Goodbye 2010...Hello 2011!

Ahhhhh...the end of another year and the start of a new one. The past few days have meant goodbye to Christmas and gearing up for starting back to school. After 2 weeks off, I'm feeling a bit.....lazy. I think I fully took advantage of the time off to be a vegetable. In all fairness, I did get some projects done that I planned too-about half, actually. I guess the other half will have to wait until summer. :-) New years are full of new hopes and dreams, resolutions, and goals. Though goals and resolutions are good, I've learned over the years that it's easy to hold onto them too tightly. When we aren't able to reach our goals because of circumstances God has brought our way, are we okay with that-or do we put our ways ahead of the Lord? Sadly, I've done the latter far too often. Whether the Lord allows illness, financial hardships, or personal turmoil in our lives, He will always bring good from it, even when our tendency is to try and steer things back in the "right" direction (ours). Maybe God is humbling me or just trying to impart a small amount of wisdom in my life-but 2010 has brought many difficulties-none of which I expected or planned for. As I begin the new year, I can look back on some and see the blessings He brought through it. Others, not yet, but it may just take more time for them to bear fruit. God is faithful-He has seen me through the trials and will bring good from it-I trust that. Whether 2011 brings a multitude of trials or heapings of blessings, I know I can trust in the Lord through it all...and that, my friends, is better than any new year's resolution!