2012, coming to an end.

This year has been an interesting one! A lot has happened, both good and bad.

Tonight as I think back on the months that have passed, I am reminded of how God moves through every experience we encounter.

This year, I have learnt about care, about forgiveness, about patience, about love and about support. That's not to say that I have completely learnt them, but that I have been given a glimpse!

At the start of the year my family found out my aunt had a brain tumour. We spent the first few months of 2012 caring for her whilst she moved in with us, going into hospital with her and helping her rebuild her life after surgery. God through this taught me how to care. I'm not a particularly expressive person - or at least, not emotionally expressive. But there were many points in this period where God taught me how to be a carer, not just practically, but spiritually. Being able to talk to my aunt, to share a meal with her and to help her through day-to-day tasks, allowed me to see how God takes pleasure in our care and love for each other. It has been a year now since the news of her tumour. She is healthy. And God has used the tumour to open up opportunities for her to share the gospel with her neighbours.

In the summer time, we found ourselves in a period of real testing. My Mum was diagnosed with depression. In the lead up to this, our home became incredibly difficult to live in. I spent weeks feeling very alone, but mostly feeling very 'in the middle' of my parents. The stress of everything going on caused my Dad to have two minor heart scares. I cannot express in words how difficult I found this period of our lives. What I do know is that my God is a healing God, and that He does calm the storms. My Mum has improved so much - whilst she still has down days, she is unrecognisable now from the woman she was a few months ago.

My Dad however, will be seeing in the New Year with a fractured ankle and shattered tibial platform (the ball on the foot) after an accident at work! It will be 8 months before he will be able to go back to the normal life of walking and driving again.

It has been incredibly easy to turn around and ask God why on earth he chose this moment for Dad to be injured. But we have been so encouraged in seeing God open up opportunities for us to witness to our friends, lecturers and contacts through his accident.

The last month has also brought its pain in losing one of our close family friends after a struggle with cancer. We are so thankful that she has met her maker face to face, but still miss her company here.

This year though, rather than just focusing on the difficult, I have so much to thank God for. In particular, I have finished and handed in my dissertation! I have been overloaded with work for my business! And I have turned 21!

But it is through the hardest periods and the testing situations, where God has blessed me most.

We can easily blame God for the things we encounter in life. But God can do so much through our moments of despair; more than we ever think or imagine.

I am ending 2012, trusting God that there are new horizons ahead and knowing that whatever is ahead is exciting. I am believing that every difficulty I face, I face with Him at my side. And that He will open my heart up that I might love HIM more; enjoy HIM more and share HIM more!

'God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and the nations quake with their surging, BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.'