23 | Frankly My Dear...

As Taylor Swift so eloquently puts it…I don’t know about you, but I am feeling 22…too bad I am 23 now!

22 Definitely did not disappoint and what a year to do the Photo365 Challenge! For more information about how awesome 22 was you can just scroll through the pictures, but this post is all about 23! When you’re a little kid and you’re thinking about the future, 23 seems so old, and now that I am here I feel like I have so far to go! It hit me….I am ONLY 23 and I have way more than most 23 year olds around me –how blessed and fortunate am I?!

Those of you who know me really well know that although this has been the best year, I have been faced with some learning curves. God has given me some of my greatest blessings and important lessons this year but I still remain thankful. I can almost feel him shaping my life into something he wants it to be. There have been so many times this year that I look back and see God’s hand in every way because I know there’s no way I could have gone through that by myself. It’s crazy how the seasons of our lives prepare us for the next. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” I know that to be true, not because his words tell me that, but because he is showing it to me in my day to day life. He gives me an attitude of prayer, seeking him first before others, and shows me that my “worst” situations are the ones that I learn the most from. I am thankful for a God who loves me, wants the best for me, teaches me, and uses me for his purpose. My prayer today is that I will have the courage to live out his will…it’s not easy, but the rewards in heaven will be far better than ANY of my “bests!”

Here are some of the highlights of turning 23! I can honestly say I have the best friends, family, and husband a girl can ask for!