There is always that fear when you enter a new decade that life is going to start to decline at any moment. When I was 25 (which seemed like the perfect age) and 30 started to loom on the horizon I remember thinking "I better do as much as I can now because the end is near." (Dramatic, I know.)
Well I turned 30 at the end of June and so far I have jumped out of an airplane, started my dream job, began house hunting with the love of my life (albeit the rising interest rates are a little stressful), proved to myself that I actually have the ability to run long distances, gone on an amazing vacation, laughed a lot, spent time with family and friends, made some new friends, played a lot of tennis, read a ton of good books, discovered a killer new cocktail, had the best birthday party ever, and am just plain loving life. 30 Rocks!!!
I can only say that the first two months have really set a precedent for what I hope the next decade will look like. I hope it looks like finishing school (both Charles and I), actually purchasing a house and settling somewhere, having some kids and a dog (and maybe - just maybe - a garden), and travel (fortunately my job makes the last part easy!). But most importantly I hope it looks like faith and hope and love, because my last decade really lacked those things.
Who knows what the future brings, but I definitely believe that the best is yet to come!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Learning to Trust
This past few months have brought many changes and adventures and the next few months will bring many more. Six months ago I was starting to adjust comfortably in my new role of Sr. Asst. Director here in the Financial Aid office. I was adjusting to being the systems guru in the office, a supervisor, having new programmatic responsibilities, etc. Six months ago Charles worked at Apple and we were living pretty cozy on a steady and decent 1 and a half incomes, which is more than we've ever had before. We were almost finished re-painting our apartment after tearing off walls and walls of crappy wall-paper. We were renewing our vows. Things were looking pretty steady.
But if you know us, we never stay the same for long. Just a couple months ago Charles stopped working at Apple for the experience of being a major contributor (freelance) for a theological dictionary. It's an incredible opportunity and allows him to work from home (which he loves), or come with me to the UR and work at the library (which I love), and gives him the free time to cook dinners and take that responsibility off my plate (which I really, really love). It was a hard choice to make, though, because I had gotten comfortable. And moving back into an unknown, and then trying to cover expenses that he had been covering really stresses me out. Sometimes I have to look at Charles and see the change in him - the excitement in doing what he's doing and the lack of anxiety - to really trust that this was the right decision.
But I keep being reminded to "trust in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." And I'm seeing this promise come to fruition over and over in my life. It's playing out in our marriage. It's playing out in our finances. It's playing out in the fact that I just was offered my dream job. After falling into Financial Aid six years ago, I have stuck with it because I love students and I love Higher Education and because I'm good at it. But the last few years I have been wondering if there is a position that utilizes my strengths and personality traits more so than Financial Aid. And the more I looked into it and talked to friends, the more I became interested in Advancement.
At the same time that I took my position here at the University of Rochester, I was also in the final rounds of interviewing for an Advancement position at Houghton College. Due to timing issues and the fact that I really felt like I needed to work for a bigger institution and broaden my horizons, I pulled out of the Advancement job. That was a really really hard thing to do. But here at the UR I have had the opportunity to take classes on development, and get to know people in the development office here. And then one day the perfect job posted - a gift officer position that works specifically with the humanities. A job I think I would love AND an area that I am knowledgeable in (music, theater, literature, etc.) So I decided to just go for it.
And miracle of miracles (and due to a very gracious recommendation by my current boss), I got the job! It's been over a week now since they have offered it to me and I still can hardly believe it. I think it's a position in which I will flourish. I know it will be challenging, but I'm totally ready to take on those challenges. It's scary to change careers because this one is comfortable and I know I can do it. But I can't wait to try this new one.
This job will be full of travels (my cities are Boston, Cleveland and Chicago), meeting new people, helping donors find their niche at the University and doing my best to make the world (and the U of R) ever better! I start in less than three weeks now. I'm already booked for trainings and conferences and finding out some of the perks to the new position.
My 30th birthday is less than a month a way and I am so excited for the next decade. I'm starting out the decade with a real adventure - skydiving. It's something I've always wanted to do and there has never been a better time than now! And looking forward to the next phase of my life, I have an amazing husband by my side and, God-willing, in the next decade (early on, hopefully) he will finish his PhD and be done with school forever. I am starting my 30s in my dream job and will, hopefully, finish my Master's degree and continue to work my way up the ladder toward my ultimate career goals.Maybe in my 30s we'll even grow up enough to buy a house and have a baby (or 2).
