2-0-1-6 in Review

I love sitting down at the end of the year and looking back to see all that God has blessed me with this year and all that He has done. I know a lot of people focus on the bad and can't wait to end this year and get to the next, but if you stop to reflect, you may see the other side of things. People He has brought in my life, opportunities He has opened, experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. I am grateful. Here is my 2016 in review...

JANUARY
Not much happened in January, but we did get snow! I love experiencing all the different seasons in Virginia and finding beauty in all types of weather and nature is truly where I find my peace with God.

FEBRUARY
Birthday celebrations. My two high school best friends, Noelle and Jen, have been in my life for nearly 15 years. That's half my life! We've seen each other through so much! Even though we don't get to see each other as much as we used to, we still try to get together for dinner for each other's birthdays. The history and years together with these ladies I do not take for granted!

MARCH
In March, we celebrated my mom's retirement from many years as Executive Director of THRIVE Peninsula (formerly known as Denbigh United Christian Outreach). She gave so much of her time, energy, heart and passion towards that ministry, and it's one of the main reasons I wanted to get into nonprofit ministry work myself as an adult.

APRIL
Hiking is one of my favorite activities. I feel closest to God when I am in worship or in nature. This month I got to hike with two of my close brothers in Christ to Hawksbill Summit. It is the highest summit on Skyline Drive! Although it was super cloudy and foggy that day and we couldn't actually see anything from the summit, God was still present.

In April, we also celebrated my niece Haven's 1st birthday! My niece and nephew are seriously two of my greatest joys in life! I adore them! To them, I am Aunt Lolo. ;)

April was a full month! One of my favorite pasttimes is going to Christian worship concerts or praise events. The Outcry Tour featuring Hillsong United, Elevation Worship, Kari Jobe, Jesus Culture and more came to VA Beach and a group of 20 church friends all got to experience it together!

MAY
I turned 29 (thank God for another year when nothing is guaranteed), and I got to spend it with two of my favorite buddies!

JUNE
God puts specific people in your life for a reason. I met this beautiful soul Crystal last year through my good friend Alex and my church, and this year our friendship grew a lot when we got to go through Beth Moore's Bible Study on James together. Here we are celebrating her graduation from college. She has a huge heart for our God, for serving, and for people.

JULY
Went on the the #CoryCampingCraziness adventure for the first official camping trip done by my brother's family with my niece and nephew in Asheville, NC. Lots of waterfall hikes, a waterfall slide, campfires, smores, mountainbiking, and more.

AUGUST
Annual Cory Beach Vacation at Outerbanks, NC was so much fun with family. My niece and nephew loved the beach!

Also, got to see Casting Crowns in concert at VA Beach! Did I mention I love worship concerts and events? LOL

SEPTEMBER
Road tripped to Charlotte, NC to go to Elevation Church's Code Orange Revival for 3 days. Great messages, phenomenal worship, and a great weekend!

Also, my best friend got engaged! God is all over that beautiful love story and I just feel blessed that I get to witness it and be a part of it! Alicia and Daniel get married in Jan 2017! Woo Hoo!

OCTOBER
When God put people in your life to do LIFE with, you enjoy every moment. October was filled with fun Halloween adventures and quality time with special friends.

NOVEMBER
The beginning of the month started out with an incredible hiking trip on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park with one of my closest friends Kim. We hiked Dark Hollow Falls trail and stayed at Big Meadows Lodge and got to see God in all His glory in nature. I met Kim last year, but God didn't reveal how impactful that friendship would be on my life until this year. Having a sister in Christ who knows everything about me, loves me with no judgment, and encourages me spiritually is a true blessing.

Thanksgiving this year was spent with my parents, my Grammy and Aunt Mimi in Stroudsburg, PA. My grandma is 98 years old and the sweetest woman on the planet. I've learned a lot from observing her peaceful, calm, and loving spirit over the last couple decades.

DECEMBER
My brother's family came to Newport News for Christmas this year. I loved seeing the excitement on my nephew's face on Christmas morning and how much he got into the idea of Santa. They are growing up so fast, so I am soaking up every moment with them.

In the middle of their visit, I got to produce 4 Waters Edge Church Christmas Eve services at the Yorktown campus too! That was a true privilege and joy! 270 people raised their hand to accept Jesus into their hearts across all 4 campuses. That is what the Christmas season is all about!

