Hello! It has been a long while but I’m hoping that in this next year I will write more because I love doing it and I love sharing about my faith and what God is continuously teaching me!
To start, I can’t believe 2025 is officially over! This past year has been crazy. I’m not going to lie when I first started thinking about how this past year went, I was focused on everything that went wrong and how hard it has been. Which is absolutely insane, given that I got engaged to AND married my best friend.
As I was looking through all my photos from this past year, and I took more than one second to actually reflect on ALL that God had done, my mindset shifted from negative to more positive as I reminisced about all the amazing memories of this past year. To name a few:
- I got married and started a life with my amazing husband!! My husband also started his first full-time job in the engineering industry.
- I attended several of my friend’s weddings and was the Bridesmaid at 2 of them!
- I celebrated a few friend’s engagements!
- I watched my brother Ethan and my sister in law Brittany become amazing parents to their adorable baby boy, Aspen!
- My other brother, Bryce started dating a very sweet and thoughtful woman named Tat!
- I witnessed several friends graduate from college and some with their Master’s Degrees (including my husband)!
- I ran a mud run with a few of my coworkers and a 5k with Ethan and Brittany!
- I completed a course for my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling!
- I travelled to the Dominican Republic!
- Grew in my relationship with the Lord, became an official member at my Church, and joined a new Bible study!
Admittedly this year wasn’t without challenges. For one, I got into my first car accident. I also had some confusing and scary health issues which led to more anxiety than i’ve ever experienced before. I’ve had several anxiety attacks; one which landed me in the Emergency Room, a few mandated days off work and with a prescription for anxiety medication. I grieved with close friends, initiated and entered into really challenging conversations with family, and have had a semi-rough adjustment to marriage.
I mention these few challenging events to not only be honest but to remind anyone who could be reading that you are not alone in this life. Even if it feels that way or it appears that everyone else is doing great – we are ALL honestly struggling with something. That’s how life on this side of Heaven will be until we are glorified with our Father and enter into His eternal rest.
It’s always been easier for me to focus on the negative rather than the positive but I really want to grow in gratitude this year. I want to develop a more positive mindset and choose to focus on the blessings rather than the hardships AND I want to remember that it is within those hardships that God is working in me – sanctifying, deepening my dependence on Him, growing my character – for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28).
“…but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 ESV
My prayer for wrapping up 2025 and beginning 2026: Thank you Father for everything you had planned in 2025, the hard times and the amazing memories and milestones! In the midst of difficult times, I don’t often reflect your character and I am truly sorry for how I have hurt you and the others in my life because of it. I ask for your forgiveness and for your grace. Father, in this next year, I desire a deeper intimacy with you, a deeper knowledge of you and a deeper dependence on you. Please keep my mind focused on you and less on the things of this world. I pray that you continue to use me to be a light and to boldly share your good news with others! I pray that those around me and around the world would experience your love, acknowledge your unfathomable grace and repent. Thank you for sending your son to save us. In your son’s precious name, Amen.
I’m excited for 2026 and for continuing to grow stronger and deeper in my faith and my relationship with our glorious God, Father, and King. I hope you are too!
Thank you for reading and have a blessed day! It feels good to be back!
Olivia Mack (:
Liv(e)forChrist 