2012, Ducks, Death, 2012 Verse, & Gifts

2012 started off fantastically...

Staying up until 12:00 a.m.  with dear friends the Dickinsons... and celebrating the 1st with them as well.

including that first cup of coffee at Old Town La Quinta Coffee Company :)



and who could forget my DUCKS????
2012 Rose Bowl Champions... and we were there to see it happen!

and those helmets... loved them.

Then there was the 15 hour drive home straight into school and the girls first basketball game of the 2012 season.  (we got back at 10:30 am... showered and got to school asap!)

Unfortunately surrounding all this fun... there is sadness and lots of it.  Grandma of course passed away on 12/29, and my dear friend lost her dad on 12/15, and another dear friend lost her mother 1/7/12, and yet another lost their mother 1/10.  Some good friends are getting divorced... I really have no words except that I know the Lord is in control and that is all I can trust in.  I am reminded to ALWAYS tell your loved ones that you love them... ALWAYS.  You never know when it will be for the last time.

Also, the little things are just that, little.

Somehow God always finds a way to work things out for His glory in His time.

I just need constant reminding of this fact!

Our family decided on our verse for the year 2012...

"Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.  Do everything in Love."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Each one of those things could be their own theme for the year... but we are taking the whole 2 verses and claiming it as a family in 2012.  We will draw closer to God and in turn each other.  Satan will not gain control of this family.

Lastly, (since I am trying to be brief here...)

I have be pouring over the book "one thousand gifts"

I would like to say that this book is a MUST HAVE for your book shelf.

I have taken the Joy Dare and I have encouraged my daughters to join me in keeping their own journals  containing 1000 gifts... I am on my 22nd gift of the year...  I am also keeping a photo 1000 gifts on my iphone (btw, in LOVE with my iphone!)

Here is a snipet from my personal journal:

#6 - Reading through the family prayer journal and seeing that Oma's final entry in there was
"God Bless this Family"

#12 - Waking up to a little boy cozied next to me.

#20 - A glorious sunrise!

Not only is it a way of recording life... it is teaching me to focus on all the (good and bad) things that I have to be thankful for.  So often I find myself focusing on the little "annoying" things, instead of the little "blessings" that the Lord has have given me.

So watch out 2012... :)