Wow! What a year. And i mean that ...what a year....both good and bad. 

Before i get into a few details lets have a MOMENT OF GRATITUDE for the year past and a !SHOUT OF JOY! in looking forward to the coming year. Now that we've 'momented' & shouted here's my "(SOME OF) THE YEAR IN REVIEW LIST. Take a looksie! 

This year in no particular order i:


Watched lots of sunsets from the rooftop with the love of my life

Wrote my first two mini Bible studies (Coffee Break Bible Study Sheets)


Left my heart and soul job of 7 years (Kept going)

Cried a lot - both happy and sad(Kept going)

Felt like theres no use (a lot)(Kept going)

Met Sheeba

Reached a mental breaking point like no other(Kept going)

Felt like i wanted to kill myself(Kept going)

Tried a few new jobs

Went on lots of walks with Harvey (loving the crispy, cold air)

Celebrated the life of Mr. Walter Smith

Met a lot of awesome new people (amazing to meet people outside of the 4 wall confines of a church building - I hadn't done that in a long time)

Struggled with decisions

Made bad decisions

Made good decisions

Watched a lot of "Impractical Jokers"

Went on a fun family trip to Long Beach (fun beach bike ride - why did Mary turn back, lol?)

Traveled on a wonderful Voluncation to Mexico, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Orlando & more with MY FAVORITE TRAVEL COMPANION and FAVORITE PERSON ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH Mr. Christopher Bean. (loved watching people take their picture during sunset...my favorite time of the day) (Also loved how the Candlelight Processional at Epcot brought everything full-circle)

Blamed others for any dissatisfaction I felt in life(Kept going)

Realized there's no one to blame for any dissatisfaction i feel in life (femininepower.com calls it radical self responsibility)

Started to believe that I could live in this world as an artist (might be amateur level now but definitely committed to growing -dv!)

Painted more pictures than i ever have in years past (childhood excluded)Drew more pictures than i have in years past (childhood excluded)

Was in the room when my great-niece Arielle was birthed

Got mooned on my birthday (now coined as butt-day)

Felt far from God

Felt close to God (tho mostly far)

Let fear lead me

Let love lead me

Kept going... In retrospecting this year right now (this very moment as i write!)...sidenote: I am realizing even in the quick 45 minutes that I've taken in writing this post has been so beneficial in helping me be grateful and reflect on all that has taken place thus far this year. (kind of therapeutic) I humbly suggest you take some similar time to review your own year...it really is quite nice. :) And if you want a little help looking forward to 2014 you can use my "Play & Plan Fun Sheet" as a guide. I'm gonna' do mine soon! ...i realize it felt like a somewhat monotonous year but a lot of amazing things really did happen! i see that i've kept going (small steps are big steps) and in my gut i know I've learned a lot of lessons and grew a lot of character this year. 

So my dear loves, my your new year coming up be your very best year yet...may it be blessed with faith & love & beauty & perseverance & creative colors & happiness all stemming from a joyous intimacy with Jesus~! He IS our ROCK! 

KEEP BELIEVING

KEEP GOING 

You're awesome,      

Anne :) 

Just for you, my darling friends, a look back at some of the pictures I created this year:       

Hi My Lovely Friends,

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day is filled with extra special, lots and lots, heaps and mounds of love! I'm sure it is. I know there are oodles of people who love you (including me; I think you're fantastic!), I know you're the apple of God's eye and I know He's got great plans for you so, whether you get that box of chocolates or not, allow me to cover you in love one more time, "YOU ARE INFINITELY LOVED!" :)

Moving on, it's kind of cracking me up that this post is gonna' happen to hit on Valentine's Day but yah, it's all kinda' about dying. Dying to self, that is. And becoming alive in Christ.

In the last few days and weeks Holy Spirit has heightened my awareness of all the times I say, "I want this" or "I want that" and you know what, I've kind of become very uninterested in what I have to say. I really don't want to do what I want to do, I want to do what God wants me to do. (easier said than done but still very willing)

In fact today, it dawned on me that when "I" try to figure things out instead of trusting God and resting in His peace, "I" end up making a little mini-idol, false god out of myself. Ugh, I really don't want that.

Anyway, check out these pics - they might help describe what I mean. 

Blogglings are quick bites of creativity, information & inspiration. You know, like a little duck is called a duckling - a little blog is called a bloggling! :) Blogglings are my way of sharing my wonderful, random & inspiring creative spurts with you.