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Encouragement For the New Year

"Year's end is neither an end nor beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." - Hal Borland

Jan 03, 2017

2016 was a year of a lot of mountain-top moments for me, but it was also a year of quite a few valley moments as well. I am sure this is the same for all of us. Whether you started a new chapter of life like me or closed a chapter of your life - also like me, we all had some moments we will remember forever and some we would like to forget.

Each year I try to come up with a word that will be my word for the year. This past year, it was delight. Here is what I said at the beginning of 2016 about delight: "If I am being honest, there are quite a few things I delight in. Such as: burnt popcorn, a nice caramel macchiato, going to downtown Nashville and not having a plan, and so much more!! But there are some things I don’t delight in that I should. Like one, being the Lord. Let me back up — I delight in the Lord, but not like I am supposed to. It seems that I only delight in Him when things are going right. Not in the suffering. Not in the trials. Not in the messes. Just when things are “right.” There’s something wrong with that!!! God wants us to delight in Him through everything. And delight in the suffering. Delight in the suffering and delight in seeing God IN the suffering.

So I am challenging myself to delight in everything! I want to write down 5 different things I delight in each day, and truly delight in them!!

My prayer is that life is delightful for you this week, and beyond this week! May the Lord rest on the throne of your heart, and may a peace that transcends all understanding come over you!!

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4"

Needless to say, none of that happened. I was hopeful in that I would be happy all the time and find a reason to delight in each little thing. Oh boy, was I wrong. To be honest, I kind of forgot that I even said that was my word for the year and found myself looking for reasons not to delight in things rather than reasons to delight in things.

I want to encourage you going into 2017 not to miss the good and the bad moments. They are all a part of this extraordinary adventure called life that we are all on. When things seem like they are falling apart and at their absolute worst, remember who is constant in it all - Jesus. But most importantly, do not miss HIM this year.

Jesus gave every bit of His time for us. Who are we not to give an hour of our days to Him? Do not miss His plan for you this year, or Him in the silence. He is there. He is where you are now, and He will be with you this time next year.

I am praying for you all in 2017, that you will not miss all the great things you are destined for!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Encouragement For the New Year

"Year's end is neither an end nor beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." - Hal Borland

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25 reasons your last semester in college is the best and worst time of your life

"The Office" understands the struggle of the first week back from winter break.

1. Waking up for your first 9:00 a.m. class of the semester.

2. When you remember you have to walk in the freezing cold to your classes.

3. Feeling overly confident in your academic abilities on the first day of classes.

4. Walking into your first class and seeing friends from your major.

5. That moment when you open the syllabus packet to see what possible pain lies ahead.

6. You resent the professors that keep you for the whole class time on the first day.

7. When professors tell you too much about their personal lives on the first day of class.

8. When your professor tries to explain the benchmark assignment to the class.

9. Finding out the final exam in a class will be comprehensive.

10. When you're done with classes for the day and you finally get to take a nap.

11. Finding out a required textbook is out of stock at the bookstore.

12. When you're broke after buying your textbooks for the semester.

13. When you realize that you really need to start getting PATH points...

14. Impatiently waiting for all of your classes to be up on Isidore.

14. The realization that this semester will be harder than you anticipated...

15. Getting overly excited for going out on the first weekend back from break.

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Cinderella, “The Clean Freak”

Snow White, “The Friendly One”

Belle, “The Studious One”

Mulan, “The Fighter”

Pocahontas, “The Peace Keeper”

Sleeping Beauty, “The Sleepy One”

Rapunzel, “The Sheltered One”

Tiana, “The Independent One”

Ariel, “The One Who Is Shy Around Men”

Elsa, “The Mom”

Anna, “The Impulsive One”

Say yes to new adventures!

It's full of opportunities to learn more things.

It's one of the easiest times to make friends.

It helps you learn how to think critically.

You get to focus on what you want to study.

Class is minutes away from your dorm.

. . . and the library

You won't be judged for going to class in your PJ's

You will truly create yourself.

If you are an ISU student, you will come across most of these things during your time on campus.

1. The wait for Buffalo Wild Wings is always going to be long on Thursday nights.

2. Another inevitable wait — the line at The Pub II on Wednesdays.

3. Your feet will automatically stick to the floor at Chasers.

4. The only place busier than The Alamo II during finals week for book returns is Chipotle on Halloween.

5. The. Train. Never. Stops. Choo-chooing.

6. The wind tunnel never gets better, and you never get used to it.

7. Your friends are either from a suburb of Chicago or a small town in Illinois — there is rarely an in between.

8. You know and probably love a bearded man named Bill Shields.

9. The squirrels on the quad double as our second mascot and wannabe pets.

10. The only time you really find yourself at the library is for a group project or during finals preparation.

11. You can spot a freshman a mile away if they have on their Fear The Bird shirt along with a lanyard around their neck.

12. The Normal Police Department has collected $275 from you.

13. Last, but not least, is that you just don't know what you would've done if you went anywhere else.

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