2018

Hello my friends!

   At the end of the year, I like to try to reflect and remember and review and recall and reminisce about everything that occurred. Now that sounds deep and thoughtful, but I'm not really a deep and thoughtful person. I'm a list person. So what it really entails is looking through lists of things that happened this year, thinking, 'this was a great year!', and then calling it a day.

   In my review, 2018 really was a pretty fantastic year. I crossed a number of items off my bucket list (appearing as an extra on Chicago Med, completing my Master's degree, giving a commencement address, winning a LipSync battle, embarking on a medical missions trip, and owning a motorcycle among others). I got to travel to new places (including 4 new countries), learn a bunch, read 38 books, and do so many fun things. I've met and gotten to know so many incredible people that I've made a list so I wouldn't forget anyone. I reviewed the list of my financial and prayer supporters that brought me to Togo, and I am once again so thankful. The list of things that I'm thankful and the list of people I'm praying for keep growing.  I'm also counting my phone's photo gallery as a visual list of things that have happened, and I am reminded of so many joy-filled days. I am blessed beyond measure.

This was a great year!

   And now, in an effort to reflect for a moment beyond my normal, I'll try to write a brief reflection.  In the past few weeks, I've been reading the Valley of Vision (collection of Puritan prayers), gone through a couple tough days at the hospital, and have had a few conversations with different people, and have been reminded of a few things. Here's another list cause I can't resist. 1. True joy is found only in Jesus. 2. Whether I am checking something off my bucket list, having just a normal day, or performing CPR on yet another infant, the Source for hope and joy and peace is Jesus. 3. It's easy to be distracted by both the happy things and/or the hard things, but it's really all about Jesus. 4. Everything that happened this year- big or small, all the growth, all the blessings, all the fun, and all the hurt is so small compared to the majesty and power of Jesus.

See ya in 2019!

In Him,
Caroline