Closing the Chapter on My "Get Up" Year!

Today, I celebrated my birthday, and with it, I closed the chapter on what I’ve called my “Get Up” year—a year defined by fearless steps and a determination to rise to the challenges God placed in my heart. It was a hard year, filled with both victories and struggles.

At the start of this chapter, I fell into my usual pattern of taking on more than I could handle, not balancing things well, and feeling overwhelmed. Yet, in the midst of that chaos, I found the courage to take bold, fearless steps forward. God used this year to heal old wounds I had long ignored, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

However, as the year progressed, I eventually found myself falling on my face, overwhelmed by the weight of it all. But, I don’t regret the journey. That fall led me to a place where I finally surrendered everything to God—giving Him full control over every area of my life. It was the hardest part of the year, but also the most transformative. There were things I clung to tightly, but God, in His gentle way, took them from me, and in their place, He gave me something far greater: peace.

This peace is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Despite my external circumstances making little sense, internally, I feel a calm and a contentment that I never knew was possible. It’s still new to me, and every now and then, I catch myself feeling anxious, as if I need to be doing something or performing. But then, I remind myself of the peace that now resides within me.

As I sit here in a coffee shop, sipping on my coffee, reading my Bible, and journaling (well, that’s what I was doing before I started writing this blog), I realize how long it’s been since I’ve had this kind of moment—just me, Jesus, and a cup of coffee. Usually, when I bring my Bible to the coffee shop, I’m working on something, writing a devotional or a guide, always doing. But today feels different. There’s no rush, no pressure, just a deep sense of peace.

This peace is precious to me, and I’ve learned that it’s worth holding onto. I don’t want to go back to the way things were. Right now, I’m on a peaceful path, moving at my own pace, not the world’s. It’s a wonderful feeling.

God has been pruning my life this past year, and while I’ve seen a lot of things taken away, I know that means He’s preparing to replace them with something new. As I step into the next chapter, I’m ready for what’s to come. I’ve given God the old, and I’m trusting Him to fill my life with the new.

Cheers to a NEW year!