New Year’s Eve I met up with friends in Cincinnati as tends to be my normal way of bringing in the New Year. We attended a church service and worshipped our way into a new season. My Cinci BFF and I stayed up talking ‘til all hours of the night as is our usual. I hope that never ends…
She then hosted several of us and we partook of brunch in her new, very fly, home. She also had us write letters to our future selves of which she mailed throughout the year. It was a blessing to read my own encouraging words that you can also read here.
February was nice as I experienced my first real trip outside of the country. The one and only Jiesha Perkins met me in Miami and we spent a week on a boat in the Bahamas. That was extremely spectacular as Cleveland, Ohio just happened to be experiencing one of the worst winters since the 1980s. If you ever want to take a cruise, do it during a polar vortex. I’m just saying…
March was an intense month for me and a personal time of testing. I warred w/in myself over God’s call and my future destiny. I won at the same time that God won and like Jacob I walked away from that experience with a limp. March 15th marked Purim and I experienced my own personal deliverance. God confirmed “14” is the number of deliverance and this year has been full of deliverance.
April, of course is the best month of them all! 😁 I whipped my hair back and forth and brought in my b day in style. Look at that hang time…
My friends came up from the Nati to celebrate with me and we got a closer look behind the scenes of certain celebrities.
May was pretty low key other than “The Color Run” I ran with my friends.
The summer months flew by with weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and visits from friends. It seems I was never without a house guest this year. God was intentionally making sure I knew that I was loved as I was facing a lot of rejection issues that were surfacing. I got to hang out with my dad in August and we had a fine time. I really enjoyed myself as he was the perfect gentlemen and further confirmed to me the standards I should have for men in general. My mom and I made our way to Cedar Point that same month for the first time in forever. I felt like a big kid with my stuffed animal she won for me and my ice-cream. We hit all the major roller coasters and even got in a few games.
In September I began fundraising for my book “How to Overcome Heartbreak: Recovering from Misguided Love”. I was so blessed by the support of my community and all those who reached out to me to give. I know they will reap as this book brings forth fruit for the kingdom.
October was another key month as it’s my mom’s b day and my half b day (yes, I celebrate half b days). We made our way to the Casino for dinner and really enjoyed the “Motown Musical” at Playhouse square. I also started my Liberty Tax class. God opened that door through a very unlikely source (Craig’s List) gave me the gusto to start mid-way and finish at the top of the class.
November I had my photo shoot for my book and really enjoyed the 2 hour session of posing for the camera (don’t judge me) If you ever need a photographer I definitely recommend Charette Nichols. She killed it. My mom and I did Thanksgiving in Vegas. My high school BFF met us there and we explored the well-known city of sin. We successfully dodged the sin parts and enjoyed the time together. We definitely got a work out in as walking 5 miles/day seemed to be a requirement. My Liberty Tax class ended and I passed the exam (took me over 3 hours SMH). I’m now certified to do your taxes 😉. At the end of November my book was officially published about a week ahead of schedule. The process of self-publishing through Createspace was so enjoyable I highly recommend them. They moved so fast through each stage and I received the best customer service. I’m so blessed to have completed this project and that God chose to use my pain for His glory.
Now it’s December. Only a few days before Christmas🎄and I’m in awe of how the time has flown. There was a lot of pain this year, trauma and difficult situations. There was also a lot of healing, especially from deep rooted issues. But the best gift I received from God this year is understanding His ways. He set out to use those difficult situations to mature me and give me a higher perspective on life. These 12 years of walking with Him have been so difficult because it seems He and I never saw eye-to-eye and in my opinion He was always choosing the harder way. Now I see He was choosing the better way. The way that would protect me and grow me. The way that would reveal who I really am in Him and remove the false/dysfunction.
I now see with His eyes. Every year at New Years I would pray for contentment. I would want Him to just snap His fingers and make me content with His lot of life. Now I realize His answer to my prayers was being revealed through the journey. The long suffering, the patience, the perseverance. They were all meticulously orchestrated to bring me to this place of victory in Him. “Victory of the People” is what He named me, and victory is what He has given.
I ended last year in agony and pain, crying out to Him. He moved in 2014 and answered my cry. His way. Not a thing has changed in regards to what I prayed for. In fact, in some ways, they have gotten worse. But I have changed. And that is always an indicator to me, that the seasons are about to change.
Now, going into this New Year, I do not pray for my desire to be met. I do not even pray for contentment (though I now have it and He has given me gratefulness in addition to it). Instead, I pray to continue seeing with His eyes. To have His perspective on life and this journey. To continue obtaining wisdom and awakening to my true eternal self.
I pray the same for you.
SHALOM
Good Stuff!
Amen!