage over the Lord or even over people.  Mine would be more aimed towards people than God but if you know me at all, then you know that would make complete sense.  I'm a people person.  I'm a people pleaser.  I want to love and be loved in return.  I do nice things for people and I don't necessarily do them so they'll do something for me but - sometimes, not every time but sometimes I develop unfair expectations of others.  It's definitely something I'm aware of.  and - it's something the Lord is working out in me.  God is so good.  I'm in a crazy good place right now.  I'm learning and growing and it's amazing.  I'm so thankful for all that I have and all that He has done.  So.  Very.  Thankful.

I'm sure there's a ton more than I can say about this book... but I literally just finished it and I'm about to start a new one so I think that's all I have to say about it for now.  But - another blog may come a bit later. We'll just have to see.  ;o)

If you haven't read it.  You need to.  Do it.  Right now.

James

Makes Me Wanna Shout!

"The world will bring its condemnation. They may even put their sword behind it. But we know that the highest court has already ruled in our favor. 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31). No one successfully. If they reject us, He accepts us. If they hate us, He love us. If they imprison is, He sets our spirits free. If they afflict us, He refines us by the fire. If they kill us, He makes it a passage to paradise. They cannot defeat us. Christ has died. Christ is risen. We are alive in Him. And in Him there is no condemnation. We are forgiven, and we are righteous. 'And the righteous are as bold as a lion.' (Proverbs 28:1)." - John Piper in "50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die

Same Script, Different Cast

"What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart!"

Things are so different now and I'm so thankful that they are. Two years ago that wouldn't have been my answer. Change usually freaks me out. But - the Lord definitely knew what He was doing...I just couldn't see it. He knew that taking me away from my comfort was completely necessary for me to grow. To learn. To tear down walls. To remove idols. These past two years have been the hardest and the most amazing all at the same time. The Lord has done a mighty work in me and for that I'm eternally grateful. He's still mending some relationships that were injured during the process but I have no doubt in my mind that they will eventually reach a healthy place again. What will that look like? I have no idea and that's okay with me. :o)

All You Need is Love.

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:37-39

I've been thinking a lot about the second part of this. "Love your neighbor as yourself.". I feel like these last couple of weeks the Lord has really been teaching me and calling my attention to the way we love others. I mean, this action... this sacrifice is obviously important. He says that it's second to loving the Lord. SECOND. Loving people... Loving others... Loving friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, strangers, the simple, the weak, the difficult, the proud, the sad, the happy, the crazy, etc. We are called to love them all. It's not going to be easy. Ever. It's always going to be some sort of challenge. Why? Because people are difficult. Relationships are hard. Yes, they're fun. Sometimes they are awesome. But - they'll never be perfect. They can't be.

I am difficult and crazy and sometimes hard to love. I mess up all the time. I can be insensitive and rude. I'm quick to anger and quick to speak. I am NOT to be that way! James 1:19-20 says, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.". Quick to hear. Slow to speak. Slow to anger. Slow to anger. SLOW TO ANGER. I'm not angry all the time. But - I do get angry and it can happen in an instant. No warning. It just happens. And - I'm told it's a little scary. I hate knowing that. I hate knowing that my anger is scary or intimidating. I want to be slow to speak and slow to anger. I want to be quick to forgive and show grace because much grace and forgiveness has been shown to me! More than anything... I want to love. I want to walk through the difficult, look the crazy and scary in the face, and still be able to say I loved them. I loved those people. It may have been hard or painful but I loved them anyways and it was worth it. Worth the tears. Worth the sacrifice. Worth it all.

Love your neighbor.

Quick to hear. Slow to speak. Slow to anger. Love.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:12-13

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:9-21

Change # 1

In an earlier post I mentioned that I'm claiming 2012 as my "Year of Change" but didn't go into any detail about the changes that might take place. Why not? Well - I decided it'd be best not to talk about them until I'm positive I'm gonna go through with it. This past week I actually made one of those changes reality.

So... here's the first one of the year...

Sunday night was my first night at Branch Life as an official member. And - it was glorious. I've been at Branch Life for a year now and it's been an amazing journey so far. The Lord is doing great things and I am so thankful that He is allowing me to be part of such a wonderful community of believers. He is adding to our number and that is most definitely a beautiful thing.

