2010 in Review

I know it has been a month since I last blogged but as many of you have been especially busy at this time of year, I indeed have been busy as well. In addition, my lap top was held hostage at Geek Squad for about 3 weeks for repairs :( Thankfully, it has been returned to its rightful owner and is working like new although I'm saddened that my entire hard drive had to be replaced. On a brighter note, I pray that you all had a very Merry CHRISTmas and of course remember and honor the true reason for the season. For those of you who also had snow, I hope that you were safe, warm, and somewhere snuggled up with a great cup of hot chocolate (with marshmallows LOL). This will be my final blog for 2010 but no worries, there will definitely be much more writing in 2011 :)

2010 has been a great year! I finally put my fears aside, registered for Graduate school & passed my first class with a 98.57 A. Class resumes in January and I'm eager to continue on this educational path. Also in the Spring of 2010, I became a very proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A lifelong dream has finally come to fruition. #31 of 77 remarkable, anointed, outstanding, dedicated, dynamic women... I can't say enough about my sisters, "77 Wonders of the WWW."... I'm grateful to have them as well as so many additional wonderful sisters in Delta. I continue to maintain my women's group, J.E.W.E.L.S (Joining & Empowering Women of Excellence in Love & Sisterhood) as well as my parent group called P.O.W (Parents of Winners). Admittedly it has been difficult to manage it all & as a result, J.E.W.E.L.S has suffered the most but I'm hopeful that some of my J.E.W.E.L.S women will step up and assist with programming. J.E.W.E.L.S maintains its Facebook page although the meetup group was discontinued. I am hoping that P.O.W will become active on meetup in 2011.

I continue to learn, re-learn, and/or be reminded of valuable lessons about myself, others, and life in general. If you've been reading my blogs, you are familiar with some of these lessons.

One situation I will address in particular is that at the beginning of the summer, there was something that I was lead to do/say to someone with whom I hadn't had contact with in many years. Without question I know in my heart that I was simply following God's instructions. I mention it in my year's review only because it was completely out of character for me so it was a big deal. I realize that while my intentions were genuine and good, it may not have been received well or interpreted correctly. However, it made me realize that even though I have forgiven a person, there's nothing I can do if that person hasn't forgiven me. There was so much divine confirmation about this situation in so many different ways, I can't even begin to explain it all. But I'm mostly grateful for the peace that I received from the encounter. I may not have gotten what I wanted (friendship) but I definitely got what I needed (closure). God is truly amazing! My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner :)

At the end of the day, as I have written before... I am who I am and praying to become MORE of who God would have me to be. I am complicated simplicity, perfectly imperfect and beautifully optimistic. I am so thankful that God is not finished with me and has allowed me to see yet another unpromised day. I'm honest with myself about who I am because I don't want to wake up one morning & not recognize the person in the mirror.

And the truth about me is... I am easy to like but sometimes difficult to get along with. I make mistakes, I'm stubborn but can admit when I'm wrong. Sometimes I may say too much and sometimes I may not say enough. I love with my whole heart because I don't know any better and even when I get upset, I have a hard time expressing anger because I'd rather hurt than hurt someone else. I remember DIFFERENT being one of the first words I knew how to spell. My Grandma always said that I was DIFFERENT but nothing less than amazing. I'm not "tooting my own horn" but I recognize things about myself, positive & negative and I'm not afraid or ashamed of who I am, the experiences I've had or the things I've done because it's all a part of me & my own personal growth. God knew prior to my Earthly existence, just what type of human being I would be & while I could be subconsciously confusing my truths, I somehow doubt that He's completely disappointed ;).

In case some folk didn't get the memo in 2010, here are some things that I want to make clear about myself (with scripture references included)...
1. NOTHING can dim this bright, shining star (Psalm 18:28, Job 33:28, Matthew 5:16)
2. I ain't NEVER scared (Timothy 1:7, Psalm 27:1, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 23:4)
3. Don't waste your time trying to battle me (Exodus 14:14)
4. All I do is WIN, WIN, WIN (1 Corinthians 15:57)

I do not set New Year's Resolutions because it is my belief that an individual should be in a continual state of growth. Why wait until a particular day to set a goal when there's no time like the present? I am excited & with great expectations for many wonderful things to come. I embrace and welcome all that God has to offer recognizing that He is a God of infinite and unlimited blessings. I pray that you all enjoy a happy, prosperous and peaceful 2011.