2008 has ended...

Disclaimer: *I am kind of copying off Courtney right now, but it's true for me as well and I wanted to copy because it was a good post.*

I have had two years of my life that I have always said are "the best years ever." One was 2001...because I was a year into college and finally figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be...I became close with the friends I would walk deeply with for my entire college career...and longer...and I experienced the Lord in ways I had never experienced him before. Ways that shaped how I believe and changed how I lived. The other was 2005 because I started dating my husband out of nowhere that year and we also were engaged soon after...I started working at The Village, a place that I had already started serving with my whole heart for free and felt like I was supposed to be...and I was introduced to Mute Math's music....they are the best band ever, so it's only appropriate.

While those years are still considered "best years ever" I will now add 2008 to my list. 2008 was a year of transformation. Not only did the Lord teach me a LOT, but He changed me in several ways that I definitely could have never accomplished on my own. Our home group met soon after 2008 started and John Wright asked us what our 2008 resolutions were. I'm not a big resolution person because who ever keeps those? But, I did say that I felt like 2008 was going to be a year of growth in every area of my life...and it really has been. Not that I'm amazing and godly and without sin or anything, but there have just been subtle things that the Lord has asked me to give over to Him and He has helped me do just that...some of things include finances, health, my marriage, my time with Him, work and many other things. Trust me...He is still working in those areas and there are many more, but it's awesome to look back and at least see a small difference.

Another great thing about 2008 has been the deepening of friendships...this is the first year that we have a group of friends that are "our" friends...not just my friends, or his friends. It's awesome! We love all of the people the Lord has around us and it's been so cool to grow together and learn together.

On a less serious note...here are some of my favorite moments from 2008 (that I can remember right now), in no particular order:
1. playing catch phrase on new years eve with the smiths, the walkers and the fox's and josh walker saying "he is the guy who promotes those yellow arm bands" and all the boys yell "lance armstrong" and josh says "oh wait...he's the first man who walked on the moon"

2. portland with the warrens...voodoo donuts, arguing with john about EVERYTHING..especially by the tree, meeting john's family, et in the park, and just walking around the city talking

3. missouri and memphis with the walkers...the fact that they got ticks in my home town (everybody gets ticks on their first visit), the lady in the parking lot who took our picture and told us she thought "we was special," graceland, the fact that they actually wanted to go to my nephew's high school graduation, i wish david and jillian were there :)

4. our road trip to north carolina...seeing ben, amy and tyler in nashville, seeing my family in little rock and thayer, driving through some beautiful scenery, learning so much about our marriage at the marriage retreat, spending lots of quality time together

5. all the countless times i got to hang out with sarah (even though we just run errands together because we're boring grown ups now)

6. watching lost with the hofmanns...especially when the eye scared us and the girls screamed

7. when dj prayed for the scarecrow at babe's

8. i love my job...lunch with my lunch buddy...bex, working for josh and bleecker and having a good time while kicking butt, the fact that i love everyone i work with, staff retreat, crying with isaac, bleecker and john, mafia, pistols and pedals, anytime that we have worshipped together as a staff, getting to see weddings and babys being born all over the place

9. getting to know my husband more...being vulnerable, laughing, crying, and growing deeper in the Lord together

10. times with our home group

11. hanging out at the burger's house for all kinds of random occasions with sarah..playing catch phrase with vernon, hearing titus stories, seeing baby justus come into the world, laughing about stupid stuff we did in college or telling funny stories about people from college

12. staying up way too late just because we are talking with our friends

13. lunches with nat pat...watching lily grow up, telling nat embarassing things and not being embarassed, seeing baby luke join their family

i love my life...