Hope.

Hope. It's simple. Its a 4 letter word. It's merely an arrangement of letters.

But I can think of few words that carry a heavier meaning than Hope. It's thrown about casually, "I hope I can leave work early today." Its thrown around selfishly, "I hope I get that sweater I've had my eye on for Christmas." Its thrown about with false pretenses, "I hope she knows I'm only saying these things because I care about her." Hope is a word that is profoundly powerful, but yet has somehow become just another verb to throw into a sentence. Want...wish...hope...they all have come to mean the same thing.

But Hope is more. Hope is not just wishing for something to be a certain way, or for someone to do a certain thing, or for circumstances to fall into place just as you think they should. No, Hope is more. Hope is believing is something greater than yourself. Hope is Faith. Can you really have one without the other? Without Faith, Hope would be nearly impossible. How can you Hope for something if there isn't an underlying Faith that what you Hope for can be provided? And what is there to have Faith in if there is nothing to Hope for?

We all Hope for something. Whether it be safety for our loved ones, or for a resolution for conflict both inside and out, or for a lifetime of happiness and security. And we Hope because we have Faith. Faith that these things we Hope for can be provided. That they will be provided. And even if our Hopes are not met in the way that we would wish for, there must still be Faith. Faith in the plan that God has. A plan that is bigger than any of us. Because He Hopes for us too. And its not a casual, meaningless, or selfish Hope. He Hopes for us in the way the we should Hope for ourselves. And ultimately we must have Faith in allowing his Hopes to become our reality.

Hope. A simple 4 letter word.

My Year.

Last week was a big week for me. It was the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. It was the week I turned 25. Before you roll your eyes at the very notion of a chapter of life being closed at the ripe old age of 24, you have to understand that 24 was a year unlike any I have ever had before. It was the toughest I've ever been through, in fact. My world basically turned upside down this past year, and its just now starting to right itself. Had you told me on my 24th birthday what was in store for me, I probably would have taken my party hat and ran. Ran back to the age of 23 when my biggest concern was whether I should have queso or pizza as my late night meal. But life changed. Circumstances changed. I changed.

That being said, I'm looking forward to a good year. I've decided that if I approach this year with an open heart and with a genuine optimism for the road ahead, that maybe, just maybe this will be my year.

My year to learn what it means to truly have faith.
My year to find out that I am so much stronger than I ever knew I was, and to always stand up for myself.
My year to take care of myself, to heal my broken heart, and to learn that being sad something is over doesn't mean it was ever right.
My year to see my worth and to not be afraid to let others see it too.
My year to try new things.
My year to be a kinder, more forgiving person.
My year to understand that though every person has good in them, not everybody is a good person to have in my life.
My year to surround myself only with people that make me happy, with people that truly care.
My year to find a way to make a difference in someone else's life.
My year to grow deeper in my relationship with my Father.
My year to do things that I would have never done before.
My year to laugh, to love, and to truly live.

Maybe if I will it...it will be. Maybe this will be my year.

Something of an Introduction

So I've decided to start a blog. Actually that's a bit of a lie. I had a blog back in high school - long before it became the trendy thing to do. I discussed all sorts of important stuff: lamenting those long, hard cheerleading practices, wondering how I should do my hair for prom, recapping the countless adventures I had with my friends, and telling the world that I had a love/hate relationship with calculus. Obviously this was important stuff. Earth shattering really. I've tried unsuccessfully to find this blog, but its probably for the best that no amount of google searching will bring it up. I'm sure I would cringe at my word choice and at all the drama that I was so sure would be the end of me at the time.

Maybe someday I will look back at this blog and laugh again at my younger self. The single girl who wonders if Mr. Right does in fact exist. The young professional who has no idea if she has what it takes to make it in this 'grown up' world. The twenty-something who found herself living in a city full of people that don't just flaunt their money, they seem to worship it. Maybe someday it will be funny to see what worried me, what amused me, what drove me to the decisions I ultimately made.

But until that day I think I'll use this blog as a means of expression and as a way to channel my creative side. Because here's a little bit of information about me: I'm a tax accountant. Yep, I do taxes. How's that for excitement? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the job but I've always had a bit of a passion for writing and I think its time to put away the 10 key long enough to let the words flow. But man I sure do love my 10 key...

So I hope you will join me in this adventure, and hopefully I'll say something funny or worthwhile every now and then. And if not, then I can always talk about taxes. Because really...who doesn't want to read about those?