Here we are New Years eve on the edge of a fresh year to start anew in! As I have been thinking and praying this week God has revealed to me that this will be my year of "BEING".......yes.......just BEING.
Being (not doing)
Being present in every moment
Being in Christ and Him in me
Being prayerful
Being atttentive
Being still
Being available
Being able
Being all I can so I don't miss out on the blessings of this moment in time......this day......this hour ......this minute.......I want to be in the here and now...not thinking about the next thing or the next moment but taking the time to be and ponder in this second God has given me.
My "being list could go on and on and I'm sure as God reveals more areas of my life I will add to the ways I want to be........but mostly I want this year to "BE" a season of growing closer to my Savior and not missing a second of what he is trying to do............ through my list of "being" I hope to do this.

December went by fast and furious.....I fell behind in doing the reverb prompts......my December Daily photo album did not make it past day 4 and I could of felt really overwhelmed with all of it but instead I decided to let it go......all of it. And I have to say that felt pretty good! Oh, I still took a lot of photos and I will make a small 2010 album out of them but I might not do it until who knows when!
I am happy with how the Holidays went and we spent a lot of family time just being together.....celebrating advent and making cookies and candy. There was an under lying quietness to this Christmas that reflected how much my Dad was missed........but all I had to do was remember that he got to celebrate at Jesus' table this year and that is such an amazing thing!!!! Praise God for His mercy and grace!!
I am now thinking towards the new year.......praying about Gods direction for me......my next post will be all about the word He is revealing to me for the upcoming year......
I am excited about this new year and all God has in store for us.......I am always amazed at how He shows Himself to me as the year goes on! So bring on 2011 and let Gods plan be revealed!

Describe a Party you went to this year that rocked.......
Hmmmmm, I might just have to pass on this prompt.....parties were not big this year. We did attend a family gathering for Brian's grandmothers 90th Birthday. But I would not call it rocking!! HEHE!
We are going to a Birthday Party for Jesus at Church this coming Saturday.......so maybe I will come back and add a note about how amazing that was!

Think about what makes you different.........what makes you beautiful?
this is a hard prompt......I'm not sure I like writing about about what I think of myself.....what makes me different...
I know as a Christian I am supposed to stand apart and look very different then the rest of the world....but do I? Yes, we have a large family, we homeschool, we are very involved in our church. But what about the inside of me the stuff that makes up what I think and how I act and react to those around me.....am I different there? Am I being Jesus to a world in need? Or am I just doing my thing and going along? I like to think that I try to be more like Jesus....that I am in different in that way but the truth is I don't always succeed. SO I am thankful, so thankful for His grace and forgiveness that covers my short comings and forgives me.
I am different......I am following my savior and growing more like Him every day and it might look messy and strange to this world but to Him I am truly beautiful........and really that is all that matters to me!!

Where have you found community this past year? I am part of some great online communities.....ones that encourage me and it is a wonderful thing to hang out with like minded people! But I have to say the place I have been encouraged the most this year would be our own little community right here at our church. We have been attending Long Meadow Chapel for a little over a year now and this past year we have really gotten to know the
people here and though it is a small community it is a strong body of believers truly being Jesus to those around them. I have been encouraged, challenged and lifted up and I am so excited to be a part of the body of Christ that is active and alive and trying to live as the bible says we should. I look forward to seeing what God will use this community for in the upcoming year ahead!

What was the last thing you made, what materials did you use? Well, I have been very busy this season making many things.....lot's of homemade gifts going out this Christmas Season. I love hand crafting but finding the time to get to it is another thing......
Here is a pic of my latest project.....this one is for the new baby! I am finding myself really enjoying crocheting right now....thanks to Emily my oldest who crochets like crazy! So I just finished this adorable little pink hat! Now Christopher is asking for a hat, hmmmmm sounds like a new project to me!

This year instead of doing Journal your Christmas like the last 2 years I am taking this photo class at BPS. I have decided to take the photo prompt and journal about that and make a simple 6x6 album for this years Christmas. I am using a modern american crafts album 6x6 page protectors and going all digital. I really want to focus on my photography and post editing skills that I have been learning so here is a look at my pages so far! These are 2 page spreads.......




