My life is bound to my faith and that is where my strength lies. I cling to what I have learned through my past, all things are possible. The faith I have is a large part of who I am. When I push it aside, I often become lost. I lose myself in the world. It has been a long road to reach this point in my life, and I know I still have further to go. I believe God has a plan for me. I the plan is not in the destination but in the journey. I have fallen many times, but each time he picks me up and I surpass where I used to be when I fell. I know this has a lot to do with the decision to accept Christ at the age of five. I have never since that time been without faith, even when I was lost.

Faith is such a deep part of me it guides each and every decision. It guides decision when I don’t want it to. I know in my heart the events of 2016 were all in his plan. As much as we often like to think of ourselves as in control, it is often an illusion. We must not confuse control with that of free will. Free will is a gift God gives us. In my execution of my own free will, it is the faith I hold which shapes my decisions. Sometimes the world tries to persuade our choices. This may lead to what is not pleasing to God. However, I spent so much time recently reflecting over the lessons I have learned so far in my life.

I am preparing to write notes and letters to my friends and family for Christmas. Many people send out cards sharing all the many experiences that the year has brought them. It is a quiet reminder to each of us about the things that shape us. I write letters to myself sometimes, when I take the time to journal in the evenings. I haven’t journaled every night since I started my first one, but pages are filled with big life events and thoughts I knew were important to get out.  The many journals sitting on my bookshelf tell a tale of what I have lost and gained.

Steps along the way were never clear, but when I read the words I wrote so many years ago, or even yesterday, I see my own evolution. They have become a tool for me to remember. Not just a remembering of what was, but also they show who I was the moment my pen hit the paper. I look forward to revealing to the people who find my blog the many evolutionary lessons I have learned. I have the understanding words can inspire even with the shortest content. Bless you all as your pen writes “Merry Christmas” to the ones you love and cherish. May the length of your content inspire the faith of the season.