Abundantly Blessed

That is how I feel today....from the top of my head to the tips of my toes I am Abundantly Blessed!

I reflect back over December and the beginning of January to realize just how much God has blessed my life.  Even amidst the chaos that Christmas can bring, I remain blessed.

Time with family, from which I received the adorable slippers in the above picture.  Along with several other sweet and special gifts.  Cupcake notecard set, Jesus Calling devotional, cross for my collection, magnetic cross to keep track of my keys in my purse, wind chime, slippers, 2012 planner, photo of the newlyweds, a Christian CD, a cute wall-hanging, some new baking rubber spatula's, and the gift of a letter and song secretly downloaded to my phone from my sweet husband.

Then came the sliding in of 2012 along with our 8th wedding anniversary....

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  John 14:6

I wrote a blog post about the book, Heaven is for Real a short while back.  In the book and through Colton's story, we learn that the picture of Jesus above is the closest anyone has gotten to knowing what Jesus might actually look like.  From reading that book, I learned of another book about Akianne, the artist who created the picture of Jesus.  

Just a little girl, who learns to draw during visits with God.  I knew immediately that one day I wanted that picture in my house.  Little did I know that Johnny would surprise me for our anniversary... Tulips AND this very beautiful picture of Jesus, which we hung over our fireplace.  Dinner out together at our favorite restaurant was the bomb.  Time together to just be us - - priceless.

Abundantly blessed.  Yes, that's me....looking at the positive in my life and choosing to give over to the cross any burdens and negative.  2011 held it's bumps in the road for me regarding some relationship issues.  A lot of which I took to heart and beat myself up over.  But, I did grow and learn from it all and that is what Jesus wants us to do.  Learn from the lessons in life that come our way.  The good and the bad ones.  I did learn from it and pray that in the future I will be able to handle special circumstances with the compassion and love of Jesus.

In 2012, I'm striving to stay more positive....to shuck off those negative thoughts that like to jump back in my head.  I didn't set any new years resolutions.  I'm not sure I've ever truly kept any of them anyway.  But, I am setting a few goals for myself.

1)  Participate in my daily reading plan for the One Year Bible to grow closer to the One who saved me
2)  Devote myself more to my guys, be a better wife and mother than I was last year
3)  To strive for healthier living - find a balance
4)  To run in a marathon (okay - a relay type, but it is a goal of mine.  More about this later.)

Have you set any goals for yourself in 2012?   Goals are good.  They give us something to work towards.  It never hurts to have a goal or two up your sleeve to keep you on the right path and moving forward.

This is what the Lord says:   "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls...." Jeremiah 6:16

Walking with the King,