January 4, 2014

It's hard to believe that 2013 has come and gone. It was a good year. It was tough at times, but wonderful at times. As I start 2014 I am going to work hard to find a blessing in every day. I want to appreciate and remember the little and the big things that God does. As a family we put a blessing jar together and we are going to write down a blessing each day and then go back and read them throughout the year. I have started listening to the Daily Audio Bible again this year. I highly recommend it. He reads the Bible to you each day and then explains things after the reading.

I haven't blogged yet this year, but thought I would start today. Don't know if I'll blog every day but I am going to try at least several times a week.

 

On January 1st, we spent the day together as a family. We rang in the new year with our dear friends Sam and Debbie Ferjiani. I am so thankful for them. They are a blessing in my life. Debbie and I met almost 9 years ago. She was in the Pop Warner parking lot crying in her car. I went to her and asked if she was okay. She shared with me that she had just moved to Englewood, she was alone and didn't know anyone, her son played Pop Warner Football and her husband with a pilot with Southwest airlines and was gone a lot. That was the beginning of one of the most perfect relationships ever. I shared that I had lived in Englewood my entire life and knew EVERYONE, I had two boys playing football on Pop Warner, my husband too is a pilot and our girls were the same age. I asked if she wanted to be friends and she said YES! And here we are today all still very close.

On January 2nd, my dear friend Char Clapper agreed to go with me to go and see my dear Aunt Twila who now lives in Gainesville. She is my Mom's only living sister and the only connection I have to my Mom. She has dimensia and doesn't really remember everything but she is still here and I still love her. It felt good to hold her hand and hug her and just hear her speak. She sounds so much like my Momma. I love her with all my heart and cherrish my friend Char for taking the time to drive me there and back and spend the day with us.

On January 3rd I drove with my oldest David to Keiser University in Sarasota. He is going to college after a couple year break. I am so proud of the man he is becoming. He signed up for Sports Management and I know he will do very well. Later in the day Jeff married a precious couple Darren and Shelly at the Englewood beach. This is his 3rd wedding and he is already scheduled into 2015 to do more. This has been a blessing for us. Then we spent the evening with our neighbor celebrating their daughters 9th birthday.

Today January 4th we are planning to work around the house all day. We moved here in September and just haven't settled in yet. The garage is full and we need to organize.

This year we have several wonderful events to look forward to. In April Jeff's nephew is marrying an amazing young lady and in December my nephew is also marrying an amazing young lady. We have learned of a baby that will arrive in July and Daniel graduates from High School in May. I too will graduate college in June of this year. This summer we plan on visiting family and friends up north for a few weeks and just enjoying life each and every day.

My January 2nd devotion was especially interesting today. Brian Hardin was sharing that love isn't love if there is no way out of it. If you are forced to love someone then you don't love them. Another thing is that we can't blame God for things that go bad. We can't blame God for things that HE didn't do. We have to own our part of the relationship. We have a free will and we get the blessing or the curse of our decisions and our choices. We reap what we soe. God wants the best for us. He wants us to return to HIM and come back to HIM! God didn't surrender us and CAME and rescued us so that we can have that relationship once again with Him and be fulled restored. That is my focus this year. I want to keep my eyes on HIM, my focus on HIM, and my relatinship with HIM in all I do this year of 2014. I want to appreciate the love I have with my Father. I want to cherrish and share the blessing from HIM!

I believe that 2014 is going to be a year of growth again and a year of amazing blessings. God bless you and your family in 2014. I look forward to hearing from you guys and walking together with God. I HIGHLY recommend Daily Audio Bible ... it's an app on your phone or you can go online at www.DailyAudioBible.com and follow along.

God bless you all in 2014!

Be a blessing today ... you may be the only Jesus someone ever sees.

Dianna