It's amazing how much you can learn in such a short time... this past year has been so full.  Yet so good.  Its hard to say that because it doesn't usually feel very "good"... but I know it is.  Why?  Because I've felt far away from Jesus, far away from my family, far away from the closest of friends.  But because of that, I've also felt so much stronger; so much closer to Jesus, so much closer to my family, and so much closer to (some) true friends.  I've tried to "do it on my own" and found I need Jesus, I've tried to "give up" and realize too much is at stake to do that.  I've learned I need to hand over the reigns to Someone more capable, yet still enjoy the ride.

Seasons of life are so queer.  I was talking to another younger girl at Church yesterday, and as she was talking about potty-training their youngest, it took me by surprise, but - I didn't completely understand anymore.  I knew FULL well what she was talking about, but now that we're past the stage of life they're in (and we were)... I guess things like that just seem so distant.  I know I'll always feel this way about something, because life keeps going and the seasons keep changing. 

My head can be full.  Relationships can be hard.  But God?  He is GOOD.  He is constant.  He is strong.  He is completely ABLE.  He's given me LIFE, and His love for me was ultimately revealed in the life of His son.  He sustains me, makes a straight way for my feet, and it is HE who holds me up.  I don't want to forget what life is like right now, I want to be able to be understanding of others in this place when I get past it.

Thank you for being my Rock in the storms, Jesus.  Thank you for the crazy, for the unknowns of life.  Thank you so very much for being in control of both.  

From 2 Peter 1:

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10 So, dear brothers and sisters,[c] work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

From Romans 8:

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[o]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.