hello, 2014!

well, it's the first monday of 2014

2014 !!!

is it just me, or does it feel like that whole Y2K fiasco was just yesterday?

and yet, here we are, 14 new years later...

the holidays are behind us, kids are back in school and we're all officially back to "real life"

but before jump into the new year, lets talk about the holidays

ours were wonderful

i got to experience my second Christmas as a parent,

which, let me tell you, is so much more exciting than Christmas before kids! 

our girlies were totally spoiled, and we felt incredibly blessed

then came new years
we spent ours with our best friends
we had a lovely evening including cheese fondue + lots of laughter
and as if that wasn't refreshing enough,
the kiddos actually went to sleep without too much fussing (miracle of miracles!),
which allowed us to have some much needed adult-time
...not that we did anything crazy, but sometimes it's nice to give someone my undivided attention, you know?

speaking of new years, this is the time of year to make new years resolutions!
...except, i've never been too keen on them
i know, lame
what i have done the past couple years
is identify a theme for my spiritual / prayer life
it's not something that i actually ever planned on doing
it just sort of...happened

2012 was a tough year for me
i was a first-time mother of twins who weren't too keen on sleeping
and had a pretty rough bout of post partum depression
we had to move unexpectedly in the first few months of the girlies' lives
i was unable to maintain basic things like friendships, a healthy diet or anything regular, really
my life had suddenly shifted from one that was independent and in control
to a totally chaotic life that had me leaning on others for just about everything
it was an exhausting, difficult and humbling year,
which actually lead me to more time reading my Bible and praying that probably ever before
and through it all, there was a clear theme that the Lord kept pressing on my heart:
turn your eyes upon Jesus
and so i did,
and every time i was discouraged or having a hard time, i would repeat those words to myself,
refocus on Jesus,
and trade my sorrows and heaviness
for peace, joy and intense gratitude for the work the Lord was doing in my life and in my heart
i began to realize just how blessed i am

2013 was much less intense, thankfully
but it was still insanely busy and stressful
i started a business
i continued this crazy journey called parenting
i returned to many pre-baby tasks that had been on hold
(simple things, like making dinner and regular cleaning...i wasn't kidding when i said 2012 left me dependant on everyone around me - thankfully, i have loving family and friends who graciously served me)
i worked through some personal struggles
i made a point to reach out to and connect with other new mothers / homemakers
(for a while there, the girlies and i were out for around three "dates" per week!)
i spent a chunk of time in prayer and discussion with Daniel about deciding to undergo a big job-change
i spent at least one day a week with an extra toddler in tow

...needless to say, my plate was very full
making sure i was regularly reading my Bible and spending time with the Lord became difficult
but the times that i did, i often felt the Lord direct me to Matthew 6, verse 33:
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 
and all these things will be added to you."
so, my theme for 2013 became that verse
i found it especially helpful when i felt overwhelmed by all the "busy" around me
it was almost like a reset button that helped me refocus on what was truly important

it's early yet in 2014, but i've already noticed a prominent theme in my prayer life for the year:


trust in the Lord

we're not even a week into 2014,
and i've already repeated those words to myself countless times

 we've got some big decisions ahead of us this year
plus the little decisions we make in everyday life
and i want to train my heart to put it all in the Lord's hands
instead of letting my thoughts lead me to a place of anxiety,
which is not only miserable, but also fruitless

so far, it has been incredibly rewarding
to be intentional about practically applying these verses to my life
and enjoy the Lord's peace more fully than i ever have before
i can honestly say, i am so looking forward to trusting Him more this year

now it's your turn to talk!
how are you approaching the year ahead?
did you make any resolutions?
how about resolutions that apply specifically to your spiritual life?

feel free to join the conversation in the comments,
i'd love to hear from you!