It's my birthday...and I'm 23...weird. I'm not supposed to be the one growing up. I'm the baby and the one who sees everyone else get older...anyway I was thinking over this last year and how many things have changed and how crazy it has been. I've gotten to know myself better and learned what it's like to transition from one major point in your life to another. So I stole this idea partly from Becca's blog but 22 things I've learned about myself and things that have happened in my 22nd year of life...
1. I started an internship with Harvest Hands and didn't know what to expect!
2. I started the busiest time of my life to date while recovering from pneumonia and my little heart episode...looking back not sure how I managed but thankful for all I experienced in that time and it for sure taught me boundaries and balance.
3. I realized just how much of a people pleaser I am and decided I need to work on that...
4. Traveled a little bit...the Florida Keys, Michigan, Costa Rica, Michigan, Chicago, Seattle, back to Michigan...
5. I gained a sister...not just any sister but someone who I've looked up to a large majority of my life and was so excited for her to become a part of our family
6. I learned that you may think you have your life figured out, but God has other plans.
7. Oh yeah...I graduated from college.
8. Offered the job to lead Harvest Hands summer camp and was terrified I would fail...had a great summer and worked with great people I can now call friends...I don't think I failed.
9. Realized how true the phrase "You can't get something clean without it being dirty first" is
10. Embraced the fact I'm a hopeless romantic
11. Was transformed into someone who knew nothing about children and was scared to death of them to realizing my love for them and I actually like working with them each day.
12. Blessed with a full time job doing exactly what I wanted but thought would take 10 or so years to get to and laughed at God's humor in leading me to a stay in a city that I thought I would leave as soon as I could.
13. Realized how much Baby Girls transformed my life and was instrumental in where I am and who I am today...and crying on some Wednesdays because I can't be with them anymore
14. Went through a small state of depression trying to transition from college life to the real world
15. Realized I am who I am and all I can do is embrace it.
16. Found genuine community and a Nashville family with Harvest Hands
17. Watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds for my own good...not ashamed to admit I would be completely okay with marrying someone just like Agent Morgan.
18. Wrestled with and thought about tough issues like what it looks like to live out God's Kingdom here on earth and what true reconciliation looks like
19. Built on relationships with old friends and made new ones
20. Realized how much I really do hate odd numbers...weird I know.
21. Got my nose pierced which wouldn't be a big deal to some but in a weird way was very symbolic of actually doing something I wanted to do instead of considering everyone else's opinion.
22. Learned and continuing to learn you can't grow without putting yourself out there and taking a risk even if it does mean you might fail
Not sure my 23rd year is going to be quite as exciting but we'll see what happens... :)