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2011 in Review

As I've mentioned before, 2011 has been rather steady, not all that exciting, but a good year all in all. Here are my highlights:

1. Icepocolypse 2011: 5 snowdays, bookended by 2-hour delays, this week in February was marked by mimosas with my roomies, lots of sleeping in, needing to call AAA just to get my car out of its little parking spot, venturing to Fresh Market on 5 inches of pure ice, and--once the roads thawed a little-- HOURS of round robin ping pong with friends. And I even won a round.

2. Permanent School Counseling Job. So grateful. And espcially thankful for two special girls, Mary and Jamie, who I got to work with. (They have both moved on to other positions now. But we had some good times)

3. Castaway/Young Life/Best Week of your Life. <--totally an overstatement. But I rather spontaneously agreed to be a counselor at a Young Life camp in Norther MN this summer. It was lots of fun climbing rock walls, ziplining into a lake, and tubing. And it was humbling to lead a group of precious and hurting girls for a week.

4. Spanish Class! My friend Stephanie asked me to take a beginning Spanish class with her this summer. I like to think of myself as a quick study, as I had markedly less Spanish knowledge than anyone in the class. But I learned....some...and feel that I have the basics enough, that I could study some more on my own, should I decide to.

5. Northern MI with the high school gang.

Always a highlight, and this year did not disappoint. I almost learned to water ski.

6. Random funness: Canoe-ing down Sugar Creek, Chinese Massage, picking sour cherries, listening to selections from Les Mis at the Hilbert downtown, Seis de Mayo en el partio part II, Christmas crafts, many many weddings, Keith and Kristyn Getty concert, going to a Colts game (my third one--who would've guessed that 3 years ago!), etc.

7. The 30-Day Shred.

So intense (for me...that's relative) I had to make myself a sticker chart just for incentive to do it. But now I can do (a few) guy pushups.

8. Spontaneously running a 1/2 marathon. Without training. And getting my 3rd best time ever

Here's how that went:

Me: Hey Carolyn, want to go run the Monumental tomorrow?

Carolyn: Sure.

9. Reconnecting with a friend from Jr. High

This one barely snuck in 2011. I was traveling to Marion, OH and detoured to the town where I spent my jr. high years, getting the chance to catch up with an old and dear friend. We were next door neighbors, practically attached at the hip. You could find us walking home in fur-trimmed puffy coats, singing along to the Lion King in my karaoke machine, practicing front handsprings on her trampoline, or walking to the convenience store down the street. Lots going on in NW Ohio. Jessica was also much wiser to the world than I was, and taught me about many things that I'd blush to mention today. I'm not sure she had the most accurate knowledge, but who was I to know the difference?

10. LIVE 11 at my church.

11. Serving at my church--I took on the role of co-leader of our Bible Study, I chair the social committee for a group of us in our 20s, I did crafts at VBS, and took part in a women's leadership class this summer. I also served homeless veterans, delivered bread to people in a local neighborhood in need, served widows at a Valentine's dinner, and helped plan a women's retreat. My Sundays in 2011 were often the busiest day of the week.

12. Deepening friendships with some quality people here in Indy.

13. Chaperoning Homecoming.

Ok, maybe it's a lowlight. But it was certainly a first

14. And speaking of lowlights--10 yr HS reunion.

But it happened, and I'm glad I went for 15 minutes or so. Quite literally. And I'm glad my sister in law and I were in the same graduating class because I would've checked out of there about 14 minutes earlier had it not been for her.

15. Meeting with a mentor for 7 months or so, and talking through the basics of my faith

16. Learning the process and pain of biblical confrontation. Fun? Nope. Humbling? Oh yeah Sanctifying? For sure

17. Taking on new responsibilities at work

18. Crafting endeavors with my friend Mary. We fell into a routine of hanging out once per week, BYOC (bring your own craft), and catching up over dinner or coffee, fabric pieces, hot glue guns, and felt.

