Top Moments of 2013

CAUTION: This post is very long and descriptive. If you are not prepared for that, you may choose to just read the underlined words. Enjoy!

At the end of a year, I always like to look back and reflect on what happened that year. 2013 has been a year of lasts and firsts. There have been so many amazing memories made this year. Also, this year has brought a lot of change. Throughout the ups and downs, God has remained the same. He has blessed me beyond belief, and I am so grateful for all He's done in and through me. Here's a list of some of the most memorable and awesome things that have happened in 2013:

~Joining A New House Group - My cousin Anna leads a small house group (Bible Study) at her house, and she invited me to give it a try. After the first night, I LOVED it!! Not only did we read and study the Bible, but we also applied it to our lives. Anna made sure to show us how much God loves us. Every week we met, we shared some pancakes while putting together our journal for the week and digging into the Word. I got to know some amazing, Godly girls in this group, and I know that some of the friendships I made will last a long time!

{my house group girls}

~Class C All-State Trip - So many fun memories were made from this weekend! A big group of students in my band traveled to Kearney for a few days. We made some great music with lots of other musicians and had lots of fun. I got to room with three amazing girls who are silly, hilarious, and so caring. Because of some nasty weather we had to stay an extra night. Even though I would've loved to sleep in my own bed, that extra night was awesome. It was great to bond with the girls for another night and relax.

{fun at Class C All-State}

~Prom - I was blessed to go with a great group of friends to prom. My neighbor who has a limo let my dad drive us in it to prom. We all loved riding in style! Prom was great, but I think post-prom was even better. We all dressed up in some country-wear and headed out in the country to a barn for some line dancing. I don't know if you know this about me, but I love dancing!! Especially line and swing dancing. We had a blast! Of course, there was post-post and post-post-post prom as well. After all that fun, I was definitely ready for bed.

{my prom group}

~Senior Chapel - Towards the end of the school year, the seniors get to lead chapel at Lincoln Christian School. This year was our turn, and it was amazing! After a few worship songs, we had an open mic. People shared their favorite moments from Lincoln Christian School, thanked the teachers for all they'd done, and opened up about their struggles. At the end we sang the song Great I Am and walked out with cardboard testimonies. It was so amazing to see humble, broken people changed by an awesome God!

{cardboard testimonies and Great I Am}

~Graduating High School - Well, one of the biggest things that happened this year was graduating. I made some amazing, Godly, fun friends and many great memories at Lincoln Christian School. High school was definitely a time of growth for me as well. I'm thankful for the experiences I had, and I will always look back on that time fondly.

{receiving my diploma from my dad}

~Senior Music Road Trip - Right after school got out, most of the senior music students went on a road trip. We drove to Wisconsin and then onto Minnesota. We went to a water resort for a few days, toured some caves, learned how to swing dance, went shopping at the Mall of America, saw the Sistine Chapel, and much more. There were so many cool things we got to do, and many great memories made. I'm so thankful that I got to spend a few days with some amazing people!

{the crew}

~Mexico - This summer I had the opportunity to go to Mexico for the second time. As always, it was an amazing trip! It was so cool to see the little girl that I connected with last year. I am so passionate about children, Spanish, and sharing God's love, so this trip was perfect for me. I experienced God's great power and love in Mexico.

{Gabi and I}

~Starting College - The most monumental thing that happened this year was starting college. God worked out everything perfectly for me to go to Hastings College. I live with my aunt, uncle, cousin, and brother. I love being able to live in a home and have my own space. Because of the great change, this has probably been one of the most difficult, but fun things that's happened this year. I have learned so much and grown a lot in this new season of my life.

{new friends}

~Starting A Blog - I had wanted to have a blog for awhile, and I finally decided to go for it. I haven't blogged a lot, but I've enjoyed it so far. I like being about to share my thoughts and memories with others. Hopefully I will post more this next year!

{new blog}

~Road Trip to Kansas City - My cousin and I went on our first road trip by ourselves! We drove to Kansas City, went shopping, and went to a concert. My new favorite band, Rend Collective Experiment, played in Kansas City. They are such an amazing, fun, worshipful band! I love all of their music, and it was great to see them perform live. Experiencing this with my cousin was great. I love her so much, and the trip was tons of fun with her.

{KC with Jessica}

~Tim and Molly's Wedding - My wonderful brother married the love of his life this fall. The wedding was outside on a farm, and it was so beautiful! It was so cool to see their amazing love for each other. I had so much fun on the wedding day with my family. I'm so glad that we got to welcome his bride into our family. She is so fun and caring!

{Zach girls}

~Finishing My First Semester of College - Completing my first semester at Hastings College was exciting! I made it through a semester successfully. I'm studying elementary education and Spanish, and I love them both so much! Also, I've met some great people and made great friends. This semester has been filled with ups and downs, but I know that God had me where I was for a purpose. He has done some great things these last few months.

{fun with a new friend}

So many great memories were made this year! I'm thankful for many great old and new friends. God has blessed me so immensely. There were many big decisions that I had to make this year that I stressed over for awhile, but I had to just trust that God would work it all out, and He did! In 2013 I learned a lot about God's faithfulness and power. I doubted Him so many times, but He was working in all my situations and struggles. I'm thankful for all that has happened in 2013 and excited for all that is coming in 2014!

{the cry of my heart}

Dear God,

You are holy and mighty.
I cannot comprehend Your infinite power.
Your grace is indescribable, none can fathom!
I am so lowly and unworthy of Your love, Lord.
I am humbled and in awe in Your Presence.

I want to know You more.
I want to be fueled by passion and love for You.
I want my gratitude to turn into giving.
I want to let go of myself and grab onto You.
I want to dig into Your Word because Your love for me compels me to,
       not because I have to check it off my list.
I want to do things because Your love compels me to,
       not to look good in others' eyes.
I want to live a grace-filled life,
       not a works-basked life.
I want to let love reign in all aspects of my life.
I want to be transparent and honest.
I want to use my time wisely because it's a precious gift from You.
I want to use my God-given talents as much as I can to give You glory.
I want to work hard at all I do.
I want to be patient and loving even towards those who aren't loving to me.

Fill me with Your Spirit.
None of this can be done without You.
I commit my life to You, Lord.
I am Yours. Do with me as you want!

Amen.