I love looking back and looking forward. Can I just be anti-popular-slogan for a moment and say that living in the present feels like the pits sometimes, if I’m honest. Even though everyone says to live in the moment. I try to do that, but some moments are better as memories — ha ha.

So I love looking back at what great things happened in 2016– not in chronological order!

1. We finished 4th grade video school!
2. Vitaliy took a trip to the taiga in Russia!
3. I hosted two breastfeeding meetings for pregnant and breastfeeding gals.
4. We had MomHeart group meetings (gals in our church)
5. I studied and grew in my ability to express hospitality!
6. I read through the Bible chronologically.
7. I went through counseling about some unhealthy church past things that I couldn’t let go of. As a result, I confessed some sins, and I generally feel safer and happier in our church (I’m not the only one changing).
8. I started baking a lot more for church things– I was asking God how to express love to our church more in a way that involves my emotions, and baking it is! I love group baking.
9. Introvert Anne offered “intentional friendships” to moms in our church who want that relationship– we mostly do this by writing. A few personal meetings.
10. We started 5th grade! I’m doing tons of reading aloud, which I’ve always imagined doing!
11. I started working out at Curves 3 days/week.
12. I lost the remainder of the weight I want to lose, and I’m maintaining.
13. I moved forward in our fundraising (more to come in 2017 goals)
14. I made a lot of videos for moms in our church, sharing some things God’s taught me, encouraging them to love their children and look to God for love and wisdom.
15. Vitaliy and I wend skiing together and had a great time (I did something he loves 🙂 )
16. One of my goals was to support Vitaliy in all the ministry he’s doing, and I think I did a great job of that overall.
17. We as church moms starting fasting and praying for our children once a month.
18. I semi-discipled a girl through a Bible study book for kids.

So, thouse are some things I remember about 2016. It was a good year 🙂 Looking back, I would chose the work “self-discipline” for that year. After years of prayer, God seems to be bringing fruit in that quality of life in the Spirit. I’m looking forward to developing even more in that.