It's 2014!

So I was planning on writing a post about the New Year to post at 12:01 to pretend that I was actually awake then.  That didn't happen.  And I was awake for the first hours of 2014.  Pretty exciting watching the ball drop.  Or rather it was quite uneventful, even at midnight.

But that's not the point.

Rather the point is it's 2014.  And that means it is a time to reflect on the last year and plan for this year.

COMPASSION

In 2013....

I started corresponding with Abdisa and Gabriel.  Mabel graduated and my parents started sponsoring Susana for me (more on that later).

I received about 53 letters total from my kiddos!  I'd say I wrote somewhere around 500 letters (but half of those don't count - it's called the awesome feature "copy draft").  

Samantha and Elizabeth's sponsor dropped them, and God provided them each with a special sponsor.  And I will still be their correspondent!

I found sponsors for 2 precious girls that I was advocating for.  I raised $590.90 through Cycle4Compassion 2013.

I started making sponsor bracelets and have filled over 60 orders.  It was a not-for-profit venture.  However with the huge turn-out, I did make a profit which paid for several months of Mabel's sponsorship.

I visited the Compassion Mobile for the second time.  I volunteered at it for 13 hours.  I did my first packet pass at Kingdom Bound.

For 2014.....

I plan on seeing Elizabeth graduate.  That will bring my kiddos back to 10.

I hope to keep in touch with Mabel and Elizabeth (can someone teach me Spanish super fast??) and get to know Gabriel and Susana through first letter.  If all goes as planned, I will write at least 480 letters.

God has always provided for my sponsor and correspondent kiddos, and I trust that He will remain faithful in 2014.

If I could make a goal, it would probably be to connect 5 kids with sponsors.  The numbers aren't important though.  I plan on doing Cycle4Compassion 2014 and am excited to see what happens with that!

I will continue making sponsor bracelets and giving the whole profit to Compassion.  

I am really hoping the Compassion Mobile will stop by Western NY again so that I can volunteer with that again, but that is unlikely.  I plan on volunteering all four days of Kingdom Bound 2014 and at any other events I can.

ONE WORD

In 2013.....

My word was

I wasn't sure what to do with it at first, but looking back, I can see God used that word.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8

I didn't always know what was going to happen or how it was going to happen or when it was going to happen, but I trusted that God still had a plan.  And His plan is perfect.  God was faithful and I know that He will continue to be.  I am just continuing to trust Him and obey Him because He sees the big picture!

At first, I didn't quite get this -

via

It just didn't make sense how you could know God was going to do something without "twisting His arm" so to speak.  But this past year, I've realized this doesn't mean specifics.  It's not hoping God can provide, it's knowing He will in whatever way is best.  It's not hoping God can use me, it's knowing He will if I let Him.

I also realized that having faith doesn't mean you have to do something big or crazy-sounding.  Sometimes it is just trusting God enough to do the little things well.


For 2014......

My word is

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  - 1 Corinthians 16:13

 BLOGGING

In 2013......

I posted 139 times and hosted a guest blogger 10 times.

I started the Cycle4Compassion blog/website.


For 2014.......

I plan on posting 3 times a week, which would be about 156 times this year.  I also hope to have a guest post each month.  I also plan on linking up monthly with Jill for Compassion Joys and Yvonne for Compassion Share and Tell.

My blog is titled "Love Is an Action."  This year, I want to post more about ways to put love into action.  While I will still mainly post about Compassion, I also want to share about other ministries.


Change a life!
Lizzie :)