Two Years!!! It's my Blogiversary!!

Wow!!! I can't believe it's been TWO years since I posted this picture in my very first blog post!!!
When I started this journey two years ago, I had absolutely NO idea how it would turn out!! Just from looking at this picture, I can see a few things that have changed! Ha!

Amazingly, this is my 575th post!!! I guess I've had a lot to say the past two years! Who would have known that the Lord would use this computer to meet me right where I was, and answer the prayers that I had prayed for so many years. I never would have imagined in a million years that I would meet such beautiful friends on this blog, who would become like family to me.

Each and every single one of you who read this blog and lovingly encourage, pray for, and simply love me..........you who know my deepest thoughts and celebrate my victories right along side me......you who saw me conquer my fears before I was too scared to even take the first step. You believed in me. We are sisters in Christ, forever bonded by our words in relationships that most will never understand.

You were His words, when I could not hear Him speak.
You were His hands, gently nudging me to take that first step.
You were His feet, carrying me when I wanted to give up.
You were His love, the church, the hands and feet of Jesus, meeting me right here in my living room, holding out your hands and asking me to come along for the journey.

I never dreamed two years ago that the words I wrote in this blog would become a testimony to His faithfulness. I could have never written the chapters that were written in this blog, my story. There is a song by Downhere, that has lyrics that say,

"I am not the Creator, but a scribe with a pen. I'm recreating visions through a cracked and broken lens."

I was just a lonely girl, stricken with grief, thinking that no one else could or would ever love me again as much as my Mom did. I didn't think I had anything at all left to give. In many ways, I am still struggling to leave that girl behind. But, every time she tries to grab my hand, you all remind me that she is not who I am anymore. You all remind me of how far I've come, of my identity in Christ. And most of all, you remind me that I have so much more to give, if I will just let the Lord use my life, to write the chapters as only He can.

Thank you for being part of my story! Thank you for loving me. Thank you for walking this journey with me and my family. Just look at how far we've come! Now, don't flip to the back of the book and read the ending just yet, okay?! There are so many more chapters to go and I don't want us to miss a single bit!

(Stay tuned for a blogiversary giveaway coming up soon.....as soon as I have time to take a picture of the prize. LOL!)

Update: Leave a comment on this post to be entered in to win the pretty "hope" Christmas ornament at the top of my blog! Followers will be entered a second time. Winner will be drawn on Monday, 11/22. Thanks for celebrating with me!!