6 Blessings Challenge

Facing the start of a new year is a great time for reflection. Many events happened in our lives last year, whether great or small. Some events we would love to repeat, while others we hope to leave behind. I'm going to take Jason's challenge and share my 6 blessings from last year.

Jason F. Wright is one of my favorite authors. He's written many uplifting and inspiring books, including The Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters. I learn so much while reading his books. Each time I finish one, I work harder in my life to be a better person and bless the lives of others. He posted this article the other day about the 6 blessings he saw in his life.

Now here is my list:

1) I don't have cancer. Many of you didn't even know that I was facing that reality until just now. I started a new medicine for my Crohn's disease in the summer. I had horrible symptoms develop right away. The first was on the outside - severe acne. I have had little acne my whole life but almost overnight that changed and I had it all over my face. It was awful. But the worst was on the inside - swollen lymph nodes. One of the side effects of the medicine was developing lymphoma cancer. To make a long story short, my doctor told me to stop taking the medicine after only doing 4 treatments. After going to a dermatologist, an ear nose and throat doctor, and a new gastroenterologist, and having many tests done, to make a longer story even shorter - I don't have cancer. That is a huge blessing to me.

2) With that being said, I'm grateful for my eternal family. I love my husband dearly. I love my precious son. I am blessed to have them in my life. They are both happy and healthy. And they both love me and show it to me daily. What more could I ask for?

3) We now live in a wonderful new place with many opportunities for growth. We felt so claustrophobic and controlled in our last area. We couldn't dream while we were there. But now with a new state, school, community, and branch to attend the possibilities are endless. We love it here. I hope we can be here for many years to come.

4) I have been a mother for just over 1 year now! It is definitely life changing. I admit that at times I wish we had waited a little longer to become parents so we could have had more time together. And I sometimes miss all the freedom I had. But I wouldn't take it back for anything. My baby means everything to me. I've been blessed to have the cutest angel brought to my life. He loves everyone and everyone loves him. He's made many people happy by smiling at them, waving to them, flirting with them, and babbling to them. I know he's made many people's day. He is so full of charity and reminds me daily to love more and hate less. I am so proud to be his mother.

5) We lost some special friends this year. It was heart-breaking to lose them. From that experience I've been learning a lot. I've been learning not only to be more forgiving, but forgiving more quickly. I've been learning to think before I speak. I've learned that some things should never be spoken, no matter how right you are. I've been learning to enjoy the relationships I have now because they're precious and may not last forever.

6) I'm grateful for all the help we received. We wouldn't have made it without all of the help. We were blessed with jobs, money, random acts of kindness from strangers, help from family and friends, prayers, and more I'm not even aware of. The Lord was knowledgeable of us and our situations and provided angels to help us along the way.

What a great year 2013 was for me after all!

Thanks for the challenge Jason!