Here is to new beginnings in 2012!

I apologize for my absence, to say life has been crazy it to put it simply! The last time I posted it was for my birthday which was almost a month ago! Hard to believe how fast the time was gone! 5 days before Christmas I got really, really sick! I had a horrible flu and went 3 days with out eating anything because it was just that miserable! Thankfully I recovered just in time to enjoy the wonderful foods that accompany Christmas!

This was definitely a different Christmas, it couldn't have been over fast enough for me! I'm not going to lie or hold back, this Christmas was not very good to me. To begin with my mom got engaged the day before Christmas Eve. Ugh, it is so hard to see this spelled out in words but I know it will help. I don't like my mom's fiance, when she started dating him she gave up her faith and changed into a different person. This made me really sad and when I made my mother aware of my feelings she just shrugged them off and became angry at me. That really hurt. I'm still trying to deal with that and that happened 5 years ago! I was really hurt and it did damage to my relationship with my mother who I had always looked up to until that point.

On Christmas Eve I spent the day with my dad and his family, just like every year. Within 15 minutes of being at my dad's house he and his wife (who I also don't really like, again still working on this!) were arguing and I mean REALLY arguing, swearing and the whole shebang! I didn't know how to intervene so I just simply looked at them and said "Merry Christmas everyone!" That stopped them for about 2 seconds.

This is only the beginning, the rest I don't want to share yet. I'm asking you my friends and fellow bloggers to please, please pray for me and my family as things have not been easy. It is truly a challenge to be the only believer in your entire family! I have really been struggling a lot lately and would appreciate any prayers! Maybe at a later date I will share more of my struggles but for now this is all I can do.

My "blogging goal" for 2012 is to obviously post more often and secondly to be completely real with all of you. I hope your 2012 is starting out grand, I am expecting great things from this new year! I did have a wonderful New Years which I will share about in my next post!

Happy Birthday!

What is it about a birthday that just makes the whole day seem brighter? Today at 11:59am I turned 23 years old! Wow, where did the time go? Seriously!? While I don't always feel like I do a lot, I decided today to reflect on what I have done in my life. I graduated from high school with honors, I am a recent college graduate. As of July 1, 2010 I am a Registered Nurse. I am a daughter, a sister (older & younger), I am an auntie, a godmother, a granddaughter, a cousin, a friend, and my favorite a child of God! While at times I question, what am I doing with my life? Where am I going? Today I will chose to think about all of the wonderful things that have happened in my life because it is so much better than looking at all the bad.

23 years ago I was born during the worst snow blizzard of the year! It was so bad that I was on the news! The headline "Although the mailman couldn't make it, the stork still could!" I love winter time and snow, this may have something to due with being a December baby. I also love this time of year where people are happier, they go out of their way to be nice to others that they wouldn't normally be nice to. I love Christmas music too! I love looking at all the Christmas lights and even the busyness of the stores. I love Christmas shopping and just watching how people get so excited because they get to give their loved ones something wonderful.

Although Jesus was probably not actually born on what we call Christmas day, I still love celebrating His birth! It is so much more than just a story of a baby in a manger! The Son of God came down to earth, to live as a man. He did this for you and me, because He loves us so much! Jesus knew He would die a painful death on the cross and be hated and persecuted by many but His love was so much greater than all that! Father, thank-you for sending your precious Son, Jesus to do what I could never do!

For my birthday my mother bought me this beautiful luggage, it is blue with pink Polk a dots! I simply love it! And I bet I won't have to worry about anyone having the same luggage as me! I desire to travel and see the world! I hope one day this will bring me to Africa, my dream is to bring the Good news to those there and help them practically with my nursing skills. Here is a picture of my luggage so you can enjoy it with me!