Roller coaster Ride

If I could say one thing that remained true throughout 2011...it was the roller coaster ride that was my constant mode of transportation.  It was challenging at times, but it was also a great adventure!  There were highs and there were lows.  I learned more than ever to praise God in the good times and to trust him through the hard times...and in watching Him take the weight of my worries and turn them around I quickly learned to praise him through the hard times just as much.  I kind of laugh as I think back because I feel like there were moments (including right now...diving into a new year) that I felt like maybe the rollercoaster was finally coming to a stop. Maybe, just maybe there would be some sense of "steady" or "normalcy", but I'm telling you - as soon as I begin to get comfortable...the roller coaster hits the top peak and does a fast and furious freefall.  It's a bit of a shock at first and I grab the rail for dear life, but I quickly realize that the life God has for me is one exciting journey - so I toss my hands in the air, throw back my head and enjoy the ride!  After all, God's the operator.  He's got it all under control...always has...always will.

My favorite verse has always been Phil 4:6-7, but I feel like this year I fully experienced it more than I have before. "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."  I went through a period of time in 2010 where worrying about tomorrow and the day after and the day after began to consume my life and steal my joy.  God showed me in the most amazing and tangible way that He's taking care of me - knows my every thought, concern, need...just as he says in Matthew 6:34. "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." I read that verse and it not only calms my fears instantly, but I get excited!!!  I realize that if the bottom drops from under me 3 months from now - God is way ahead of me. He's got it - and frankly, I can't wait to see what the next part of this adventure might look like! 

In many ways - I have no idea what is in store for this year.  I don't know what this month or the next or the next looks like.  I don't typically make "resolutions" - I just want to live each year better than the last.  I want to be willing to try new things, give more of myself than I take, love others better than I did the year before, trust more, worry less, read more, watch less...and most importantly grow in my relationship with the Lord.  I'm ready for the another year of great adventure...as long as God is the one leading the way!