Wow! I've just read over my last - and only - blog and choked up on that last bit about Jesus having faith in us to do what he's called us to do... That was February wondering if we really would be able to buy this house. I never doubted it really, just couldn't see how it would happen (isn't that the definition of faith?!). Well, I'm sitting in 'our' house. We became the owners on 18th Dec. We have been loaned £10,000 and been given another couple so a third went on the deposit and the rest is going on making this house look and function more like a home. What more can be said other than 'Praise God!' as 'every good and perfect gift comes from him'.

We have got no further on formal youth work but have chatted to some people about policies and procedures etc and Dave and I intend to start going out for an evening a week in the New Year. We have been developing relationships with three young girls (and their families) who come to see Grace on a regular basis. It was a privilege to have them come for Grace's 1st birthday party and a blessing to see them playing in a safe and warm space rather than wandering around the estate in the cold and dark. They even turned up on Christmas day and took a mince pie!

And back to Jesus trusting me... to lead a team (aaah!). What more can I say, it really is a faith builder and has made me turn to him for every step as I feel so inadequate and unprepared for the task. Most of the time I feel 'why me, I'm only a teenager'. But God, for some crazy reason seems to have faith in me and people are still behind me/with me so I can't have screwed things up too drastically yet. 'One day at a time' I think should be my new motto, or 'never take your eyes off Jesus' or 'pray continuously' or just 'HELP!!!' that one's quite effective!

So as I look at moving into a new year and look back at last year I can't deny that God has trusted me enough to use me and I can trust him to keep using me. And although I'm weary from desperately trying not to sink and drown, I remember he's the one who told me to get out of the boat, he's the one who brought me to this place - the buck stops with him!