2011 Year in review

Let me start off by saying happy new year. There have been many joys and sorrows in 2011. Let me start with the joys (as I think of more I will continue to update my list):

1. The birth of my healthy & beautiful daughter Christiana
2. Being able to spend the first 3 months with her instead of the standard 6 weeks (thank you babe)
3. Having my momma help with delivery
4. Celebrating 2 years of marriage to a wonderful man - love is a beautiful thing
5. Improving my relationship with Christ by reading the Word every morning, listening to A Christian station or having my own praise party on the way to work, & trying to make sure Rickey & I pray every morning
6. Looking for our first home
7. Coming very close to purchasing a home - escrow & all
8. Having Rickey's support while I was going through my first difficult school year - being an ear, helping me write letters, my personal massage therapist
9. Having a principal support me with disgruntled parents & students bad mouthing me
10. Having those same parents & students have to eat their words when they found out I am a great teacher
11. Learning from some of the comments that those parents & students mentioned but still remaining true to my teaching style.
12. My sister being accepted to a global MBA program - she will be the auntie that will take her niece traveling all over the world :O) new joy of 2011

introducing Christiana Faith

getting ready to go home

momma helping with the delivery

a joy & sorrow

Now for the sorrows

1. Not getting our home - however everything happens for a reason.  God has a better home in store for us
2. My momma being admitted into the hospital (4 weeks as of today) - this has truly been a test of faith for my entire family
3. Finding out that my 90 year old poppu (grand father) kidneys are failing - he is at peace with his decision of not going on dialysis
4. Having at least 30 parents & students question my teaching methods - this only helped me to become an even better teacher
5. My sister moving away for school!! (she'll be traveling all over the world for almost a year!) new sorrow of 2011

Not too bad, only 4 sorrows. Although I have these sorrows I know that they are all a testified my faith from our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. I didn't or will i let them break me down. That's not to say it was easy when it was happening, but I made it through ( and am still going through) the storm.

Thank you Jesus for being by my side.

2 And the LORD spake unto me, saying , 3 Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. - Deuteromony 2:2-3

I'm ready to embark on the next journey God has for me.  Rickey asked me today, What do you want to say you have accomplished this time next year? Hmmm I need to think about that one, I do know that I will learn from the mistakes that I have made during 2011 & continue working on being the best child of God that I can be.

Philippians 3:13-14 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (NLT)