From 2013 to 2014 ~ A New Adventure!

I cannot believe that it's already 2014.  It seems like I was just writing a new year's post for 2013 a few months ago!  What happened?  Has time sped up or am I getting old?!  ;)

Last year I laid out some things that I wanted to do/work on this year.  This is what I wrote:

And in 2013, I hope to....

• Read my Bible and/or devotional every day
• Memorize more Scripture and KEEP it in my head
• Be a better sister
• Be a better daughter
• Be more responsible 
• Be more patient
• Keep raising money for a trip back to China
• Keep advocating
• Learn Chinese more fluently
• Finish reading through the Bible with my family
• Learn how to do the splits
• Keep practicing pointe
• Keep writing and working on stories
• Continue journaling often
• Keep practicing photography

Some of these were things that I had not been able to do or keep up with in 2012, and some were things that I had done in 2012, and wanted to keep doing.  I'm happy to say that I learned how to do the splits, I memorized more Scripture, and I read my devotional every day (and later on in the year, I read my Bible almost every morning).

Do I still have things to work on throughout 2014?  Have I made mistakes?  Do I have regrets?  Of course!  But I choose to look beyond those things.  I'm thankful that Jesus paid the price so that I can leave those things behind without worry and look forward with hope to the new year.  I'm thankful for this wonderful, hopeful, fresh start.  I'm thankful that I have a new year to look forward to.  I'm thankful for God's mercy and protection throughout this year and for his mercies and protection that are promised to us for this coming year, whatever it will bring.

  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

23 

They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

24 

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

    therefore I will wait for him.”

-Lamentations 3:22-24

Throughout 2013, I have....

• Grown closer to God, definitely.  He's taught me a lot and grown me a lot in Him this year, and it hasn't always been easy, but He's brought me through it all, and He's strengthening me through it.  :)
• Gotten into the Bible more.
• Learned a lot about things in general--life, family, friends, growing up.
• Grown closer to family.
• Met new many friends, who I'm really thankful for, and grown closer to other friends.  
• Gone to Disney World for the first time and met Peter Pan!  :)
• Fell in love with Rend Collective and their music, and got to see them in concert/meet them.
• Been able to reach out and be Jesus' hands and feet to people.  <3 li="">
• Got a banjo!
• Turned 14 and moved up into 9th grade.  Had a Captain America birthday cake.  :)
• Seen Iron Man 3 and Thor 2--the Marvel superhero movies of this year!
• Went into the hospital three times again (like last year), but God was still good to me.  :)  
• Began working through a huge journal.  :) 
• Got a new, very exciting story idea and began work on it--then lost everything!  Still holding onto the idea, though.
• Learned more Chinese language and dance.
• Learned a few Irish words.  :)
• Began volunteering at our local library 1-2 days a week.
• Read some good books.  :)

On New Year's Eve, most people (including myself) make up a specific list of things they want to do throughout the next year.  This year, yes, there are things that I want to do.  I want to keep reading my Bible and devotional every day, and journal every other day and see certain movies (like Frozen and Captain America 2)!  I want to keep volunteering at the library, visit our friends at the nursing home and at the hospital.  I want to read more good books.  I want to blog regularly.  I want to write more stories.  I want to learn to play banjo and guitar well.  I want to learn more instruments.  I want to go to another Rend Collective concert.  I want to be a better follower of Jesus.  I want to grow and learn in God.  I want to grow closer to family and become a better daughter and sister.  I want to be a better friend to all my friends.  

But most of all, I want to do more of what truly, really matters in life and less of what doesn't.  I want to spend more time doing fun stuff with my little brother than I do on the internet.  I want to be more responsible and patient, instead of procrastinating and getting easily annoyed.  Most of all, I want to grow in my walk and relationship with Jesus, because I never know how many new years I'll see, and I want to make sure I put the most importance on what matters the absolute most in life.  

And I can't do these things on my own.  Not at all.  Above all, I want to give this year to Jesus.  I want Him to teach me and lead me and guide me through this year.  Because then I know that it'll be amazing.  :)

So, my resolution, hope, prayer--whatever you may call it--for this year, for 2014, is that it would be led by Jesus, in a close, intimate walk with Him.  :)

God bless you guys, and Happy New Year!  

Joy :)

Christina.

If you've been following my blog for a while, you might remember this girl.

Christina.  I've been friends with her a loooong time.  :)  I love this girl!  She's pretty much the sweetest person I've ever met.  She's so extremely thoughtful and kind.  I'm not exaggerating at all--she's a sweetheart.  :)

Christina and I met at dance back around 2007 and 2008.  We became really good friends in 2008 and 2009, and we've gotten closer and closer.

