In Review

I know I already shared quite a bit about 2013, but I have a few more thoughts.

For the past five years, I have created a collage of pictures at the end of the year. It's been my way of looking back on everything that happened that year and remembering all of the good and bad things that happened.

This year, I started a folder early in the year and slowly added pictures to it as things happened.

Looking through the pictures, I realized how much and how fast things can change in a year. I look at pictures of myself from the beginning of the year and I see a girl who was pretty unhealthy and who had much longer hair. My bestie was pregnant in the beginning of the year and I have a picture holding her newborn son on the day he was born, the day I got to be in the room with her and experience birth for the first time. There are pics with friends who used to live here and have moved away. There are pictures with friends and family that have moved away and came home for visits. There are pictures at weddings and pictures from vacations and pictures from other various celebrations.

I love the stories that pictures paint. When I look at pictures, I can remember those exact moments like they were yesterday.

There are many moments from this year that weren't captured in a picture...and even though I don't have a physical reminder of them, I still remember them clearly.

I don't have pictures of moments spent with some friends and family and that makes me a little sad. I tend to forget how fleeting and precious life is, and sometimes those moments we spend with others can be the last time we ever see them.

One of my goals in 2013 was to take more pictures...and I definitely did that. There are still many moments I wish I had pictures of, but I am happy that I did better this year than I did last year.

I don't like New Year's resolutions and I don't like setting goals for myself that I know I won't keep. But I do have a few hopes and dreams for 2014.

I want to be even more intentional in my relationships with other people. I want to help people to grow and flourish...and I want to be more available for when they may need me. I am a lot less busy now than I was this time a year ago and I want to take advantage of that extra time by being more available to people.

I want to read and journal more...the Bible and other books. I do pretty good with my Bible reading either when I'm in a Bible study or when I'm following a Bible reading plan. But I want to pick it up more often when it's not "required" of me to do so. I also want to read more books again. I've had a hard time getting into a lot of books in the past couple of years, but I have really enjoyed the ones that I have read (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.). I just miss the days when I used to read more.

I am very excited for a few things that we have planned for this year. I think our lives are going to change a lot and I'm pretty excited to see how it all happens. I think 2013 was a big year of preparation for Josh and I. God brought us through some pretty tough situations and allowed us to experience many things that have helped us grow and learn so much. I believe everything happens for a reason and that God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose, so I'm excited to see the good He's going to bring...as well as to see and experience the tough situations that will refine us even more.

I'm pretty sure the best word to describe 2013 is beautiful. It was very tough in many ways, but it was also amazing in others. God brings beauty from ashes and I've definitely seen and experienced some of that beauty this year. I am thankful that He uses the tough things in life to shape and mold us into the people He wants us to be...and I'm excited to see how He shapes us in 2014.