This Past Year

My birthday is tomorrow. So I thought that I would take a few minutes and think back on this past year.

It's been a busy 365 days, for sure. There's been a lot of stress, laughter, chocolate, and tears. I've had so many experiences, it's impossible to fit them in this one post. I think that maybe it would be easier to show you just a few of the high points of this past year with pictures. In fair warning, let it be known that the majority of these will be grainy iPod pictures. Because sometimes you can't pause the moment to go grab a good camera.

Okay. So the Frozen bug bit me too. I listened to the soundtrack
probably as much as a five-year old girl did. But what I loved
even more was how my best friend would join in a duet with me
whenever I randomly burst into song and not question anything.

Terrible picture, but I do love my sister. So I loaned her a pair
of gloves while she pumped gas in freezing weather

BBC Sherlock series 3 came out. Not a big deal to non-fans,
but my sister and I fangirled together over it.

I took a couple of classes at the local community college. It was
a great experience for me, and I always went straight from chem
lab to quiz practice with goggle marks ;)

My siblings and I bond over Marvel movies. Particularly when we
sit in the theater through the credits. 

My bestest friend turned 15, and she and my sister and I had our
annual photo-shoot. This was one of the...more interesting ones.

I graduated high school! What was even more fun was getting my
senior pictures taken by previously mentioned bestest friend. 

My sister and I are have a strange relationship. We like to spin
in the snow and sprint through torrential downpours.

My finals Bible Quiz Nationals as a quizzer. I was so proud of
my team, as always. We did great, and it was such a joy to quiz
with my sister and best friend.

Another picture from Nationals. These girls are the best, and we
had such a great time as roommates! PneumonYA

So one lovely day, we sat in talked in a coffee shop for
probably five hours.

I was so blessed and so privileged to be able to go with a team
of fantastic Free Methodist Bible Quizzers to Kenya this last
summer. I've honestly been looking forward to this trip since
the first team got back in 2012, and I loved every part of this trip,
including the sleepless travel days and weird airplane food. When
I was trying to choose a couple of pictures for this post, I got distracted
and accidentally spent over an hour scrolling through these memories.

Kenya, I fell in love with you.

At a market in Kenya, I received this bracelet as a gift. It probably
won't come as a surprise that I've worn it constantly since I got it.

Just a couple days after Kenya, I got to spend an entire day with my
sister and some of our best friends! It was great.

My college came with a gorgeous view.

So far, I've spent a lot of time at college drinking tea and
rewriting/rereading notes.

It has been a fabulous year. God has taught me so much about relying fully on Him, and He's been providing every step of the way. I spent a lot of this past year stressed out: choosing a college, fundraising for Kenya, juggling two jobs and Bible quizzing, starting college... It hasn't been a super-easy year. But I'm finally starting to catch on that every time I feel stressed out, it is because I took my eyes off of God and started to get caught up in how everything could go wrong.

So. Here's to fixing my eyes on Jesus (which reminds me of this song) during the storms and the calms of life.

"Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.
"But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'
"'Lord, if it's You,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to You on the water.'
"'Come,' He said.
"Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'
"Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' He said, 'why did you doubt?'"

          ~Matthew 14:25-34 (NIV)