I've also been making great progress toward my fitness goal to be in the best shape of my life by 30. I don't run far, or fast but I am proud to say that I run 12-15 miles a week. I have made eating healthy and exercise a part of my lifestyle (with the occasional day where I can't live without a donut or two) and I can see the improvements. I even ran a race last week with 12,000 other people in Rochester and it was SO MUCH FUN!
So to sum it all up, I'd say that life is pretty stinkin' good right now!
But if you know us, we never stay the same for long. Just a couple months ago Charles stopped working at Apple for the experience of being a major contributor (freelance) for a theological dictionary. It's an incredible opportunity and allows him to work from home (which he loves), or come with me to the UR and work at the library (which I love), and gives him the free time to cook dinners and take that responsibility off my plate (which I really, really love). It was a hard choice to make, though, because I had gotten comfortable. And moving back into an unknown, and then trying to cover expenses that he had been covering really stresses me out. Sometimes I have to look at Charles and see the change in him - the excitement in doing what he's doing and the lack of anxiety - to really trust that this was the right decision.
But I keep being reminded to "trust in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." And I'm seeing this promise come to fruition over and over in my life. It's playing out in our marriage. It's playing out in our finances. It's playing out in the fact that I just was offered my dream job. After falling into Financial Aid six years ago, I have stuck with it because I love students and I love Higher Education and because I'm good at it. But the last few years I have been wondering if there is a position that utilizes my strengths and personality traits more so than Financial Aid. And the more I looked into it and talked to friends, the more I became interested in Advancement.
At the same time that I took my position here at the University of Rochester, I was also in the final rounds of interviewing for an Advancement position at Houghton College. Due to timing issues and the fact that I really felt like I needed to work for a bigger institution and broaden my horizons, I pulled out of the Advancement job. That was a really really hard thing to do. But here at the UR I have had the opportunity to take classes on development, and get to know people in the development office here. And then one day the perfect job posted - a gift officer position that works specifically with the humanities. A job I think I would love AND an area that I am knowledgeable in (music, theater, literature, etc.) So I decided to just go for it.
And miracle of miracles (and due to a very gracious recommendation by my current boss), I got the job! It's been over a week now since they have offered it to me and I still can hardly believe it. I think it's a position in which I will flourish. I know it will be challenging, but I'm totally ready to take on those challenges. It's scary to change careers because this one is comfortable and I know I can do it. But I can't wait to try this new one.
This job will be full of travels (my cities are Boston, Cleveland and Chicago), meeting new people, helping donors find their niche at the University and doing my best to make the world (and the U of R) ever better! I start in less than three weeks now. I'm already booked for trainings and conferences and finding out some of the perks to the new position.
My 30th birthday is less than a month a way and I am so excited for the next decade. I'm starting out the decade with a real adventure - skydiving. It's something I've always wanted to do and there has never been a better time than now! And looking forward to the next phase of my life, I have an amazing husband by my side and, God-willing, in the next decade (early on, hopefully) he will finish his PhD and be done with school forever. I am starting my 30s in my dream job and will, hopefully, finish my Master's degree and continue to work my way up the ladder toward my ultimate career goals.Maybe in my 30s we'll even grow up enough to buy a house and have a baby (or 2).
I've also been making great progress toward my fitness goal to be in the best shape of my life by 30. I don't run far, or fast but I am proud to say that I run 12-15 miles a week. I have made eating healthy and exercise a part of my lifestyle (with the occasional day where I can't live without a donut or two) and I can see the improvements. I even ran a race last week with 12,000 other people in Rochester and it was SO MUCH FUN!
So to sum it all up, I'd say that life is pretty stinkin' good right now!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Life Update
Life has been moving along lately. It's April, which means work is crazy busy. As busy as it is, it's totally different from last April because my program responsibilities are totally different and are spread out more consistently during the year (and heavy in December and January) rather than being crazy in the spring. I also have a smaller caseload.
Life, in general, has gotten a bit busier with grad work, regular workouts at the gym, writing a mass (which I'm loving!) and trying to still make time for the love of my life. On the bright side, my husband is now doing all his work from home and has taken over cooking dinner so that frees up at least an hour in my busy evenings.
