Happy New Year everyone! I am very excited for what this year and what this decade will hold. This is my theme verse:"Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" ~Lamentations 3:24.
[A very positive verse for a book like Lamentations, if I do say so myself.] I am believing God for great things in your life and in mine in this new decade...both fruitfulness and fulfillment in our lives. As Psalm 90:17 says "And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!" Many times we are striving in our own will, but I pray that God would line up our desires with His. Otherwise its all pointless. I have been thinking over the past decade of my life and I have had some wonderful opportunities that I am very grateful for.

Here is a chronological list I made to try to remind myself:
2000: Was enrolled as a music major at Valley Forge Christian College; was part of the Philadelphia Homeless Ministry; was in college choir, took voice lessons & piano lessons; worked at Morningstar Christian bookstore; made it on Valley Forge's drama team, 3D; asked to be team leader; became the school's music dept. secretary;
2001:Served as a life group leader; became a children's ministry major, played piano on campus worship teams; traveled the summer with 3D (did youth conventions, churches, and camps; did a children's ministry internship; made it on the deans list; took tap dancing lessons
2002: Took a semester away from school; waitressed; did correspondence courses & went to community college; was asked to return to 3D (even though I didnt attend Valley Forge at the time); had another amazing summer doing more conventions, churches, and camps; returned to VFCC; was in the college band; became a children's ministry leader; took up scrapbooking
2003: Graduated from Valley Forge summa cum laude; took a job on the program team at camp Berea, had the most amazing summer of my life; took a job at a church in Philadelphia as an asst. childrens pastor; took swing dancing lessons; became a preschool & elementary music teacher, became a leader on a kids puppet team; was the maid of honor in my sister's wedding
2004: Joined the worship team for the college & career group; had jobs as assistant to the youth pastor, executive pastor, music pastor, and senior pastor (all at different times); returned to Camp Berea for another fun summer as camp counselor & program team; was in my friends Amanda & Amy's weddings; became chapel director at a christian school; took more dance lessons
2005:Became a Jr. Bible Quiz leader; directed several kids musicals; moved back to New England; took a job as a nanny; became a music & drama teacher; took cake decorating lessons; took acting lessons; worked at Deep Freeze youth retreats all winter; saw my first broadway musical-got hooked; took a trip to Willow Creek in Chicago; went to Florida for my friend's wedding
2006: Took more baking lessons; more tap dance lessons; more acting lessons; took up quilting; was in the musical 'Big River'; took roadtrips to DC, Nashville, and Pittsburgh; decided to return to Camp Berea for the summer; became office secretary for a while; moved to Vermont, took a job as a saleswoman in a clothing store; took a trip to Spain and France to visit my friend Lydia
2007: Moved to Gardner, MA; took a job as a kindergarten teacher, was in the 'Sound of Music', took hip hop dance lessons; was in the musical 'Pirates of Penzance'; directed my kindergarten class in 'The Wizard of Oz'; applied to teach music in Honduras; took a job instead as a children's pastor; took a road trip to NYC, Philly, D.C, and Virginia Beach; moved to Worcester, MA; planned a reunion for FACA (my elementary & high school which closed)
2008:Took up Jazzercise; moved to a new apartment; took a missions trip to Northern Ireland; was the maid of honor in my friend Shauna's wedding; took a trip to Nashville & Florida; took Italian language lessons
2009: Took a trip to California; started a new ministry at a local community center; took trips to PA, DC, VA, and GA; did my 2nd Vacation Bible School and Harvest Parties; went backpacking to Holland, Italy, and Greece; went skydiving for the first time; took a spontaneous trip to Scotland to visit a famous bagpiper.

This is enough to make anyone's head spin; I just feel blessed to be given such a full life!
Here is a picture of me at the beginning and end of the decade. Happy New Years to you and yours :)