2010 at a Glance.

To wrap up 2009 I did an entry showing the highlights, as a recap of a great year. In similar fashion I want to give 2010 it's due because this really has been the best year of my life. It has been tough and challenging and full of obstacles but as I say goodbye to this year it's with sadness, for despite the bad there has been an overwhelming amount of good this year. So join me (tearfully if you must) in flashing this year before your very eyes and appreciate the highlights of 2010.


2010 at-a-glance:


January:


- First off, let's start with this entry where I laid out what I wanted my life to look like in 2010. I later recapped my success with an entry in early December.

- I worked on my condo in my first month living there including painting a wall and changing out the carpet.

- We made the Superbowl, again! I have now had a once in a lifetime experience, twice.

February:

- We lost the Super Bowl.

- I battled through being a million miles from home...

- I got my second invite from Dove to host an event.

March:

- Hosted said event.

- I finally posted a raw entry written months before about love lost. This is one of my favorite entries to date.

- Proof that I did occasionally slow down and enjoy life this year.

April:

- I learned discipline.

- Made plans to take on two new towns for two new adventures.

May:

- I spoke to 1000s of people about, gasp, getting it all wrong.

- I created space.



June:



- First video blog in the new condo.



- I learned about grace under pressure.



July:



- Had a breif glance into life when you love an addict.

- I got to ride in a hummer limo and get trained by a celebrity trainer!

August:

- Mom came to Tampa.

- More raw honesty came out.

September: (the month Yours Truly was born)

- I witnessed a miracle.

- I turned 25.

- I did home improvements. (three entries for the price of one)

- I spent my birthday with the Manning brothers.

- I let my best friend love someone else.

October:

- I was in my best friend's wedding.

- I revealed my 50 pounds of weight loss.

November:

- I got my wisdom teeth pulled.

- Posted before and after pics (ack).

- Wrote the entry that took the most out of me.

- Met one of my heros.

- And made time to spend Tgiving in Indiana (with a Peyton Manning look-a-like).

December:

- I started making plans for 2011.

- Burned some bridges.

- Finished my 50th book (and reviewed it).

- Celebrated a year in my condo & as a homeowner with a Cribs vid.

It goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - this has been an incredibly rewarding year. I've grown a person, Christian, daughter, friend, sister, leader, and blogger. I look forward to 12 more months of adventures next year. Thank you for being a part of this year. Stick around because it's only going to get better from here.

Love,
B

One Word.

Well first off, thank you to everyone who's offered up suggestions on goals I should achieve in 2011! I got some great ideas to kick off the new year motivated to make it the best yet. I'm taking them all into consideration, but honestly, it's looking like every single one will make the list! You all are just THAT good.

The first one, however, starts before the new year. Mindy, a friend from college and my first major (photography) suggested I do the reverb '10. The idea of reverb is to finish 2010 by celebrating the victories. This has certainly been a great year for me and it deserves some attention. I'm starting it 13 days late, but I'm going to go back and start at the beginning because I love the idea. Thank Mindy.

Day One - describe your year (2010) in one word (then of course elaborate).

2010 for me has been about discipline. Towards the end of 2009 I sat down and really assessed my life and if I was going ot work towards the life I wanted, where do I start? I realized I needed discipline in a lot of areas of my life where it was currently lacking. I started with my finances because let's me honest, when you graduate college and get your first job you REALLY realize how little you know about money and how far you have to make that first salary stretch. Yikes.

AS 2010 came around, I tackled one area at a time. In January I moved into my first home and suddenly had to balance housework (much more of it) than ever before. More bills. More repairs. More cleaning. Gag. You get the idea.

Next came my health as I started a journey to better health in April by joining a 'biggest loser' competition at work. I sought out a more disciplined lifestyle through diet and excercise. I'm happy to report success in this area in a more noticeable way than any other - as of today I'm down 57lbs in 8 months.

I've learned also to be more disciplined with my time as I created space for the important things and people in my life and worked towards reading 50 books this year. I'm 180 pages from completing this goal as well.

Discipline has been the overwelming theme of 2010 for me and I hope to continue along that path in 2011. Though I hope that when I write to you on this side of 2011, in December of next year, the word to describe my year will be 'love'. I'll leave you to interpret what I mean by that on your own. ;] You'll just have to wait and see what I have up my sleeve.

Love you guys and thankful for your inspiration,

B

Self Evaluation.

This entry will be one of probably a few wrap up entries to 2010. But I want to go back to January of 2010 where I wrote this entry, letting you all know (and putting into words for myself) what I desired my life to look like in 2010.

So how'd I do?

Well, I'll say that for keeping the Lord the center of my life the second half of 2010 has been more of a success than the first half. I continue to grow in my faith even as I sometimes feel I take one step forward and 2 steps back or the reverse on a better month. It's a struggle, and I certainly haven't arrived at my destination (though honestly, you never do) - but this year has certainly taken me into a deeper relationship with Christ and has reminded me more than a few times of my need for Him, daily.

It's with mixed feeling that I respond to the second item on the list. I left Indiana a broken girl, searching for God knows what. Over the past 2 years the Lord has healed me far beyond my expectations. I can happily say that I am loving with all my heart, openly, and without expectation or hesitation. This is a great place to be in. That being said, I'm continuing to understand why the Lord instructs us to 'guard our hearts' and I'm seeking his wisdom on how to continue to open my heart to the right people, through the right channels.

Praying for my family has certainly been crucial this year! We Christensens (and Breslins) have had a big year. Full of changes, challenges, and delightful times together. I have seen the Lord answer my prayers and protect my family and bless them beyond my dreams for them (which are big). I continue to strive to be more diligent in my prayer life.

I'm pleased to report I've followed through well with 'cutting the crap'. I've greatly reduced my commitments throughout this year so that I could focus in on the ones that matter most and that I believe I'm called to for this time. It's been freeing, it's been refreshing, and it's been motivating. That's to my church's 'Creating Space' series I had great tools for getting the job done.

I have rested more this year then in the last 24 combined. This has been a great year of slowing down and taking it all in. I'm grateful that I set that goal and kept it. It's given me the chance to enjoy my relationships, spend quality time with the ones I love, and keep my next goal...

I am one book away from having finished my commitment to read 50 book in 2010! I'm working on that now but I will absolutely meet this goal. The journey has been neat. I've read some great books and some I could do without. I've enjoyed telling you about many of them and even reading some of the books you suggested to me! I guess it's time to start thinking about what reading related goals I want to make for 2011. Do I read another 50? Do I take it up? Tackle a new genre? What will it be?

I have been quicker to listen and slower to speak and judge.

I have forced myself outside of my comfort zone on many occasions and survived each (most with my dignity intact).

My condo is almost full with furniture (minus my sad little empty guest bedroom), usually filled with people, and often filled with love.

I have come a long way in forgiving others but will admit I still have a long way to go in being good at forgiving myself. As a people pleaser, I have a hard time with this one. I beat myself up over my mistakes (which are many). But I find that as I've embraced that my sins were paid for on the cross and the Lord has removed them as far as the east is from the west, there is a peace in knowing that I'm forgiven not by anything I have done but by His grace.

I do love my job.

I have been writing excessively this year - both on the blog and in preparation for writing a book.

I think it's fair to say that sharing has been one of my greatest successes this year.

I have grown up a tremendous amount this year, experiencing some growing pains along the way. I am by no means a finished product as you'll see when I make my 2011 goals. But I find that I'm no longer afraid of getting older, and I'm becoming increasingly better at being both young and successful, in my own way. It's refreshing to see how I've been able to meet so many of my goals this year.

Love,
B