prayers, prayed.

The Christmas season officially ends tomorrow...the end of this week marks the end of Christmas. Why does Christmas always fly by, so fast? If there's any consolation for one of the best Season's coming to an end, it's having a New Year arrive for the grand finale. And for this little family of ours, the new year is bringing lots and lots of new. With moving into our new home that we've been updating for the past month, and mama starting a new job {one where baby girl can come, too!}, we have lots of new adjustments in store.

But with thinking about the past year and all of the blessings the year shared with us, I realized how big of a mark 2011 left on me, and all it taught me about myself, life, and the power of prayer. With baby girl's birth, I learned that there's nothing, absolutely nothing, like the love of a child, and in giving and sacrificing everything for her, day in and day out, I've gotten to know myself in ways that I'm proud of and other ways I'd like to work on and hopefully improve. On the best days, prayers of gratitude couldn't be uttered fast enough, and on the toughest days, prayers for strength were desperately offered. But when you give, and give, and constantly give, putting yourself second while placing another first, it's then when you truly get to know the depths of the heart you carry within you. I've also learned the importance of forgiving yourself and that letting go paves the way for new beginnings. But by far, one of the greatest happenings of 2011, was that I've re-learned how faithfully our prayers are heard and how lovingly they are answered.

I mention prayers often on this blog, and every time the word pray is typed, a prayer is prayed. I'm often subtle with our faith and it's impact on our lives, but trusting in a love, bigger than yourself, and believing in a God whose ways are far greater than anything we could ever conceive or understand, has really made this life of ours everything it is today and we wouldn't be here without prayers, prayed.

Earlier in the year, while packing up our things in Tallahassee to move to Palm Coast, I stumbled upon our wedding program. This last line really symbolizes our hope for all we share our lives with and so, I thought I'd share it with you. This little blog has also been a special gift from 2011, and whether I'm still able to write multiple posts a week in the new year, or only one every week or two, please know this quote of mine remains at the heart of our marriage, this quote of mine is the guiding force behind the heart of our parenthood, and this quote of mine is permanently sewed at the heart of my writing. May 2012 bring more love to your life by way of sweet prayers, prayed.

“...we hope and pray, whatever your beliefs, and however strong your faith, you walk away today knowing how real love is. It does not exist for only a small few, but it is intended as a gift for all humanity. The only catch is to believe you are deserving of it, because love is what we are all created for.” - me

{& here's baby girl in some of her Christmas Season sparkle.}

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