2011 - 11 memories for the year that was!

Straight out of my MacJournal ... :)  (so ignore the run-on sentences and poor grammar!)

Some of the highlights of the year that I want to celebrate and thank the Lord are . . . 

1. Kenya Short Film School - the beautiful people there, bonding with Libby and Denise, my step of faith to lead 30+ Kenyans to using short film in ministry, Dave Anderson’s compliments and critiques of my teaching, feeling like I was back on my feet for the first time since IU, - The Lord did so much since January 2010!
2. Filming Grace Covenant’s Youth Retreat - taking a step of faith to film by myself for 3 days with no one around that I knew.  Becoming friends with Kelly and her husband, even just for 3 days.  Meeting Ginger, the amazing speaker for the high school girls on the trip, seeing her teach with passion, getting her advice on “teach the younger generation” after I admitted for the first time ever that I wanted to do what she does, getting to dance and talk with the girls during their free time, feeling like I could be good & creative with the camera…
3. LOVED all my friends in Texas. Perhaps because they were the ones God chose for me after 5 years in Bloomington. I loved our evening at Starbucks were we laughed until we cried then talked about Jesus, then laughed, then talked... Our hang out times at Kona Grill, Forever 21, and the Domain.  Also, our weekend to film the training videos - it was so fun to explore Austin with Debbie, Sarah, Luke, and Jono. 
4. Nick and I’s relationship - flying at extremely early and late times just to maximize every minute we could have together … our trip to Atlanta. His surprise visit after Kenya.  Talking to him on the phone for hours.  Dancing at weddings and Bat Bar. His invitation to join him in Orlando and how nervous that made me. (Oh Lord, you are SO good to us. You strengthened us over our year of long distance!  I could not imagine this if you would have told me before it happened - and now I cannot imagine life any different.  Lord I count it a privilege that you asked me to consider coming here. Thank you for Libby’s perspective that it is worth making this kind of decision into seeing if this is the man I want to marry. And indeed, he is.  And Lord, you were so divine in how you helped me decide that Nick was the one I wanted to spend my life with.)  If it had not been for project and the month that followed, my commitment to him would not have been tested or revealed for what it was.  If it had not been for a month of feeling like I was falling and I did not know where I would land (with jobs or friends or housing) then I would not have seen that Nick was worth it all. I realized that the hardship I was going through was not making me want to back away from Nick but press on so that we could be together.  I am SO grateful for the man that he is and the couple we are becoming.  God is so faithful to us. I cannot believe how much He have provided and blessed us - from the moment we met until this very day! God is truly a God of grace and abundance. 
5. Filming Cabernet! I loved that crazy, sleepless weekend. Even though I hated it at the time. I got to be on a professional film set and decide on make up and wardrobe. I got to help create and design the set and run around like a mad woman to make sure everything was set up perfectly.  I got to watch Debbie, Jono, Zack, and the rest of the Simplebulldog team exercise their enormous talents to write and make the film. I got to be a part of that team, a working body of people. I got to see a very real example of the Body of Christ - each one doing their part, all parts being crucial to a successful final product. Some parts are glorified more than others but all are NEEDED to get the job done. 
6. Australia Short Film School.  Getting to know Dipika, Jinfey, and Zhenya in our amazing condo.  Living in a beautiful part of the Sunshine Coast. Intimate times with the Lord as I prepared for my turn to teach.  Going to the beach late at night with friends to drink warm drinks and look at the stars.  Getting to know people from 7 different countries.  Walking around the streets of Melbourne late at night with Zack and Ian.  Seeing the beautiful town of Noosa with Ebony and getting to know her sweet self that day.
7. Summer project - laughing, working, and hanging out with our amazing staff team.  Disicipling Rosa, Ashlie, Allie, and Ashton.  Feeling God work in and through me in their lives. Watching them grow in their love and reflection of Jesus. 
8. Looking for a job and how God provided … if it hadn’t been for driving to that run-down office, then to the computer lab with Workforce Central Florida - I would not have gone to the job fair. And if I had not gone to the job fair, I would not have landed 5 interviews. Which brought me to the job I have now!  Not only that but that season was such a sweet time with the Lord. I loved having hours and hours to spend journaling and reading and praying.  It was tangible in the way I felt Him sustain me. 
9. The Lord provided over $3500 out of NOWHERE to carry me from one job to the next.  I had literally no money and He brought it in with abundance! Because of subletting, people’s generous and God-prompted gifts, and having the funds to reimburse my entire time on project, I had so much more than enough to live off of for that month. 
10. Life group - oh Lord how I am so thankful for these people. They have made this place feel like home! 
11. OUR ENGAGEMENT!! This is one of the best gifts I have ever been given!  Nick could not have planned a sweeter engagement for us.  I loved being able to join some of my dearest friends here to go on an adventure in order to find the love of my life, waiting with a ring and a proposal to get married! And it is amazing how my parents got to see each place on the scavenger hunt when they visited 3 months before it happened. It was such a joy to know they could picture each place since they could not join us on that day.  Again, I am so thankful for this man. I seriously could not picture someone different for my life.  Oh Lord, would you make our marriage a place where Your Spirit is alive and free to guide us and hold us together.  Let it be a chance for us to become all the more holy, all the more like You.  It is such an amazing privilege to join with someone to experience one of the greatest analogies you have for us regarding your love for us.