Forgetting the past....Looking ahead.

 

It's the last day of 2012.

 

It was the best of times and the worst of times. To be honest, I won't be sad to see this year go. 2012 started off with my dad passing away on February 9th from terminal brain cancer. Pretty safe to say we were ready for a new year in Feburary. Let me tell you though, January 2012 will be a month I will never ever forget. It was filled with some of the sweetest and most tender-hearted moments I will never forget in my life and will safely be tucked away in my heart forever. We knew our dad would only have a few short weeks left with us and God blessed those weeks like we never could have imagined. There was nothing left unsaid, not an "I love you", hug and kiss not given. That time, it belongs in a treasure box. It created a bond in our family that can never be broken. It's funny how I can take one of the hardest months and look back on it so fondly. That's only by the grace of God. He is so so gracious.

 

The rest of the year was pretty much all of us trying to navigate through our new normal and finding our footing, and moving on without him and going through all the "first" throughout the year without him.

 

But 2013.. It's going to be different. I really believe that.

 

I think I found a scripture and motto that I'm going to take with me into the new year.

 

 

It's so fitting.

 

I'm believing that 2013 will be MY year. I have big dreams and desires that I'm praying to fruition. I pray that I will continue to grow into a better version of myself. There's always room for growth, always areas of improvement that can be worked on. I pray that I'll find peace and contentment like I've never known, and that I'll enjoy and love being me, and enjoy the person that God has created me to be. I pray that I'll continue to love people and love well, and be open to what God wants to teach me in 2013, oh boy could the list go on and on.....

 

I pray all this for you, too.

Whether your year was filled with happy moments or sad moments...There's something to be said about a new year, new beginnings, a fresh start and to wipe the slate clean. So here's to forgetting the past and looking forward to what's ahead.

With all that said, I end this year knowing I am so so blessed!! And hope you can take the last day of this year and count your blessings, too!!! :)

Have a wonderful and safe New Year. See you in 2013!



2012 Christmas Card.

 

Today I am linking up with Faith's annual Christmas Card Carousel.

 

 

One of my FAVORITE things about Christmas is giving and receiving Christmas cards! It's a thrill to go to the mailbox each day :)

 

My sis and I did a sister Christmas card this year. We just LOVE the way it turned out.

 

Here are my cards for:
2009
2010
2011
 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Make sure you go by Faith's blog and share your card and check out the others.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!



Salt and Light.

 

 

I was messing around on FB....Looking at the status updates, the pictures, yadda yadda.....

 

And I stumbled upon an interesting conversation thread on my newsfeed.

 

It was a video a guy I went to high school with had posted on evolution. It had over a hundred comments and so I was intrigued as to what people were saying. Didn't watch the video but started reading through the comments.

 

I'm not here to blog about evolution, so bear with me.

 

 

Y'all, and what I read written by this guy I went to high school with totally grieved my heart. There was absolutely no judgment on my part, but simply....my heart just hearts for him, especially as we go into this Christmas season and holiday which celebrates the birth of Jesus. The gift which was the ultimate gift we could ever receive.

 

Matthew 5:13-16

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

And I can only imagine how much that grieved God.

 

I don't know the circumstances of his life that caused him to turn his back on God and change his beliefs in everything he has ever known...but I know not for one second has God turned his back on him.

 

It got me to thinking... am I doing my part?

 

Am I being the salt and the light here on this earth? To each and every person that I come in contact with, day in and day out... Do they see me not just talking the talk, but walking the walk?

 

To the unbelievers, do they look at me and see me and want what I have .....The hope, peace, comfort, and relationship that comes with knowing Jesus Christ.

 

Or to the person who may have turned their back on God, do they see me, not just by words but also by actions, and realize that all of that is still there for them, God hasn't left them or forsaken them, but they have gone so far astray that they don't know how to get back to that place and  the enemy has them so deceived by the lies of this world.

 

This just was a smack in the face reminder..

 

Be the salt and be the light.

 



Weekend this and that!

 

Happy Monday to you friends!!

 

Why must the weekends going by so dang fast?!?!?! It was a pretty great weekend, if I do say so myself.

 

Woke up Saturday and it was December 1st, YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!! The countdown has begun!

 

 

No better time to start on the Christmas tree!

 

 

Got the tree up and the lights working. Cleaned up and there was an event going on nearby to promote pet adoption and Phil Phillips from American Idol was going to be there, so we decided to go check that out.

 

 

Is there anything cuter than this?? (You could technically be talking about Phil Phillps and the dogs...

Bwahaha!!!)

 

 

My sister with one of the pups!

 

 

Went to Mellow Mushroom (BEST PIZZA EVER!!!!) to eat and went back home to  get the rest of the Christmas tree done.

 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! :)

 

 

How cute are these light up gifts bought from Kirkland's to go under the tree?

 

 

Christmas movies (Love me some ELF) by the Christmas tree lights. Doesn't get cozier than that!!

 

 

Sunday our church was decorated so beautifully for Christmas!

 

 

Went and ate lunch at Chipotle and of course no Sunday is complete without a trip to Target. Yes and Amen!!!!!

 

 

My sis and I had some picture fun!! :)

 

 

I love love love this one by the tree and love her!!! :)

 

 

How was YOUR weekend?????

 

I just love this time of year. Hope you are trying to soak it all up as much as I am!!  :)