Celebrate Your Victories!

What was the last victory you had? If it takes you too long or you go back too far then I have to challenge you because I bet you've had more than you think.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It's easy to focus on failure and hard times. Am I a 'skinny minny' or even completely fit here at the end of 2011? Nope. Have there been hard times? Yeah, my grandpa died and I was sick most of the year...but do I want to look back at 2011 and just think about that?! NO WAY. So I made a list full of victories and positive things from the year. It was hard. I had to look at my facebook pictures just to try to remember.

Victory comes both large and small depending on what you are going through. My largest victory has probably been in my purity. A small one was that all the plants I transplanted across the backyard lived. LOL.

I was reading the little list to my best friend and she had a brilliant idea. She basically said wouldn't it be great to have a Victory Jar that throughout the year you could write down victories and drop them in? Then at the end of 2012 you could pull them out and read them. What a beautiful lady she is!

I really like that idea. I will work on my own Victory/Positive things Jar for that very purpose tomorrow. I'll probably pre-cut the slips of paper to make it easier on myself. I realized that if I make it a clear jar I could see it FILL with my victories. Even that would inspire me since I'm such a visual gal. I'll try to post a picture of mine, & hers if she sends it, once it's done.

I can just see it now...my side table with a Rainy Day jar for spare change on one end and a Victory jar on the other. Priceless.

Below are some of my list from the past year:
- didn't give up on taking the medicine for the full amount of months it was prescribed
- got closer to my grandma
- went to two Hillsong concerts
- had a great birthday staycation with my best friend; yay!
- got to know my neighbor better
- enjoyed time with my coworkers
- adopted Manna (my 3rd cat) and had a great victory with integrating him and my resident cats (sisters Trickle & Sunny)
- changed my work hours to be able to have my Coffee & Cozy times with God in the morning PLUS now I have time to work out consistently
- bought my 1st car all on my own
- didn't spend but saved the $2,000+ escrow money that was sent back to me by accident for a whole year to be used for property taxes
- got off that prescribed medicine when it was time w/no side effects! woo-hoo...and so happy to feel creative again
- successful 2nd Annual Holiday Cookie baking party
- learned to needle felt :)
- paid early bird registration for June 2012 International conference
- grew a small garden with peppers and tomatoes
- finished crocheting a blanket for my coworker
- did a TON of work on the house (painted front door blue, stained all the cabinets, painted the heavy brass fireplace screen, bought an Eco digital thermostat...etc)
- had all the trees successfully trimmed and bad one removed
- got to see my childhood home again
- hiked the lookout 'mountain' in a nearby state park
- found the name my best friend and her husband used for their baby girl...ah, that feels good
- painted two new pictures of Black-eyed Susan's & my first picture using oil (musical rest sign)
- successful in relocating plants across the yard
- survived the Feb ice storm and loved every minute of it - created a new shrimp stew
- purchased a super fun personalized license plate..always wanted to do that
- helped to fund raise ALOT of money at work
- successfully got approval for new donor recognition items in brand new building
- placed on the change management team as and extra project for the new database change
- started a blog to place my book ideas into
- read at least 8 books
- Ilean, the three-legged doggie on deathlow got adopted
- began concrete planning of my birthday/dream list adventure to cross of the list will be to see those Oregon Cheetahs in April;

Psalm 118:15
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

Proverbs 2:7
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,