Why?
Well, it's really a circumstance thing. My husband and I have been in the process of selling our house, and buying a new one. No simple undertaking! The moments and days of January have been filled with emails, phone calls, inspections, budgets, loans, and forms - as well as preparing for a new year. We move on the weekend. Uni starts back two days after that. Term One at church just started this week past. It's been an exciting time. And busy. And distracting. It's only now that my mind has been slowing down enough to reflect on 2014. It was a lovely year. Worth reflection, and some deep heavenward gratitude on my part. It's also a nice way to dip my toes back into something that I've loved doing - typing away on this blog.
Overall, 2014 was a happy year. Particularly after 2012 and 2013, which were more on the challenging side. It felt like God was taking a wrecking ball to some pillars in my life which had to come down. They were precious years, but difficult and draining. In 2014, the sun came out. God gave me some beautiful gifts to enjoy, and it was a time in life where, as we sing, "the world's all as it should be." Life has a way of unfolding in twists and turns, and ups and downs, so before it continues to unfold much further, 2014 deserves some celebration.
So here goes.
Five Highlights of 2014:
5. Community and Changing Churches.
At the end of September, I started going to a different church. Well, it's actually another campus of the same church but, since I'd been going to the same church for the last seven years, the move still felt significant. (Although, amidst getting married, being in first year at bible college and planning to move houses, it kind of just blended into one of many changes!) There have been challenges mixed in, such as missing people I don't see as much, and needing to find my place in a new church... but it's overall been an exciting and lovely change. For lots of reasons - not least of all seeing Josiah settle into his new role there - but one thing that's stood out in my mind is a heightened awareness of, and appreciation for, community. People in the old campus expressed real love and care as I said goodbyes, and some have been intentional about keeping in touch, praying for us, and maintaining the relationship. People in the new campus have been welcoming, loving, friendly, and keen for us to be part of their community. I also felt enveloped by the warmth of relationships and mutual joy in everything surrounding our wedding. As human beings, we so need one another (even those of us who find it easy to be alone), and it feels so right when it's done well. For we have been designed this way by our community-minded God.
Noticing this has definitely been a highlight of 2014, and I've been so enjoying being in community - with my beautiful family, friends, church family, college, work... etc.
I've also been watching a lot of the sitcom, "Community". Such a good show.
4. Music.
It's been a fun year of music! From the start of the year, I continued in the morning music team at church, to my great delight. It's such a joy to play music with such a talented bunch of musicians, who loved singing and playing to God's glory and praise every Sunday. I stepped back from this team the week before our wedding, as Josiah and I were moving churches once we were married, and it was a source of very real sadness at the time. It's hard to give up something you love. But it can be good for the soul, and even in little things like that, you learn to trust and thank God more. And happily, I ended up joining the music team at our new church - which is also full of talented musos who love God and creating music for him and his church! Pretty brilliant.
I also got to go to some very cool gigs this year. The main ones being: Bluesfest, Keith Urban (a surprise present from Josiah - yeah!!), James Vincent McMorrow, and Passenger. (Passenger was in January, but he was amazing, and for the reasons given at the start of the blog, I'm counting it.)
3. Growing Up.
It's really not so bad, growing older. Sure, you lose some physical beauty which comes so naturally with youth... but in light of gaining life experience, lessons learned, greater understanding of who you are, and seeing with more clarity God's goodness, guidance and love over the course of life thus far, it is a really good exchange. This has been a realisation which has been slowly dawning on me, especially through 2014. One specific thing I've loved is the joy of relationships with younger women - some of whom I've known since they were in early high school, and being able to share and talk with them in a deeper and more understanding way, because I've so often been through what they're going through now. I sure as heck don't have all (or even many of) the answers... but I love watching these younger ones grow into adulthood, to see them trust Jesus, to see the journey that God takes them on, and to be humbled that I sometimes get to play a part in their journey. It's nice to be an older woman to some people. I like it.
2. Loving Theological College.
Studying at Queensland Theological College this year has been awesome! There is simply no more appropriate word. My brain and heart have been bursting at the edges from all that I've had the opportunity to explore and learn. I've spent significant time with almost every book in the Bible. I've wrestled with Greek, explored the past world of the Reformation, had some concepts of who God is blown apart, and had a crack at preaching. Admittedly, it has been a little like taking a peek behind what looked like an unassuming wooden door, and realising that it's actually a hollowed-out mountain, with more rabbit trails, rooms, and nooks and crannies than you could ever find, let alone explore. There is so much I don't know, and will likely never know. But I love what I have learnt in 2014, and am keen to squeeze every drop that I can manage out of the next two years. I've also loved the community at college. The lecturers are as approachable and interested in students as they are knowledgeable. We gather for chapel every week, to sing, pray and be challenged and encouraged by God's word. We get to do a bit of life together with people we might otherwise never have met. Such a highlight of the year.
1. Josiah.
I was blessed to celebrate the beginning of 2014 in Sydney, watching the New Year's Eve fireworks with my darling boyfriend, Josiah. In April, on the beach, as the sun reluctantly retired behind the Byron Bay hills, I became his fiance. In September, his wife. Our wedding was a sunshiny, happy day, which felt as normal as it did special - part of what made it precious. And, after a bit of valuable theory, we've been involved in the practice of being married for the last five months. It's been such a sweet journey. It's not always easy, and we're still learning the art of loving well. But how thankful I am to God that I have a husband who is godly, kind, strong, handsome, thoughtful and fun... one who loves me (emotions, insecurities and all), and who, above all, truly loves Jesus. I've learnt a lot about the gospel, and about how incredible God's love is, through being married to Josiah, and I'm so looking forward to continuing the journey.
So that's 2014 for me. For the record, there were plenty of struggles too... I've definitely focused on the highlights! But I thought they were worth the airtime.
If you can think back that far, what were your favourite bits of 2014?
