2011: An Awesome Year

Today I have been given the special gift of time! Yay, so what do I do? I go to the West Chester University Library! Typical me. Honestly, I think I have a broken "relaxer." That and I get bored with doing nothing. So here I am, working on Hebrew and reflecting on the past year. I have decided to be intentional about both of these things. I really enjoy Hebrew, so I do not want to fall behind when I could be getting ahead. As for the reflection, it just seems to keep popping up everywhere I look: you need to be reflecting on the past year. I think this is a great idea, so it has moved to the forefront of my agenda. Oftentimes, we 'get through' the Christmas season and then spend the week between Christmas and New Years devising a New Year's Resolution with no critical analysis of our past year. I strongly recommend caution against concerning this. Here are some of my reflections thus far:

Big Events. 2011 has be a 'big event' year for me. Chronologically (not necessarily in order of importance):
     (1) last December around this time: I decided to go to seminary over pursuing Ph.D in psychology.
     (2) January: I came under care of my session as an inquirer, making my decision 'official.'
     (3) February: I visited PTS and loved every minute of it. I applied.
     (4) March: I got accepted to PTS!
     (5) May: I graduated WCU!
     (6) June: I came under care of my Presbytery as an inquirer!
     (7) August: I won my first HSHL championship as a coach making me the first woman to run the gauntlet!*
     (8) September: started my 1st semester at PTS!
     (9) December: completed my 1st semester at PTS!

Priorities. During a bible study last Wednesday, my pastor recommended looking back on 2011 and listing your top 5 priorities. I would echo what he said and suggest that you all do the same. This is what I've come up with:
     (1) God.**
     (2) Family/friends.
     (3) Church.
     (4) Academics.
     (5) Spiritual, Mental, & Physical Health.

Small things. If you think about the big things, you must think about the 'small things.' I call them 'small' because to an outsider they may seem insignificant or unimportant in the grand scheme of things. "Blessings that are easily overlooked," if you will:
     (1) Board games. One of the best ways to guard your mental health at seminary!
     (2) Unnecessairly long Skype dates. I usually have a purpose of contact that would take about five minutes to discuss. Yet, these Skype dates tend to be well over an hour long and involve talking about nothing.
     (3) Walks. Alone or with a buddy. It's awesome to just leave things and go for a walk admiring the simple things in God's creation.

People. In my opinion, the most significant impact on everyone's life. People.
     (1) Friends. I've alluded to just how important friends are in several of my previous posts, but I just want to emphasize how much of a blessing friends really are to someone. I mean, personally, I'm too boring to want to hang out by myself all day. Plus, they're always there when you need 'em!

     (2) Best Buddy. I am lucky enough to have the best buddy in the whole wide world. She's super cool, understands me better than even I do (which is saying something), gives great advice, and is always there. She has had a monumental impact upon my life, and for that, I am eternally in debt!

     (3) Mentor. If you don't have one, find one! If you have one, thank them! Unfortunately for you, I have the greatest one in all of existence! Sorry ;). A woman from my church who has influenced my life in such a noticeable way. She has become like a mother to me in so many ways, and my faith journey very well may have looked significantly different without her influence and help every step of the way.

     (4) [Oh] Brothers. Lucky for me, I have two of these that I love very much. Now that we're all 'adults' we get along much better and provide such a sure foundation for each other.

     (5) Parents. They made me who I am today, no doubt. I find myself turning into them in so many ways. For instance, just the other day I said, "What is this garbage music that kids are listening to these days!" and a vivid memory of each of my parents saying the same thing some years ago popped into my head. Oi vey!

     (6) Pastors. They have the best job on the planet in my estimation! It can be a tough job at times, but the rewards are second to none. Several pastors have had serious impacts on my faith and life journeys. Their counsel has made me a better person, especially over the last year!
     (7) Kids. This is just a general category, but kids are awesome. They bring joy and laughter into all situations, and I think its a shame that they all grow up. Kids are definitely my favorite kind of people to have a lunch conversation with!

Well, I have written far more than I intended (sorry if your eyes hurt), but remember--today, I have time! =) Keep in mind that none of these lists are meant to be exhaustive--add et al to every single one of them. Anyway, chances are if you are reading this blog that you have made an impact on my life, and for that I thank you. I am very grateful for all of these blessings! Overall, I would say 2011 was an extremely good year for me. It has changed and formed me in ways far beyond my wildest dreams. To this I say, "Thanks be to God!"

*Winning a championship as a JV player, a Varsity player, an adult league player, and a JV/Varsity coach.
**I like to thing of God as the my center of gravity instead of first on a list. Kind of like the thing that everything else is affected by and revolves around.