2006 in Review
It is now 2007 and in a few moments of reflection, I'd like to take a little look back at 2006.
For me, 2006 was a year of BLESSING.
As I think back on the year, I realize that every day, in every moment, we always had everything that we needed. Our physical needs were met, our emotional needs were met, our spiritual needs were met. We never had excess in any one area, but we had exactly what we needed to survive. And as I reflect on that fact, I have determined that having my every *need* met is exactly what I want. There is no need to differentiate between needs and wants when the God Who is so very good does indeed supply all my needs. What more, realistically, could I want.
The year of blessing was also evidenced in the great vitality that my prayer life took on over the course of the year. Time after time again, my prayers were answered. Sometimes 'Yes'; sometimes 'No'. But answered definitely. And I am extra thankful that when the answer was 'No', God always seemed to show me the all important 'Why' behind the 'No'. Oftentimes 'No' really meant 'I have something much better.' My faith grew in 2006. My confidence and trust in the Almighty One became increasingly larger with each passing month. A year of blessing indeed.
For me, 2006 was a year of CHALLENGE.
Despite the many, many blessings, the year was filled with incredible challenges. I am thankful for the challenges. And yet they drained me. I was challenged by the fact that dealing with people is getting increasingly difficult. Is this the nature of true adulthood? Is this the result of a changing culture? Is it the result of my own lack of people skills? Probably a combination of all three plus other factors. However, truly, deeply, lovingly and wisely dealing with others was not easy this year. We had a major conflict to help someone work through every month of the year. Not easy.
Keeping up with life, with work, with culture, and with a constant state of change was also an incredible challenge this year. I would love to know, for once, what it feels like to be *ahead*. What is that like? I surely do not know. I do not like playing catch up. I do not like the fact that I only respond to 'emergency' or 'urgent' emails. I do not like the fact that the housework has to reach an all time low before we do anything about it. What about prevention? Isn't that supposed to be better than a cure? 'Keeping up'. Feeling out of breath. Missing things I 'really' want to do. Piles and piles of papers. Fatigue. Definitely a challenge in 2006.
For me, 2006 was a year of LEARNING.
Because of the blessings and as a result of the challenges, I feel so privileged to say that I learned so much in 2006. I know it's cliche' to say so, but I truly felt like a sponge in 2006. Soaking up every bit of knowledge, every experience, every mistake others made, every mistake I made. What an incredible time. I feel 10 inches taller on the learning curve now. Amazing.
I learned that past experiences really do have a present application. More than at any other time, I truly learned and witnessed firsthand how God has uniquely prepared me for where I am today. He allowed me to struggle and triumph in the past so I could help others in today's present. Thoughout the year there were so many times when I would sit and chuckle at the wonder of it all. God really does know what He's doing (duh!) and I considered it such a tremendous gift in 2006 to see His hand at work in my life and in the lives of others because of the things He has allowed in my past. Wow.
I learned that it is important to really define myself and determine what is truly important. It is vital to my mental and physical health. It is vital to the mental and physical health of my family. It is vital to the quality of the work that I do. 2007 will be spent refining these ideas. Applying this focus on the truly important in my life. Thus far, this has been reflected in the precious food diary experiment, as well as the new 'stay at home mom who occasionally volunteers her time' self-title that I've given myself. This stage of life is important and I need to give it what it is due.
I also learned the beginnings of contentment (or maybe better put, the importance of true contentment and that I must apply it to my life). I meditated on the topic of comparison quite a bit in 2006. Comparison is so, so, so very dangerous. I think it is a true 'life-ruin-er' for so many people. I must not fall into that trap. Contentment must be my motto. Contentment in the life that God has given me. Contentment with the way God has made me. Contentment with my role in the Body of Christ. When I was a little girl, my mom had a plaque on the wall with my name on it and one of the meanings of my name... "Contented One". I want that to truly reflect who I am. "Godliness with contentment is great gain." One of my favorite verses. Difficult to apply, but a favorite nonetheless.
2006? A year of so many things. I am thankful for the gift of life. I am thankful for all the blessings, all the challenges and all the learning.
What will 2007 hold? I don't know. However, I hope to be able to look back later in the year and see God's hand at work, and my life aligning in obedience with His will.