19 CDL. Code name for Sunday-night cooking hangouts at my friends' house. Everyone brings an ingredient, and we cook and laugh and hang out. It's the perfect way to end a weekend.

There you have it! How was YOUR 2011?

Contenders

Joy
Hope
Established & Firm
Light
Bold
Still
Whole
Faith
Valor
Secure
Rest

Victorious
Humble
Prized
Daughter
Trust
Not shaken
Merciful
Living Sacrifice
Upward
Committed
Emptied
Unburdened
Fixed
Fulfilled
Undivided
Compassionate
Tender
Intentional
Pray

Rooted

Secure

Unshaken

Steadfast

Last year, I followed the myoneword movement (myoneword.com) and chose "faith" to guide my thoughts and actions in 2011. in theory at least. what i found was not how faithful i could be, but how faithless i often am. but what's more, i saw god be faithful even as i was capricious, unreliable, unsteady, and faithless. it was a good year---nothing all that notable (oh, except i was hired to work permanently in a school i love. what a gift.) but i feel like i've hit my stride here, in indy, with friends, in my role in my family, in my work.

i confess that i often hold "big things" in life on a pedestal, and quite honestly, have set them up as idols that i desire. but the peaks in life are so totally not sustainable. they're peaks only becuase they rise above the terrain of the everyday. most of my 365 days of 2011 were definitely flat road. it was a relatively easy ride. but i want to claim 2011 not as boring, not as marking time, not as going through the motions, but for what it was: a testament to a faithful God.

so i'm looking forward to this year, and am once again thankful for new beginnings. resolutions and my one word to be published soon!

Psalm 73

Beginning with verse 23:

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

i love this, and i have nothing to fear.

Reading list

Some of my favorites from 2010 and 2011... In no particular order

1.Through Gates of Splendor--Elisabeth Elliot

2.Girl Meets God--Lauren Winner

3.A Hunger for God--John Piper

4.Three Cups of Tea--Greg Mortenson

5.Outliers--Malcolm Gladwell (actually, anything by this guy)

6.Let the Nations be Glad--John Piper

7.Committed--Elizabeth Gilbert. (Not because I necessarily agree with her views. But I love the way she writes)

In the words of Mia, "I LOVE BOOKS."

On gifts and the giver

I have this friend, Holly. Here she is.


(Pardon my bloated face. That's the look I typically go for during the holidays. Loverly)


Anyway, Holly is a fellow blogger...quite more consistent though. I actually mentioned her in my last post....She and I have known each other since we were three years old, and were best buds growing up on Crestview. We truly lived our childhoods together. We would walk the 1/10 of a mile between our houses holding hands, hoping that the cars driving by would think us conjoined twins. Had it been possible, we would have willingly attached ourselves to one anothers' hip. We played Barbies, started clubs (the most notable one, we named the "Armed Pits," for which, together with our brothers, we dug a hole under their big pine tree in the side yard. I think it was some kind of trap. Don't ask...). We had a book of secrets (probably more than one) and had some inside joke where the phrase "pickle legs" would send us into hysterical giggle fits. I could quite literally, spend a day telling you of the many memories of my elementary school days that involved Holly.

Over the years, our friendship has changed, but, and this is really cool...our moms are friends, and the four of us have always gotten together at least once over the holidays to celebrate Christmas. This is a loooongstanding tradition, and it's pretty awesome to look forward to each each. Anyway, this year is going to be especially awesome since it's going to involve pajamas, pizza, and playing a game of Taboo that we has been on pause since last December. Hol and I are in the lead. We are also going to divulge our deepest darkest secrets. Kidding, kidding. But, we did commit to intentional reflection, and the sharing of meaningful thoughts from 2011. So I need to kick it into high gear and start some serious reflection on 2011. It's been a good year, a big year, and all in all..yeah...one for growth.

