Reflections on 2004

• What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before? Got pulled over by a cop (no ticket, thankfully!)
• Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? The story behind my New Year’s resolution is a weird one, and the resolution itself was rather lame because it was fulfilled at about 12:38 a.m. on January 1st. I am planning on making a better one next year.
• Did anyone close to you give birth? No
• Did anyone close to you die? Myself…“unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies…”
• What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004? Contentment
• What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? December 1st, because it’s the day I became an adult
• What was your biggest achievement of the year? Working as a full-time summer missionary and succeeding in my new atmosphere at the community college.
• What was your biggest failure? Every day I failed miserably, falling completely short of God’s perfect standard. At moments I thought I was succeeding, in God’s eyes I was truly failing. Praise be to His marvelous grace that will not let me go!
• Did you suffer illness or injury? It seems I got sick right exactly at the worst time to be sick every quarter. Something to do with the stress…
• What was the best thing you bought? My cowboy hat!
• Whose behavior merited celebration? My faithfully supportive and encouraging friends and family
• Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My own
• Where did most of your money go? Fixing my car, gas, scrapbooking supplies, clothes, food, gifts, and movies, in that approximate order!
• What did you get really, really, really excited about? Anything I did with my amazing, wonderful friends
• What song will always remind you of 2004? “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot
• What do you wish you'd done more of? Laughing, learning and loving
• What do you wish you'd done less of? Wanting to cry and not being able to cry
• Did you fall in love in 2004? Deeper every day
• What was the best book you read? The Bible of course, followed by many others tied for second. Of books I read for the first time, probably Desiring God by John Piper
• What was your greatest musical discovery?/new artist for 2004? Big & Rich’s awesome harmonies in “Holy Water”
• What did you want and get? A cd player for my car and more freedom
• What was your favorite film of this year? Spiderman 2
• What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 18, went to a basketball game, and had a surprise birthday in the shop
• What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Deeper faith in God and His perfect control
• How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004? Jeans, t-shirts, and beginning to lean towards skirts and sweaters. Innumerable coats/sweatshirts and any pair of flip-flops that struck my fancy :-)
• What kept you sane? My God and my family, and some of my friends. The other ones kept me insane, and some did both. :-)
• What political issue stirred you the most? The presidential election, abortion and gay marriage
• Who did you miss? Different people at different times
• Who was the best new person you met? The best completely new person was Jenny Harley, but I also enjoyed renewing old friendships with Jessica Quimby and my “Prom Friends” (as my siblings call them)
• Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004: God knows all my moments--past, present and future--and loves me immeasurably. He wants me to be holy and happy, two things which are NOT mutually exclusive. Only through following His perfect way am I truly happy.
• Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: “I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life!” Daryl Worley