2012 (resolutions).

Already?

Ok, so I feel like I need to say something about the last post.

I guess when you read the title you would think that there would be a list of all the best parts of my year.

And I really should have said that the singing and dancing with my brother was one of my favourite moments of the year.

The Lord blessed me greatly last year.

He blessed me with more friendships,

deeper friendships with old friends,

 time with my American family,

precious time with my sister and brother,

allowed my "spiritual batteries" to be recharged,

and many more blessings.

Glad I cleared that up. Phew.

Anyhoo, onto this year.

I am excited for this year.

I have no idea what it will hold but I do know who holds it!

Of course, just like last year, I have a page full of New Year Resolutions.

Why do we do this? I don't even know where my list is from last year let alone the goals that I wrote down - woops!

This year my list looks a little different (I think, from what I can remember of my list last year)

I wrote on New Year's Eve (you know if you don't write it before the 1st of Jan you have to wait until the next year do make resolutions. Yup, there are rules.)

Some of them would make you laugh, like my mother did when she glanced at it and read the first few.

Ok- I will share that with you.

Lose weight.

Eat healthier.

Exercise.

You're not laughing too much I hope.

I am sure that these appear on nearly every list of resolutions.

Thankfully there is more to my list than these 3.

Here are a few of them.

I have a list of books that I plan to read this year (2 of which I have already started reading - I get points for that right?)

I am excited to get into these books. They are all Christian books and my hope is that they will challenge me in new ways.

Watch less TV. - I don't really watch an awful lot now but it is so easy just to turn the TV on and watch whatever nonsense is on. (annnd..I won't have time to watch TV with all these resolutions I have set!)

Write letters. - I used to write letters all the time. I love receiving letters. Something about someone taking the time to write to you is so special.

Be a better friend, sister, daughter, cousin. - It is so easy to get caught up in everything and forget the people that are so important to you, and who you are important to. I want to be intentional with my relationships.

Work on my attitude towards others. - There are some specific "others" that I am talking about here. It is my prayer that the Lord would on my attitude towards these people, that I might be the person that He uses to speak to them.

Buy less - It is so easy to buy things now that we hardly give it a thought. You can go online and buy everything you want. You end up buying things that you don't need, material things. I want to change that this year.

Be intentional about prayer - I already pray for friends, family and others. But I want to make a point of asking these people I pray for, exactly what they need me to pray for.

And that's all. Yikes.

Not unachievable at all.

I can do this, and I want to do this.

I plan to e-mail this list to a few friends so that they can hold be accountable.

Even with all these resolutions there is one the comes above all of these.

That is that the Lord's will be done in my life.

Praying that your 2012 will be greatly blessed!



The Best of 2011

I can't believe that a whole year has passed.

Seriously, that went quickly, right?

I have been thinking about all that 2011 held.

It got me thinking about the best bits.

I could list all of these things..but I'm not going to (not today anyway)

But I think the best part of the year was probably a couple of days ago for me.

My brother is home for Christmas.

He is in the Royal Navy and has been away since July.

As you can imagine I was pretty excited to see him.

I have so enjoyed spending time with him.

Anyhoo, back to my favourite moment.

We were on our way to town the other day and Fin let me pick the music.

FYI - in my family this never happens because I will either put music from musicals, soppy romantic songs..etc. They don't go down well (secretly I am sure that they enjoy this!)

SO...I had picked a few wonderful songs.

Dancing Queen, by Abba, came on.

I was sure that he would as me to change it, but he didn't.

He joined in with my and sang his little heart out.

Ok, he might have been taking the mic a little bit but it was hilarious.

I had a huge smile on my face, and sometimes I couldn't help but laugh.

I thought to myself

" right now, this is the best moment of my year"

There was no time to think about everything else that was going on, no stress, no worry.

Just fun times with my little brother.

I am going to leave you with the music video for Dancing Queen.

Don't try and resist dancing. I think it is impossible.

So dance along and smile as you think about all the wonderful blessings of 2011.

On purpose, with purpose.

I am really going to try and work on being more consistent with my posts.

I think one a month is a little bit pathetic!

 I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and took some time to reflect on the real reason for the occasion. I have to admit that Christmas became a whole lot more special when I really appreciated all that the birth of Jesus meant for me.

He is really the greatest gift we could ever ask for.

I am back in Scotland for a little bit.

Hopefully, I will be back in California soon.

(please pray for me)

I am enjoying spending time with my family and especially the little brother.

He is a such a blessing to me.

I do have some fun photos from Christmas day, but I need to get them from  brother first.

We had a some what eventful day.

My brother, Dad and I headed to Bridge of Earn for Christmas day to spend it with our Granny and Great-Aunt.

They were very excited to have us spend the day with them, as were we!

We arrived, and I put the pavlova safely in the kitchen.

(I don't know how you are supposed to travel with a pavlova but I was holding the plate, the pavlova was sliding all over the place so I had to hold it with both my hands. I had 2 fingers on one side of the pavlova and 2 on the other and still had to have hold of the plate. I don't know how it made it there in once piece because I dosing in and out of consciousness.)

Annnnnyhoo.

We said "Merry Christmas" to the girls (the old girls) and started unpacking all the presents from the car.

As I was coming back in Aunty was on the floor in the house.

She had tripped and must have hit her head off the cabinet.

She had a cut just above her eye.

She sure gave us all a freight.

Thankfully she was alright.

It was crazy because on the way there I had been thinking about how old they are getting (Aunty will turn the big 9-0 next year)

For the most part she is doing great. But she has had a few little bumps now.

I do worry about her.

But honestly, I think (ok I know) that I fall over more often than her.

I was putting up Christmas decorations last week and stepped back, lost my balance and took a heavy step back and smashed a glass bauble. Great.

