Hey friends! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2022 has been a year. It has been hard. It has been different. It has been nothing like I expected it to be. But through it all, it has been a year of growth. I’ve learned lots, so now seems like a good time to reflect - here are just a few of my many lessons that I have learned that helped me grow.
1. God’s love for me remains the same, no matter what.
God loves me the same today as He did yesterday. He loved me the same during this challenging and chaotic year as He did during my most calm and peaceful years. God loves me in the moments when I think I am doing it all wrong. God loves me in the moments when I feel on top of the world. God loves me when I am performing the simple task of drinking my morning coffee. God loves me when I am taking on the arduous challenge of stepping out of my comfort zone. God’s love for me is the same on my lowest days as it is on my highest days.
I find so much peace and comfort in knowing that love remains the same, no matter what. The love that God has for each and everyone of us is non-conditional, it has no parameters or guidelines. He loves us because we are made in His image and likeness. Just being us is enough to be loved forever and always.
2. My relationships with my friends and family become stronger when I share God.
My most powerful way that I strengthen my relationships with others is to bring God into the friendship. No, I don’t mean bring the ins and outs of your beliefs into the conversation as a point of proving yourself as a Catholic, I mean bring God as an invitation to grow together in His image and likeness. God is a beautiful example of living in love. When I bring up how I feel connected to God, I create the space for others to do the same, and suddenly I’m deep in a conversation about light and love and all in between.
Fruitful conversation ignites when we step into God’s light. Don’t get me wrong, bringing God into the friendship does not mean that I don’t laugh and talk about all things expected of a 19 year old, trust me, I love having fun and living in the moment, I just mean that bringing God into the mix takes the connection a lot deeper.
3. Dogs make it all better.
Yes, 2022 was the year my family and I got a puppy. AND 2022 was the year that I realized my home will ALWAYS have a dog from here on out. I love my Scoutie girl. I also love my family for allowing Scout into our home. She was adopted in July and I have been grateful for her everyday since then. When I look at her, I can feel the love that my family and I share. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true - let me explain! Love consists of sacrifice, excitement, flexibility, selflessness, strength, selfishness (it's not a bad word), hope, and joy.
I know that I am not at all wrong when I say that my parents did not want a dog. My Mom and Dad have filled our house with love and adventure, but I can guarantee that they had no intention of including fur on the furniture in that mix. Luckily, Scout is a hypo-allergenic dog so the only things she leaves on the furniture are a couple toys. But anyways, my point is that even though my parents did not want a dog, they surprised me with a puppy ANYWAYS. They put my desires above their own, in order to make me and my sisters happy. And this is just one simple example of the many lessons that I have learned from my family - we share. We share in our desires, we share in our sacrifices, we share in our joy and we SHARE IN OUR LOVE.
So many ups and downs of 2022 have led me to where I am. With that being said, I am going to do something very “un-ava-like” and NOT set a New Years resolution. Instead, I am setting a New Years intention! Wow look at that growth :)
My 2023 Intention is to pick a word at the beginning of each month and try my best to live out the meaning of that word in my everyday life. It’s simple but powerful.
My word for January of 2023 is: FREE
And here is my definition of free:
Living life without the barriers of my mind holding me back. Allowing myself to be who I am, do what I am called to do, and live free from guilt. I am free to be who God made me to be and so are you!
THE BEST IS YET TO COME - HAPPY 2023!
xox
AG
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