New Year, Renewed Spirit

So, if you couldn't tell from the complete lack of posts from July of last year until now, fall/winter just wasn't my season.  Being underemployed and searching for a job for months on end all while my savings kept dwindling did not help to put me in the best of moods.  On top of that, I was in a car accident just before Christmas, totaling my car and messing up my back.  My depression came back for a while and in all honesty Christmas 2012 came and went without so much as a Tis' the Season or a Jingle Bell from me.
All that said, the past month has been good, comparitavely.  I have started a new semester, was able to find an affordable and reliable car, my back is doing much better and there are plans afoot :)
Some exciting things to come in 2013:
*Finishing my A.A. degree in the field that I truly feel is where I am meant to be.  (It took long enough for me to find it and now that I have I am uplifted)
*Enrolling in an online college to complete my Bachelors degree.  (At this point I am looking towards Applied Behavior Studies)
*I will be starting a giveaway contest sometime in the next few months to clear out my apartment of my belongings in anticipation of....
*...My January(ish) 2014 move to Australia!!!
I am so thrilled that this is happening.  I have been wishing and dreaming of getting out of my hometown for years, with Australia being in the plans for about 2, and with my schooling (in town) finally coming to a wrap it will be attainable.
My dreams that I have had for so long, that I had anticipated happening far sooner, come at exactly the right time.  The journey that has been my 20's (so far) reminds me of a blog post from Big Mama in which she talked about "Walking to your future":

http://thebigmamablog.com/10612/walking-to-the-future/

I was so moved by this post that I emailed Melanie on it and within her response to me she wrote:

Hey Stefani-

I just wanted to encourage you with something I know for sure.  God redeems everything.  Even our messed up twenties!  I know because I made a lot of mistakes.  Just keep your eyes on Him and He'll turn your ashes into beauty!

Love,
Melanie

This is something I have carried with me for that past year and a half that I go back to for encouragement and now it is a truth that is deeply imbedded in my soul; that I might not be getting where I want to go as fast as I planned or wished, but if I keep my eyes on the right things I will always get to where I am meant to be.