17 This Past Week
So, I turned 17 last Wednesday. Someone I know had posted a blog when he turned 30 that listed 30 things about that past year. I thought that was a pretty cool idea, so I'm going to list 17 things about this past year in no particular order. I may end up doing this every year for the rest of my life if I like it enough just because it is such a cool idea. Feel free to take it if you wish.
1. God - I don't know how this couldn't be first, even if it is no particular order. God has in the past year gone from a distant being that I barely know and that I'm not even sure if He loves me to the most influential and incredible thing(being, person, spirit, ???) ever! I wish I could put it in better words. He is so indescribable and I love Him so incredibly much!
2. Famly - Love these people, too, for the most part. They have been the biggest supporters and the biggest obstacles in my life so far, mainly because they have such an impact on me and how I see myself and others.
3. Friends - I actually have some of these this year, who I know love me for who I am and hang out with me because they truly care. This has been a new adventure for me and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Can't wait for another year with my best buds!
4. My Nephews - Although they were a part of my life late in the game, really only being around for the last four months, they have had the most incredible impact on me. I think the best feeling in the world is when they see you for the first time that day and their face lights up like you mean more to them than anything else in the world. They have also taught me patience and what being responsible for someone else is like. I love them so much!!!!
5. Depression - This one is not all that fun. But it is real and a part of my life I can't ignore. I have been more successful in dealing with it this year than any other year of my life so far and because of that, I have been happier and more free to be me.
6. Love - I must love myself before I can be loved by anyone else. This is a hard lesson I have begun to learn. To ask for love in order to feel like you are worthy of love never works. You have to feel worthy of love before you can truly receive and enjoy the love that is being given to you.
7. Joy - Smiles make the world a better place, and even if you have had a bad day, just giving a little joy away can fix your whole mood in a second. Giving joy means getting joy and God is the ultimate Giver of joy.
8. The Internet - I am nearing my first year of having access to the internet from my home...which is a good thing and a bad thing. The internet is highly addicting and will easily suck you in if you're not careful. But it is also a great place for information about almost anything. So I need to limit my internet exposure more than I am because my internet can survive a day without me.
9. Pathway Fellowship - I don't know why I thought of this so far down the last, but this place has been awesome! It is totally my second home! I love the people and the enviornment and even if my life is going wrong, I always feel safe, protected, and loved there beyond measure! Thank you, Pathway peeps!
10. Music - I have found new joy in Christian music as a way to combat depression and I have also quit playing an instrument. It feels like I am dedicating less time to creating music and more to listening to what has already been created. It is always a mood booster and I don't know what I would do without it.
11. School - I survived Junior year and, although I can scarcely believe it, I'm a Senior. Part of me is very happy about that, and part of me is devastated that my last year of youth group is slipping away day by day. I know I need to move on, but it is going to be very hard on me when I finally have to.
12. College - This year, I have decided on a college plan that includes going to ARC for a few year, then going to Wiliam Jessup University for the remainder of my degree that may(or may not) be in youth ministry. This is not a final career choice, but the one that I am most considering right now.
13. My Older Brother - He had talked to me about becoming more dedicated to God while he was in Las Vegas, but it didn't really sink in until he got here. Wow! He has been a great person to reprimand me in Christian love and to tell me when he has noticed me doing better in something that he has reprimanded me in. I don't know where he got what he knows about God, but it is benefiting me a ton right now and I am incredibly grateful for it.
14. My Baptism - Wow! I didn't ever know the impact that getting baptized in front of 200 people has on me, but wow! June 15, 2008 will be a day I never, ever forget!
15. Kristy Kasperik - The most incredible person to work with is Kristy. She is in charge of basically everything that happens with the church that isn't age or group specific, which includes the Good Friday Experience, Drama things, and all music things. I have been able to learn a lot about leadership by being under her leadership for many things and it is always a joy to be able to work underneath her on anything.
16. Wes Ehrhart - A great word for him is wisdom. He is very wise and can get me to think more than anyone else. The reason I have the relationship with God that I do now is mostly through Wes's teaching. He gives new life to the Bible in ways I never knew were possible and things like just asking questions to get the youth group to think has been incredibly helpful, along with the advice I have asked him for in numerous personal things. He is just a great guy with a heart truly set on God.
17. Me - Well, last but not least, is me. I think I have, through the many different people and things listed above have changed in ways that I only want to continue to see happen for the rest of my life. I think this has been an incredibly productive and joyous year for me and for my life. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me next!
