hope

happy 2013!

after a lovely christmas holiday, i ended 2012 with three petty traffic citations (none of which actually had to do with my driving and i'd like to think that cops on nye are more interested in citing drunk drivers than goodytwoshoes rule-followers like me, but alas, some state troopers are apparently bored) and kicked off the new year with flannel pajamas, my mom, a downton abbey marathon and a little bubbly. today i am back at work and making an effort to actually ignore the crazy to-do list (and the 250+ emails) that follow two weeks of vacation and take a proper lunch hour to blog and breathe.

i am excited about 2013, yet i have realized lately that i'm not really the optimist that i thought i was. i imagine exciting scenarios. change, excitement, future happiness, but i don't really expect they will happen. i've found that i often expect things i wish would happen not to happen to avoid certain disappointment, and i think that's a sad way to live. lately the Lord has taught me that it's good to hope, good to trust and good to plan for the best scenarios. while disappointment is a fact of life, He is faithful and sometimes wonderful things can happen. i don't want to be cynical. i want to be hopful.

i don't really make new year's resolutions because i like to think we're constantly changing and improving for the better, not just once a year (and plus, does anyone honestly make it past january with the eat-only-clean-foods-do-one-thing-that-scares-you-everyday business?), but i do like the idea of making a motto or words to live by for a year. in 2013, i've decided that mine is going to be extremely simple: hope. there are so many beautiful scripture verses regarding hope and i'm excited to explore and memorize them this year as i not only rejoice in the hope i see around me, but hope in the plans that the Lord has for me and watch the way He uses them build my faith in Him and His goodness.

join me in hoping during 2013, won't you?

"may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - romans 15:13

image credit lipstick&curls via sarah martin