Brink of Flight

Hello,

This is Ariana from 2023, ten years after many of these posts were written. A few years ago I went through a time, where in a desire to please God, and out of fear of displeasing him, I took a lot of posts off of my blog and reverted them to drafts. However, I am going to prayerfully begin reposting some of them, because, both for memories' sake for myself, but also because not everything that was removed, needed to be. This is one of those posts. I hope it edifies you and draws you closer to Jesus. 

Originally posted on December 31, 2012

It's the last day of 2012 everyone, and hasn't so much happened? The end of the world came and went without any ruckus or worldwide upheaval, and year full of smiles and tears, transformation, hellos and goodbyes, is finally drawing to a close. Is it just me, or has 2012 seemed like a really significant year? One of those landmark years, where one day, when I am quite adult and settled, will look back and think, "2012...so many good things happened that year..."

I also remember quite clearly developing a new year's resolution list last year, on the last day of 2011, and to follow up with that, I'm going to tell you how I did in fulfilling those, and show you my 13 resolutions for 2013!

Now how my life usually works with new year's resolutions, is I'll make quite a few of them, and some of them I will work on, and others I will completely forget about...however, the cool thing is, that at the end of every year when I'm looking back at the previous year's resolutions, I discover quite a few resolutions were fulfilled without my even thinking about it (thanks God!!). The story is the same this year.

2) I was awarded a job at my university as a part of my financial aide!

3) I travelled to Thailand with none of my family, just my DTS team :)

4) Unfortunately I was not able to take a photography course, as I was out of town for the fall semester.

5) I didn't publish Secret Keeper, because honestly, it would need a huge overall before it was fit for publishing.

6) I did get all A's in my spring semester! Yay!

7) I did sing in front of an actual audience, at a talent show with my friend Brittany :)

8) I do have my own car now, given to my family for free, and fixed up by my daddy! A '99 Toyota Corolla named Addie :)

9) I sadly did not run another 5k..I did however, run five miles, which was one of my running goals.

10) I put one blue streak in my hair and didn't like it very much...


So as you can see, A LOT of them were accomplished and literally--pretty much all of that success was all because of God lining things and arranging them, so thank you heavenly Daddy!

But really. God accomplished so much in the year of 2012, He completely turned my life around, showed me so much about myself, and gave me hope and life like I've never known before. I'm going to do a separate post going more into detail about big highlights of 2012, and DTS, and what God has done in me personally this past year, I wanted this post to be mainly about resolutions, hopes, and wishes for 2013.

Here we go!! 13 resolutions/hopes/wishes/dreams for 2013!!

I need to have a time of worship, prayer, and quiet time every day, just to be in the presence of God, and hear Him in the midst of this busy world.

Remember how my resolution last year was to get all A's? Well I did...and my nerves were nearly fried by the end of the semester. While getting A's was satisfying, crying over exams because I was so nervous and stressed, studying for ten hours, and obsessing about my work isn't worth it in my opinion. I was placing my value as a person on my grades, and that wasn't okay. This semester I am determined to put God first, and not put an undue amount of pressure and stress upon myself about my grades. Of course I will work hard and do the best I can--without burning myself out and getting all stressed out about it

Exactly what it says, I want prayer to be more than just something I do when I have my quiet time. I want to intercede, I want to live a life in conversation with Jesus, talking and listening. I want to pray for those I know aren't saved, the nations that are unreached, for my future, discovering what all God has for me, in the future and in the today.

The last and most important :) For what am I, and all these endeavors, without him?

--Ariana