A New Year of LOVE

Yesterday I got to kick off the new year in my most favorite way

at the ocean

alone

with a new journal.

It was a stunning day, clear skies, bright blue expanse reflecting the sea below.

Calm, placid waters.

Dolphins leisurely bobbing about with seemingly no place in particular to go.

It was quiet

simple

and still.

I sat and first read Ann Voskamp's reflection for the day which only inspired me more and fueled my excitement for this new year.

I sat with my beautiful journal that a dear friend bought me for my 40th birthday and heard the crack of the binding as I opened it for the first time.

A new journal

A new year

I began in my traditional fashion, recalling the highlights of the year that had only ended 7 short hours earlier.

Redemption.

In so many ways, 2013 was a year of redemption for me.

God took was had been stolen from me and gave it back 10 fold.

God gathered the broken pieces and fashioned something new.

He whispered truth.

There were challenges and struggles as well,

but in those God only reminded me to trust Him all the more as He pointed me back to the previous years and pointed out His faithfulness that pulled me through and would once again.

"Please focus me on the now," I paused to pray.

I was already spinning with ideas and thoughts about the new year and wanted to jump ahead!  

But I needed to be still and reflect on the year just ended.

At the start of 2013, sitting on that same beach a year ago, I wrote that I declared 2013 the year of pure JOY.

One thing I learned through the challenges of 2011 and 2012 was that God's love for me never changed, regardless of my pain and struggles.  So why should my joy change?

Pure JOY was 2013.

And reflecting back on last year, it was just that - Pure JOY.

Now to 2014

it will be the year of LOVE.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  Deuteronomy 6:5

To LOVE God with all my heart, soul and strength - I want to know what the really means.

To LOVE others as myself - I want to know what that really means.

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The final days of 2013

 

Thumbs up in 2014!