Christina and me in 2009

Dance recital 2009 with our friend Katie Beth

She's my bestie--we can have serious heart-to-hearts and hilarious late night conversations.  :)

Christina and me 2010

We've kind of grown up together these past few years.  We've both changed, but we haven't grown apart--we've grown together, and I think that says a lot for our friendship.  :)  Christina lives in a different state, almost an hour away from us, but we still stay tight!  :)  We text when we can (although this girl is a very busy, very awesome student!), and we get together when we can.  We've made a tradition of going on a fall break trip the past couple of years.  The first year it was a cabin at a state park near us, and last year it was in Alabama where we have family.

Fall trip 2011

Fall trip 2012

We go swimming at each others' houses.....

I've spent my thirteenth and fourteenth birthdays with her.  :)

Thirteenth Birthday

Fourteenth Birthday

Christina puts up with me with all my weird quirks.  ;)  We "lol" a lot (remember lol rehab?).  :)

She gives some of the most thoughtful gifts....this past Christmas, she made a scrapbook of us that can be added to in later years!  :)

She's like an extended member of our family.  She gets along with Luke so well.  Someone thought once that we had adopted her after Luke.  ;)

We can go without seeing each other for a couple of months and then jump back into our own groove when we do see each other....going back to our heart-to-hearts and jokes.  We share music and movies (I'm in charge of this girl's superhero movie education ;)).

Christina, her sister Tara, and me after swimming (and a sleepover later) at their house last month.  :)

We had a powdered sugar fight!

We share a love for other countries and cultures--Christina is learning French and has family all over the world (including China).  

This girl is one of the best friends I've ever had.  I know we'll be best friends for the rest of our lives.  I'm so thankful for her!  :)

We're besties.  :)

I love you, girl!  :)

Summer 2013!

I have been meaning to post this for a looong time.  Better late than never, right?  :)  Summer is almost coming to a close....but we have about a month left, and I'm not going to rush it!  :)

Prepare for a picture-heavy post.  ;)

I finished school on May 24th and boy, was I happy!  The best part about it was finishing Algebra 1.  Praise the Lord.

We've been having friends over and swimming....

Excuse the goggle marks on my head.  ;)

We went to the zoo.....

They have an exhibition going on right now where you can pet stingrays and small sharks--it was definitely the highlight for me, and for all of us, I think!  :)

It's MELMAN!

The elephants were really neat.  One of them was born in the early 1960's!

Big, grumpy gorilla.

 

 

The Chinese exhibit where the pandas were was, of course, one of my favorite parts.  It's pretty realistic!  :)

 

Camel ride!  It was really rhythmical and easy--not like I expected!  :)

Petting stingrays (their stingers were clipped, of course)....

 

That's my older brother, Colt, in the white cap (his girlfriend Amber is beside him), and my cousin, Trey, in the green/yellow shirt.  :) 

 

A little sibling love.....

We went to a friend's wedding (Samantha and Michael).  It was great.  And we finally got to wear our new sundresses and cowboy boots!  :)

Samantha, the bride, changed into this cute dress for dancing at the reception.  We didn't get a picture of her in her actual wedding dress, but it was really pretty--it was a mermaid style.

Mama's cowboy boots are on the left, mine are on the right.

Sorry for the slightly blurry picture.  :)

Instead of having rice or bird seed or bubbles thrown/blown when they left, Samantha and Michael and the rest of the wedding party/guests released balloons!  It was really cool.  

We went to a carnival.....

  I. Love. Carnivals.  The seven-year-old in me comes out when I see the carnival set up in our town.  ;)

 

I never get sick on rides.  But this made me so nauseous!

 

We've been buying/checking out books at the bookstore, used book sale, and library....

We've visited cousins and cousins have visited us.....

After swimming in the rain.  :)

These two are so close--I love it!

Oh, and there was the 4th of July!  :)  Happy Independence Day....God bless America!  :)

Sparklers

All the girl cousins coordinated with patriotic nails.  :)

A rainbow showed up on the 4th....

My cousin the over-sized leprechaun.  ;)  

We've played many games of UNO.....

We've played some tennis.....

We've gone fishing.....

Aaaaand, I started a volunteer job at the library!  I love the library.  :)  I work in the children's room.  I shelve, mostly, and I've come to take a lot of pride in "my books," as I call them.  ;)

It's been a good summer so far.  :)

CAKEPOPS!  :D

How has YOUR summer been?  :)

God bless you guys and have an awesome day!

Joy :)