Christmas season is upon us. How do I know? Because there was a line outside of Target this morning at 7:30, a half hour before it opened. Don't even get me started. Btw, this is my public reminder to anyone in the Indy area--stay away from 82nd and Allisonville from now until Dec 26. It'll take you 90 minutes to park at Castleton. You have been warned.

Anyway, Christmas always makes me think about Gifts as an expression of love. And so I was particularly primed as I read from the book, A Hunger for God, this evening as he write about our satisfaction in the Lord. You see I've always wanted to walk the delicate balance of being satisfied yet still hungering for more righteousness. Being content yet dissatisfied with the way things are. Its a tough line to walk, indeed. Once I finish the book, a post will be forthcoming. Stay tuned. But I'm getting into my classic Christmas-reflection mood, where I think on the past year.

And this year has been one marked by God being faithful, even when I am faithless. God being always gracious when I am so often not. God being the same, when my desires change in a moment. When 2011 began, I chose a word that I wanted to guide how I lived and thought and prayed, and I chose "faithful." I had high hopes of growing in my faith and choosing to live in such a way that would mark me as a faithful doer of the Word. "Faithful" is written on cards and tucked away in places that I will see throughout each day...in my closet, taped to my work desk, in my wallet. I wanted to saturate my life with reminders to be faithful in habits, thoughts, words and deeds. And even now, I think that's a good goal, but that's not really what happened. Certainly the Lord has been good and gracious and has helped me grow in some areas, but the overall lesson this year? Not that I am now somehow more faithful, but that God has ALWAYS BEEN.

I could sit here and spend the day recounting stories of his faithfulness, not only this year, but throughout my life. And what I'm most grateful for in His faithfulness is his steadfastness. He does not change even when the only consistent thing in my life the past few years has been inconsistency...in things both in and out of my control. His faithfulness, His provision, His sustaining grace...These are the gifts for which I am thankful, these are the things I will recount when I gather with an old friend this holiday season.


Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

30 before 30

it's been a josh groban kind of week.
and by that i mean, it's cold and windy and mellow and melodic and sad in a bittersweet, filled-up kind of way. November does that to you.


so i have this friend (hi hol!) who published a list of 30 things to do before she's 30. and i was like, ooooh interesting. i shall steal her idea.

and so i did.

and so here you go, because i am getting up there people, and i want to live with intention and l'il fun (NOTE...don't think for a moment that these are my 2012 resolutions. Oh no...these are just experiences I want to have, not necessarily habits I want to cultivate. There's a difference.)

Anyway:

1. Climb a mountain.
2. Read the whole Bible.
3. Watch the BBC Pride and Prejudice
4. Actually learn calculus.
5. Go to a waterpark. like, a real waterpark
6. p90x (i'm also open to any other trendy yet intense workout such as the 100 push up challenge that may come out in the next year)
7. See nova scotia or some other beautiful coastal place
8. Take the Perspectives class.
9. Sew something that worthy to be worn. in public
10. Bake homemade bread
11. Spend an afternoon in a cafe in a city I've never visited before
12. Garden: take 3. Actually grow something. Make the partio a place where people want to spend a summer evening.
13. Go antiquing.
14. Refinish an old piece of furniture
15. Fast and practice the discipline of silence...Regarding something specific (more on this later, I'm sure)
16. Surprise someone
17. Plan a weekend trip for my fam
18. Run a trail race
19. Make homemade Christmas decorations that look like they're out of Better Homes and Gardens
20. Go to New York City
21. Have a conversation in Spanish
22. Save a substantial amount of money.
23. Take a dancing lesson or lessons.
24. Memorize Colossians
25. Jump on a trampoline again. It's been years
26. Organize my big blue desk and all the papers in it. This will take an entire weekend.
27. Host an afternoon tea
28. Host a formal dinner party
30. Waterski (didn't go too well last summer, but I have patient friends)

I reserve the right to edit this list. I have just over a year and a half. Wish me luck.