My favorite photo that I took in 2016
1. On January fourteenth, my friend Sophie and I spent the day downtown, exploring museums and walking around the city. I posted pictures of our adventures here. During this visit, I told her about difficult internal struggles from my past, and her gracious, unfazed response provided the peace and confidence I needed to stop obsessing and trying to vindicate myself. The experience changed my life.
2. I started online college in January, and submitted my first research paper on Leap Day. So far, I have enjoyed my classes, learned a lot, and developed greater confidence in my diligence to get work done and truly learn.
3. On February twenty-first, Sophie flew out for a two-month mission trip to visit and serve with a family our church partners with. This was the longest I had been parted from her, and it seemed to presage future obstacles of time and distance, so I was anxious about it for months in advance. Through various means, God worked in my heart to prepare me for this and change my perspective. It ended up being a significant and life-shaping experience for both of us, and when she got home, it was amazing to talk about all that God had done in our lives.
4. I read 340 books this year, and if you count picture books, I read 700 books total. Speaking of reading, on April sixteenth, I attended the grand opening of a new library in my town. This was tremendously exciting, and I have since made good memories there with friends.
5. As I experienced tremendous character development in my life this year, I funneled new perspectives, realizations, and feelings into my stories. Because of my time commitments this year, I did not have many opportunities to write fiction, but what I did accomplish in that sphere is valuable to me.
6. In May, I attended a homeschool graduation and subsequent party, celebrating Sophie and Reaghan, friends from different chapters of my life. It was special to spend time with them afterwards, hang out with Levi and Caley, and later fill half a journal with excessive detail and reflection. It was a great day.
7. I went to Michigan with my dad in May for his cousin's wedding, and we went back in August for a family reunion. Both trips were great, and I enjoyed spending time with Dad, seeing relatives, and having adventures. I wrote about the family reunion trip here. On the trip home in May, Dad and I stopped at Ohio State, because my fictional characters attend the college and he suggested that we stop by and explore. I had a glorious time, and blogged about the experience here.
8. I learned about OCD and how it has affected my life, further understanding and healing from the past. I learned how to rewire my ingrained thought patterns, and if I had grown up with Disney and knew what the tune to the song was, I'd sing, "It's a whole new world!"
9. This summer was the best of my life, and a significant part of that was the study I did with a small college group from church. Everyone but me has now scattered in various directions, but that just meant that I appreciated the experiences even more, soaking them up while they lasted. Levi needs to brace himself for an excessively long quote post come March.
6. In May, I attended a homeschool graduation and subsequent party, celebrating Sophie and Reaghan, friends from different chapters of my life. It was special to spend time with them afterwards, hang out with Levi and Caley, and later fill half a journal with excessive detail and reflection. It was a great day.
7. I went to Michigan with my dad in May for his cousin's wedding, and we went back in August for a family reunion. Both trips were great, and I enjoyed spending time with Dad, seeing relatives, and having adventures. I wrote about the family reunion trip here. On the trip home in May, Dad and I stopped at Ohio State, because my fictional characters attend the college and he suggested that we stop by and explore. I had a glorious time, and blogged about the experience here.
8. I learned about OCD and how it has affected my life, further understanding and healing from the past. I learned how to rewire my ingrained thought patterns, and if I had grown up with Disney and knew what the tune to the song was, I'd sing, "It's a whole new world!"
9. This summer was the best of my life, and a significant part of that was the study I did with a small college group from church. Everyone but me has now scattered in various directions, but that just meant that I appreciated the experiences even more, soaking them up while they lasted. Levi needs to brace himself for an excessively long quote post come March.
10. I had many fun times with friends this year. There were too many special experiences to name specifically, and that's really nice, given how I used to dramatically lament to my mother that I would never have friends. I'm so grateful for the special people God has brought into my life.
11. During the summer, I volunteered at a local refugee ministry's reading program for kids. I greatly appreciated this opportunity, and even though my schedule has not allowed for me to get involved in the school year tutoring program, I hope to return in the spring semester.
11. During the summer, I volunteered at a local refugee ministry's reading program for kids. I greatly appreciated this opportunity, and even though my schedule has not allowed for me to get involved in the school year tutoring program, I hope to return in the spring semester.
12. I went to the beach with Sophie in late July, and it was a glorious end to my perfect summer. I posted pictures and anecdotes here. I had not been to the beach in a decade, and it was wonderful to go back with her. Even though we had car problems, the trip was magnificent, and I journaled about every single detail that I could recall. Even the mundane or difficult parts of the trip make me nostalgic, because it was all so special.
13. This fall, I started volunteering in youth group and attending book studies with church ladies. It has been a good way to feel more involved in my church plant, since I'm the only one my age. I miss Sophie tremendously now that she's in college and no longer part of my everyday life, but I have adjusted far better than I expected.
14. In October, I went to the Switchfoot and Relient K concert which I ecstatically blogged about here and here. This was a significant part of reconnecting with my friend Victoria, whom I had been out of touch with during her college years. Seeing my favorite bands in concert together was tremendously special, and I'm glad I got to share the experience with her.
15. This year, I forgave two significant figures from my life. One was a person I never knew I had anything against but apparently had repressed anger towards. The other was someone who hasn't been part of my life since March 2013, but whom I have vocally loathed with the depths of my soul. A true application of the gospel frees me from both of these issues: I can forgive the person I loved, because they are forgiven in Christ, and I can forgive the person I hated, because the gospel empowers me to see them as a human individual in need of grace, not as the incarnation of everything I despise.
16. My Ohioan friends Emily and Elizabeth come to visit me every summer. (I blogged about this year's visit here.) I got to see them twice this year, because they came this week for part of Christmas break, staying at my house from Wednesday night to Friday morning. Spending this bonus time with them was a wonderful way to wrap up a great year.
Former lists: 2015, 2014, 2013
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