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!

An Everlasting Love

I recently went on family vacation to Outerbanks, NC. I absolutely love the beach. There is something about the ocean, the sand, the sun, and more that makes it such a beautiful place to be. Being in beautiful nature and creation always makes me feel like I am in the presence of God. It's an overwhelming peaceful feeling that washes over me.

One of my favorite times of the day is in that late afternoon hour going on into the early evening. The majority of all the beach-goers have left the beach and gone up to their homes for dinner and evening activities. The brutal intensity of the sun and heat has passed and rests on your back shoulders. I love to just stare at the ocean, close my eyes, listen to the constant sound of the crashing waves, feel the light breeze on my skin and sand in my toes, with the smell of beach all around. It's in those gentle, quiet times that the Lord whispers...."I am with you."

I was reflecting on this passage from a couple weeks ago.

"The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-13

We often look for this loud, beaming sign from God to give us an answer to our questions, what next step we are supposed to take in life, or a way out of our storm or heartache. But He never promised to speak to us in those loud, obvious ways. Not in the powerful wind, the shaking earthquakes, or the blazing fires. He often speaks to us in that gentle whisper. Why a whisper? He wants us to lean in close to Him and draw near to Him so that we can hear Him when He speaks. And when you do hear that gentle whisper, that overwhelming peaceful feeling of being in God's presence is almost indescribable.

I remember when I was out in the ocean swimming with my 15 month old nephew. I was looking at how tiny he looked in comparison to the vast ocean that laid before him.

Then, as I gazed upon the ocean, God whispered to me "As far as the ocean is never-ending and vast, so is my love for you." Wow, just wow. I was speechless....and wrapped in His love.

"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep." Psalm 36:5-6

Heaven on Earth

I just got back from my second mini-vacation to Outerbanks, NC this month. The first one was spent with my family in Nags Head and the second one was spent with friends in Corolla. OBX is my favorite vacation spot! It's like my personal heaven on earth. Why? Because first of all, it's the beach. My family and I absolutely love the beach, love the water, etc. Growing up, my family and I went on vacation to OBX every single summer. It has so many family memories wrapped up into this one location. It has great restaurants (Pizzazz Pizza...my favorite pizza place!), great shops, cool places to see (Jockey's Ridge Sand Dunes, wild horses, lighthouses), and so much more! It's only 2 hours away from my home which makes it a feasible weekend getaway spot for a fun camping trip at Oregon Inlet. I love everything about OBX. It even has one of my favorite restaurants there now called Plaza Azteca. The only thing missing from it that would make it the perfect heaven on earth is a Chipotle! But what I like most about Outerbanks is the bonding with nature and with God that I do while I am there staring out at the vast oceans with my feet in the sand, the wind in my hair, and the beautiful sunsets. It's so beautiful. I love just sitting in quiet at the oceanfront feeling God's presence in the beauty of nature all around me. That's truly what makes it my personal heaven on earth.