2018 In A Nutshell

2018 In A Nutshell (According To Gracie)

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Overview of 2018:

This year certainly did have a lot of ups and downs. A "down" is my sister being in and out of the hospital for two months, and we had a couple of deaths in the family, and some other health problems come up with friends (and friends of friends of friends - my dad will get this). But it did have a lot of ups for me. I got to meet people that I really admire/look up to. If there's one word I could use to sum up the entire year, it would be "blessed". God has blessed me in ways I could never imagined. He's given me so much, and has put so many incredible people in my life, and given me so many great experiences that I'm beyond thankful for. Countless times this year, I've just thought to myself in awe and wonder of how much God has blessed me with. I never would of thought Christian artists would end up being friends, my relationship with God would be where it's at, I would start writing songs again, and so many other little things. God has made 2018 a year I'll never forget. Right from January 1st, it was great. I was able to watch Passion 2018 (a conference) live streamed, and it was really incredible. God never ceases to amaze me.

Bible Verse of 2018:

This was actually the verse of the year according to YouVersion I believe. It's Isaiah 41:10 which says,

'Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

I struggle with anxiety a lot, and since my sister was in and out of the hospital, it really created a lot of anxiety for me. This verse is a reminder that God will strengthen me, and uphold me when times are good, and when times aren't good.

Song of 2018:

There's so many songs I absolutely loved this year! But if I had to choose one and say, "that's the song that was an anthem of 2018," it would be He Still Does (Miracles) by Hawk Nelson. I heard that one so many times this year, and it really does fit this year. I've seen God do lots of miracles this year. He's healing my sister after all of her health issues, and He's also healing that little girl Rowen that I've talked about on here. She was able to get a heart transplant earlier this week, which really is a miracle! I've seen so many times this year that God is still the God of miracles.

Album of 2018:

I really liked Where The Light Is by Dan Bremnes! I really related to that album the best. The songs were really good, and spoke to me a lot. Especially the title track, Where The Light Is. We had a scare with my sister before she moved out, and her heart rate was really high, and she felt kinda off. Where The Light Is was stuck in my head the whole time we were there. One of the lines of the song is, "God come quickly, only you can save me, will you lead me where the light is?, God be with me, don't know where I'm going will you lead me where the light is?" in that moment, I had no idea where we would be going... Would my sister be back in the hospital for the third time? Would she have a third surgery? It turned out that everything was fine, and she was going to be okay, and was sent back home. But in that moment, I really saw God. He guided. He provided.

Music video of 2018:

Wherever I Go by Dan Bremnes was for sure the coolest music video I've ever seen. I got to meet two out of the three guys that went on the trip to film the video, which just added to the coolness... If you want to watch it, I have it below! :D

Book of 2018:

Well, I don't tend to finish a book in the matter of a week or two, I normally read books over a very long period of time. XDD I normally read for a while, take a break for a couple months, and come back to it. I did that with I Can Only Imagine by Bart Millard. That book was so great, and it talked a lot about the struggles Bart Millard has faced, and is also the story about him forgiving his father, and his father dying of cancer. It's a really touching, emotional book, that I got teared up on at one point (which doesn't normally happen to me). It really was great.

Quote of 2018:

"I keep falling deeper, your love keeps taking me higher." -Hawk Nelson it's from a song, but I'd still consider it a "quote". XD Just reflecting on God's goodness again. He's given me so much... No matter how far I fall, no matter how scary life gets, God's love just keeps taking me higher, to places I never thought I'd go.

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What was 2018 like for you? What would you put under these seven categories?

Here's to a great 2018, and hopefully an even better 2019!

~Graciepopstar91