{TwoThousandTwelve} 

The year God let me taste true contentment in His will for me. 

I excel at over-analyzing and (attempting to) micro-manage my life. Really, I do. If I could go pro, I'd have a medal. Sometimes, I chalk it up to helpin' God out! You know, just givin' Him a hand in case he, uh, forgot what He and I were workin' on. Other times, I'd realize the fears behind the excessive mental assessing and the exhausting meticulous activity, and try to assume a general apathetic outlook on everything. But one morning in June, in the thick of it all, God just hit me with a revelation that [immediately] flooded my soul with peace, trust, and freedom. Reading through an account of the temple-cleansing showdown, God was like, "yeah, so what's going on in My temple that's in you? What's all this clutter takin' up My space, girl?" He said, "you know, hate to break it to you buuut, anything that takes up space that belongs to Me is an idol." And I know that, right? But all the sudden I'm like, whoa, so if anxiety and worry and stress and fear are in there, they gotta go! If holding onto someone or something is important enough that I am {at.all.} panicked about whether or not it's firmly in my grasp, then it's time to completely let it go...and I think it's safe to say that hanging onto it, in that frame of mind, would be operating against God's path for me - He is not a God of confusion, but a God of order and of peace. I don't want anything that isn't coming from the hand of my Savior. And so that day, by His grace, I gave up controlling every outcome in my life. Huh. Sounds so super easy. Would someone pleease tell me why I never did this before??

"All this trying leads up to the vital moment at which you turn to God and say, "You must do this. I can't." ~C.S.Lewis

God, in His faithfulness, granted several other such Days of Revelation over the last twelve months. When priorities are in order, when Jesus is first and the perspective considers eternity, literally every single thing falls into place - and there is overwhelming contentment. This year was a year of complete freedom in Jesus, and because of that, I could truly live it. Ahh, thanks, Father :)

{TwoThousandThirteen}

I have no idea what God will do...but because I know He is working and never slumbers, and I know He knows intimately my needs and desires, and I know He is aware of each individual desperate for a touch of His hand through a willing vessel, every day will be an adventure. Each dawn will be a new chance to live out and share His love; and the more love I give out, the more I (not-so) mysteriously have to give... #abeautifulmysteryindeed

"He maketh all things new..."

Happy New Year :)

~bethie