Lent was a really meaningful season for me this year. Last year at this time my life was a mess and Easter was kind of the day we decided to make a real change. And things have made a 180 degree change and this Easter it was so great to look back and see all the work that God had done in our lives over the last year. This Lenten season was also about practicing discipline. I think I've made some real improvements in that area, and will continue to work on it.
I think the biggest change recently is the fact that Charles no longer works at Apple.... and miraculously I'm okay with that. Anyone who knows me knows that I really stress out about money. So when Charles proposed that he quit his job at Apple to stay at home and write articles for an online theological dictionary - for a fraction of the pay - I had to really really struggle. But we talked about it (in one of the most effective communications we've ever had) and I put my new conflict management skills to work and we decided that, even though it will make money tight, it would be a way better decision for his future career as an educator and it would be something he loves (and he would agree to cook dinner every week night). So I guess you could say that along with learning discipline, I'm also learning how to trust.
And who knows what that kind of freedom will lead to! :)
So I want to tell you about this Lenten mass that I'm composing, just because I'm really excited about it. I want it to be historical and interesting and accessible, so I'm combining choral with congregational singing, and using mostly English but also throwing in some Greek and Latin and mixing modern chord progressions with some old school Gregorian chant and all kinds of other interesting stuff! It's the most inspired I've been in over a year!
Life, in general, has gotten a bit busier with grad work, regular workouts at the gym, writing a mass (which I'm loving!) and trying to still make time for the love of my life. On the bright side, my husband is now doing all his work from home and has taken over cooking dinner so that frees up at least an hour in my busy evenings.
Lent was a really meaningful season for me this year. Last year at this time my life was a mess and Easter was kind of the day we decided to make a real change. And things have made a 180 degree change and this Easter it was so great to look back and see all the work that God had done in our lives over the last year. This Lenten season was also about practicing discipline. I think I've made some real improvements in that area, and will continue to work on it.
I think the biggest change recently is the fact that Charles no longer works at Apple.... and miraculously I'm okay with that. Anyone who knows me knows that I really stress out about money. So when Charles proposed that he quit his job at Apple to stay at home and write articles for an online theological dictionary - for a fraction of the pay - I had to really really struggle. But we talked about it (in one of the most effective communications we've ever had) and I put my new conflict management skills to work and we decided that, even though it will make money tight, it would be a way better decision for his future career as an educator and it would be something he loves (and he would agree to cook dinner every week night). So I guess you could say that along with learning discipline, I'm also learning how to trust.
And who knows what that kind of freedom will lead to! :)
So I want to tell you about this Lenten mass that I'm composing, just because I'm really excited about it. I want it to be historical and interesting and accessible, so I'm combining choral with congregational singing, and using mostly English but also throwing in some Greek and Latin and mixing modern chord progressions with some old school Gregorian chant and all kinds of other interesting stuff! It's the most inspired I've been in over a year!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Reflections on Life and Death
Last Wednesday I received some shocking news - one of my best friends from high school passed away unexpectedly. I spent the remainder of the week remembering Adam's life and the times we spent together, talking to my high school classmates about our memories of Adam, and grieving with his wife, now a widow at 29, and his family. I was blown away by how many people Adam touched in his short life. He loved God and he loved people and both of those were evident in all that he did.
Death hits us in strange ways. I'm not afraid of death, and because I believe that Adam is with Jesus, and that someday I will be with Jesus, death does not bring a feeling of hopelessness. It does, however, bring great sadness. It also brings a new awareness of life. When someone dies young, and/or unexpectedly, you start to realize how precious every moment of your life is. I found myself thinking "I can't let Charles leave without saying goodbye - because what if this is the last time I see him?" or "This isn't worth fighting about - we should just be grateful that have life and each other" or "What can I do today to make a greater impact on the world I live in?" Seeing how many people Adam reached, and seeing all the things he was passionate about and put his time and effort into, it made me think about my life. Death always makes us think about our lives. I thought about my life a lot when Granda died. But this was a little different - because Adam was young and had a shorter amount of time to make his impact. But he did.
I am so grateful for his life and his friendship and I will always cherish the memories I had of him.
- Spewing strawberry milk all over the dashboard of his car and then spending weeks trying to get out the sour milk smell.
