Reflections on 2010

Though our family has many, many wonderful traditions for all times of the year, one of my very favorites is our meal tickets on New Year's Eve and Day. Before we come to a meal, we have to think about and answer a question reflecting on the year, and then over the meal, we share our answers. This tradition is wonderful because it makes you think about the highs and lows, successes and challenges of the year before and it gives us a chance to bond as a family through sharing.

Thinking honestly about 2010, though, I realized that it's been a pretty hard year. I struggled with hormone imbalance, loneliness and depression, unhealthy relationships. God is present, though, and this year I've learned how to trust Him with my finances, what to do when I am lonely or depressed, who I can turn to when life takes a wrong turn. And the last 2 months of 2010 were eye-opening because they showed me just what can happen if I give up trying to control things and hand the reins over to God. And right now, I'm incredibly happy and 2011 is looking like a much brighter, richer year!

On a lighter note, though, one of the other things we do is list our favorite songs from the year and create a Burns' Top Songs CD to listen through throughout the year. The entire list of everyone's favorites can be found here: http://www.mydailyphotofix.com/2011/01/kazburns-2010-hits .

Here are a few links to some of my personal favorites for 2010 (showing my eclectic and unsophisticated music taste). Happy listening!

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey - final song of Dance Marathon (highlight of my winter!)
Extraordinary - Liz Phair - my boppin' antidepressant of the spring
Hey, Soul Sister - Train - summer favorite of mine and Dani's (сестра моей души!)
You're Beautiful - Phil Wickham - top praise song of the fall
Like, Wow - Leslie Carter - what was going through my head for the last month and a half of 2010 :-)

And my personal favorite for the first week of 2011? The Best Thing - Relient K