"Life is but a walking shadow..."

Looking back on 2008 I remember...

I remember life being good with so many wonderful memories tucked into each corner of every day. Memories of laughter, love, happiness, contentment, peace, excitement. I remember looking ahead to my future and seeing my dreams fulfilled. Life was something I faced with anticipation.

I also remember pain, anguish, hurt, confusion, hope, insecurity, the feeling of being lost and forgotten...and a perpetually wet pillow. My dreams seemed to fade with each passing day. Life was nothing but a distant memory.

As I reflect on the events of 2008 I smile, I cry and I thank the Lord I'm still alive to enjoy His many blessings. Through all of my past circumstances one thing is as clear as a cloudless day, and that is the fact that my God has always been there for me with open arms of comfort, the still small voice of peace, and love beyond my comprehension. As the only one to turn to He taught me many lessons; lessons that are worth every bit of the happiness and pain, laughter and sorrow, contentment and discomfort.

My understanding of Him has increased substantially, my faithfulness to Him has grown stronger, and my love for Him has become more passionate. Not to mention that He has blessed me with the gifts of friendship, healing, and the strength to endure.

I enter this New Year, 2009, refreshed and renewed with a bounce in my step and expectation of what the Lord has in store for me. I commit myself to serving Him with every fiber in my being. I praise Him for His goodness and mercies to me. I love Him because He first loved me.