11. Get married. Not up to me at, totally in the control of God.

Well....I'M ENGAGED!!! Ok, so I have been engaged for over a month, but it is still every excited. I cannot wait to marry the man of my dreams, which leads me to this post. While I am not married yet, the days are quickly going by, and our wedding will be here before I know it, Lord willing!

My ring :)

A replay of the special moment. 

My handsome fiance!

82. Re-read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I absolutely love Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, and I think I could read it every month for a year and not get tired of what it has to offer. The book mirrors the story of Hosea in the Bible. Hosea is called by God to marry a prostitute. Their relationship portrays the relationship of Israel with God. He continues to love them and seek after them with unconditional love while they leave Him and instead worship other gods. In this book, Michael Hosea also is called by God to marry a prostitute, and through God's redeeming love, Michael is able to help renew and transform Amanda's life, bringing healing and forgiveness. I love the symbolism of this book referring to our relationship with the Lord.  While we continue to leave Him and make other things our idols, He forgives us of our sins and longs for us to turn to Him. Such a wonderful book!

7. Begin reading and finish reading a novel in the same month.

I love books by the Thoenes! They are such great authors, and I appreciate their incorporation of history and the Bible into their writing. What a great husband/wife team. Unless I'm super busy, whenever I read books by the Thoenes, I finish them very quickly because they are so good!

15. Get henna

My family and I went to Disney World in Florida for Christmas this past year. We visited the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Universal Studios, and Downtown Disney. While we were in Africa at Animal Kingdom, I spotted a lady in the market selling henna. I have always wanted to get henna but just have never found it anywhere close to me. Taking my opportunity, I got two cute hearts drawn on my wrist with henna. Tattoos scare me because they use needles and are permanent, but with henna you get the fun effect of a tattoo without the pain or permanent mark. Perfect!

A picture of the henna while it was drying before it peels off. 

The final product which stayed on my wrist for a week or two.