Looking Forward

I’m a little late on this post, but (as many will understand) parenting a toddler sometimes prevents things from getting done when I would like them to.  As “they” say, better late than never, right?  So, I have been thinking about what things I am looking forward to in 2011. I really don’t always take time to think about things like this.  As a matter of fact, this may be the first year that I actively sat down and decided to really think about it and write it down.  I found that the more I thought about it, the more I found things that I didn’t realize I am looking forward to.  And it’s not just what I am looking forward to, but what I am trusting God to do in my life.  Here are my top five (in no particular order):

1. Having a baby-  This is a biggie for 2011!  Adding another child to our family will change us forever, and although I know that there will be many challenges with this new “addition”, I also know that this baby will bring far more joy and smiles to our family.  I am also looking forward to having a daughter!  This will be yet another new experience for us, but one that we look forward to with utmost joy. 

2. Judah turning 2- Now, admittedly this is bitter-sweet for me, because every time I think about Judah turning 2, it reminds me that time is going faster and faster, and the moments we have with him as a little boy are getting shorter.  That being said, I do look forward to the celebration that his birthday truly will be.  We celebrate that God has given us a sweet little boy.  We celebrate that God has blessed us with him another year.  I really do look forward to, not only his 2^nd birthday, but another year of being his "mama". 

3. Deepening friendships- I think this is an area that I am trusting God for in 2011.  I already feel so truly blessed to be surrounded by sweet friendships.  They have encouraged me, enriched my life, given me great advice and support, as well as been there to help out in a pinch.  I believe that we were made for relationships, and I have been the recipient of so many blessings as a result of great friendships.  I  am trusting God to take my friendships deepr this year, and I look forward to new areas of growth in my life as a result!   

4.  Reading more books (and watching less tv)-  This is as close as I am going to get to a New Year's “resolution”.  I have so many great books lying around that I want to start reading.  Reading is one of those things for me-I don’t realize how much I like it until I start reading a book again.  I am happy to report that I have already started my first book of the year (Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place), and I am already on page 80, so I’m plugging full steam ahead on this one.    

5.  The unknown- I know this sounds funny to write when talking about things that I look forward to, but there is part of me that loves the unknown.  I know the unknown can be scary, because, well, it's unknown.  But it is also promising; I believe that God has great things in store for me and my family-things I have no idea about.  I love that.  I love that I don’t know, and I am totally okay with not knowing because I serve a God who does know.  I have things to look forward to that I don’t even know about yet!  How cool is that?