2011 love

I'm really excited about this post.
My first post in 2012.
I love new beginnings.
Birthdays, New Years, the start of seasons.
There's something so beautiful about new beginnings.
A few days before January 1, 2012, I found a fresh, clean piece of paper, and settled into a table at Starbucks with a steaming cup of coffee, and began to make my "list".
I'm a list-making fool.
I love a good list.
This list was special to me. It wasn't a "to-do" list, it wasn't a work list, it wasn't a grocery list... it was my list for 2012.
All of the things I plan on doing in this new, special, lovely year.
The day before, we had our weekly staff meeting, and Dan shared some great insight. He talked about reflecting on the past year. Writing down some of our accomplishments, some of the things we'd watched God do in our lives, some of the significant moments of 2011. Then he talked about making NEW goals for this next year. And about being thoughtful with our lists. Really searching our hearts for the things we wanted to do with this next year. Immediately my mind started racing.
"What do I want to do? What do I want to see God do? What are some goals? Some resolutions?" I couldn't wait to get a quiet moment, and begin making my list.

So, when I sat down, I fully intended on making a wonderful, long, thoughtful list. Instead, I began looking back at the past year. The things God had done. The ways I had changed. The challenges I had overcome. The many accomplishments of the past year.

Last year I:
-Turned 27
-Ran my second 1/2 marathon
-Helped move an entire church into a brand new building (kind of a big deal)
-Helped outfit and equip 5 brand new classrooms in our brand new building (kind of another big deal)
-Figured out a brand new check-in system and trained people on this system
-Walked through an incredibly difficult, painful and healing season
-Lead two life groups
-Saw 4 amazing bands in concert
-Celebrated the birth of DOZENS of new, wonderful, amazing babies

The list could continue. But here's my point: Before we get so wrapped up in the promise of the new year, we should take a minute and celebrate. This is a HUGE theme in my life: Celebrate. Take a minute, thank God for where we are, for what we've come through, for the ways he's changed our lives, the lives of our family, the lives of the ones we love. Take a minute and remember and reflect on the past year. So many times I hear people say "I just can't believe it's 2012 already! Where did 2011 go??" My answer? I know EXACTLY where 2011 went! I lead a full, busy, excellent year. It was a challenging, stretching, amazing year of growth. I'm so thankful for past year. I'm in an amazing place, with an amazing job, living an amazing life, serving an amazing God, with so much love and joy. That's something to celebrate.
Where did your year go? What are the things you're celebrating and reflecting on?

Maybe the next post will be my goals for 2012, but this one is dedicated to 2011 :) Happy New Year.

A new book for the new year?

I love reading.
I read blogs
I read magazines
I read the news paper
But my first love is books
Over the Christmas vacation, I found out that when I was in second grade, my reading test scores put me in the "Not A Native English Language Speaker" category. Seriously, that's a category, and I was in it. No joke. My mother, a long time teacher, told me of her panic at the results. How could I, the daughter of two educated parents (one of which a teacher herself) score so low in her reading tests? The funniest part to me is that I don't even remember any of it. I don't remember struggling with reading and spelling. I don't remember being in the EXTREMELY low reading groups. I don't remember any of it. All I know is that I now LOVE to read and LOVE to write. Funny, isn't it?
Anyway, I've got a LONG list of books I'd like to read this year. It's much easier to read for "pleasure" when you're not in school :) But even being done with college (for now), I find that I get overwhelmed with my desire to knock out these "Must Reads" in a timely manner. So, instead of listing the books I so badly want to read, I'll let you all know of the ones I'm currently reading.
I'm about half way through with Captivating. I've read the first few chapters of this book more times than I care to admit... but I've never ACTUALLY finished it. That's the goal this time around.
I've also just started reading Secret Message of Jesus. This one, I'm really excited about. I plan on sharing my favorite parts of this book in later posts.
And my "just for fun" read, you ask? None other than a Nicholas Sparks fave- The Choice.

What are you currently reading? Or what are some of the books on your "2011 Must Read" list? I'm dying to know what everybody else can't wait to read this year!

Here are just a few of my hopeful reads this year: