this is: 2013

1 // At the beginning of the year I attempted a 365 photography project.  It didn't last very long, but I like looking back at some of the pics I took.
2 // Chloe had a big party for her 7th birthday!
3 // I battled my way through my second class on teaching math.  And in February my dog died. :(
4 // In March I figured out how to make my own candles.
5 // Rachel, Ellie, Chloe, and I spent the day at the zoo together.
6 // In April Rachel and I went to San Francisco to visit Jorge.  It was the first time either of us had ever flown before!
7 // We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, visited the beach, Alcatraz, and Chinatown, and had an adventure.
8 // We explored a lot of downtown SF.
9 // During the summer Jorge came to visit us for a month.  We rode the tram up to the top of the Sandias.  And in July I got two cartilage piercings in my right ear!
10 // Toward the end of Jorge's visit he, Rachel, Ellie, and I drove up to Carlsbad Caverns for the day.
11 // At the end of August I moved to Las Cruces to go to NMSU!
12 // September 14, I bought my first car.
13 // I also went to my first football game!
14 // In October I went to a conference in Colorado with RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), the large Bible study group I've joined at NMSU.
15 // That month I also went to Angel Fire for a weekend with my family, and also pierced my nose.
16 // In November I hiked Tortugas Mountain in Las Cruces!
17 // I also went to the ABQ aquarium.
18 // And Jorge visited us for Thanksgiving.
19 // December 12th I finished up my classes for my first semester at NMSU and came home for a whole month!
20 // One of the things I did on my break was go with Rachel to the graduation of one of our closest friends.

At the end of 2012, I honestly had no idea all this would have happened in the span of just 12 months.  I visited NMSU for the first time in March, with the sole purpose of waiting to transfer til Spring 2014, and somehow got everything together in order to transfer Fall 2013 instead.  It's been an incredible journey!  God is so good.

Here's to 2014!

new year's resolutions '13

 source

I did pretty darn well with most of my resolutions for 2012...and then I did terrible on some of them.  But 2012 was a great year!  I'm glad the world didn't end, and am looking forward to 2013.

I have five primary resolutions that I'll be focusing on in 2013.  They come from a sermon my dad preached yesterday called "New Year's 2013: 5 Resolutions Sure to Spark a Revival in 2013".  I thought it was fantastic; if you'd like to listen to it yourself, you can go here to download it.

Primary Resolutions

1. Revel and rest in the sovereignty of God (Psalm 46).

2. Study the Word--read and meditate on it.  Don't be so concerned about reading the Bible through in a year, but rather on learning.

3. Pray (Matthew 6:9-13).

4. Fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:46-47).

5. Take a risk.

Secondary Resolutions

1. Treat my body and mind in a way that honors the Lord.

2. Memorize 1 Corinthians 1-4, as well as Psalms 46 and 51.  Also, review 1 Timothy fairly often so I don't lose it.

3. Read one good, edifying book every month.  Last year, I read 11 books in this category, but for the entire year I only read 31 books, while in 2011 I read 70.  So I want to try and read a lot more this year, specifically focusing on edifying books but also on classics, biographies, and things of that sort.

4. Give liberally, even if it seems like too much sometimes.

As for His failing you, never dream of it--hate the thought.  The God who has been sufficient until now should be trusted to the end.

-- Charles Spurgeon 

5. Get my computer fixed.  I think it has a virus or something, and I am just sick and tired of it.  So I'd like to figure out what's wrong with it sometime over the course of the year and fix it.

6. Complete a 365 photography project.  Some projects like this focus on a specific aspect of photography, such as self portraits, but since it's my first time doing something like this I'm just going to focus on taking at least one picture every single day, now that I have a camera!  I'll be posting on it about once a week, especially since it's on my bucket list.

Yesterday I finished reading "Tramp for the Lord" by Corrie ten Boom.  She ended her book with a poem that I thought was fitting to end a year on.

God is working His purpose out,
As year succeeds to year:
God is working His purpose out
And the time is drawing near--
Nearer and nearer draws the time
The time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God,
As the waters cover the sea.
-- A. C. Ainger

 Happy New Year!