Thy Will Be Done

Sometimes our bliss turns into abyss... What once was, and was meant to be, shatters. We set expectations for ourselves and for others, That are unachievable, and always leave us disappointed. We place our hope and trust in things of this world, Things that are without a doubt going to fall through the cracks. We picture love, we dream, we fantasize, Thinking we deserve it all, But what do we really deserve? What does this world owe us? Things that are here today, steadfast, with vision cast far into the future, Look back at us from tomorrow, laugh, and are gone. An emptiness, a void, that you think nothing... absolutely nothing can fill...

- until -

You discover, or rediscover that LOVE, that unconditional, passionate love, undeserving, merciful, forgiving, LOVE. The Love of a Heavenly Father, a God, that looks down on you and just smiles. He sees your weaknesses, your flaws, your imperfections. He sees your fears, your insecurities, your sins, Yet, He loves you nevertheless. Oh, what a love! What an incredible, incredible Love. That Love, that Truth, His Promises, start to fill in that empty hole and void, fill in every open wound and gap in our lives. It restores, it heals, it refreshes, It fills a once hopeless, broken soul back to life again. The pain doesn't go away, it still stings with from time to time, but beneath it all, there is a Hope, a Peace, a Joy, from none other than our Savior Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus, enter our dark abyss; be our Light! Even when it doesn't make sense, we lay our hearts at your feet, and say, "We Trust You, Lord" - "Thy Will Be Done."

A Tribute to My Grammy

I wrote this for my grandmother (my mom's mom) for Thanksgiving 2015 and read it to her that day in person in PA. We call my grandmother - Grammy. :)

Proverbs 31:31 says “Honor her for all that her hands have done.” There is so much that you have done that is worthy of honor. Worthy of respect. Worthy of praise. As far back as I can remember, coming home to Grammy’s house in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania has filled me with joy. One of the greatest reasons is knowing I will walk into a home filled with peace, love, and incredible hugs! In my almost 30 years of life, I have never met anyone with as sweet a presence…as gentle a spirit…and as loving and compassionate a heart as you. Your kindness warms every soul you encounter. Your sweetness is contagious and makes everyone want to be around you. Your calm and peaceful demeanor is so overwhelming that it can break even the strongest tension in a room. Everything about your demeanor and character is a wonderful display of how I picture Jesus Christ was during his ministry on earth. A loving wife, a daughter, a sister, a mother of three children, a grandmother to six grandchildren, and a great-grandmother to five great-grandchildren – what a legacy you have created, and your love can be seen spread throughout all of them. On this Thanksgiving holiday, let me list just a few things about you for which I am thankful…

Your incredible hugs

Your character

Your love and support no matter what I do

Your quality time playing cards with me

Your millions of delicious homemade meals

Your sweetness

Your faith in God

Your interesting stories

Your love for cats

Your love for your family

Your positive perspective on life

Your generosity

The list could go on and on. Most of all, I want you to know that I am incredibly grateful for you, and I thank God for you. I love you. Your family loves you. This Thanksgiving, we honor you, Grammy.

Where Are You Now?

Where are you now? In your life....are you where you want to be? Personally...spiritually....emotionally.....relationally....in your career?

Sometimes, often, I doubt and feel insecure about where I am in my life. It's the comparison trap. Most all of my close friends are married, with children, something that I long and desire for. We all have dreams and expectations for our lives, on this sort of timeline. We, and the world for that matter, expects us to be in college by a certain age, married by a certain age, children, at a certain place in your career, etc. It may be unspoken, but it is always implied. Those expectations are put on us not just be the world we live in or our society, but we even put that pressure on ourselves. Why? Why do we do that to ourselves?

Life doesn't always turn out how we expect it to. Actually, more times than not, it doesn't. But I don't mean that in a depressing, hopeless way. It's all a matter of perspective. I'm 28 years old, living on my own as a single woman. I have a wonderful job, but I'm single. No husband. No children. Yes, that's something I think about all the time, or I wouldn't be writing about it in my blog. But how do I flip the switch on my perspective on that?

When I find myself getting caught up in the expectations of my timeline, I stop. Pause, pray, breathe. I know deep down that my timeline is not God's timeline. I know that His ways are greater than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). I trust that He knows what He is doing. I trust that God has my best in mind. He will provide and take care of me. He is working things behind the scenes that I cannot see.

