2012 ALREADY?
Oh, hello! Fancy meeting you here 
So a few weeks ago Melissa had us (and by us I mean Doug, Ben, her and me) do this little exercise. We all had to spread out and do something called “downward facing dog.” Just kidding, it wasn’t a physical exercise. It was a mental one that turned into a spiritual one real quick. She had each of us fill out a timeline for 2011 using major events over the course of the year as markers. We were then encouraged to sum up our year into a single word idea. This exercise was incredibly valuable. It forced me to look back over the most difficult year of my life and recognize God’s hand in every season. Amazingly, this caused me to be thankful for the trial, for even in them our God is beautiful, generous, kind, and merciful.
He is never changing and the redemption He has for me is constantly renewing my heart. To this I have clung.
I encourage you to look back over 2011 and sum it up in one word. Look beyond the hurt or the happy and see the Christ of it all.
My word is endurance. Christ’s endurance in His endless pursuit of my heart caused me to endure the seemingly endless hurt that the world had for me. It gave me light when I felt like there was none, provided comfort in the loneliest of places, and brought about joy even when all felt lost.
So, think about your word, find God in 2011 and recognize Him for it. Thank Him for His sovereignty and blessings and redemption. Share your word with us! Put it on Facebook, respond in a comment on this post, tell some one tonight at EDL. Whatever you do, share your heart with your friends and let them know how God was working in your life in 2011.
I fully anticipate you all continuing on in your typical fashion of awesomeness. 
–Katie Mansfield
(I have a song in my heart… it’s probably sung by Celine Dion.)
