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Reap the Rewards: 2017

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Another year, another post.

I read my blog post that I wrote around this time last year and I can’t believe all that happened in 2015. However, all the stuff that happened to me prepared me for this amazing year. If you read it you know 2015 was one of the hardest years of my life, I almost went into a depression, my family went through difficult times, and I was desperate for some answers. I couldn’t carry the worry of what my life would look like with me any longer so I chose to believe in everything that I had been taught my whole life. To trust God with my plans and I really did. 

These were my words exactly at the end of 2015 last year..

I just want to say that I trust God that this year will be amazing. Regardless of future trials I may face, I know that God is purifying me through the process. I thank God for everything that happened this past year, because without it I wouldn’t be the person He planned for me to be. Just remember that no matter how hard things may get God already knows the future and what it holds, so trust Him in EVERYTHING. What He has in store for us is far beyond better than what we can ever imagine!”

So guess what.. it was far beyond better! This year was full of great blessings, it was filled with opportunities that I never imagined. I always listen to Joyce Meyer in the morning and I remember she said we can’t base our life on feelings or the bad situations that may happen to us. We have to push through and be faithful even when we feel at our lowest. This is exactly what I did at the beginning of the year, I pushed to be better at my gifts, to do what I could do in the little that I had. 

I started this year traveling back and forth from Dallas to Mexico, just building my blog and trying to grow my brand. I stopped my school for a bit after my dads accident, but even though I did I wasn’t just going to sit at home and do nothing. A few months went by and I wasn’t sure where my life was going to go, but again I trusted God and I had peace that whatever came my way was going to be good for my life. 

I remember my good friend Frank texted me and told me to help him launch this jewelry line and to help him with some social media stuff. Of course, he knew I was good at pictures and social media from the time I started my blog. I definitely had shown that I grew and I actually knew what I was doing. So I flew to Dallas and helped him for a few weeks.

I remember the day my parents dropped me off at the airport,  they asked when I was coming back to Mexico. I said “ I don’t know.. we will see” LOL prophetic word or what.. I really didn’t know, my plans were to stay in Dallas for the summer and then come back to Mexico. However after a month in Dallas I got a call from the CEO of this company telling me that she wanted to hire me to become their social media manager. 

 A week or so later I had a meeting with both of the CEO’s and my life changed. They offered me an amazing position, and this opportunity came literally out of nowhere.  I knew that Gods favor was with me and that they had seen my potential and gifts through my blog. My life changed in a month, obviously I called my parents and told them I wasn’t going to come back and I was going to stay. They were excited for me, and in a few months I rented a beautiful apartment with my best friend, and I started to work harder then ever before. 

I honored God everyday and thanked Him for everything I had and these blessings keep coming everyday.  I remember when I wanted something someone would contact me though my blog and they offered me the very thing that I was wanting. I seriously always laugh and ask God why He blesses me so much. I don’t understand, because I’m so underserving but I also know He loves me and I know that if I honor Him in everything I do and put Him first in everything I do I will reap the reward of that. I will always recognize everything He gives me so that that very thing can increase in my life. I declare blessings over my life everyday and I know God wants me to succeed and be fruitful and He will go before me and I will conquer anything that comes my way with His help. I know none of this would’ve happened without Him. 

I remember in 2016 even though I was at peace with wherever my life would go, sometimes I would feel really sad that I had no set plans. This is huge for me because I am the biggest planner there is. I basically carry a calendar with me everywhere I go. 

Anyway, one day I had a complete meltdown and I remember my mom telling me that God prepares us for different seasons. That just when you feel like you are wasting your life completely and it feels like months have been thrown away God rewards you for trusting Him and being patient. He will give you back the time “you wasted” times two! So after that meeting and my new position I knew God was rewarding me for giving Him complete control over my life and it was the best thing I could have done. I’ve never felt happier with my life and 2016 was filled with so amazing things that I know that 2017 will be full of even greater blessings. Its amazing to know that what I dream of is not nearly as great as what God has in store for me. 

So my advice on this new year is even if you are not where you would like to be.. still act like you are, work hard, and plan for the future you want. Just like the ant we should work hard in the seasons where we can. To me 2016 was a year where I worked hard on the thing that I wanted to see fruit in the future for which was my blog. I had nothing else to do so I made sure to invest  time in it, and then that is the very thing that opened doors to all my blessings this year. 

God says we have to be like the ant.. 

Proverbs 6:6-8 

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
    consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,
    no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions in summer
    and gathers its food at harvest.

The summer for me was 2015 through early 2016 and my harvest I believe was late 2016 and will be this new year 2017. We can’t be lazy guys and expect all good things to come to us out of nowhere. 

 God will see that you are faithful in the little things and will put you in positions bigger than you ever expected. We can’t live by the way we feel, if we did our feelings will always dominate and we will never be able to reach the things that God has in store for us. Feelings are fleeting that is why we can’t trust them. So if you feel lazy.. stop that and get things done! 

We also have to let go of the plans we think we should have to make room for the ones waiting for us. 

If 2016 was a year where you finally realized what you wanted to do in life then 2017 is the year to plan and take the necessary steps to get there. I think I am at a great place in my life where I can plan and make 2017 great, where I can accomplish my dreams and finally be the person that God has called me to be.

I will only disclose this on my blog because its super personal to me but ever since I was a little girl I remember locking myself in my grandparents office and putting kids worship cd and just singing. It was the best time ever.. I literally could do that for hours. As I grew up worship has always been my favorite part about a church, when I am alone I love to sing worship songs, when I am in my room alone I  just sing and I spend hours just singing and worshiping God. 

I realized that worship is how I express my gratitude to God, its the only way I can express how much I love Him and how grateful I am for ALL the blessings he has given me so this year I plan to take my talent and use it to glorify Him in 2017.

Hope everyone has an amazing 2017. I pray God blesses you in crazy ways so you can give the glory right back to Him, but remember work hard and you will reap the reward of that!

XOXO Dani Rios

 

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