New Year's Eve Remembrance

There is only an hour left in this year of 2012. I thought it would do my heart good to take a trip down memory lane and relive my life's important moments from the last year.

It is hard for my brain to comprehend how much my job at jcp changed since this last February. I would have never imagined how much of life would be lived in this retail store, how many of my friendships would flourish in my job, or how much my job would come to affect my life. Though I may complain about it now and then, I am truly grateful that God had this as part of His plan for me this year. Work has truly grown me in many ways.

After reading through this year's blog posts I was also amazed at the incredible nature of my God. So many, many times this year I failed and flopped, messed up and migrated away from Him. Yet in each circumstance He taught me a lesson and welcomed me back with the open, forgiving arms of a loving Father. I feel so much more focused and mindful, more aware of the nature of my God now than I did at the beginning of the year. I see how many times I have failed and have since grown a much better understanding of my own sinful human nature. I trust myself less in ways for the better. I know- even if I am sometimes stubborn to confess it- that God deserves and demands all of my trust, as He is my Maker, Creator, Master and King.

I can look back through the past 12 months and thank God for the opportunity to build friendships that challenge me to pursue Christ, that encourage me to seek and love Him more. I am so grateful for the people who have invested their lives in me and for the chance I have had to invest my own life into other people.

Thinking back over the year it is easy to say how difficult it was with working full time hours and maintaining straight "A's" in eleven college classes. But I would be a fool to simply ignore the innumerable blessings that my King somehow saw fit to bless me with. I bow before Him in wonder of His mercy and love to me a sinner. Not only that, but to ignore the crazy fun times I had this year would be remiss.

I love my family. I love my friends. I love my job. I love my life. I am so blessed to have such a marvelous God who I am constantly growing in love for, since He first chose to love me. My life is complete and this year was completely in His capable control.

Hallelujah, King Jesus reigns!

~His Beloved

What?!? That in ME?!?

So I was planning/collecting from memory/brain-storming my Narrative Essay for my college English class. I decided to write about the changes of my heart through my SMITE trip (see full details of the trip at http://mylife-amberwilson.blogspot.com :D ). I was jotting down some differences in my perspective before and after the trip when I -for the first time- thought about my attitude during the trip.

*NEWS FLASH*

What I found out and reflected on surprised me. Maybe I was looking at my heart with a overly critical eye (I tend to be my hardest/worst/most-disappointed-in-myself critic), but I was kind of shocked to do an in-depth study at my motives.

Now that I perhaps have you somewhat intrigued, I will inform you that it is currently late and I have to go to bed (classes start early tomorrow). You, my dear blogger-reading-friend, will have to wait until I have another spare moment to find out what I have just discovered. It may put me in a bad light~ it may put me in a better light. Hope you enjoy this test of patience... I honestly don't know when I will have a chance to blog again in the near future. So sit tight~ and I challenge you to really study your own motives for the way you think/act/work. The results may surprise you.