2015, it's your time to shine.

It's been a while. Yeah. It's been a while.

The last time I wrote to you, I was still a starry-eyed little freshman in college with dreams and aspirations to accomplish the goals that I set ahead for 2014.

Now, dear friends, it is 2015. I scoff at the goals I set for last year, because there were not many of them that I actually kept. Being the kind of person who is not yet diligent enough to keep her New Year's resolutions, I tried one small goal this year: I was going to floss every single day.

The whole dedicated flossing bit wore off on January 17. Now that it is May, it is interesting to look back and see what I thought I would have accomplished by now. . .

1. Actually read the books on my Kindle.
I'm a horrible person. I maybe read like two books on my Kindle in the last year -- maybe two. (On the bright side, I haven't downloaded any new ones! Hooray for self-control!) Actually, I have been reading less and less lately. You see, the more I've got going on for school reading, the less time I put aside for reading texts that are actually enjoyable.

2. Healthy BMI
ROFL. I don't think that I made a change to lower it; however, I haven't made the number any larger!

3. Write enough good songs to form the basis for an album. 
This goal is interesting, because I actually forgot about it. This year, my college pastor Geoffrey said to our Bible study groups, "Assuming that everyone wants to do well academically, what are your goals for this semester/year?" This was a tough question for me, but I finally came up with the goal that I wanted: I wanted to write enough good songs to form the basis for an album.

Ha. I have written a few songs this year, but it is hard for me to come up with golden material. I've found that I can't exactly strive for writing good music, it's just that I have to have inspiration to help the composing process flow more smoothly.

4. Write a children's book about something geeky.
I have forgotten approximately 83% of what I learned in that Survey of Physics course I took 4 semesters ago. I might have to do a little bit of research before I can handle this task again.

5. Learn to knit or crochet.
In the Fall semester of 2014, there were a menagerie of activities at BHSU for the new students. One of the activities offered was a knitting class for a couple of hours. I thought, "Hey! I've always wanted to learn how to knit!" I sat there and worked one-on-one with a veteran knittress and learned how to properly knit. "You're a natural at this. Just look at your stitching!" she told me.

I rocked the knitter life for about two weeks. I currently cannot remember how to knit. It was great while it lasted, though. I will certainly have to learn again someday.

6. Be more diligent about writing letters.
I actually did pretty well with this goal. I wrote a massive amount of thank you letters and notes to friends over the course of the last year. Honestly, the hardest part for me about writing letters is trying to get them in the mailbox to get sent. (What a silly thing, right?)

7. Journal or blog at least once weekly. 
Obviously, I can't lie to you about the blogging since you can see that the last time I blogged, it was when I did the New Year's resolution post a year and a half ago. However, looking back, I am recognizing that I journaled quite a bit, especially in the summer.

8. Find a mentor and be conscientious about frequently meeting with them.
I did this one, and I did it well. This didn't start so much last year as it started last semester. I asked a lady in my church to meet with me on a regular basis and go through accountability questions. We did this for a while, and then we started going through the book of Hebrews this semester. This summer we are going to study the book of Revelation.

I am so happy that I was able to make this goal a routine part of my life, because I have grown so much because of it. I understand the Bible and how to study the Bible more than I have in my entire life, and I also have gained a lot of understanding about why Jesus's sacrifice was so necessary. I look forward to learning about the end times this summer!

9. Be a "big sister"
I have not worked this one into my schedule yet. On another note, I will be a resident assistant next year at BHSU. . . this is kind of like being a "big sister." I'm looking forward to the experience next semester.


Did I attain all of my goals for 2014? No. How about 2015? I'm not big on flossing. I just can't get into it. Does this mean that I am a failure? Absolutely not. I have changed quite a bit in the last year and a half. I have been through heartache, waves of anxiety, mountains of joy, and so many other kinds of emotional roller coasters. It has been a tough year, but I thank God for my friends and my family as I look back on all that has happened.

2015, it's your time to shine. This is the year. I am doing everything that I can to make my days worth it. I mean it this time -- I'm not going to waste a second.