Reflection of Year 2025:

Wow! What a year! I can look back on my life and can be very reflective about some big years in my life.  Years that are filled with change and growth.  One of those years is 2014 when I graduated from high school and started college, and then another one was 2019 when I graduated from college, student-taught, had knee surgery, and started teaching.  Both of those years were big years of growth.  2025 was another big one.   2025 was more of a year filled with great joy. 

2025’s biggest moment, of course, was getting married on August 2nd. This was something I had been looking forward to for months.  I really enjoyed the planning and the vendors I was able to work with in order to get prepared for our event.  The day itself went amazing.  I wrote a lot about it in the past when it comes to the wedding day. I also loved the events leading up to the wedding.  I had strangely always looked forward to my bridal shower growing up.  I have always loved going to friends and family members’ bridal and baby showers in the past, so I was so excited for my own opportunity.  Then the bachelorette/birthday party this year was also a blast.  I did turn 30, so this was another milestone. 

There has been a lot of growth in the past few months.  We have been married for just short of five months as I am writing, and while it has had a lot of highs, there has been a lot of growth and learning for the two of us.  We have been learning about one another’s preferences, things that hurt one another, and things we absolutely love about one another.  It is amazing how much you learn about a person once you get married and how much closer you can grow to each other.

Besides this, there were other big highs for the year.  For Cole, he got the chance to go to the state golf tournament for the third time in a row, and actually he and his team won and are now state champions.  I am so proud of him.  I am so happy he and his team were able to do this and have this experience.  They did an amazing job.  I really loved getting the opportunity to go to multiple golf meets throughout the spring season and being able to see him win this champion trophy.  

Besides that, as far as health goes, I have made some advancements.  I have lost 20 pounds recently through the use of calorie counting with Cole.  I am so very happy and I feel so much better about clothes fitting better, but also the less bloating occurring on a regular basis.  I also was able to finally run 1,000 miles.  I have never ran a 1,000 miles in a year before, so I was ecstatic about reaching a new running milestone. I was very blessed that the majority of these miles were outside.  There was only a bit over a 100 miles done inside on the treadmill.   I also was really happy to set new time records on the running races I did towards the end of the year.   I have really fallen back in love with exercising and health.  

2025 did bring its own little struggles.  One of them was figuring out where Cole and I were going to live.  We both have two different jobs in two different towns.  This meant we made new decisions when it comes to where we should live.  Should there be someone who needs to travel, should we both travel?  This hasn’t necessarily been the easiest thing to adjust to either.  Sometimes Cole and I will find the frustrations of being farther away from the place where we work, but we are making it work.  There also has been a few deaths of people we know within this last year, which always brings about its own set of struggle and grief.  

I have a lot of goals for 2026.  For one little goal, I would love to read 50 to 60 books.  I have read 50 books in a year in the past, however this last year was really hard.  I struggled through a lot of the books I was reading this year.  There were many I did not enjoy reading.  Then there was just such a busy schedule.  I also really want to consider running a marathon.  I am scared to think of this because I have never run farther than a half marathon before. However, I have seen others cross this milestone, and I think I can do it with God on my side and the ride training schedule. But lastly, I want to go out in groups with other Christians more to spread his good name.  I have realized I am a little nervous and scared to go out into the world and spread God’s good word.  I need to be braver with the love I have for Christ.  

What were your thoughts of this year?  How was this year for you personally?  Was it a year filled with blessings, and joy, or was it a year where there were blessings, but there were also some hardships that really challenged and changed you.  What are some of the things you have learned in this past year you want to bring into this new year?   What are some of your personal goals?  I think it is always good to reflect, really any time of year, but with the new year beginning we can really take this time to consider the growth and changes we want to make.  

The verse I want to end this blog post on is also one I believe we can all take into the new year.  This is Ephesians 4:22-24 which says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Let us all start the new year with the reminder of being made new in Christ.  We all can put on our new selves in the new year and be boldly walking in Christ.  Happy Holidays readers! I hope you have a blessed 2026!