I could literally go on talking about how incredible this past week was, which I will [eventually], or I could focus on all the crappy weeks I've had over the year. However, that would be kinda stupid, don't you think, to go to the past instead of to the present [I'm considering this week the present].
There were a lot of times I wish I didn't have to go through, but when it comes down to it, things improved drastically over the year, and this week topped everything off to the T.
I do want to go over the year though, month by month. Just to recap on highlights~
January:
This month brought my second to last semester at BCC in order to complete my AA. I had two classes each with good friends of mine. There was a seriously cute guy in one of them, so that made Monday's and Wednesday's a bit nicer. I went on a retreat with the youth leaders at my church. It was incredible and led to a beautiful connection with God.
February:
March:
Gosh! It makes me so excited for the future..
April:
It sucks to say that. The Firehouse thing, that is. I mean.. I really love serving and I love working with youth, but it came to the point where it was actually hurting my relationship with Christ, rather than helping it. I didn't like that one bit.
You see... The main reason I got involved with them was to have a closer relationship with Christ. After I graduated I wanted something that would keep me involved with the church, but I had no desire to go to a young adult's Sunday School class. It had no appeal to me whatsoever. So, I started helping out at Firehouse and it was really good in the beginning, but towards the end of the school year [this month specifically] I started to really become disinterested in it. The people irritated me as I went there, saw them hear the message, then leave and do the exact opposite. I really couldn't stand that because it was every time I was there. I just needed to get out.
May:
Let's see... I finished school for the semester, went to the Key's with my brother, sister-in-law, and their kids, Got Parachute's new album [PHENOMENAL!], got a poster signed by them [!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then my mom threw it away when I was at camp..], told Firehouse people that I would not be returning after I leave for camp, and got tickets for the Owl City/Mat Kearney/Unwed Sailor concert the next month [I ended up having to miss it due to my commitment to camp]. It was a pretty good month, overall.
June:
My best friend graduated!
June meant camp orientation, missing the concert but making good memories with good friends, the start of my mental preparation to spend the next month at camp. That's really all June consisted of aside from my last Sundays and Wednesdays at Firehouse.
July:
So a lot of good memories were had at Camp Wekiva, including the opportunity to meet some awesome new people and getting to be co-counselors with my former camper! We're pretty awesome as you can see in the picture above. Haha. Seriously though, that was one of the best weeks at camp ever.
I learned a lot there, and I will definitely miss it this summer as I won't be returning. But, I will visit :)
August:
Gosh. Just look at that. Isn't it incredible?! I took so many pictures of the sky this year just because of how beautiful it was. Miracles truly are everywhere.
Well, I started my last semester at BCC which ended up being pretty good. I started going to the gym, which, even though I haven't been to regularly for a month...I am still more in shape than I was before I started going.
It was a pretty good month, and getting back into things like school felt nice because I was back to being busy [I can't have too much free time without going crazily bored. haha].
September:
Rock the Universe!!!!
Asia and I went both nights this year, and holy. Moly. It was SOOOOO good. Switchfoot annihilated every expectation I had for them, as did many other bands like Relient K, Family Force 5, David Crowder Band, etc. SO. GOOD. It was a very good weekend even with the fact that we broke down on the side of 520 on the way there.. hahaha
September was a good month. School progressed and I was enjoying my classes. The gym was definitely a regular thing and I met some pretty awesome people there. I started to go through some realizations about my future regarding my major and a career. It was strenuous at times, but I managed to pull through.
October:
Things obviously got busier with school and such, but one important component in my life was lacking: my relationship with Christ was missing the fuel for His fire within me.
I'd been searching for something for myself since I clearly wasn't gaining anything to benefit my personal relationship with Him from Firehouse. And, just to clear things up, I have no problem with people from Firehouse, but I was only seeing the negative parts of it, rather than the positive, which I didn't like about myself and so I needed a way to change it. Everyone there is great and a few certain people have really helped me in my walk with Christ... Anyways, I was missing something very important, so I was on a search for that place where I could have that connection I wanted... I needed. My hope in that way fading though...
November:
Thanksgiving came around, I turned twenty, I graduated with my AA, got accepted into UCF, went on ridiculously fun excursions [as seen above], and found exactly what I had been in search of for almost six years.
In short, I found Fusion. There is a post down yonder [just go to "Let the notes I choose be Your favorite tune" to read it] going into detail about it. It was seriously one of the best things that had ever happened to me and I am still so in shock at how perfectly the timing... GOD's timing was for it.
It was a good month.
December:
School ended... I got all A's!!!! I was seriously so stinkin happy about that one because I was stressing over my accounting class all semester..
I went crazy with crocheting because I didn't have school which meant a lot of free time. And I mean a lot. Haha. I made a bunch of Christmas presents which was fun, but went a little crazy with buying them too.. I'm sorta broke now. Haaaa.
Christmas came and brought lovely memories. It was a really, really good year. I was so ridiculously blessed by what I received, but my focus was more on the fellowship with my family. It was really great.
