I made a blog post very similar to this one, on my birthday. Birthdays and the New Year always cause one to think about the past, and look to the future. This blog will look back on the things that meant the most to me in 2014, and what I'm hoping 2015 will bring. Feel free to jump on the path to memory lane with me.....
For those who know me pretty well, you will probably know what event in 2014 had the biggest impact on me. My trip to Tijuana, Mexico was a life-changing experience for me. It has changed me in every aspect of my life. I look at things differently now. I was told that this trip would change my life, but I never expected just how much. For months, I wrestled with the thought of going back on a more permanent basis (something that I still am praying about), but for now God has called me to just take mission trips in the meantime. Few conversations take place where I don't share something about my trip, which I think drive people nuts. Yet, it's pretty hard to resist, when part of my heart is still there. Another trip is coming up in the Summer of 2015, and God willing, I will be Tijuana-bound once again!
Another pivotal event came right on the heels of my trip. I had my car in the shop over the course of my trip for an oil-change and annual check-up. The mechanic noticed that pretty much everything under the hood was shot, and quoted almost $3,000 in repairs. It was time to replace the car, as it was on it's last legs...er...wheels. I was a bit stressed at first, but then I remembered the many times in Tijuana (see, another Tijuana story...told you it comes up a lot, LOL) that God provided in amazing and miraculous ways. I knew that God works miracles in the USA as well, and I turned it over to God. That same day that I received the fateful news of my car and sent out a Facebook S.O.S, a friend of mine just so happened to have a daughter that was selling her car. He, her daughter, and I talked and came up with an amount and a plan, and I had a new (new to me) set of wheels! God is good, and provided just what I needed! It was kind of sad to say goodbye to my Ford Contour, the car which had hauled us around for 12 years, but this new vehicle has been even better!
The most difficult thing to swallow this past year was my diabetes diagnosis. I am one who loves my junk-food, and with diabetes, sugary snacks in too much excess can be dangerous for me. My sugar was in the 400's, and the normal range is between 100 and 150. I started with an oral medication called Metformin, but that wasn't doing the job. The doctor then prescribed Lantus, an insulin administered by way of injection. Ouch! In the time since, it has become easier, but not at all pleasant. However, I realize that giving myself regular injections and taking my meds is keeping me alive. I kind of enjoy living, LOL. The only drawback is that the combination of Metformin and Lantus can cause weight gain. Much of the weight I had worked so hard to lose came back, much to my dismay. That creates my project for 2015, getting this weight off.
In 2014, I was able to welcome a great-niece into the world. She was, and still is, healthy and growing every day. I began my 13th year working in the Hutchinson School district, and my 4th with Kindergarten. Love those kiddos!! I am also actively involved with my church, in my 23rd year teaching Sunday School, and my 26th year in AWANA. I really enjoy my Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. I also said farewell to my job at Dillons, and took a job with Boys & Girls club, a job that I really love. This job is more up my alley than Dillons was. They are some great kids!
Now that I have reflected, allow me to project. I have already mentioned that Tijuana is in the plans, and that I'm hoping to shave off a few pounds. I also made a Facebook pledge that I have made every year since I first logged on. My commitment is to not post anything that is rude, crude, and anything that would make anyone question that I am a Christian. On the day that I do such a thing is the day I delete my Facebook. However, that does not exclude the occasional corny joke or comment. LOL. (But it will be clean!) I also have a top-secret plan in the works, a plan that I'm expecting to come to fruition in the next few months. I can't say too much more about it now, but will announce it when it comes to be. I sum this paragraph up with this disclaimer: These are my penciled-in plans. It is good to make plans and be prepared, but I also understand that God may have different ideas. I have ideas, thoughts, and am ready, but God may bring something else into my agenda, or change my plans altogether. I am OK with that.
And the memory-lane train comes to a stop. Thanks for sharing this time with me. I truly hope that your 2015 is your best yet. I appreciate your friendship and your readership to this blog. Your likes and comments mean the world to me, and tell me that you are reading. I so enjoy writing for you. I pray God's blessing upon you. Also...I can't resist...see you next year! :-) LOL
No comments:
Post a Comment