I’ve spent the last week really reflecting on all that happened throughout the year.
Each year I do this, and I like to remind myself of the things I overcame as well as all the ways I changed in that process of overcoming.
Last year was challenging in a brand new way for me.
I’ve always been a generally healthy person and never in a million years thought I would find myself fighting and beating cancer.
In fact, other than during my pregnancies, I can count on one hand the times I had been to a doctor’s office for myself.
So the fact that last year found me in doctor’s offices monthly, if not weekly, was a new thing to me.
I am SO blessed!
That’s a phrase that often gets thrown out by Christians when everything seems to be going their way.
But I am here to say that I was the most blessed during the worst times last year.
It was during those times that I was changed the most, and I just want to take a moment to share a sneak peek of the nuggets I received last year.
God revealed his nature to me in new ways.
I believe that we catch new glimpses of God when we go through new trials.
When you are suffering you are able to understand just a little of the sacrifice He was willing to make because he loves us, and that is HUGE! You can’t truly know certain aspects of God until you are prepared to accept them.
I found out I had friends I didn’t know I had.
It’s amazing the kind people that come out to cheer you on when you are at your lowest point.
It’s also enlightening to see the ones you thought were friends that seemed to disappear when things start getting rough. I am SO thankful for every single person who took a moment to pray for me, encourage me, and cheer me on throughout the last year <3
I am tougher than I look.
I have been through a lot of things in my lifetime that have made me the survivor that I am today. But now that I have beat cancer, I have a new understanding of how tough I can be when I have to.
No one is ever prepared for all the things physically, mentally, and emotionally that you go through the moment your doctor confirms your worst fears.
I am never alone.
Some of the darkest moments of the past year were when I felt like no one understood and I was going through this all alone. Loneliness is probably the worst thing any human being has to suffer through.
I was reminded that Jesus knew that everyone would turn away from him when he was going through his time of suffering. He knew before he went to the cross that he would be all alone, and he went anyway.
I cannot begin to know how it feels to be as alone as Jesus was while he was hanging up on that cross, separated even from God.
No matter how alone I might have felt, I never truly was.
For that alone, I am blessed!
I just know this year is going to be a great year!
I spent some time over the last couple weeks planning what I hope will be the very best year yet!
Saving Dollars and Sense has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last couple years and for that, I really want to say thank YOU!
I appreciate the kind words some of you have shared with me, and there have been so many days when I’ve gotten a message from one of you that encouraged me in ways I cannot even express today.
I am forever grateful for your friendship and support as I continue to navigate the uncharted waters of my life.
This past year my husband and I were able to see some very tangible results of all our hard work to live on less and work towards some of our financial goals.
A couple of years ago we bought the house of our dreams…..well at least it will be when we finish redoing the whole thing. Actually some of you would probably think we bought the house of our nightmares if you had seen (or rather smelled it) when we first bought it. But it is slowly becoming a home and even in its state of construction we are all SO happy to call it home.
This year we are determined to get this house finished.
We have some new financial goals that we are planning which I will share with you throughout the year.
We also have lots of building & project ideas that I plan to share including an upcoming gardening series which I am already preparing for you.
The point of this post is to ask you a question.
“What would YOU like to see happen here in the next year?”
Please leave me a comment below if there is something specific that you’d like to see here that you aren’t seeing yet and I will do my best to accommodate every request.
In the meantime feel free to catch me on Pinterest, Google+,and Twitter. And also join in the quickly growing and very active SD&S Facebook Community!
This is going to be a great year and I can’t wait to see all the is in store for us!
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