It's 2011...

Well, made it through the first day of 2011 without bumps, bruises, flu, carpet burns or a hangnail so i suppose today can be called a success! It was a good day, to be sure - i spent it hanging out with my friend Carina, who was a whole lot more skillful than me at playing Settlers and consequently beat the pants off me three times in a row - thankfully we took a break after the third game to allow my poor battered spirit to revive a little... next time, it'll be Boggle, and there will be no holds barred! I apparently just have very poor strategical skills and made some very poor settlement placements so no city planning in my immediate career future.
I sit here this evening, still basking in the glow of the still-burning Christmas lights, and am thankful for the year behind me... i think that at times i can't remember very well but as i look over my blog from the past 365 days, i see that so much has happened, so much water has flowed under the bridge and my path has changed directions, subtly at times and more drastically at other times. I have been affected by many things in the year just past, in my life personally and probably, mostly in the lives of those living around and close to me. There have been major events such as earthquakes and accidents which have huge impacts on those who live through them and whose lives are directly affected by the effects of these events, but i haven't lived through them personally, yet part of me sticks with those who i know who have gone through these things. We can't possibly go through everything in life, to empathize truly with the victims, but we can do our best - to try to understand, to be interested and to lend a shoulder and an ear when needed. We can laugh together, cry together, rejoice and praise God together for the blessings He has bestowed, even praising Him for things that didn't seem to be or still don't appear to be part of His plans, trusting that He knows infinitely better than us what we need or require to serve Him at that time and place.
It is my earnest prayer that He is my guide, my leader, my shelter in the storm this year coming, as He has been thus far. I pray that I may seek new ways to serve Him, to bring glory to His name, to always keep Him as number one. I pray for strength to stand back up again when i falter and for the faith to praise God each and every day of 2011!