Year in Review 2012

Tonight is the eve of Christmas Eve and as I sit here tonight in front of the glowing giant of a Christmas tree in my living room and sit and watch the old classic film The Bishop's Wife, and read the holiday greetings of friends I am very much thinking about what has happened this year in my life and began to wonder if I too shouldn't sit a while and write a few words about the comings and goings of my year.

I think I shall. But I want to be quite transparent in my confessions and not just relate the high points of my year but some of the lowest points too. I think it's only right that in sharing our good blessings we share God's blessings in trials too.

The year began for me quite difficultly with a severe flair up of my Arthritis that lasted for weeks on end. My regular check up in March confirmed that my disease continues to progress slowly and has reached the point of osteoarthritis in my bad ankle. This means that in that ankle joint it is no longer an inflammation problem but a mechanical, degeneration problem that nothing can be done about. After experiencing 8 weeks solid of pain that word from the doctor was actually quite a relief as my imagination can, and had, run quite wild!
But the story really doesn't end there. I seems that in shutting me down God had something to teach me too.
   

"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

It's a difficult lesson to keep re-learning but I'm trying to keep up! 

February brought a cool event in business and a new member to the family!
First, mom and I baked ourselves into a frenzy getting ready for a Chocolate Festival event sponsored by the local Red Cross.  We took all our dummie wedding cakes and plenty of samples of real cake and cookies too!

Also in February, David got a birthday buddy when his daughter, Isabella Rose, was born! Isabella quickly became our greatest joy and caring for her this year has been incredibly fulfilling!

As I have spent this (almost) first year with Isabella I have been reminded of the joy that comes by living life thorough the eyes of a child. They see everything differently and everything is new. To Isabella family means joy, music means kicking and bouncing and occasionally putting her ear against your mouth so she can hear the vibrations of singing, blankets and naps mean snuggling and looking trustingly into your eyes as she drifts off, and just about everything- from the first time I held her, right up to today- means laughter! She is without a doubt a bundle of joy in it's purest form!


Spring held new challenges for me as I was contacted by a woman in another state informing me that she owned the national trademark for (a variant) of my bakery name and as I was infringing on her rights she demanded I stop using the name! I was shocked to say the least and when legal paperwork began arriving at my door I must admit I was rather terrified.
Over the weeks that followed I again had quite a lot of thinking, and growing to do. You see the struggle over what to do wasn't just a legal one or a personal one but a spiritual one. As a professing child of God everything I am, and everything I have, is His.
Everything including my business.
And what God was clearly telling me through a series of circumstances and His distinctive, clear, small voice was to give it up. Next year, hopefully will bring a time of new beginnings and new frontiers in cake baking!

I took the summer off and focused on other, happier things! Some of my favorites were:

The Highland Games

 

 

 

Turning out to support Chick Fil A

Attending the grand opening of The Creation Museum's Stellar Observatory that now houses the Johnsonian telescope!

 

 

 

 I also continued my love of photography with the purchase of a new camera (a Canon PowerShot SX40) that I absolutely adore!! With it I have gotten some of the best shots of my life!

One of the best things about my year has been continuing to work with Bright Lights! Though the group started just last October our one year anniversary saw us with 26 girls in our group! Working with this ministry has challenged me in many ways and forced me to creatively look at challenges to find the good, the character opportunities, and the lessons out of them. Ministering in this group I have also gotten the very awesome opportunity to teach when my friend and leader Dani is out of town! I love teaching and it has made me dig deep into the Word to be able to communicate to the girls biblical principles!

Teaching on the Seder and it's relation to Christ

As we came into the fall I spent time volunteering with American's for Prosperity doing phone banking calls- yes, I was one of those annoying political callers! But it was fun and I felt I needed to get out there and work for a positive outcome in the upcoming election.

 

Despite disappointment in that department we found much to be thankful for and had a wonderful, delicious Thanksgiving dinner!



 



Rounding out the year has been participation in church choir, Bible Study Fellowship, gardening in the summer trying to nurture my tomatoes and herbs, scrapbooking, visiting Gran, volunteering at the local chapter of the National Bible Bee, teaching AIG's Demolishing Strongholds series to a group of my Bright Lights girls, Dog sitting, and making new friends like the ladies at Daughters of Decision!

All in all it has been a very full year!
A very hard year.
A very blessed year.

A dear friend has challenged me this year. Every day she has posted to her Facebook three things from her day that she was grateful to God for. Easy right? I tried it myself for a month- and failed miserably! It is so difficult to take my focus off of me and my problems and to find gifts from God in my day.
But this year I am going to change that.
I am going to journal one thing every day that God has blessed me with and given me and that I can be thankful for.
I hear it's revolutionary.

The journal I created to keep my thankful things in!

So here I sit, and it's rather late now. The family has all gone to bed and Christmas Eve has 'officially' arrived! Tomorrow (today), we will be off to celebrate with my Gran, and will be attending the candlelight service at church. It's something I love, and look forward to every year. But tonight, tonight I sit and bask in the glow of the first real live tree that we've ever had and I look at the glittering ornaments and my eye falls to the base of the tree where our newest nativity set stands regally and I smile.

Christmas is coming.
Christ mass is here.

Christ is here in my home, in my life, in my heart.
That is a daily challenge to live up to, a daily blessing to embrace.

And this year, with His presence, has been amazing!