One Year Later....

All day long I have been scratching my head and wondering about the date. December 11th - why is it significant. Just a few minutes ago, it hit me. A year ago tonight, Erin and I sat in the Berry Center at Converge. Beth taught a lesson on anticipating God. At the end of the evening, Beth prayed that God would be building hopeful anticipation within us for what He was going to do in the next year. She also asked that a year from that night, we would see what He had been preparing for us this entire time. God answers prayers!

It is a year later and though the areas I thought would be different are still the same, He has done a mighty work in this life! One of the main points of the evening was "God will bless you with what you want or He will bless you with more than what you did not know to want." That was what this year was about for me. He did not give me what I wanted (yet) but he gave in abundance of what I could never have imagined. At the time, I was anticipating not being single anymore but (thankfully), God had/has something bigger at play. I'm not 100% sure what yet but some major steps were taken this year. He has been faithful in His promise to direct my steps. He has pushed me out of my comfort zone on many occasions but the result has been blessing on top of blessing. As hard as they have been at times, He has been faithful to direct my steps.

He took me from being a hermit to planting me in a new faith family. I have been blessed beyond measure to be a part of Oikos (my bible class) and the body it is a part of. Just yesterday, I was doing some counting and I have been showered with about 60 new brothers and sisters to come along side in the past 12 months with about 15 of those being good friends. He has taught me how to love others in ways that I have never imagined. People and/or traits that I had little tolerance for now have a special place in my heart. He has taught me how to pray scripture like I never have before. He has taught me the full meaning of James 1:19, "....Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry...." He is changing my world view and the desires of my heart. He is being faithful in the refining fires of his convictions. In many ways, I am not the same person I was a year ago. I feel like God has brought me back to life over the course of the past 12 months. It reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. Life was various shades of gray and then *BAM* color was given!

I'm excited about what the next year holds. I have no idea what I will type on December 11, 2010 but I know that I can look forward to it starting today. I know God is preparing something fresh and new for the days to come!