- Singing the Gaither Vocal band at the top of our lungs. (He loved the music, I just loved to sing.)
- Being in drama club together. (Chick and Fats)
- Trips to Tom Wahls, Georges and the movies.
- Going to the Jr/Sr banquet together our Junior year, and then him going with me to my talent competition and playing putt putt golf afterward in my parents living room and getting "tipsy" on sparking grape juice.
With the beginning of Lent today, my reflections are also on life and death: the death of Jesus, my own struggle with being dead to sin, seeing the consequences of sin and the stain it leaves on our lives. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. However, I've learned that you can't think about death without thinking about life: a life free of sin, the resurrection of Jesus, our own upcoming resurrection and eternal life.
I spent two hours in Starbucks on Sunday, talking to the parent of a University of Rochester student. We talked about UR, higher education in general, life, parenting, and eventually came around to religion. This parent was studying mysticism and had very interesting views on self, right and wrong, etc. The more he talked about mysticism, the more grateful I became that I am a Christian - and I don't mean that with any maliciousness to what he was saying. I respect him and his belief system. But everything he said was centered on Self. I can't imagine the pressure of everything being Me. Because I KNOW that I am going to screw up. I've done it in the past and I'm sure I'll make mistakes in the future. But what I understand that this parent did not is grace. And that is the difference between true and eternal death and life.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound the saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.
When we've been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise then we first begun
Death hits us in strange ways. I'm not afraid of death, and because I believe that Adam is with Jesus, and that someday I will be with Jesus, death does not bring a feeling of hopelessness. It does, however, bring great sadness. It also brings a new awareness of life. When someone dies young, and/or unexpectedly, you start to realize how precious every moment of your life is. I found myself thinking "I can't let Charles leave without saying goodbye - because what if this is the last time I see him?" or "This isn't worth fighting about - we should just be grateful that have life and each other" or "What can I do today to make a greater impact on the world I live in?" Seeing how many people Adam reached, and seeing all the things he was passionate about and put his time and effort into, it made me think about my life. Death always makes us think about our lives. I thought about my life a lot when Granda died. But this was a little different - because Adam was young and had a shorter amount of time to make his impact. But he did.
I am so grateful for his life and his friendship and I will always cherish the memories I had of him.
- Spewing strawberry milk all over the dashboard of his car and then spending weeks trying to get out the sour milk smell.
- Singing the Gaither Vocal band at the top of our lungs. (He loved the music, I just loved to sing.)
- Being in drama club together. (Chick and Fats)
- Trips to Tom Wahls, Georges and the movies.
- Going to the Jr/Sr banquet together our Junior year, and then him going with me to my talent competition and playing putt putt golf afterward in my parents living room and getting "tipsy" on sparking grape juice.
With the beginning of Lent today, my reflections are also on life and death: the death of Jesus, my own struggle with being dead to sin, seeing the consequences of sin and the stain it leaves on our lives. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. However, I've learned that you can't think about death without thinking about life: a life free of sin, the resurrection of Jesus, our own upcoming resurrection and eternal life.
I spent two hours in Starbucks on Sunday, talking to the parent of a University of Rochester student. We talked about UR, higher education in general, life, parenting, and eventually came around to religion. This parent was studying mysticism and had very interesting views on self, right and wrong, etc. The more he talked about mysticism, the more grateful I became that I am a Christian - and I don't mean that with any maliciousness to what he was saying. I respect him and his belief system. But everything he said was centered on Self. I can't imagine the pressure of everything being Me. Because I KNOW that I am going to screw up. I've done it in the past and I'm sure I'll make mistakes in the future. But what I understand that this parent did not is grace. And that is the difference between true and eternal death and life.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound the saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.
When we've been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise then we first begun
Monday, January 7, 2013
Books Books Books!
I have been on a reading kick lately. My spring classes start next Thursday (yikes!) and I want to get in as much reading as I can before it's time to crack open the textbooks. I've read a lot of good books in the past couple months including the following:
Age of Miracles (very interesting and a quick read)
Tale of Two Cities (for the 100th time)
Kisses from Katie (very inspirational)
Bossy Pants (very funny)
Life of Pi (now I have to see the movie)
The Devil in the White City (non-fiction, parts of it read like a history book but I liked it!)
