2012 - A Year of Brave Adventure!

Greetings everyone! Happy 2012 to all of my family and friends. I CANNOT believe that it is already 2012. It is true that time flies, and it flies faster the older you get. Anyway, for those of you who have known me for awhile, you know I tend to post some sort of "reflective" blog at the beginning of a new year. I like to look back on what God has done in the year that was just completed, as well as look forward to an unknown adventure. There is lots to discuss from this past year and in what promises to be a crazy year ahead. So here goes!

FAMILY
I love my family, and I am very thankful that we all got to be together over the holidays for a few days. We are spread out in 4 states - I'm in Florida, Matthew is in Georgia, my parents are in Tennessee, and Michael & Bekah are now in Texas. It's been a year since we were all together all at the same time, and we had a great time exploring my parents' new town. We have always been a family that was very interactive, and our time in Nashville was no different. Here is a sampling of what we did together...

We decorated our own Christmas ornaments with paint and straws and lots and lots of laughter. They didn't exactly turn out very well but we learned some very valuable lessons that we will use for next year!


We roasted hotdogs (and s'mores!) in the fireplace and had a fantastically yummy dinner! Pa was a great sport and cooked most of them for us.

We created a gingerbread house, and this was the first time Bekah had ever done this. It was lots of fun!

The finished product:

Please note the fence made out of twizzlers. My dad spent lots of time creating this, and made it look like a real picket fence. Very impressive!

We got to go to the Bluebird Cafe together, which was really cool. A lot of famous musicians have gotten their start there and it was fun to sit there and enjoy hearing songwriters play "in the round". We also took some fun photos in a giant rocking chair. Here are a few of those...



We did take a few real family pictures on our last day together. I will post those soon, but they need to be edited first. All in all, it was a great visit, and such a blessing to be able to relax and spend time with some of my favorite people. This year promises to be a big year for us all as there are a lot of big decisions to be made, and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for each person in my family.

FRIENDS
This fall marked the third year that Nikki and I have been roommates here in Orlando. 2011 held lots of adventures for us as individuals and as friends. We even had surgery at the same time this year! We also got to go to Greece together, and not only was that trip a blast, but it became life-changing for us both as it became a marker for us to continue growing and healing in big ways. God has been so gracious to allow our stories and lives to intersect, and I am so thankful for her and her friendship. 2012 promises to be a year filled with new adventures, and I can't wait to see what happens. It's such a blessing to have a sister to share all of the adventures with!

I have also enjoyed getting to know and bonding with some of the people in my cohort at school. I could not be on this journey without them to share it with, and you all know who you are! :) Love you and can't wait to see what this year holds.

Finally in the friend, or somewhat "more than friend" category, the end of 2011 brought an unexpected twist in this area. Almost 2 years ago, I met a guy at an interview weekend for another school here in the Orlando area that I was looking at for my counseling degree. He ended up going to school there and I did not, but we stayed in touch and have enjoyed building a friendship over the last year-and-a-half or so once he moved down here for school. I don't know what God has in store for us, but we are enjoying spending time together and getting to know each other more. He's awesome - loves God, gets it, understands what it means to have a story redeemed, has a great sense of humor, and he appreciates my unique "Tiffany-ness". I would appreciate your prayers for us both as we navigate the path God has before us. And yes to all my "moms" out there - I'll certainly keep you posted! :)

SCHOOL
I can hardly believe I am typing this, but God willing, 2012 will be the year that I graduate with my Master's degree! I am sooo ready to be done with school, but I know this year is going to be incredible, and I'm looking forward to all that it holds. I have learned so much in the last year and one semester. God has done remarkable healing in my life and is continuing to transform me from the inside out. And believe it or not, my student internship begins MONDAY! Oh.my.gosh. Just typing that makes me get a little nervous! :) I actually have my first clients scheduled on Wednesday of this next week. Yes, I'm nervous, but I am also ready. I'm ready to put into practice all that I have learned. I'm ready to use the unique ways God has made and gifted me, and I'm ready for Him to use me in whatever way He sees fit for whomever He brings in my door. Please pray for me. And pray for my first clients as I learn exactly how to counsel. :) I do not take any of this lightly. I believe every person's story is worth hearing and deserves honor, respect and dignity. It is my prayer that I will not lose sight of the holy ground that I am on each time someone shares their soul with me (hence the creation of the picture below I made so that I won't forget!). And I pray God will direct each word I speak so that I can be an instrument of healing as I walk with people through their pain. I'll keep you posted as this next chapter starts - I think it's going to be pretty life-changing!

THE MADNESS
In order to hopefully still pay bills, go to school and do the necessary hours for my internship, I am going to be working 6 days a week beginning on Monday. I can't think too far ahead or I would get very overwhelmed with the thought of all I have to do and all I have to balance. I would truly appreciate your prayers as I enter this next chapter. I obviously want to give my all to everything I am doing, and there are obviously things I have to do. In that, however, I still want to live life. I need to take care of myself, get rest, and have fun every now and then! It's not going to be easy, and I'm thankful for people in my life who will not let me get away with not being balanced. But I don't want to miss what God has for me each day, even in the madness. Prayers for peace, strength, endurance, and joyful abandon are greatly appreciated!

WORD FOR THE YEAR
In 2011, my word for the year was "love". I knew it was important for me to learn to love myself, exactly how God has made me, so that I can love Him and others well. God has done amazing work in my life in this area in the last year, and it is a work that will continue. My word for 2012 is "brave". There are many reasons for this, but one reason is that there are a lot of things God revealed to me in this last year, and now it's time for me to actually choose to live them out. That requires courage and bravery to be vulnerable, real, open and authentic. I also need to be brave as I begin seeing clients and then personally as I continue to grow and move forward in a journey of "more than friends". :) I believe God will be faithful to meet me in this area this year, but you can pray for my bravery as this new chapter begins. I can't wait to see what is in store and how God continues His work. I might not have a lot of time for updates, but I'll do my best. Know that each of you mean so much to me, as all of my life and experiences have led me to this time and place, for this purpose. May 2012 be a year of growth, hope, and transformation as you follow God wherever He leads you. Much love to you all!