2010: Reflections of A Girl In An Hourglass

I didn't have time to post my 2010 re-cap note before the year was out but who said it had to be in by then? Ha!

Greetings, 2011! Please, stay awhile.

God has blessed me with the opportunity of being able to travel. Most of my life was never at one place. I have always felt like a wanderer. I know what it is like to constantly search for something--to watch from the outside of a glass window as everyone else goes about their normal lives on the other side. I have always felt like I'm looking in. However, from this unusual life experience has come many blessings. I have been able to meet people from all walks of life and have been able to hear their stories. I have witnessed the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina along the coast, from New Orelands to Biloxi, MS. I have seen the beautiful Niagra Falls and have visited the slums of Juarez, Mexico as I taught vacation bible school to the children there and drew murals on the new community building. I've laughed at the ridiculous cost of a Starbucks in Ontario, Canda. I've experienced first-hand pain and disaster and I've experienced the birth of seemingly impossible new mornings that follow. I've cried with people as they've shared about their families being swept away into the sea from their home by floodwaters, I've laughed alongside the little children and I have rejoiced with those who have overcome a vast array of trials, both little and small.

I'm not afraid to hold a conversation with any type of person and I love to love on people. To those of you that know me, I love spreading color and cheer wherever I go.

I'm not trying to boast. I'm sharing how thankful I am. I'm so delighted I think I could burst!

God really showed me over the past holiday season how much my different life is really what I've always needed/wanted all along! I mean, I've always been thankful and have loved my life but sometimes I have my doubts. This year I really learned the importance of being still in the midst of calamity.

2010 was yet another year of learning about myself, my relationship with my Heavenly Father, friendships, my family, and this world we live in. Isn't it great to learn? I've learned so much in the areas of mercy, grace, and love that yet it still makes me laugh when I realize that I haven't even really touched the tip of the iceberg.

As I stood in my hourglass this past year, God really revealed it to me that I need to stop focusing on the sand raining down on me, but instead changing my focus to what has yet to be done. How can I live to better glorify Him? How can I best love my enemies? Etc.

Now I'm going to share some of the best of 2010! All of these are in no order.

10 People I Met For The First Time:
* Joy (Spring Break in Texas)
* Kale (Cleanplace Moot Writer's Conference)
* Justin (Cleanplace Moot Writer's Conference)
* Danielle (UoA Spring Fling)
* Anna (UoA Spring Fling)
* Hannah T (Homeschool Group)
* Yessica (College Group)
* Kristin (Cleanplace Moot Writer's Conference)
* Niri (Cleanplace Moot Writer's Conference)
* Cheryl (Cleanplace Moot Writer's Conference)

10 Best Events of 2010
* Spring Break with Joy, Mary, Mercy, Mary, and Flynn.
* Spending the entire month of June in Texas.
* FINALLY seeing The Nutcracker ballet. (Of course, the fact that, Hannah, one of my favorite dancers was dancing made it TWICE as awesome.)
* Laying out in the backyard where I house sit with Seriah, cuddled together, on the grass, with tons of blankets (it was freezing cold!) on us while we watched the spectacular meteor shower till the wee hours. And of course, Beau, the shitzu, licking our faces and flopping down on top of us. Haha.)
* Watching the lunar eclipse with my family while Stephen played worship songs.
* Spring Fling 2010 = best college carnival ever.
* Tron midnight showing with AJ, Seriah, Tim, Wayne, Stephen, and Megan and in 3D! BOOYAH!
* The 2010 Ignition Fashion Show and being selected to model Forever21!
* Cleanplace Moot 2010.
* RAGE Rock Music Festival in Phoenix, Arizona.