~lk
For me, 2006 was a year of BLESSING.
As I think back on the year, I realize that every day, in every moment, we always had everything that we needed. Our physical needs were met, our emotional needs were met, our spiritual needs were met. We never had excess in any one area, but we had exactly what we needed to survive. And as I reflect on that fact, I have determined that having my every *need* met is exactly what I want. There is no need to differentiate between needs and wants when the God Who is so very good does indeed supply all my needs. What more, realistically, could I want.
The year of blessing was also evidenced in the great vitality that my prayer life took on over the course of the year. Time after time again, my prayers were answered. Sometimes 'Yes'; sometimes 'No'. But answered definitely. And I am extra thankful that when the answer was 'No', God always seemed to show me the all important 'Why' behind the 'No'. Oftentimes 'No' really meant 'I have something much better.' My faith grew in 2006. My confidence and trust in the Almighty One became increasingly larger with each passing month. A year of blessing indeed.
For me, 2006 was a year of CHALLENGE.
Despite the many, many blessings, the year was filled with incredible challenges. I am thankful for the challenges. And yet they drained me. I was challenged by the fact that dealing with people is getting increasingly difficult. Is this the nature of true adulthood? Is this the result of a changing culture? Is it the result of my own lack of people skills? Probably a combination of all three plus other factors. However, truly, deeply, lovingly and wisely dealing with others was not easy this year. We had a major conflict to help someone work through every month of the year. Not easy.
Keeping up with life, with work, with culture, and with a constant state of change was also an incredible challenge this year. I would love to know, for once, what it feels like to be *ahead*. What is that like? I surely do not know. I do not like playing catch up. I do not like the fact that I only respond to 'emergency' or 'urgent' emails. I do not like the fact that the housework has to reach an all time low before we do anything about it. What about prevention? Isn't that supposed to be better than a cure? 'Keeping up'. Feeling out of breath. Missing things I 'really' want to do. Piles and piles of papers. Fatigue. Definitely a challenge in 2006.
For me, 2006 was a year of LEARNING.
Because of the blessings and as a result of the challenges, I feel so privileged to say that I learned so much in 2006. I know it's cliche' to say so, but I truly felt like a sponge in 2006. Soaking up every bit of knowledge, every experience, every mistake others made, every mistake I made. What an incredible time. I feel 10 inches taller on the learning curve now. Amazing.
I learned that past experiences really do have a present application. More than at any other time, I truly learned and witnessed firsthand how God has uniquely prepared me for where I am today. He allowed me to struggle and triumph in the past so I could help others in today's present. Thoughout the year there were so many times when I would sit and chuckle at the wonder of it all. God really does know what He's doing (duh!) and I considered it such a tremendous gift in 2006 to see His hand at work in my life and in the lives of others because of the things He has allowed in my past. Wow.
I learned that it is important to really define myself and determine what is truly important. It is vital to my mental and physical health. It is vital to the mental and physical health of my family. It is vital to the quality of the work that I do. 2007 will be spent refining these ideas. Applying this focus on the truly important in my life. Thus far, this has been reflected in the precious food diary experiment, as well as the new 'stay at home mom who occasionally volunteers her time' self-title that I've given myself. This stage of life is important and I need to give it what it is due.
I also learned the beginnings of contentment (or maybe better put, the importance of true contentment and that I must apply it to my life). I meditated on the topic of comparison quite a bit in 2006. Comparison is so, so, so very dangerous. I think it is a true 'life-ruin-er' for so many people. I must not fall into that trap. Contentment must be my motto. Contentment in the life that God has given me. Contentment with the way God has made me. Contentment with my role in the Body of Christ. When I was a little girl, my mom had a plaque on the wall with my name on it and one of the meanings of my name... "Contented One". I want that to truly reflect who I am. "Godliness with contentment is great gain." One of my favorite verses. Difficult to apply, but a favorite nonetheless.
2006? A year of so many things. I am thankful for the gift of life. I am thankful for all the blessings, all the challenges and all the learning.
What will 2007 hold? I don't know. However, I hope to be able to look back later in the year and see God's hand at work, and my life aligning in obedience with His will.
~lk
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