Yes, I believe God can work all things for good (Romans 8:28). So, being single without a family to care for has given me the time and capacity to be there for my friends and family in more ways than I would otherwise be able to. Being present for people when they lose loved ones, providing support when friends have babies, helping people move, mentoring and discipling people, etc. This year alone, God has opened two new doors for me that I have the time to be able to commit to. First, I started a Christian budgeting group that allows me to share my budgeting tips and counsel to fellow Christians seeking to honor God with their money. I've met with a ton of individuals one-on-one to go over budgeting principles and share with them a passion and skill that I believe God has given me. Secondly, I started one-on-one Bible studies with friends from church, and it has just recently grown to a small group women's Bible study that I will be hosting and leading starting next week. These are opportunities that I will not take for granted, and I will give thanks to God that I am single and have this extra time to devote to these things. In addition to extra investment I have been able to give to friends and family, it has also opened new doors and opportunities for leadership within my own church. This one is still in the works, but I see God's presence and potential in it all, and I can't wait to see where He will lead me next.

So, it's our choice. We are where we are, in our lives. But we have the power to choose how we see it. The power of perspective is all ours. Will you see the closed doors, the obstacles, the setbacks...or will you choose to see the opportunities, the dreams, the potential? Where you are now may be purposeful - maybe there is something God is calling you to where you are right now, maybe He can use your current situation in a way that you haven't tapped into yet. Ask Him. Pray to God and ask Him how He wants to use you and where you are right now. Be willing to open your mind and open your heart to a new perspective.

Hello From The Other Side

It's the New Year, so I always like to take a look back at the year that just passed to reflect on how the Lord blessed me, and be grateful. Each experience we have helps mold us and it's important to remember them so we can learn and move forward.

JANUARY 2015:
I went on a weekend retreat to OBX with 30 other women from my Leadership Training International course I was taking. That weekend was powerful. Three things God revealed to me: (1) God understood why/how things happened in my last relationship, and reassured me I would move on and be redeemed from it all. (2) God told me that He plans on using my greatest hurt in ministry in the future somehow. (3) I received prophetic words from a pastor that I will use the power and gift of discernment to call out Truth and lies in others, and that my ability to identify those own lies in my life will be used to help others find healing.

MARCH 2015:
After 4.5 yrs as Director of Communications at Orphan Helpers, God gave me peace that it was time to move on and that He had other plans for me. So, I accepted a new job as Marketing Services Manager at Operation Blessing International.

Also, got to attend Wave Church's Women's Devoted Conference with some amazing ladies.

Lastly, went to Christian concert of one of my favorite worship leaders, Chris Tomlin.

APRIL 2015:
The miracle of new life left me in awe once again when my family and I welcomed my first niece, Haven McClain, in this world on April 10th.

MAY 2015:
Graduated from a year long course on Christian leadership through Leadership Training International. I deepened my understanding of different leadership styles and understanding people's personalities and spiritual gifts so I can best lead them.

JUNE 2015:
Hiked to McAfee Knob with one of my closest friends, Bridget. I love nature and seeing God's Creation. The elevation climb was high and me being out of shape, it was hard! But the end result was totally worth it to see everything from the top!

Got to see two of my closest friends from college get married! Yay Nick and Mary!

JULY 2015:
Road tripped with some of my favorite people to Charlotte, NC for Elevation Church's live album recording of their latest CD "Here as in Heaven" at Time Warner Cable Arena.

AUGUST 2015:
Went on a week long vacation with my family to my favorite place in the world, Outerbanks, North Carolina. It was my niece's first vacation with us in OBX, and also one of my best friends Kori joined us for most of the week! Cherish family, friends, and nature.

SEPTEMBER 2015:
Got to witness two dear church friends, Nancy and Shane, get hitched! It was such a fun and beautiful night.

OCTOBER 2015:
Went to Wake Forest, NC to visit my brother's family and celebrate my brother and father's birthdays!

NOVEMBER 2015:
Spent Thanksgiving holiday with my parents, Grammy, and Aunt Mimi in Stroudsburg, PA. Got to spend quality time with my 95 year old grandma who is the sweetest lady I've ever met.

DECEMBER 2015:
My brother's family came to Newport News to visit us the weekend after Christmas. :) Love them!

I also moved into a new apartment, and now have my own place with no roommates for the first time in 28 years.

Finished out the year strong at Elevation Church's NYE Praise Party with some awesome friends from WEC!