10 Best Moments of 2010
* The looks on Mary and Mercy's faces when I showed up at their front door unexpected (they didn't even know I was in the state) this past summer bearing cards and red hair. Classic.
* Playing Freeze at Moot. Oh my word, I will never think of that game the same way again.
* Being able to spend a lot of time with Any/Annie and do a lot of talking at Moot.
* Watching anime with Any and Nikki at Moot. Then of course singing with Becca as Mary accompanied us on the piano, as well as the dance with Bree, Daer, Legolas, and Dolphin.
* Getting to know my roomates, Cheryl and Niri a lot better at Moot! They are lovely women. =)
* Calling Mary at RAGE, trying to find a quiet place to tell her that the men of Me In Motion remembered her and said hello. Then Mary's shocked self afterwards.
* Pestering Becca at all hours with texting since she was without internet, she returned the favor. Haha.(We still do!)
* Having long conversations with Mary H in the middle of the night about life and stuff. I miss being able to do that. GAH. I just miss Texas period!
* Chillin' with Kalin. Going out to dinner at Pizza Hut by ourselves. I think that was one of those times that it really hit me that we were growing up.
* Taking Mary, Mercy, Spencer, and Flynn out for sushi. Their first time. That seriously is going to be one of my fondest memories for life now. Hahaha. Spencer was eating it like Gollum. . .and I basically made the deal that I wouldn't tell them what it all was till they ate it.

10 Songs/Pieces that were the Most Special to Me in 2010:
* "Tokyo" by Charmaine.
* "Believe" by Since October.
* "Fighting Furies" by Charmaine.
* "A Perfect Voice" by The Classic Crime.
* "Saving Josh" by Trevor Morris
* "Undone" by FFH.
* "Beautiful Ending" by BarlowGirl.
* "Dear X" by Disciple.
* "Deliver Us" by Ofra Haza [Prince of Egypt Soundtrack].
* "Awake and Alive" by Skillet.

10 Great Books I Read in 2010
* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (ahh, couldn't sleep! Had to read all night!)
* Uglies by Scott Westerfield (I assure you, you will never think of beauty the same way again.)
* span style="font-style:italic;">Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (Best YA book I've read in a long time. Very developed and enjoyable.)
* Relentless by Robin Parrish (Seriously one of the best speculative fiction I've read.)
* The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins (One of my favorites of all time now.)
* The Pawn by Steven James (Love this guy. First.)
* "The Rook" by Steven James (Second book and just as great as the first.)
* Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker (I will never look at the middle east in the same way ever again.)
* Tsubasa by CLAMP [manga artist/publishing group] (Beautiful work and not just the art. The characters each are so different, believable, and charming.)
* A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett [reread] (Ah, it was nice to read my favorite tale yet again. Never gets old.)

10 Things I Learned in 2010
* Patience. (I have had such an issue with this over the years)
* There are times when you cannot do anymore. You need to let go and pray that, that person will make the best choices.
* Perfection is unknowable. Perfection is unachievable and yet, true 'perfection' is right in front of you and you've been to busy or loud to notice.
* Sleep is important.
* Love isn't fair. True love is an honest pain, pain that is necessary for us to honestly comprehend it.
* I hate measures and meters in music. I seriously lack the mathematical patience. (Yes Becca, you may laugh.)
* While what we do defines us, how we rise to the occasion after the fall is what completes that definition.
* To be still. In a blink this life is over and we get so wrapped up that we miss it.
* My Meyer-Brigg's Personality type. (Haha.)
* Sometimes you need to let go of things to take care of one of the most important responsibilities: your family. Even if it hurts to let go or give things up.

10 of the the Best Photographic Memories of 2010

Taking the Burklins out for sushi over Spring Break. It was fun.



Me, Kalin, and Meagan at the Tyler mall. That's when a fifteen year old came up and asked me to prom.



Finally getting my senior photos done. This was in March and I wanted Mary included in my shots.



Every movie has to have badguys...



Freeze is a very fun game if played with a bunch of writers.



2010 Ignition Fashion Show: I got to model Forever21! (one of my favorite lines)



Let this be a lesson to you all. You DO NOT put The Twins together. Scary things happen.



Me and the lovely ladies I grew up with who still remain my dear friends, even since I've moved away.



Me and Annie on a walk during Moot 2010. Fun times and a dear woman! I really enjoyed her company.



All of the Sara[h]'s at the 2010 Cleanplace "Moot".

11 Goals for 2011
* Read 250 novels.
* Go to Japan finally.
* Spread more color and cheer.
* Get in a healthy weight range and fight diabetes.
* Finally get this driving thing finished.
* Finish the front-end work on my car.
* Road trip with some friends.
* Never loose who I am in this smoke and mirrors world.
* Glorify my Savior in everything that I do.
* Go on another mission trip and/or serve my community in Jesus' name.
* Learn many new things, and be reminded of things that I need reminded for if the need calls.

May 2011 bring you many new adventures in Jesus Christ!

Love,
Sarah