This week basically made the whole week though. You see.. Asia, my best friend, is leaving for Mexico tomorrow [She flies to Texas tonight.. Pray for her and the other missionaries!!] and so we needed to do something grand before she leaves.. soooooo... we had ourselves a little Christmas party on Wednesday, but we ended up going to our friends concert where we discovered some seriously rockin bands. We hung out with them a little afterwards which was cool. They finally convinced us to give their next show a shot as they were playing in Melbourne. Well, they were really good and we had a ton of fun so we ended up going Thursday night to their show at House of Joe. So. Much. Fun. They are seriously cool guys and super talented too. We ended up chowing down at Steak & Shake which I experienced my first time hanging out with bands. It was priceless to say the least. Definitely one of the best nights ever. Which, by the way, leads me to say that you all [whoever reads this..] should check out The Winter Failure, Favoretta, Tell Tale Heart, Captive, and Ryan Shelley. Excellent musicians and you will not be disappointed.
Yea. So.. this month was freakin great.
Well.. this year had a lot going on, some crappy, some grandtastic, but overall the best year yet. I think that's the way it should be too, ya know? We need to focus on today and enjoy what we have now instead of wishing what we had back then or always looking for the thing that would make right now even better. We're lucky to even have this moment we're living in.
I have definitely learned a lot from several different people.
So, because music is a huge part of me and something I hold very dear to myself, on New Year's Eve I choose a song to listen to at midnight, thus making it the first song of the year. Last year I chose "Last Place" by Deas Vail. It is one of my all time favorite songs, but it also holds a very important message. There is a line in it that goes, "So go for the last place cause the last place will be the first." The whole song really sends this message that needs to be heard as well as put into action, but that line especially sticks out to me. It goes along with the verse, Matthew 20:16, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." It is all about putting others before yourself, especially Christ.
We are called to submit our whole self to Him, but we all know how hard that can be. That song acted as my reminder to put Christ and others before myself in everything I did this past year. There were definitely times of serious struggle, but I made it! Just because the year is ending and I have another song to be my focal point for this up and coming year, I will not put this year's goal to rest. I will continue to try and live out that song and verse.
So.. what's this year's song?
"Garden" by NEEDTOBREATHE
This song has always meant something huge to me, but this year especially. I want to make it my goal for 2012 to really live this song out.
There is a line that is always, always in my head... "Father, let my heart be after You."
You might have already noticed this, but that line was the title of the post about Fusion. It is something I feel needs to be heard daily.
It's a beg and plea that He will help us seek Him in anything and everything.
In everything I do this year, I want to be in search of Christ. I want to be after His own heart, and I want everyone to know what I live for.
This song has helped me through a lot, and really put into perspective for me just what is most important.
I pray that you all are with me for this goal. I don't want it to be just a goal for the year... I want to turn it into my lifestyle.
I am so ridiculously stoked to make this my song for 2012.
Speaking of songs.. Here is my top 10 albums & songs for 2011 [FYI, some of these may not have been released this year, but they meant something to me this year]. Also, these are in no particular order.
Albums
- "The Reckoning" - NEEDTOBREATHE
- "Vice Verses" - Switchfoot
- "Deas Vail" - Deas Vail
- "The Way It Was" - Parachute
- "All Things Bright & Beautiful" - Owl City
- Mylo Xyloto" - Coldplay
- "Young Love" - Mat Kearney
- "Barton Hollow" - The Civil Wars
- "Bon Iver" - Bon Iver
- Every other NEEDTOBREATHE album
Songs
- "Garden" - NEEDTOBREATHE
- "Thrive" - Switchfoot
- "Selling The News" - Switchfoot
- "Over Now" - NEEDTOBREATHE
- "Sooner or Later" - Mat Kearney
- "The Stand" - Hillsong United
- "Beautiful Things" - Gungor
- "Sixteen" - Deas Vail
- "True Love" - Phil Wickham
- "These Hard Times" - NEEDTOBREATHE
So many more great artists/songs, but these are my top favorites.
Ok, one more thing before I sign off of this seriously long blog entry...
My New Year's resolutions/goals!
Here they are..
- Set & keep a regular workout schedule
- Eat healthier
- Paint, sew, or crochet at least one thing a week
- Read my Bible daily & journal about it
- Call, not text, my friends at least three times a month [I mean.. you know.. talk to them on the phone at least three times a month instead of just texting them]
- Really learn to play the guitar
- Set aside 3-4 hours a week for music
- Put $100 into savings each month
- Bake/make something for family and friends at least once a month
- Write a reflection journal entry about the week
- Donate the month's spare change to an organization [I have a bunch of favorites]
- Do more hands-on activities with the kids I nanny
- Give back more than I receive
- "Why not?!" [It's all about doing stuff that you may not be comfortable but it's not gunna hurt you. In other words.. taking good risks!]
- Go for the last place [in reference to "Last Place" by Deas Vail]
- In everything I do, let my heart be after His [in reference to "Garden" by NEEDTOBREATHE]
And, my friends, that concludes my blog posts for 2011!
I wish you all a wonderful and safe New Year.
~Hannah :)
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