A New Year Begins

We're nine days into the new year, and I can hardly believe it. I can hardly believe all that has taken place, too, in just month's time since I last wrote. The semester ended and I finished with all A's, Cliff and I went out to Park City and had a great time skiing and hanging out with Aaron (you can look at the pictures on my Flickr account if you'd like), I travelled home and spent much needed time with the family, celebrated the start of 2007 over the course of a few days with Casey and Sara, went for an overnight hike up to Big Frog Mountain and got engaged at the summit, celebrated with family, got my wisdom teeth taken out, and have spent the last two days recovering and lounging around Cliff and Aaron's new dorm-like apartment in Nashville.

Class starts tomorrow night, Belmont's Homecoming is Friday night, and life is only bound to get busier from here on out, with work, school, life, and a July 21, 2007 wedding to plan for. I can't complain though, especially when I am reminded of God's faithfulness and His sustaining care. I wrote today in my paper journal about the hope that this year would be one not bound by calendars and clocks, nor carelessly lived with no regard for others and for what is taking place beyond my own little world (no matter how exciting and consuming it may be sometimes). I am excited for what is to come, realizing that everything takes time and that most things turn out best when I am least in control.

I have been so blessed, truly. This year will be challenging and yet so rewarding as I venture into a new stage of life, of love, and of commitment - as I join with my family in preparing for an event that will start a lifetime of adventure, struggle, and joy with my partner in crime. We sat at the top of Big Frog just six days ago, with the sun setting behind us and the full moon rising in front of us, and I said yes a thousand times over to a question I had only ever dreamed of being asked. But I was and I am more thankful, I believe, than I let on sometimes... thankful to God's bringing us together and preparing a path for us to walk down together.