So far I am enjoying the prompts and really enjoying the photography process.......I will post picks of the album cover when I finish it!

Let go, what or whom did you let go of this year........
I had to let go of my Dad this year. This taught me many lessons and brought me so much closer to my God and Savior. Cancer is a terrible thing and I had to watch my Dad suffer over many months before God finally took him home to be with Him. My faith was tested in big ways and I had to learn to trust a God that I did not fully understand. But isn't that what faith is.......trusting in something we don't understand or comprehend. He took my hand and held me through all of it and I have come out on the other side still not understanding it all but knowing  that He was in control the whole time and His plan is far better then mine.......and He will never leave me or give me more then I can handle. Yes losing my Dad has been hard, but God has revealed so much of Himself to me this past year and I am grateful to Him for it.

How did I cultivate a sense of wonder in my life this year.........
Well I truly do not believe it was me that created wonder in my life......only God could do that! And He did it consistently through out the whole year!
I might not have felt the wonder while in the midst of the things He brought me through but I can see it so very clearly looking back  now......
I look back in wonder at how He held me during my Dads illness and death......His peace covered me and still does
I am still struck in amazement at His blessing upon me of another child to raise for Him......this is the most wonderful thing of all....every time I feel this baby kick and move I raise my eyes to him and give thanks for the wonder of this new life!!
I also look back in wonder at my children and how they have grown both spiritually and physically. I love seeing the work of God in their lives...it is truly wonderful to me!!
Those are just a few of the ways He has brought wonder into my life this past year......I could list many more!

Todays post is about moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

Wow, love this prompt. But only one moment? HeHe! I think I will pick the moment I finished my first 5K. That was on May 22, 2010 and it was a feeling I will never forget! I put it up right up there with giving birth!
It was a warmer day that it had been in weeks but over cast. I had worked so hard and never in my life did I think I would run a 5K! I remember starting to feel really tired towards the end....other people were starting to walk but I told myself...."No way I am running this whole thing even if my run is slower then a walk!!" Then I saw that finish line and the clock counting down.....and there were people on the side of the road and they were cheering us on.....and I suddenly felt energy ......and I began to pick up my pace and I ran as fast as I could towards that finish line. I had goosebumps when I crossed it, I could hear the people around me but all that faded away and I looked up and just gave God thanks for allowing me to accomplish this. My legs felt like rubber as I walked to the water table and my heart was pounding a mile a minute but it felt so good......
This might sound selfish but I think it was the first thing I really did for myself in a long time. I give so much of myself to my family but this I did for me. For my health yes, but this was also therapy for me in so many ways.
An accomplishment that I achieved just for me.....and it meant so much!

Yikes, this prompt hits home.....what keeps me from writing and could I eliminate it? Ummm......well I do love to write our families stories so we can remember them and treasure them in years to come, but sometimes we are so busy living those stories that I don't have the time or even the energy to record them. Maybe I need a small notebook to just jot down snippets that will remind me of that story I want to tell. I don't think there are many things in my life that I can eliminate at this time....I think my issue is more with time  management and getting my priorities in order. We have so much going on in our large family I'm finding it harder and harder to squeeze that time in for projects I want to work on. So yes, I think I need to work on managing my time better and I like the notebook idea too......that could help!!

Just found this neat site over at Ali Edwards blog......I'm hoping it will get me journaling more and thinking about the changes I'd like to see in the upcoming year....in my life...habits....spiritual growth....You can click the link in my side bar to see what it's all about!!

This past year my word for the year was treasure.....and that really ended up being such a meaningful word for this year. As I look back I can see the treasure of relationships that started and some that ended. But mostly I see growth and an awareness of the things that really matter and are treasures in my life right now. I started my word with this verse to guide me.....


The treasures of this world are so different from what God says we should treasure and I have a better focus on what those treasures should be after this year.......

Looking to the upcoming year......I don't quite have a word figured out yet.....lot's of ideas pop to my mind but I need to take some quiet time to reflect and think on this....and to pray and see what God reveals to me. Next year will bring a lot of change to my life......a new baby.....my oldest Graduating high school.....I'm already feeling spread pretty thin in a lot of areas.....but being stretched means a lot of growing and I am looking forward to staying close to my God who will give me the nourishment I need during this time in my life!