This picture of a Red-bellied Woodpecker seemed perfect for the last post of the year because, well, I’m feeling reflective!

I always seem to get this way whenever a year comes to an end. A sweet sort of melancholy fills my heart, tinged with a sense of hopeful anticipation.

When I look back at the year that has passed, I know I have been richly blessed. Oh, for sure, there were some trials and there were some tears (what life doesn’t have those?) but the blessings have far outweighed them both. I have much to be thankful for.

And when I look ahead to the year that awaits, it sits there like a fresh canvas waiting for its first brushstrokes. I so hope the picture my life paints is one of beauty, and that by the time the next year ends I will be able to say that I was a faithful steward of all that God has entrusted to me.

I hope your new year is truly blessed. And I look forward to continuing to share the journey with you!