Reflections

It comes naturally to me to reflect on the past year at the new year. I also have a birthday coming up on the 13th of this month, so I think I become extra reflective this time of year.

Things that have happened this past year that I am so thankful for.

January—My dad came back to Jesus with open arms and a humble heart. This is huge. The short of it is, I was raised in a Christian home, my dad was the pastor of a local church. When I was 14 my parents divorced and for whatever reason my dad fell out of relationship with the Lord. Not that I think I'm in anyway better than my brothers, but they had the sense to distance themselves from dad at that time. I refused. I was with him through so much crap. I grew up the first half of my life in the church and the second half in seedy bars with strange drunk men. Dad broke my heart but I refused to let him be. We struggled with faith together. Before I get too far gone, let me just say that after sixteen (sixteen!) years away from his True Love, he returned with full force last January!!!

Words cannot express the thankfulness in this little girls heart.

February—On Valentine's Day I was in a serious car accident. I was driving 65mph down a local highway when suddenly the car in the lane next to me came over and sideswiped me. Airbags instantly went off and I spun around backwards into an intersection, over the median and into oncoming traffic. I ended up jumping the curb and speeding backwards towards a gas station. The other car ended up driving away and never was caught. There were many witnesses. The most damage I occurred was a sprained wrist, burns on my hands from the airbags deploying and whiplash (not even super serious whiplash according to the chiropractor). The officers on the scene were so shocked. The just kept saying how they never see a car spin through an intersection OR into oncoming traffic and not get hit multiple times. I did both and didn't get hit once. When I go back and look at that intersection, there are so many light poles, street signs, streetlights, ect...it is truly amazing that I didn't even hit any of those things! Not to mention I came out on top of my car loan and had enough left over for the down payment on my new car, which is a bazillion times better (nicer, safer, cooler) than my old car. And because my brother works at Carmax, I got the family discount on my car and instead of it costing me $10,500, it only cost me $7,500!!! God is so amazing.

May—My baby brother got married to one of my best friends!!! She's from England and they told her (after all their 'testing' to make sure they were truly in love and not just trying to get her a green card) that it would take 3-6 months or longer to get her green card in the mail. She got it 2 weeks later.

August—My finances have always been a wreck. I am a bit of what you might call a free spirit, and treat my finances no different than anything else in my life. This has caused stupid things to happen, like $50 medical bills to go into collections, and for me to be a 30 year old grown woman working at a bank and still live paycheck to paycheck. Something clicked in me this year and I realized that I can't keep running to mom and dad every time I get a flat tire or something. I also realized that married or not, I would like to eventually own my own home. I also realized I don't know how to do any of this. My sister-in-law (whom I conveniently live with) decided to put me through financial boot camp. Starting August 1, 2009, I have been financially responsible. It has been hard, grueling, amazing and wonderful. I am on a strict plan that will be loosening up a bit come February, because then I'll have spending money!!! I am proud to say I have a (small but bigger than I've ever had) balance in my checking account AND I have a savings account now (that has money in it!!!). This is a much bigger deal than I'm making it out to be. God has been ridiculously faithful to me in this. It's almost comical.

October—Like I said earlier, I work at a bank. A small, locally, privately owned bank. You know, the kind that have been folding left and right in this economy. My job has been riddled with uncertainty, fear, worry and sheer terror since October of 2008. That's a looooooong year. Coworkers were being let go left and right, everyone was super tense every day, and there I was, clinging to God's word to me that I was where he wanted me and I wasn't to leave. Let me tell you, I questioned him on that one every day. It's a scary place to be. But yet I had unyielding peace, even when the worry and fear would get to me. October 23rd was a Friday. Twenty minutes before close we got a phone call. The Feds were on their way. The bank had been sold. They couldn't tell us anymore information, we just had to wait for the Feds. I was crapping my pants. Long story short, yes, we were bought by another bank. However, they kept every single employee. And they're an amazing bank. They're in the 95th percentile of banks in the ENTIRE country!!! That means only 5% of banks in the NATION are doing better than them!!!! I am suddenly in the most secure job I've ever had. And I love my new employers!! God blows my mind repeatedly. It's amazing I even have one left.

2009 was a banner year for me. Way to end the decade! Can't wait to see what the new one holds!