Hey, all… it’s been awhile.

Last year, you barely saw me here, once the A-Z Challenge in April ended… I wrote just two posts between then and the end of the year. And you probably didn’t see me anywhere else, either. My blog visiting was, ahem, abysmal. Non-existent, if you will.

But that’s okay. No guilt monkeys here! Let me explain.

2012 was an interesting year… it was a year of experiences both good and bad, and of growth, both joyous and painful. I learned a lot about myself, and some of those lessons weren’t easy to face. I realized a little more what I’m made of, what I lack, and how desperately I need God’s help to make it through each day.

But at the end of it all, I’m grateful. I think I needed to be tested. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I got too comfortable, too lazy, and too apathetic. It was time for change. Time to move, regardless of direction. If you don’t get to your feet and at least take a few steps, you’ll never get anywhere at all… and sometimes we need to stumble before we can get our bearings and make headway.

I turn 30 this year, and for the first time in my life, I can see a clear direction. Oh, I’ll wander – trust me, I’m prone to wandering… it’s in my nature – but if you’d asked me at the beginning of last year if I’d accomplish any of my goals with 100% certainty, if I’d be even one step closer to accomplishing my dreams and to becoming the person I always hoped I could be, I would have told you “yes” to your face, while crumbling inside.

Not today.

I still have a heck of a lot of growth to do. I know that. But it’s okay—I’m made of stronger stuff these days. And when I fall apart? When the roadblocks and trials inevitably come? It’ll be all right, because I know that with my family, friends, and God at my side, I’ll find the strength to make it through.

Here’s to a glorious 2013 for all of us.

May it bring the change you seek, the challenges you need, and the victories you deserve.