2012 in a nutshell.

As a tribute to every single cheesy VH1 countdown ever, I've decided to take the time to share with you all ten amazing moments of 2012 (in no particular order).

To all of the people that I've met in the past year--I give you my heart. You all have a special place in it.
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1. God's promise of a future and the plans that He had in store for me being solidified in my Wok & Roll fortune cookie.
There is surely a hope for you, and that hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18

2. One (of many) days that I spent at the river with my roommate last spring. The first real day of spring; a break that I desperately needed.

3. Summer 2012--a time of a LOT of personal growth, understanding, and most importantly, an understanding of how loved I am by my friends, my family, and my Father.

4. RISE 2012! I got to meet some of the sweetest, most wonderful girls who I am so happy to call my sisters during this weekend. 

5. Meeting, and bonding with, this incredibly lady in my life. Someone through whom I have learned about love, perseverance, and finding peace within myself.

6. Any and every moment with any combination of these people. First group dinner of the year. Long live the BCG crew, the best group of friends that anyone could ask for.

7. Fall Getaway 2012! The weekend that I found my ministry, and the people that I'm blessed and humbled to be surrounded by. An awesome time of learning, growing, and understanding that our faults are not what define us, but pave the way to becoming the better person that we are destined to be.

8. First picture with my soulmate, a girl I know that I can count on for anything. Who knew that a math class would bring to girls together so closely, and help me redefine my relationship with Christ, as well as other people, whether she knows it or not. I am so excited to continue growing and sharing life with her!

9. The decision to be a part of the Rise staff for a second year in a row was not an easy one to make, but I am so thrilled that I get to serve the Lord as well as the freshman/transfer class of 2013 next summer. I am so excited to get to know our staff members in the spring and form relationships with my brothers and sisters that I haven't even met yet!

10. And last, but not least, the decision to live with these girls in the fall. I don't know how or why God decided to put us together, but living with them is going to be SO MUCH FUN! I am so blessed to be surrounded by awesome sisters who are committing their lives to Jesus, growing, and learning right along with me. Our prayers for the fall are already being lifted up to God, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for this group of girls and the people who we serve within our home! :)

From tearing my hair out, to falling on my knees, to lifting my hands up high, 2012 has been a year for the books. I can only pray that 2013 brings about as much growth and change as this year then. Because I am so ready.

1:07 am seems as good a time is any.

After a few days of procrastinating, cleaning, and packing (mostly procrastinating), it's finally done. I am finally packed and ready to head back to the 956 tomorrow. Now that I don't have a million and one things to do, I've finally been able to take some much needed extensive quiet time to talk with my Daddy Jesus. Doing this has caused me to reflect on the past 6+ months of my life, and how much it has changed. Drastically, I might add.

Seeing as how it's the end of the year, lists are abundant, as well as recaps. So here is 2012 in its cracked little nutshell. Let's look back, shall we? I'll make this quick. After a few months of literally having force myself to write words that were deemed "happy", "positive", and "grateful", I was exhausted from having been alone, tired, and afraid of what my future had in store for me. My grades were borderline probationary. I lived in San Marcos for my first summer away from home. And I was completely alone. Then came the beautiful month of August, where everything turned around. I got to meet these amazing people.

Rise 2012 has been one of the biggest blessings in my life by far. It was an incredible way for my eyes to be opened to the plans that the Lord had for me this semester. The relationships that I made that weekend are the strongest ones that I have today. Something inside of me changed over that span of 4 days. I came back to school a month later more eager than ever. Lacking a campus ministry, I was worried about where I was supposed to be, but six weeks into the semester, everything settled itself. I now have the best support system that anyone could ever ask for. That's where these people come in.

I am quite literally the happiest that I've ever been. I ran into one of my pledge sisters a few weeks ago, and she told me that I was "glowing". I'd never received a compliment like that before, and it was just another one of the tiny things that happened to me that reminded me of the greatness of Christ's love for each and every one of us. I am finally enjoying the life that the Lord made for me, rejoicing in His mercies, and teaching myself to love unconditionally. My goals have included becoming more transparent, more approachable, and more loving towards my brothers and sisters, all anxieties cast aside. 

For those of you who have walked along side me on this part of my journey, I give you my whole heart. Amazing things have happened to it this semester, and there's something inside of me that just keeps going. 

It's been a year of ups and downs, but I am forever blessed that it is ending on a high note. Goodbye 2012. And 2013... get ready.