Cloud Atlas (heard it's better than the movie)
Fahrenheit 451 (which I read in its entirety yesterday)
Next on my list are:
Ella Minnow Pea (waiting for it to come into the library)
The Red Leather Diary (I know nothing about it)
The Stand (I hear it's a modern day classic)
The Giver (which I read in college and loved and I want to read again)
The Pact (on NY Times Best Seller list)
I'm also looking for other suggestions! I love all kinds of literature - memoirs, sci-fi, some fantasy, action, classics, etc.
What have you read lately that you loved?
Age of Miracles (very interesting and a quick read)
Tale of Two Cities (for the 100th time)
Kisses from Katie (very inspirational)
Bossy Pants (very funny)
Life of Pi (now I have to see the movie)
The Devil in the White City (non-fiction, parts of it read like a history book but I liked it!)
Cloud Atlas (heard it's better than the movie)
Fahrenheit 451 (which I read in its entirety yesterday)
Next on my list are:
Ella Minnow Pea (waiting for it to come into the library)
The Red Leather Diary (I know nothing about it)
The Stand (I hear it's a modern day classic)
The Giver (which I read in college and loved and I want to read again)
The Pact (on NY Times Best Seller list)
I'm also looking for other suggestions! I love all kinds of literature - memoirs, sci-fi, some fantasy, action, classics, etc.
What have you read lately that you loved?
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Welcome to 2013
I am so unbelievably excited for 2013! 2012 ended spectacularly, but it sure had a lot of ups and downs to get to that point. But I'm starting this year on the right foot. I am so so so happy, my marriage has never been in a better place, I am loving my job, our apartment is finally completely redecorated (as far as we are going to do with it), we have such wonderful friends, and we have finally moved to step 3 of our 4 step plan.
Let me explain. Charles and I have been married for 7 years now. We like to stay up late, sleep in, go out to dinner on a whim, go on vacations, etc. With that kind of lifestyle it's hard to have any kind of responsibility at home. When we first got married we talked about the possibility of kids someday and decided we needed a 4 step plan. Step 1) plant. If we could keep a plant alive for at least 6 months (a challenge for us both, to be sure), then we could graduate to step 2) fish. We made it that far and took care of a beta fish named Simeon for nearly three years. Since their average lifespan is 1 year, we decided we nailed step 2. So when Simeon died we decided to move onto step 3) animal. I was hoping for a dog, since I love dogs but that's just not feasible right now with where we live and such. So we went with a cat. (I've never been a big fan, but Charles loves them.) That being said, we are in a trial run of adopting my parents cat. To be honest, this cat is a little more like a dog. He loves to be pet, loves to snuggle, comes when you call him, etc. But he doesn't have to go outside to be walked, can use a litter box, and generally is a little less maintenance than a dog. So pending how this experiment goes, at some point in the future we may graduate to step 4) children.
The thought of having kid is exciting (a miracle in itself) and scary as hell. I went to my first baby shower in AGES last weekend for my college roommate and learned very quickly that I know NOTHING about babies. I am 29 and I have never even changed a diaper. I don't hold babies very often and I thought the baby bath was for soaking swollen preggo feet. I will have a lot to learn, that is for sure. But 30 is looming and I have decided that it's time to grow up and settle down! :)
As for the new year, I am not a huge fan of New Years resolutions but I do have a few goals.
Being that I have been blessed with a fast metabolism, I have been able to eat whatever I want for my whole life up until this point. My dad always warned me it wouldn't last forever. As 30 approaches (this is a big deal for me, as you can see), I want to start the year in the best shape possible. So after a holiday of crazy binge eating, it's back to healthy choices and portion control for me. And most importantly, exercise. I'm skinny enough, but I definitely need to tone a few areas. I hate to run and I live in a blasted cold state and I hate the cold, and I hate spending money on gym memberships, so exercise has always been a challenge for me. But challenge or not, by my 30th bday, I am going to be in excellent shape.
Another goal is to read more. I love to read. But with long hours at work, school work, a leadership class this fall, and responsibilities at home, it's harder to do. And I just need to set aside a reasonable amount of time to do it. Usually when I read a book, that's all I do for the 2 days it takes me to finish it. I need to learn to balance.
