A Graceful Year

I intentionally waited for New Years Eve to write my first ever blog post. I've wanted to document being a newlywed, new resident in Chattanooga, new dog owner, job hunter, and more, but it never felt like the right time, especially since the new year was so close! So, alas, here I am now and instead of holding a pin and paper making resolutions and new goals...I'm drinking coffee and reflecting. Sure, resolutions and goals can be good things, but really and truly, what are they if we don't reflect and have reasons behind them. Maybe then, we could actually achieve them (mainly talking to myself here...)!

Before this year, I really had no idea how much could happen in 365 days! I worked at a great school, made life-time friends, started going to a church plant (Covenant), married my best friend, gained countless new family members, changed my last name, lived in my first apartment, our precious nephew, Abram was born, two new cousins were born, my amazing parents celebrated another year of marriage, Kyle was offered a steady job with the Wooden Law Firm, we moved to Chattanooga, started going to another church plant (Sojourn Chattanooga), we celebrated 6 years of dating, I started a part-time job at Bridge Salon, we got a sweet puppy, my family moved from our home of 23 years,  my great grandpa turned 96, we accepted to become community group leaders for Sojourn, Kyle and I enjoyed our first married Christmas together, and we (along with our family and her friends) successfully surprised my much deserving mother-in-law for her birthday. 

Now that I am finished gasping for air and recovered from my head spinning, I can say that I couldn't be more blessed. Every single thing that happened (good and bad) couldn't be more beautiful. Yes, beautiful. In each circumstance I have felt and witnessed peace that cannot be explained...support and love from people that I cherish dearly...and truly learned what healing, restoration, and God's grace means. In turn, I got a little taste of what life really means. It's not about myself, what I abstain from or living up to expectations that people place on me...it's about really living out Truth. It's not sitting in church pews every Sunday and Wednesday, saying churchy phrases, or doing kind things to make myself feel better...it is about living life with people and loving them unconditionally with every ounce of love that Christ shows me...(no matter what religion, race, or sexual orientation) which is with every fiber in my being. I strive daily not to live in shame or guilt or place that on others. I am no better than anyone else. Praise God for this revelation! 

For far too long, I knew these things, but really didn't feel them. What good was the knowledge I had, if I did not change my heart? In truth, I was living a lie. Gross. Reality is harsh sometimes, huh, but out of that I learned to cling to the Truth and the grace that He gives me every day, because it is truly sufficient. We can never earn His love. It is already there. Talk about a humbling reality. To sum up everything; I am not bound to anything, but Christ and there is no greater freedom than the freedom that He gives! That, my friends, is something I wish I had learned many years ago, but I am super thankful I have now. What. A. Year. 

So with all that reflecting, I actually do have a resolution. I want to be more humble and intentional with everything in life, including with this blog. I hope it will keep me accountable and maybe help or entertain (even I admit I do dumb things from time to time...Like scanning an item at Target under a fire extinguisher...*COUGH *COUGH) others along the way. :) 

Peace, 
Megan