No glass in my foot though! Phew.

I am enjoying relaxing these holidays.

It is horrible outside. Really it is.

I think I could quite easily go into hibernation right now.

I have no desire to go outside. The wind is crazy, and throw rain in there and it is just nasty.

There is no fear of me blowing away though, I have not stopped eating since Christmas Day.

Why does that happen around this time of year?

You just see food and think that you need to eat it or something terrible is going to happen.

I just want to eat all the food so it is gone.

I've not just been eating.

What I've been enjoying more than eating is reading.

I am finding it hard to put down a book just now.

I am readying a book called The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian.

It is very challenging, and encouraging.

I started reading it a while ago, I may have spoken about it here before.

But I haven't read it for a good few months.

It is actually a 3 in 1 book and it also have The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Parent.

I have been reading parts of all 3.

Now is hasn't been that long since I have posted.

I am neither married, or had a baby.

But I still find it relevant.

As I read through the different chapters and sections I find myself agreeing with what the writer is saying.

It is very real, very honest and I can relate to what she is talking about.

I find myself reading it and saying "YES" in my head.

Yesterday I read this.

" We have to put our expectations in the Lord and not in other things or people."

Emm, yes.

How often do we forget this? I know I do.

As I wait  and pray for my visa sometimes my prayers are not focused on the Lord and His plan but focused on the outcome I want.

That is not to say that I don't believe that the Lord wants me to be in California.

I do.

But my prayer should be, and is, that the Lord's will be done in my life.

His plan is far more perfect than any plan I have for my life.

"We want to live life on purpose and with purpose"

It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world.

I want to be part of something greater.

My prayer is that I will live my life on purpose and with purpose.

Ladies, I would definitely encourage you to get this book if you haven't already done so.

My dear friend, Juliet, gave me this book for my Birthday 3 years ago.

I have picked up it a few times in these 3 years but I am feel challenged to study it more closely.

I'll leave you with a photo of my in my new Christmas Pjs!

Yes, they are covered in robins and holly.

And yes, they are beautiful.

Praying that you have time reflect on the things/people that really matter this holiday season.

How Great is Our God

Listening to this right now. Wanting to share the encouragement.

Listen and enjoy praising God.

How GREAT is our God!!

p.s.

I realise that all my posts are kinda the same.

Sorry, but you are just gonna have to bear with me.

Because I am in California just now the visa is heavy on my mind, well I guess even if I was in Timbuktu it would be heavy on my mind. What I mean is the Lord is confirming that this is where He wants me to be and I am getting a real feel for what life would be like here.

I get frustrated because I don't have my visa, then I get frustrated with myself for being frustrated. AH.

The Lord is working in me to change my attitude!

And I am praying.

Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Ok...I'm going this time. Probably for another month...just kidding, maybe...;)

Glorious.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

This was the verse I was looking at in my devotionals yesterday.

I stopped and read this over and over.

That word 'glorious' really stood out to me.

It definitely put a smile on my face.

I was needing this reminder, as the Lord knows. He is always fully aware of what we are forgetting and ignoring and is quick to provde a friend or direct us to a scripture so that we get that encouragement or that kick that we need!

I have been thinking far too much about my visa and having to go home and what will I then...and the list goes on as I start to think about everything that I would need to do.

I need to stop. 

I find myself doing this a lot and there is no need for it.

All of my needs will be met, according to God's glorious riches!!

God is so rich in love for us all and is fully committed to us.

I know that he will meet all of my needs and I trust in His great plan.

At the end of my devotional was this prayer:

Lord, I sometimes take half-measures in my walk with you. But You never befriend me halfheartedly. Teach me to trust all you've promised in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

A perfect plan.

I have been in California for over a month now.

Yeah - that is crazy.

It seems like yesterday that I was feeling sick because I was stressing so much about what I needed to do before I left. Remember, I am a worry wort.

 Now I am here, and pretty much stress free.

It is so wonderful to be here.

Let me try and fill you in a bit more.

So, I don't have a visa yet. I am here on a visitor visa and just visiting with my friends.

I am getting a glimpse of what life would be like if I lived here.

So far, I like what I see.

I have been so encouraged since I got here. Everyday, in the little things.

The Lord sure has surrounded me with the some of the greatest people.

But at the back of my mind there is always this visa.

I can't hardly say "If I get this visa"

I have to say "when I get this visa"

I worry about it and think about it a lot.

I find myself thinking "what if" I don't get the visa, then what will I do?

My mind wanders onto plan making.

Over the past couple of weeks the Lord has really been working in me to change my attitude.

Do I trust that the Lord has a perfect plan for me? Yes.

Do I believe that if I don't get this visa that the Lord has something else in store? Yes.

Do I sometimes forget to leave it all in the Lord's hands and take a step back? Eh, yes.

I believe that whatever the government decides about my visa, the Lord is in control.

Being reminded of this really puts a smile on my face.

My prayer is that I don't forget this.

I take comfort in knowing that His will be done.

On Saturday our friends celebrated their 8th Wedding Annvirsary.

Every year when this date comes round I am so thankful for them.

I get excited when I think about it.

Maybe that will be my next post.

Such a beautiful story showing the Lord weaving away at His masterpiece.

They are a big part of the reason that I am sitting in California writing this.

But the Lord plays the lead role.

The Lord has a perfect, wonderful plan for all of us.

'For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

So thankful for this.

"I will yet praise Him, my great Redeemer
I will yet stand up and give Him glory with my life
He takes my darkness and He turns it into light
I will yet praise Him, my Lord my God"

I Have a Hope - Tommy Walker.

Praying that I will praise Him and give Him glory in everything I do, knowing that I have hope in Him.