God is Good.

 Well Christmas day is here and sometimes it's really not hard at all to get caught up in all the baking and the wrapping and the last-minute-planning, so sometimes you just need to take a break and open your hands and open your heart and remember that y'all, God is so good. If I have learned one thing this year, it would be the simple, profound fact that God is good all the time. So here I am reflecting on this year {with links to some of my fave posts!}, giving myself some space to breathe.

 This year has been hard. This year, I've been broken. But this year I've learned that every day, life is beautiful, because there is this beautiful redemption taking place and my Lord adores me- even when life gets messy and I turn away.

 This year I began to catch glimpses of what it really means to live radically- halfway across the world and right here in north Georgia. {by the way, 500 dollars raised in a month?!?! God is so good. You can continue to give until December 31st- the money raised beyond my goal will go to provide safe water for life.}

 I've said goodbye to some precious, precious children this year- goodbye-for-now to the children of Ethiopia and goodbye to two absolutely sweet sponsor children {because sometimes God needs to show me that he is sovereign and working even through the pain of people you love moving away}.

 I've struggled through perfectionism and learned that failure does not define me. I've seen extreme poverty firsthand and how Christ can shine through broken people in a broken world. Sometimes though the brokenness would overwhelm and I'd lose sight Him, but our Lord longs for intimacy with us and He has shown me more and more of Him in the most profound ways. I've felt so closely the peace and joy of Him. 

 And just like that Big Daddy Weave song says, I delight myself in You. In the glory of Your presence, I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You. 

 Merry Christmas, friends, and have a blessed new year.