1. Run a half marathon
2. Find a church home
3. Tithe more
4. Sponsor a child
These were more of convictions the Lord had pressed hard on our hearts rather than resolutions. So how did we do in 2010?
1. I ran my first half marathon. Me and Jonny trained with our friends, Stephanie and Stephen. One cold, Saturday morning in February, we woke up and ran the cowtown in Fort Worth. I ran it in 2 hours and 23 minutes! Jonny ran in it 2 hours and 12 minutes (if I remember correctly). I had 3 goals to beat- run it in under 3 hours, not to walk until after mile 10, and beat my little brother! And I am proud to say I accomplished them all :)
2. Find a church home. Me and Jonny have been slowly moving away from our home church, Rush Creek. We LOVE Rush Creek dearly and have grown up there but we feel God is calling us elsewhere. We are looking for a church that we can get plugged into a group with young parents! We want something a little different. I am sad to say, we have not found one yet. The Lord continues to convict us of this. It is really hard switching churches and leaving an environment that we are so comfortable with. We know the Lord is calling- we just need to be obedient (which we haven't been).
3. Tithe more. I am so strongly convicted of this on a daily basis. And not just tithing but giving in general (of my time and money). We have been doing better but we still aren't giving like we should. The Lord is continuing to challenge us and move in our finances. We are learning so much and growing tremendously. God has always provided. God is working on us- we still got a long way to go!
4. Sponsor a child. We are now sponsoring a little boy in Zambia, Africa. My sister goes to Zambia every summer for 2 weeks. We are sponsoring one of the kids she met on her trip. We love getting updates and his letters, telling us about his life. It makes my heart happy!
2010 has been such a wonderful and life changing year for us! We have grown so much (individually, as a family, and in the Lord) in just a year. Some big highlights of 2010:
1. In March we found out that we were going to be parents. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was sitting in our living room and I told Jonny I had a feeling I was pregnant (I knew in my gut). I took 4 pregnancy tests and it was true- we were having a baby!! Many mixed feelings of excitement/anxiety rushed over me. We weren't planning on it but it has been the best surprise ever! The next day I went to the doctor (as if 4 tests wasn't confirmation enough).
2. In April me and Jonny took a trip with our church to East Asia. We did a lot of prayer walking and ministering to the students at the Universities there. We spent 10 days in China. Such a neat and wonderful trip :)
3. Also, in April, Jonny got a new job. He started working for a company called Single Source. Single source is a paint distributor in Irving. This job was such an answer to our prayers. Jonny was able to start making a steady income and we got medical insurance through them! God provided in a way beyond what we could think of!! All glory to Him!!
4. On June 26th we found out that we were having a little girl! Oh what a happy day that was! We were thrilled! We decided on a name pretty fast after we found out it was a girl. Payton Elizabeth.
5. In August, me and Jonny celebrated 2 years of marriage. We celebrated with dinner at Del Friscos and a night in a hotel in Dallas. It was wonderful. I am so thankful to have him as my life partner. He is such a blessing.
6. September and October were filled with baby showers and preparing for our little one to arrive. It was such a sweet time and we were so blessed with so many gifts!
7. November 11th was the BIG day. Payton Elizabeth was born at 4:26pm. She was 7 pounds and 20 inches long- beautiful. This little girl has turned our world upside down and we LOVE it. It's amazing how much I love her. She is such a joy and we are beyond thrilled. We can't believe she's almost two months. She changes daily!
8. December was a month of firsts. Learning to live off of no sleep and how to function with a newborn. So much to learn and figure out. I have loved every minute of it. Her smile melts my heart! It was our first Christmas holiday as a family of 3 and it was GREAT!!
2010 was a great year and we are looking forward to the many adventures and memories of 2011. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our family and how He is going to work through us. Have a great New Year. Be safe!
