Natalie Gore: Photo Blog: The Adventures of 2013

Photo Blog: The Adventures of 2013

2013 has been my year of RESTORATION. I can honestly say after the trials of 2012, I couldn't have been more excited to dive into a new year and a
"new" me. In reality, I was finding myself again.

In the last year I have learned what it means to be joyful. Not the flutters of emotions that decide if today we are going to be happy or not, I am talking true, genuine, from the Lord....Joy. It is a choice. It has brought me peace and comfort when I was feeling "left behind" in life, or left out.

Sometimes life is like a train. It can move fast and if you don't hop on you can literally watch life pass you by. For a while, I was stuck in a rut. I was living on my own, with jobs that could barely make ends meet, and "attempting" to become a musician. I watched friend after friend fall in love, get engaged, get married, and start having kids. And yet here I was with no real job, no boyfriend, very few friends, and to get down right to it, I felt very much alone.

In the beginning of 2013 I decided that I was going to change things. I was going to put myself out there, apply to new jobs, new singing opportunities, and make some friends. It's not like I am shy or anything ;)

I started taking Tae Kwon Do in January, began getting fit and feeling better about myself.

I got a brand new job that I started in June of 2013 ten minutes away from my new (old) home. Full time. Benefits. It was my big girl job.

I started working heavily with FC Dallas and learning what it takes to have a day job, and a music career. Or in this case, working as a FCDTV Reporter. I learned so much about what I could do. Mentally, it was more pressure than I had put on myself in a long time. Probably since I was young and had to do flips on the balance beam in order to make it to the State Championships. In the span of 20-30 minutes, I would do live spots for the FC Dallas game, memorize scripts, interview fans/players, and then I would run down the bleachers and sing the National Anthem in front of 20,000 people. The biggest rush of my life so far!

I have learned a great deal about believing in God's love for me. It's amazing when I look back on the 26 years of my life and how I always thought it was about "How much I loved God." and "What I did to please Him everyday". But here is a new revelation, It's not about how much we love God. We will always fall short. What Jesus did at the cross was the resemblance of how much GOD loves US. His finished work has forever demolished our need to "work" our way to be right with God. We can mess up time and time and again and God will still look into our eyes and say "It's okay, I love you, You got this. Let's try again." That has forever changed my life.

All in all, I am so thankful for the challenges and blessings that came along with 2013. What a different attitude I have going into the New Years this time around. I remember last year telling myself "Good riddance 2012, I want to never think of you again." But this time, I look back on 2013 and I say, what a wonderful ride! I am so thankful for the things God has done and showed me this last year, I look forward to 2014 as a prisoner of HOPE!

Expect GOOD things to happen to you in this new year.... not because of what YOU do and how much YOU love God. But expect them to happen because GOD LOVES YOU!

Happy New Year, friends.

With Love,
Natalie