Abundant Life...There You Are!

God has given me new perspective and caused me to be extremely excited about life in a matter of days! I had the opportunity to go on a trip with the students at our church Thursday and Friday. What can I say? It was Awesome! It wasn't awesome just because of the cool stuff we got to do. It was awesome because I got to know a lot more of the kids than I had previously! It was awesome because I finally feel like I am doing what I have been called to do! We have spent much of our marriage trying to do youth ministry and for one reason or another, it hasn't happend. I am so grateful to God that we have finally found a church that said, "You want to serve? Come on!" I am so excited about where the student ministry is going! We have a great Youth Pastor and a great leadership team to work with! I truly believe that God is going to do amazing things this year and I am so blessed and excited to be a part of it!

I wouldn't be me if I didn't quote a song here, so this is how I feel right now. This is from Little Boy Heart Alive by Andrew Peterson.

Come to the Father
Come to the deeper well
Drink of the water
And come and live a tale to tell

The pages are turning now
This is abundant life
The joy in the journey
Is enough to make a grown man cry

With a little boy heart alive

Ancient Words

I just had to share the lyrics to this hymn that I fell in love with this weekend at the BSF Leaders Retreat! I have been looking for a song that I can focus on this year and I have found one! This year I am praying that the Word of God will come alive more than ever in my life. That I will fall more in love with it each day. I pray that it will change me and make me more like Christ. I pray that as I share it with others that I will see God's power in a very real way!

Ancient Words

Holy words, long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God's own heart
O let the ancient words impart

Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world where'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words, ever true
Changing me, changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
O heed the faithful words of Christ

Ancient words, ever true
Changing me, changing you
We have come, with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart

Martyr's blood stains each page
They have died for this faith
Hear them cry through the years
Heed these words and hold them dear

Ancient words, ever true
Changing me, changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart

Looking Forward to 2014

Happy New Year! The first half of 2013 was a little rough and the second half was filled with new beginnings! The first half of the year looked something like this.

Sad things:

1. Battled depression

2. A friend passed away

3. Good friends moved away.

4. I started getting numbness in my left hand and after x-rays and visits to the chiropractor every 10 days, it's still there. There is an MRI in my future.

Good Things:

1. My brother got married!

2. I started children's leadership at BSF!

The second half of the year was good.

Sad things:

1. We were sick for Christmas.

Good things:

1. Logan is in school full-time and loving it!

2. My aunt got married!

3. We bought a house that has already been a huge blessing!

So, that was 2013. Through everything I went through I am so grateful that I had the support of my wonderful husband, family, and friends. However, I am most grateful for the love my Heavenly Father bestowed on me through it all and grateful that I have learned to trust Him more than I ever have before. I didn't accomplish all of my goals, but I am happy with the one's that did come to pass. I am really looking forward to 2014 because I think I have finally found some direction with how to proceed with some long term goals! It's really exciting! Today, I applied to be an ABA Line Therapist to work with kids who have autism. I want to be a teacher! So, here are my goals for 2014. Some are simple and some are going to take a lot of work.

2014 Goals:

1. Read at least 30 books.

2. Start my business with Norwex.

3. Eat more meals at the table as a family.

4. Apply to Liberty University Online in order to start in the summer or fall. (as long as I have a job by then)

5. Do everything I can to get financial aid (although, I will not take out any loans).

6. Go on vacation to somewhere we have never been before.

7. Take full advantage of every minute I have to spend with the people I love.