10 Things I Learned in 2015

Hello all! What a year it has been! 2015 has left me with so many memories that I will never forget. This year was filled with love, laughter, tears, frustrations, sadness, confusion, certainty, uncertainty, and every other emotion. Definitely a roller coaster year that has flown by! I thought I’d make a list of things I learned and hopefully you’ll enjoy reading and learning as well;)

1. I am no longer young enough to eat handfuls of candy, pop tarts, chips, 2 slices of pizza, half a bag of chocolate, a popsicle, and ice cream all in one sitting without feeling the repercussions afterwards.
2. Lawyers are amazing but I would never want to be one. This year what I thought would be hiring a lawyer to work out a few kinks in a contract turned into an 11 month music business saga. To use the word “exhausting” would be an understatement describing that process. I definitely have so much more respect and gratefulness now for people practicing law.
3. It isn’t coincidence that Jesus talks about money being the root of evil so much in the Gospels. Think about it– everything in life revolves around money. The lifestyle you live, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the schooling or job you can have, the area of town you live, and the list goes on and on. We will never have as much money as we’d like so if we aren’t careful, we can let money rule our lives.
4. I love to cook, but I wish I could hire a maid. Cleaning up after meals is the WORST, can I get an amen?! But something else I’ve learned is Pinterest is an amazing source for great recipes!
5. Marriage is such an indescribably beautiful, holy covenant that I never knew would be so vital to my walk with God. As amazing as Matthew is, marriage has shown me just how much I will never find complete fulfillment in another human being because only God can do that. I feel so blessed and humbled that despite all my flaws and sinfulness, God gave me someone like Matthew to just be a glimpse of what Heaven will be like. Matthew is someone who shows me the unconditional love of Jesus each and every day and who works harder here on this earth more than anyone I know. Despite what magazines say or what the current divorce rate is in America, true love is possible here on this earth with God’s timing and blessing.
6. Sometimes what doesn’t kill you doesn’t make you stronger…it just makes you tired…such as running a 5k in freezing weather.
7. The older I get, the more I appreciate time with family and friends. Holidays just aren’t long enough, hangs with friends aren’t often enough, and there never seems to be enough time in a day.
8. Satan is real. And the closer I get to God, the closer I get to the front line of battle. One of the best quote I heard this year is “God and Satan both have a plan for your life, but you must be wise to know which one to battle, and which one to embrace.”
9. Good things in life take time….sometimes so much time that it makes you want to pull your hair out. Usually these are the seasons I learn most about patience and rest. Go figure.
10. It is 100% of the time a good thing to sit back and remember why you care about what you care about. It is these moments, I’ve learned, that really put life in perspective.

 

Thanks for reading my blogs this year!!! I havent blogged nearly as much as I’d like to but good things coming for 2016! Feel free to share, post, and follow my blog and remember to live from the inside out!

-Carmen

 

photo cred: [SE] Creative, Steph Diggs