cheekysharon.

This is long over-due, but I feel if I don’t do this now I will never do it. So, here I go..

Happy 2011! This has definitely been a year to testify of how faithful, loving, good and sovereign God is. This past year has probably got to be the hardest, most challenging but most joyful year of my entire life. It was in these hard times that I learned to rely on God for the strength to rejoice and to press on daily to ‘fight the good fight of faith’. To summarize my year, a few things that I’ve learned:

1) I never have reason to waiver in my joy, no matter what the circumstance, because my joy is rooted in the hope I have in Christ— which neverrr changes.
2) Reading the Word daily and praying fervently in the Spirit are not super Christian things that deserve praise when they are done in your life. It is the air we breathe and our daily bread— you need these things. No one commends you for remembering to eat your meals every day..
3) There is power in prayer, and life in the Word.
4) God is sovereign over everything in this world and in my life.. be dependent!
5) I need to wear my glasses when I drive at night
6) Eating a banana after a late-night eat-out will keep your face from puffing up in the morning!

And now for my 2010 gems.. here are things I’ve discovered or re-kindled my love for this year:

Saigon basil’s Chicken Pho (Pho Ga): Used to be 3 dollars, but now it’s 6. Healthy. Light broth. Filling. Delicious with Chili pepper sauce. My best friend during hungry studying nights.

New Testament. I love.
I’ve been going to church for 21 years and this year was the first year I read the entire New Testament. Praise the Lord! So much encouragement was found primarily in my times reading the Word this year. Excited for another year to grow in understanding! :)

Tastea. Where have you been all of my life?
I’ve only been there twice so far.. but I savor every second I spend with a cup of these. So refreshing on a warm summer day with sunglasses and sun beaming on your brow. Perfect !

This year I got certified as a Licensed Phlebotemist .. It’s really not that cool. I had to take a 24 hour class (in a span of 3 days.. 8 hours a day) on how to poke a finger. It was awesome….

I’ve mastered (almost)…the art of Korean BBQ at home!
 I know it’s super simple, but what a convenience it is to know this meal by heart? Save a couple dollars and eat this gourmet cuisine in the comforts of your own home… Can’t get any better than that.

ETS: Of the 4 years we’ve been friends, this was the first time we got to live together!
Esther & Tracy are the best. It was only 3 months, but it was sweet while it lasted. :)

KEAN COFFEE.
Can’t believe this was my first year here. Living at the apartment complex directly adjacent to one has made my visits more frequent as of late, but it is the perfect place to start your day. Fancy coffee (highly caffeinated, by the way), warm atmosphere, busy bodies to pump adrenaline into your own blood, and no internet for most focused time in reading and prayer.

Lee’s Iced Coffee..
 So sad that I discovered you in my last year of college. Sweetened heavily with condensed milk and a strong coffee taste, perfect for any day you’re desperate for a wake-up.

(Still) Praising the Lord for His provision!
I was hired as a PCA/CNA at Hoag Hospital in my most desperate time of need. I love every moment of it.. from the diaper changes, to the late night calls for ice water, to the 12-hour shifts of sitting next to the same bed to make sure they don’t kill themselves. It’s been a joy.

Car accidents.

My first year of being in a car accident in the driver’s seat.. and in a span of 3 months I had two rather dramatic ones. Praise the Lord for protection. I am still deathly afraid of driving at nights..

In 2010, I finished my junior year in nursing school, praise the Lord!

Supposedly the “hardest” year of my life.. but thankful for the strength to persevere daily, through the sleepless, coffee-saturated, delirious weeks.. God is good.

YELP, my best friend this year. Never will I try a new restaurant without my friend yelp.

Tumblr, thank you for your reader-friendly, blogger-friendly, easy-to-use, easy-to-“Like” format and for giving me a place to share my life with others! Cheers to another year with you!

Elisabeth Elliot.. sometime last year I ordered these two books on Amazon on a whim. No book recommendations, no book reviews. I don’t know if it’s become one day I realized I needed to grow up and I wanted to understand what God’s calling for me was as a woman of God. I would recommend “Let me be a woman” to every girl who is dating, wanting to date, or on the road to marriage. An eye-opening, heart-opening book that teaches you and shows you God’s design and purpose for women. (moreso in the context of marriage and in the home). Read it!

Eugene. This 2010 post would not be complete without mention of him.
What a joyful journey it’s been thus far being able to go through life with this boy. No one encourages me to strive harder to love and honor God more with my life than the words and example that Eugene provides for me. Thankful for his daily encouragement, his monthly “sharon’s Emergency kit package” (…. haha), his thoughtful and much-needed affirmations and his example of Christ to me. Best boyfriend ever, seriously.

This year I received my Starbucks Gold Card. Arguably one of my greatest achievements this year. Thank you for the free refills, free add-ins, and free drink on my birthday!

God is faithful to us. I love you with all my heart.

Our Last year.. our boys have become wild. “Nuff said.

God is faithful.
Thankful for another year to testify of His faithfulness!

Give thanks- time to write this post (finally), sleep, joys of 2010, anticipation for 2011.