The Best of 2013:
1. Getting Baptized On November 6th, 2013 I made a public profession of my faith in front of my church family at Brazos Fellowship, along with my little sister (Meredith). Although I had already been baptized as a child, I made the personal choice to take this step again when I knew it was right for me... and I'm so glad I did! 2. Starting a business Over the summer I launched this website for Redeemed Hearts Designs to showcase and sell Aggie items and accessories as well as some other faith-based items. In 2014 I hope to expand this business to include photography! 3. Reconnecting with friends and family It was a great year for personal relationships. I loved getting back to the basics of spending quality time with the core group of friends and family that mean the most to me. I finally learned to appreciate getting away from all the distractions of life and just making the most of whatever time we shared. 4. Learning how to manage money Thank goodness for Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University. I learned how to make a budget, SAVE, tithe, and still be able to give generously. I cannot stress enough how much of an impact this class had on my understanding of finances and planning! 5. Buying a new camera Yes, this contradicts #4, but this was a worthy investment if you know my passion for photography. I bought a starter digital SLR camera (Nikon D3200) and LOVE it! I spend way too much time trying to learn Photoshop and Lightroom, but that’s okay ;) 6. Seeing friends and family’s big moments and successes throughout the year One of my favorite weekends of the year was travelling to Fayetteville, Arkansas to see my best friends and watch Kat graduate from law school! Also, Kat got engaged this year—we can’t wait for her wedding in 2014! Other important events included the birth of baby Bennett Hobbs, the wedding of my coworker and friend Krystella, Brock starting his graduate program at SMU, Maddy getting accepted to Coastal Carolina, and my Mom’s one year anniversary with Bryant. 7. Reverting back to being a bookworm Thanks to Christy Brake and Ashley Grant, I never ran out of good reading material. I could write a whole blog reviewing some of the books I read (and probably will at some point) but below are some of my favorite reads: Radical by David Platt, Follow Me by David Platt, gods at war by Kyle Idleman, Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman, Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, Becoming Myself by Stasi Eldredge, You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth (don’t judge a book by its title),Crazy Love by Francis Chan, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, & A Woman and Her God by Beth Moore and other authors 8. Meeting the Still Creek Girls This has been one of the most special ministries I’ve ever been a part of. In the past few months I have so enjoyed meeting and spending quality time with the amazing girls of the Victory House. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2014. I am so proud of these girls! 9. Helping with Brazos Kids Teaching Sunday School in the elementary room has been quite a challenge but also a blessing. I have learned a lot from the other leaders and from all the kids. They bring so much energy and joy to Sunday mornings, and my heart melts when they participate in worship, listening, and learning about Jesus. 10. Being constantly challenged in my faith Between some of the thought provoking books that I’ve read, the dialogue with close friends and mentors, and the theological ideas that have been presented to me this year I have certainly been continuously challenged to consider and reevaluate much in my own life, and although it can be uncomfortable at times, it has all been for the best. Books like Radical and Follow Me have both challenged and inspired me to make even bigger changes in my life to fully understand the commands that Jesus gave us, and I can’t wait to see what that means for 2014! |