2014: Another Chapter Coming to a Close

2014. This has truly been a year I will never forget! I have looked forward to this year since 2010- the next BIG year of my life because I would graduate college. I never knew I would have loved this year for so many more reasons than that! I have grown SO much over the past year, it is mind blowing to me! I have experienced joy and heartbreak, I have lost loved ones, grown in my faith immensely and truly began to enjoy this beautiful life God has given me. As I look forward to 2015, I cannot help but get super excited to see where God is going to take me. He took me out of some of the deepest pits of pain and frustration this past year that I have ever experienced this past year and brought joy and healing from them. I can only begin to imagine what 2015 will bring!

So as 2014 comes to a close, I want to share with you a few of the highlights from this past year!

January 

In January I started my Child Life Internship at Beaumont Children's Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. This was definitely a blessing in disguise! It became apparent that the site was not a good fit for me early into my internship, and I struggled quite a bit throughout this time. But, God truly brought me through it and showed me what my true calling is. While I did not see the end of this struggle until mid November, I learned so much about myself from the time I spent at Beaumont and would not change it for anything!! 

 

February

I turned 22, and my peanut turned 2! It has been so awesome watching Levi develop a little personality!! He is definitely one of my favorite people to spend time with! :) 

March 

I finished my Child Life Internship!!!!!!!!!! Turning in my badge was truly one of the happiest days of my life! It was such a relief knowing I was never going to have to go back! 

I was able to take part in my final Middle School Tool Time. I cried so hard, as this is an event that I miss more than words can say!!! It has been SUCH a huge blessing doing these events over the past four years!

April 

McKenzie Grace was born! Definitely the highlight of April, and definitely one of the top highlights of the year!! I love this little girl more than any words can say!! 

May

Graduation!!!!! Ahhhh. It was SUCH a relief to be done with school, but bittersweet about the concept of leaving Concordia. 

LONDON!!!!!!!! Definitely one of the top highlights of the year, if not my life in general. I LOVED this city more than words can say and I truly cannot wait to get back there someday!!!!! I had so much fun, and learned so much about a different culture!

June

In June I started work for one last summer with the Maintenance team. It was definitely the best summer ever!!! My co-workers were so much fun, and we had a blast! I miss them so much!! 

July

I got to go to the Toledo Zoo for the first time in many years with my good friend Andi! We had a blast seeing all the animals and walking around for the day!!

August 

In August I moved out of my dorm at Concordia for the last time. It was very bittersweet with a lot of tears. It is still hard for me to believe that I am already done with school!!

September 

In September I started my job at the BLOCK Youth and Teen Center! It has been such a HUGE blessing working with these kids over the past few months, and my co- workers are awesome! It has been incredible to me to see how God has oriented each step of his plan for me and seeing how each piece is falling into place. 

October

In October I got to see my good friend Jessica in her fall play "Little Women". It was so awesome to hang out with friends and see Jessica shine! :)

November 

In November I got offered the job at Shelterwood!!! I spent months praying about this opportunity, and it was such a HUGE blessing to be given this opportunity! I truly cannot wait to move to Missouri and start working with this incredible ministry!!!! 

December

I had the privelege of singing in my first Boar's Head as a alumni, and I actually got to watch the performance and not perform for the first time ever. The performance brought me to tears, it was so beautiful, and I loved every minute of it!!!

These are some of the more fun things I experienced over this past year... There were also MANY struggles. I had relatives pass away, my car was dead for 3/4 of the year, I had many, many, many financial struggles, friendships fell apart, depression and anxiety wrecked havoc, and I decided to change what I was doing with my life a 1/3 of the way into the year. If I am being honest, this was probably one of the most frustrating, irritating years I have ever experienced. 

But now sitting here at the end, I am humble and amazed. I am blown away to see how God brought me through each of these moments. I could not have gotten through this year on my own- it is in Christ's strength alone that I made it through! I am blessed to see how many friends and family I got to enjoy spending time with, and who stuck with me when times got very tough. 

I posted a pic like the one below last year, and I still love the quote this year. But there is a difference this year, and it's my resolution for 2015. I am not going to be the one writing my story this year. Over the past year, I have worked hard to give control of my life and learn to trust to God, and that is truly my only goal and hope for 2015, that no matter what I face or encounter that I will go about it in a way that is pleasing to God and brings others around me to him. 

This year challenged me in a way that I truly cannot put into words, and yet in a lot of ways I am sad to see it go. It's a little bittersweet, just like most of the this year has been. But if 2014 was this incredible, I can only imagine what 2015 will bring. So here is to a New Year following Jesus and going wherever he leads me! I can't wait! <3 nbsp="" p="">