Hello friends!
Is anyone else thank u, next-ing 2018? I know I am, on repeat.
I want to say thank you to 2018 -- for showing me my strength. 2018 punched me in the gut countless times, but it also embraced me. 2018 told me I wasn't good enough and that I am special.
2018 was full of change. I moved six times. I learned deeply about God at JBU and KAA. I went to therapy. I turned 19.
Before JBU I had a small idea of what the Bible said and what Theology was. This year my mind has been radically reshaped and reformed. Made new. I knew little about what I wanted from a college education and I began to crave what I was learning at JBU. I am not the same person that I was before I stepped into a JBU classroom.
I didn't know Creation, Fall, Redemption (literally failed a quiz) because I had never gone to a substantial amount of Sunday School.
I had the courage and trusted in the Lord to transfer to John Brown University. I made amazing friends at JBU and hopped into community. I began an on-campus job that has taught me a lot about concentration and commitment.
I hosted a galentines. I learned a lot about the biology of things. I learned how to respect creation and delight in it simultaneously. I learned the benefit of making out-of-my-comfort-zone decisions.
I attended the annual Women's Retreat and loved every minute of it. I traveled to Chicago with a group of stellar people. I learned the history of Chicago, gentrification, about myself, and police organization. I also started a podcast (look at goals). Started therapy for a class.
I began to learn about ideation and the creative process and what risk-taking looks like. Saying "yes, and". Redefining self. I leaned into the community at JBU and continued to grow in Christ. My grandma was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
I finished a stressful course. I made my way through finals and papers. Ended therapy. I said sweet goodbyes for the summer. I came home to LOZ and began to rest. I mentally prepared for the summer ahead. I started training for a summer full of ministering to spunky 12 y/o girls. Said goodbye to my cat for good.
I worked at Kamp. I sweat SO much. I slept SO little. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I met amazing people from all over the country. Grandma started chemo.
I came home. I helped package fireworks. I moved from LOZ to a temporary house (my grandmas). I rested. I took a family vacation to Daytona Beach, Florida. I tanned, beached, and ran.
Spent time with my little sister. I rested, I moved into my fall dorm. I jumped into orientation festivities as an O-Leader. I ran and jumped around. I met my mentees. I started another jam-packed semester.
I went on a hike with friends. I ate some ice-cream. I went on some runs. I rested when I could. I realized that Integrated Humanities was going to be my major struggle. I learned so much about Greek and Roman history and literature. I drank a lot of chai. I started a new job. Grandma finished chemo.
I braced myself for the 7 papers that I wrote in two weeks. I sat in a lot of coffee shops. I called a lot of people. I started another new job. I stressed! I had my first anxiety attack since high school. Money became a serious struggle. The Lord moved mega mountains! Began learning more about essential oils.
November was a blur of papers, research, coffee. Relationships strained. Relationships cherished. Celebrated Thanksgiving half present, half in Purgatory (reference to Dante, not actual life lol). Went back to therapy. Started taking melatonin (blessing).
Wrapped up my Junior year fall semester. I finished 18 credit hours of class, put three jobs on pause, said "see ya's and love ya's" to my hall mates, besties, and friends. Got my first facial (recommend). Tackled eight Christmas celebrations. I rested. I envisioned. I broke and am healing.
2018 Resolutions:
*fulfilled
+in progress
^OOOF
Embrace+
Nurture+
Big belly laughs*
Wide Open Spaces*
Soul and Kitchen Floor conversations*
Embraces+
Random grocery store/kitchen/bathroom dances*
Nurture my body*
Exercising*
Stretching well*
Eating Vegan+
Drink lots of water*
Taking my vitamins*
Wear clothes that make you feel confident+
Nurture my faith+
Read scripture and journal daily+
Pray every day+
Practice gratitude^+
Nurture my soul+
Listen to more music*
Be around fun people*
Be fearless (!!!)+^
Run a 10K^
Do something that scares you every month*
Travel to 3 new places^
Do one thing alone every week*
Learn something new*
Listen +
Start a ministry *
Budget better+
Start a Youtube^
Fulfilled (*):
Big belly laughs
I laughed so much while watching vines, reading memes, racing cars down the highway, and while making so many fun memories.
Wide Open Spaces
I learn so much at school. JBU has become a space to learn and grow and to make mistakes.
Soul and Kitchen Floor conversations
I had so many soul shaking talks this year. Encouraging, hard, renewing, and heart shaking conversations.
Nurture my body.
Grocery Store/Hallway/Coffee Shop Impromptu Dances
"movement without a care of what it looks like, with only one intention–to feel something." Ahh, I did it. I loved it. Random dances.
Stretching well.
Y.O.G.A. Did it! Love it!
Drinking lots of water
Yes. 8 glasses a day. Rocked this one!
Taking your vitamin after you eat lunch
Started taking Care/Of vitamins and I love them. I feel comfortable knowing that I don’t have gaps in my diet!
Cleansing your skin and self-pampering
Rocked this one as well!
Listen to more music.
I found so much soul music. I made so many playlists. I loved this journey!
Be around fun people.
Yes. Rocked it!
Do something that scares you every month!
Did it! Rocked it! Went to coffee shops, new stores, traveled to Chicago, started a CAUSE ministry, spoke in Chapel, worked at Kamp, had hard convos, went to therapy. Fear stops me so much!
Do one thing alone each week.
Coffee shops, interviews, Kamp, getting a background check, and many many more!
Learn something new!
I learned to use my French press, I learned how to use Blackboard as a teaching assistant, I learned about theology, and I learned to drive a boat.
In Progress (+):
Nurture
This one was so hard. As a student nurturing and remembering to invest in self-care is hard. I struggled so hard. Self-care looked like getting enough sleep, using essential oils, making time to work out and taking up new hobbies.
Embrace
This word became trusting over the year. Embracing looked like clinging to God’s goodness.
Embraces
I got a tiny bit better about hugs. It is not my love language. Learning to embrace it though!
Wear clothes that make you feel confident!
Actually made a capsule closet. Still working on finding the balance between feeling and looking FAB!
Nurture my faith.
Read scripture every day and journal.
Major struggle. Months May, June, July, August, October, and November were steady. Need to work on this one!
Pray every day.
This is the difference maker. Didn’t get it every day, but I was better than last year. I am making that count.
Listen.
This is a process. I will continually learn to listen to others.
OOOF'S (^):
Practice gratitude.
OOOF. This is so hard. Gratitude in the small moments. Need to find this more!
Be fearless!!!
Again, OOOF. The last half of the year was riddled with anxiety and mixed emotion and surrender. Fearless (this will be a reminder!).
Run a 10k.
UGH! This got pushed aside! Working on it!
Be fearless!
OOOF!
Travel 3 NEW places.
Chicago, Siloam Springs, and ……
Budget better!
OOOF! This one was hard. I am really going to work on it this year! I have a spreadsheet tab open right now!
Start a YouTube?
OOOF! I am not sure…
2018 was a tough one with a steep learning curve. I pray that as each of you enter into 2019 that you rest in the greatness of God and rest in His promises and truths. God carried me through 2018.
I challenge each of you, as you read this, to evaluate your yearly goals. What didn't worked? What did you find yourself loving? What did you struggle with?
Having goals is a very important part of being successful and a fun way to challenge yourself.
Comment one of the resolutions that you kept in 2017! If you are interested in an accountability partner comment below ( I am wanting to set up a monthly reminder for accountability but want to put out feelers for who might be interested).
Watch for my next post that contains my goals/resolutions/words for 2019.
xoxo,
LH
