Wrapping up 2011

My living room is filled with wrapping paper, bows, and gifts for our family members (who we get to see in just a few more hours YAY!!!!) We are spending the evening wrapping up framed wedding pictures as gifts this year since everyone has been asking us for wedding pictures lately! With the semester finally over, Danny is finally kicking back to enjoy the holidays.

I CAN'T WAIT to see my family! It's been almost six months since I've seen my mom & dad! I know it's going to be a wonderful Christmas. We are lucky to have so much family surrounding us. Tomorrow we are heading up to Tupelo to Danny's older brother's house, where we are hosting a "Santa and friends" party out on the front lawn. YES, we will be dressed up as Santa, The Grinch, elves, the whole crew! It's going to be interesting to say the least. :)

Looking back on 2011, I can honestly say it has been the best year of my life. Marriage, even with all the ups and downs, has been such a blessing to me. I've also been blessed with my work...now doing what I LOVE, and my friends in our newlyweds small group, who show me how to live closer to God. Can 2012 possibly get better than this?! As we wrap up this year, I encourage you to reflect back on 2011. Count your blessings...we all have so much to be thankful for. Face your challenges in the new year with a positive outlook and there's no telling what you may conquer!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

Taken at our Newlyweds Small Group's Dirty Santa Christmas Party. We got to took home some lovely shelves (actually loved these!) and a card shoe....anyone know what to do with that?!

Ready for 2012?

"When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world." -Author Unknown

Have you started thinking about your New Year's Resolutions yet? Start by making small changes within yourself. Set short, realistic goals, but always work towards a higher goal. It's awesome to strive for something big (set high goals and standards for yourself!) and stay focused by taking it one step at a time. Be a role model to those around you! Eyes on the prize in 2012!!!!!!!!

Selfless for Christ

I am a medical student's widow tonight...my husband has been taken from me for a gross anatomy review as he crams for a major exam tomorrow, as well as a national board exam on Wednesday. It's our first night apart since we've been married. :( Although I feel a little lonely here with my Red Box rental, I completely understand he is pulling this all-nighter at school for a few VERY good reasons!

For starters, he is determined to learn everything he can for the sake of his future soldiers and patients. I admire his drive for aspiring to help those who are serving our country. As a future army doctor, his job will be to serve at a military base for active duty military. When he eventually deploys, he will likely be faced with several life or death situations...where every detail counts. He is applying that mentality to his study habits and learning everything he can in case he needs that crucial piece of information sometime in the future.

I also know that he is putting all this time and effort in for the sake of our family's future. How blessed we are to have job security awaiting us after medical school! We want to give our future family as many opportunities as possible and we know that the hard work we put in now will be worth it later.

How selfless! I thought to myself as he asked me "permission" before leaving for school at 8:00 pm for the next 24 hours. Not only is he sacrificing sleep and the comforts of home, but he is thinking about my desires & approval NOW?! Of course I encouraged him to go and I know he will be glad he did around 10 am tomorrow morning at test time. Selflessness is such a God given characteristic I see in my husband. I truly admire it when I see it in others. We could all be a little more selfless this Christmas and remember to celebrate CHRIST, the real reason for the season. The fact that our almighty God from heaven humbled himself in the form of baby born in a barn with a bunch of dirty animals and then went on to die an excruciating death given to criminals on the cross, all for YOU and ME is the ultimate act of selflessness. He was not ashamed for a second to put it all out there for the world see...all for His people. Give thanks by celebrating Jesus and by being selfless for Christ this season (and every season!).

Training Complete

I am finally feeling a little more pulled together this week as my training at Fitness Lady is almost complete! I have had the opportunity to train with a different employee each day and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet all of these different women! There are lots of women on staff at Fitness Lady that I have had the pleasure of getting to know and one is just as unique as the next. One day I'm working with a girl in college, the next day with a mother of teenage girls, and the next with a sweet grandmother. One thing I'm learning about working at a "women's only" gym is that everyone LOVES to talk and share all the details of their personal lives. Well, maybe not everyone, but the fact of the matter is that as a personal trainer, people inherently trust you to fix their problems (physical and beyond) and in some cases you become their counselor. I love hearing stories about where people are in life and I really am starting to feel a connection with these new people here in Jackson. The women at Fitness Lady have welcomed me into their home...the gym is a second home for a lot of these people...and I am so grateful for that. While some come for the services at the Methodist Rehab or prayer support with our chaplain, some come for a social hour, and others come for a good old fashioned sweat session. Working with members on the gym floor and teaching my Wednesday spin classes are the best parts of this job! I can hardly believe I get PAID to do this! The next thing on my agenda is to complete my pilates reformer training and I am ready to start taking individual clients! Life is good!

A year ago, I would have never seen this coming. I thank God for these continual blessings that I so do not deserve. Despite some sadness and personal struggles I've had in recent history, I am extremely happy with how my life is unfolding. I think the darker times have helped me appreciate these days even more. When I look into my husband's eyes I have nothing but gratitude for where I am today and excitement for what our future holds. I've quit trying to live up to someone else's definition of a successful woman and am trying to let God define who I am.

This weekend I had a moment...a self-centered moment, questioning my self-worth and wallowing....well of course it didn't help the way I was feeling dragging my husband into my pity party. Thoughts like this come in tides, they roll in sometimes and then later go back out to sea where they belong. I am trying to choose the better response to that kind of tide within me and just wait until it goes out. After my moment was over and I sat quietly, actually LISTENING to what my husband had to say, I had the perspective to address the issues I was feeling. When I cooled off enough to listen and think clearly, I realized I had been defining myself based on pre-conceived, silly expectations of which I was failing to meet. Make sense? Didn't think so!

Here's why I bring it up. Maybe you have someone who tries to define you, minimize you, hurt you, rattle you, and steal your peace. The funny thing is – no one can steal our peace. We can only give it away or keep ourselves from experiencing it.

Who defines you? I had to ask myself that question this weekend. And I had to let the answer to that question settle my moment. And then I moved on.

So if you are struggling with someone else's definition of YOU (or maybe even your own silly definition), remember that just as no one can steal your peace, no one has the power to define you. And you don't have to refute or respond or react- At. All. Their definition is just that, theirs. It has no impact whatsoever on who you are, or what you can do. Leave them to their bitterness and move on to something sweet.

Danny and I at Ballet Mississippi's performance of The Nutcracker this weekend: