Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I realize that it is already February, but I am excited to blog for the first time in 2012. I can not believe how fast time has flown. Brock and I had a wonderful Christmas with the Ingman family in Leavenworth. It was such a great reminder of how sweet it is to become part of another family and how blessed I am to have such wonderful in-laws. 

Brock and I Christmas Eve

The Ingman family in Leavenworth

For New Years, my wonderful siblings (minus little brother Brock) came and visited us for the weekend. It was so much fun to spend time together, as couples. After they have hosted us so many times in the past years, it was such a joy to be able to host them. 

I always find myself beaming whenever I think of my siblings. I am so proud of every single one. Although we haven't yet followed the footsteps of our parents who are involved in full-time ministry, we each have found our own ways of including the message of the true hope and freedom that comes from our heavenly Father in our professions. I am so convinced that Spencer, Savannah, and Brock do nothing but bless those around them. Anyone is lucky to know them, and I am lucky to be their sister. 

The three couples when they came to visit for New Years! (We missed you Brocky!)

My wonderful siblings

This past month has been a crazy one! I have just started an internship for a wonderful agency. It is a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides services, education, and support related to pregnancy, sexual integrity, and post-abortion recovery based on Biblical principles. The staff has been so inviting and such a pleasure to work with. I finally feel like I am part of the Tri -Cities community. This internship has opened my eyes to so many different things and has been such a wonderful learning experience. I feel so spoiled to get to use my degree with ministry. God is so good. 

It took me so long to write a blog this new year. I had started out with the idea that I wanted to begin the blog with my new year's resolution. However, it took me until now to think of one. I have never been big on new year's resolutions. I have always thought that you should be constantly setting forth goals for oneself, instead of one big one for the year. However, I have found a life-time goal for myself. 

Currently, I am reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is changing my life. I wish I could quote all of my favorite lines to you.. but I think I would find myself re-typing the whole book on here. However, one recent line of hers that I came across really struck me. A large part of the book is dedicated to emphasizing the importance of giving thanks. 

"The practice of giving thanks...eucharisteo..this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see."

Later on, she high lights the fact that we can only feel ONE emotion at a time. It is our choice which feeling we feel. So many times I find myself running wild with emotions. Often times they are negative emotions, such as anger, guilt, and fear. However, I love how she tells us the way God has provided us a way out of these emotions. 

"The only way to fight a feeling is with a feeling.... Feel thanks and it's absolutely impossible to feel angry. We can only experience one emotion at a time. And we get to choose - which emotion do we want to feel?"

So, there it is. That is my life-goal. To feel thanks. To give thanks. To live thanks. I am going to fight every emotion that I have with thanks. Wish me luck!