Rewind the 2014 VCR...

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a post about my New Year Revolutions. I was going to “[rebel] against all of the anger, fear, pain, and cruelty that has been holding me back, and [fight] for all of the good things that I deserve”. So that’s exactly what I did.

I had no idea that my year would turn out the way it did. I didn’t expect anything really incredible or amazing to happen to me. I was just planning on this being a year to be happy and work on my recovery. But God took those plans, crumbled them up, and rewrote them, just as He always does when I make my own plans. His Plan wasn’t for me to settle, it was for me to be bent so much that I had to break. I had to be plucked out of my comfort-zone full of the word “yes” and the words “it’s my fault” and He raised me up higher than I ever imagined possible. At the beginning of the year, I was broken and scared, and now, at the very end of this year, I find myself liberated, excited, and happy. I am happy.

So now, let’s take a look at those Revolutions I had wanted to do this year…

Personal Goals:

Get more into my faith

This summer, my faith grew stronger and it pushed me to believe in things I had only assumed could happen to the Apostles or the saints. The youth ministers from my high school youth group wanted to get the alumni together to learn more about the gift of the Holy Spirit and to spend some quality prayer time together. It was an amazing experience. I had so many spiritual revelations and I even discovered that I have a slight gift of prophecy. I also went on my first retreat since high school with the Campus Ministry at GMU and it completely changed my life! And I also signed up for SEEK 2015!

Make more good friends

Thank God for George Mason University! I have made so many good friends since I got into Mason. I met most of them at the Campus Ministry and from there, we started hanging out outside of the weekly dinners, texting all of the time, and doing homework together. I was even able to become better friends with some of my friends from NOVA. In fact, one of them is getting married in January, and she invited me and another NOVA friend to the wedding!

Write a tumblr to my future hubby

This was also a success, but, just like with the daily jar thing, it’s a little hard to keep up with it. It’s a nice way to get out my emotions. There are only certain things you can tell your boyfriend and even though I don’t have one, the blog acts as my complete third-party, just there to listen and not offer advice thing that I need. Plus, I have a whole bunch of cute pictures and quotes reblogged on there :)

Read more books on my reading list

I did get to read this year, but not as much as I wanted to. I think that’s how it will always be: I’ll keep adding to the list, taking out the one that bores me, and adding 3 more to replace it. But as long as I have books I want to read and a way to access them, I’ll be happy.

Academic Goals:

Keep my grades up

Totally accomplished! I finished my time at NOVA this last spring while maintaining a GPA higher than a 3.0 and having letter grades of a C or higher. It took me a while to get all of the paperwork figured out, but all of my hard work got me into Mason! And after my first semester here, I have a 3.0 and passed my last Stats class ever with a C.

Get into George Mason

See above! (And yes, I saved my acceptance letter into my special box…)

Get into the DCP

I got in!!!!!! Did I think that it would happen? Absolutely not! For a week before finding out, I was completely certain that I didn’t get in. But that was not in God’s plan. I ad just gotten to Statistics and class had only been in session for about 2 minutes when I got the email. Thinking it was from a professor I had emailed earlier that morning, I opened it to find my acceptance email sitting in my inbox! I tried so hard to keep my excitement contained, but I just couldn’t do it and I left class for a few minutes to call my mom (who didn’t even answer… how rude). I accepted the offer for a Merchandise role and I am leaving February 7^th for 6 whole months!

Creative Goals:

Finish the book I’m writing with Katherine

My goal was to have it finished by the time she got home from her mission, but that didn’t happen. I was able to add to it, but I’m not entirely sure if it will ever be finished. She and I did it on a whim and didn’t really plan out an ending. It’s a semi-decent plot that needs some serious work. Maybe one day…

Do more writing for my other books and blog

I have come up with a couple of new story and blog post ideas. There’s this one book idea that I am particularly excited for…

Take a painting class

Yeah, this didn’t happen. But I did paint more! I tried a few different techniques and got some new canvases done. Painting has really become a source of peace for me. When I’m feeling anxious or stressed or even when I had strep over the summer, I always find something new to paint.

Scrapbook more

Again, this didn’t happen. But I’m going to take so many pictures while I’m in Florida that I will have no excuse not to scrapbook next year.

Fitness Goals:

Go to the gym at least once a week

While I didn’t go once a week, every week, I have gotten into a pretty decent regiment. I got back into Zumba, which has been awesome.

Become more at peace with my body

I joined Weight Watchers in the summer, and while some weeks are a lot harder than others, I feel like I have a firmer grasp on my health and I can only seeing things looking up!

Travel Goals:

Visit Arcadia in Philly

After going back and forth about logistics and whether to drive or to take the train, I got everything to work out so that I could visit her! The main reason for me to visit was for her high school graduation party, but we also went into the city and walked around. She showed me so many cool sites and I was exhausted by the end of the day.

Spend Spring Break with Kristin in Florida

It’s hard having a best friend who lives in another state because I hardly ever get to see her in person. Even though I couldn’t see her over the break, I plan on spending as much time as possible with her while I’m in Florida.

Go to Alaska in the summer

Yeah, that was a long shot to begin with. But I got to do a bunch of other things this summer. I got to visit Arcadia in Philadelphia, surprise my family in Louisiana for my cousin’s wedding, finally see the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, got a job at a daycare, and so much more!