My third goal is to get more involved in church. We have a wonderful church and I would love to be more involved. I need to stop making the excuse that it's just too far away and just jump right in. And I want to be better about inviting people over for dinner and making new friends. I want to be a part of the community, not just attend the church.
Upon reflection of 2012 I have to say that I learned two major lessons. They may sound old and trite but they are profoundly, amazingly and miraculously true. 1) When you give yourself fully over to God, he can and WILL give you the strength to overcome ANY obstacle, no matter how impossible it may seem. 2) Prayer changes things. Sometimes I hear people say "well I've been praying and praying" and I'm tempted to say "Just stop praying so much and DO something." But I am SO wrong in that advice. I look at my life a year ago and look at it now, and it seems that every day I find out how someone else felt led to pray for me this year - whether they knew what was happening in my life or not. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my life would not be what it is today if my faithful friends, and their faithful friends, had not been praying. I am awed, and moved and blessed.
Bring on 2013!!
Let me explain. Charles and I have been married for 7 years now. We like to stay up late, sleep in, go out to dinner on a whim, go on vacations, etc. With that kind of lifestyle it's hard to have any kind of responsibility at home. When we first got married we talked about the possibility of kids someday and decided we needed a 4 step plan. Step 1) plant. If we could keep a plant alive for at least 6 months (a challenge for us both, to be sure), then we could graduate to step 2) fish. We made it that far and took care of a beta fish named Simeon for nearly three years. Since their average lifespan is 1 year, we decided we nailed step 2. So when Simeon died we decided to move onto step 3) animal. I was hoping for a dog, since I love dogs but that's just not feasible right now with where we live and such. So we went with a cat. (I've never been a big fan, but Charles loves them.) That being said, we are in a trial run of adopting my parents cat. To be honest, this cat is a little more like a dog. He loves to be pet, loves to snuggle, comes when you call him, etc. But he doesn't have to go outside to be walked, can use a litter box, and generally is a little less maintenance than a dog. So pending how this experiment goes, at some point in the future we may graduate to step 4) children.
The thought of having kid is exciting (a miracle in itself) and scary as hell. I went to my first baby shower in AGES last weekend for my college roommate and learned very quickly that I know NOTHING about babies. I am 29 and I have never even changed a diaper. I don't hold babies very often and I thought the baby bath was for soaking swollen preggo feet. I will have a lot to learn, that is for sure. But 30 is looming and I have decided that it's time to grow up and settle down! :)
As for the new year, I am not a huge fan of New Years resolutions but I do have a few goals.
Being that I have been blessed with a fast metabolism, I have been able to eat whatever I want for my whole life up until this point. My dad always warned me it wouldn't last forever. As 30 approaches (this is a big deal for me, as you can see), I want to start the year in the best shape possible. So after a holiday of crazy binge eating, it's back to healthy choices and portion control for me. And most importantly, exercise. I'm skinny enough, but I definitely need to tone a few areas. I hate to run and I live in a blasted cold state and I hate the cold, and I hate spending money on gym memberships, so exercise has always been a challenge for me. But challenge or not, by my 30th bday, I am going to be in excellent shape.
Another goal is to read more. I love to read. But with long hours at work, school work, a leadership class this fall, and responsibilities at home, it's harder to do. And I just need to set aside a reasonable amount of time to do it. Usually when I read a book, that's all I do for the 2 days it takes me to finish it. I need to learn to balance.
My third goal is to get more involved in church. We have a wonderful church and I would love to be more involved. I need to stop making the excuse that it's just too far away and just jump right in. And I want to be better about inviting people over for dinner and making new friends. I want to be a part of the community, not just attend the church.
Upon reflection of 2012 I have to say that I learned two major lessons. They may sound old and trite but they are profoundly, amazingly and miraculously true. 1) When you give yourself fully over to God, he can and WILL give you the strength to overcome ANY obstacle, no matter how impossible it may seem. 2) Prayer changes things. Sometimes I hear people say "well I've been praying and praying" and I'm tempted to say "Just stop praying so much and DO something." But I am SO wrong in that advice. I look at my life a year ago and look at it now, and it seems that every day I find out how someone else felt led to pray for me this year - whether they knew what was happening in my life or not. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my life would not be what it is today if my faithful friends, and their faithful friends, had not been praying. I am awed, and moved and blessed.
Bring on 2013!!
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