I'm so excited about Branch Life and what the Lord is doing there. Our pastor just finished a series called "Christ, Community, Neighbor." and it was really eye opening for me. Especially in the area of outreach. I love people but sometimes it's super easy for me to just stay within my little group of friends. Having a core group of friends isn't the problem. It's the fact that I don't make much of an effort to reach beyond them that's sinful. This past week's sermon was a bit emotional. He talked about loving your enemy and how, for whatever reason, we tend to hate our enemies instead. He also spoke about loving them even when they don't want to love you, when they don't want to reconcile, and when they hate you. It's hard to love when you aren't loved, when you're pushed away, when you feel like you don't matter, when you feel like you aren't good enough, etc. It's hard to love those people. But - that's exactly what we are called to do. To love like Christ loves us. Without judgement and without rules or expectations. To love no matter what the circumstances or situation may be.

Lord, give me the ability and longing to love. To love not only the ones who I decide are worthy of my affection, God, but to seek to love the ones that don't deserve my love at all. I want to love the unloved, the downcast, those unlike me, friends, strangers, family, enemies. Show me how to love them all and how to love them in the right way. This is my prayer. This is my desire. That I would love like You have loved me. Amen.

Truth.

"Love can't bear the weight of our expectations." ~ A.V.

Love.

"It's only when you realize everyone you love will one day leave you - that you really begin to love.". ~ A.V.

Whoa.

The past few days have been SO good.  It makes me feel like something bad is just waiting for me right around the corner to screw all of the good up.  But - if it is... I'll be ready.  I'm not saying it won't knock me off my feet a little or catch me by surprise.  I'm just saying... it's not going to rock my entire world.  At least I hope it doesn't.

But - anyways...  Let's get back to the good....

I took Thursday and Friday off last week because some of my friends were getting married on Friday.  I took Thursday off in case they needed any last minute help.  They pretty much had it covered so I just hung out with the bride for a little while.  We got our nails done and such.  It was nice.  I went to rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, which was awesome and delicious.  Back to Brent and Haley's to hang out for a bit then headed home to catch some rest before the day of crazy began on Friday.  Friday arrived and it was more hectic than I expected.  I ran here and there and back here and then back there again.  Even though I felt rushed it was such an honor and privilege to be able to help in whatever way possible.  I loved every minute.  It was a beautiful wedding.  Bride... so beautiful.  Groom... so handsome.  Wedding party... rockin' it.  Did I cry?  Uh... duh.  Have you met me?  I cry at every wedding.  Not because I'm sad... just because I LOVE weddings.  Especially when you are able to witness the love the couple has for one another.  It's just a beautiful thing.  Their reception was AWESOME.  There was a photo booth, which I loved, and tons of dancing.  I don't think I've ever danced that much...ever.  It rocked.  It's like on that day all the bad disappeared.  Conflict no longer mattered.  Everyone just got along.  and - in all honesty, I really hope it stays that way.  I want things to stay good.  I want to remain in this place where I feel like I've put the past behind me.  I want to love without reservation.  I want to serve without hesitation.  I want to do outreach without fear of rejection.  and - I want nothing else to matter but Christ and Him glorified.  I don't want to worry about the future so much that I neglect what I have right here... right now.  I want to take advantage of every opportunity given.  I want to live.  So right now... that's the plan.  To live.  Seems simple, right?  I've come to find that nothing is simple.  But - I'm interested to see where this path will take me.  Wanna come along and find out?

Seriously.

I'm putting the past behind me. I'm only looking forward. What happened yesterday no longer matters. What matters is this: Jesus. Loving Him. Following Him. Attempting to be like Him. Learning from Him and from His word. I can't dwell on the past. I refuse to dwell on the hurt. I'm dwelling on Christ instead. He is all I need. Amen.

Goodbye 2011, HELLO 2012!!

Last year was full of heartache, laughter, sadness, frustration, joy, anger, happiness, etc. If it's an emotion and it can be felt... I experienced it to the extreme. It was, of course, full of good and bad. Whose life isn't?! Ha.

Last year I lived in 3 different places. Not 1... not 2... but 3. That fact alone blows my mind. It makes me wonder what 2012 will bring. I'm already claiming it as the year of change. Why? Well...now...if I told you that I just might have to kill you. ;o) Let's just say some things need to be different. And - then there are those things I hope for....those things I hope 2012 brings. But - I guess we will all just have to wait and see what happens. All I know is my God is in control and His timing is most definitely perfect.

Here are some pics from 2011. Enjoy!