Highlight reel

One year ago, today, I started working with Axis.
One year ago, I cut my hair off.
One year ago, I was beginning to find my place in Colorado.
One year ago, I entered into a year of meeting amazing people all over the country.
It's always weird looking back on the past year when a new one waits on the horizon.  I have seen these Instagram year in review things on facebook, and of course instagram, and it is a little video/photo montage of their past year. It's like a mini highlight reel. Facebook also allows you to look through your biggest moments that were posted in the past year. Those things are pretty cool but do they get every moment? Do they see every feeling? Emotion?
We are so into posting things to social media. If you don't have instagram, twitter, facebook or snapchat to keep the world updated about your life you really don't have a life, according to the world of social media. And, yes, I admit I fall into that category. Like many of my friends, I feel like if I don't post enough about my life to keep up with others I am so behind. I mean I am already outside the norm with an old flip phone. So instead of letting Instagram or Facebook determine what my highlights were for 2013 I decided to look past the pictures and into the memories and what I learned this past year. So here is my highlight reel of 2013....just some things I have learned :) (these are in no particular order)

1. Cutting my hair taught me a lot about how I view myself and how much identity I found in my appearance. Plus....I kinda looked like Peter Pan with a pixie haha

2. Being myself is harder than I thought and I have learned a lot about who I am and what kind of person I am.

3. Catching your hair on fire during a presentation is a good conversation starter.

4. In life it is good to be able to laugh at your mistakes. We all make them but how you handle them really tells you what kind of person you are.

5. I LOVE Colorado! I love the hiking, the weather, the people, the mountains and everything about it! It has become home for me and I really enjoy living there.

6. There are people out there who really care about me and love me for who I am! It is amazing that God has put these people in my life. I have been extremely blessed with the friends I have!!

7. Attempting to flip around a hitching post is not usually a good idea...even when your friends can do it.

8. Letting others take care of you does not mean you are weak. It means you are cared for and should let others do things for you instead of being stubborn and trying to prove yourself and hurt yourself in the process. (that was a mouthful but you get the idea)

9. I continue to be a beast at Just Dance! Sometimes you need to just dance like no one is watching and you need to keep your inner child available to laugh and to just enjoy life. :)

10. God can give me strength through anything. I get nervous before I speak and I have been able to ease my nerves through His peace. He has been able to speak through me and I love being a part of it!

11. Opening up and being vulnerable is hard! It's hard to put yourself out there...not knowing what is going to happen. But not opening up is painful too. Guarding your heart is important but there is a line....still trying to figure it out though.

12. The guys in my life have shown me what a godly man looks like and I really value these friendships. I still will try at any moment to get into a guys head because I think it is fascinating. But they are teaching me not all guys are the same and I respect each of them so much!

13. God answers prayers in the best ways. Sometimes they are hardest lessons and sometimes they are in the form of people but whatever way He does it always turns out better than I could ever imagine.

I know there are so many more things that have stuck to me this past year but those are ones I thought off the top of my head. 2013 was a great year for me. As I look back at my highlight reel I see the faces of people that have impacted my life, the students I have been honored to speak to, the amazing places I have been able to travel, and the lessons God has taught me through it all. I am still growing and learning and I am no where near figuring it all out. I am really excited for this next year to see what adventure God continues to take me on.
What is your highlight reel? Not the pictures that facebook makes your year but the people and the memories that go more than the pictures. I think that's what really makes a highlight reel. :)