So this is the new year...

I'm so thankful that 2010 is over. This has been the worst semester of my life. I’ve had to deal with the loss of loved ones, a car crash, academic struggles, sin, & medical issues. I’m ready to let it all go & move past it.

However, when I look back at this semester, I realize that despite all the awful things I’ve dealt with, I also received some of the biggest blessings of my life. My Shawnee family – Rebecca, Blake, Momma Burrough, & Laker, have been a constant support for me the past few months, holding me accountable, giving me advice, & providing a fellowship I can’t replace. God restored the strong friendship I had with Blake, as well as restoring the amazing bond Becc & I have. He allowed Momma Burrough to become a friend, mentor, & second mother to me. & He gave me Laker. More on that later. (: I have faith that He has a plan for the 5 of us, & that He put us all together for a reason. The fact that He’s calling all 4 of us to move to Shawnee next fall was pretty surprising for all of us, but we can’t wait. He’s got great plans, & I can’t wait to find out what they are.

Frontline Church has also been a major blessing, first in OKC & then in Shawnee. God is working through the pastors & church members, & I’m blessed to be a part of it. I’ve met some amazing people, & I’m pretty stoked to see how my relationships with them grow.

Back to Laker. Regardless of how things end up between us, he has been amazing to me. Somehow in the course of the past couple of months, he has become my best friend & my constant support. I don’t know what I’d do without have him. God has us together right now for a reason, & I’m excited to see where He’ll take us in 2011.

At church this morning, Trey preached about how we need to look back on 2010 & really break it down & figure out what we need to let go of. Fear, worry, finances, frustrations, obstacles, & sinful desires were a few of the things I listed. In 2011, I’m letting it all go. God comes first, & He’ll take care of the rest.

Here are a few of my New Year’s resolutions:
1) God is first. I need to set aside time for Him daily… Make Him my priority, not just try to squeeze Him into my schedule whenever it’s convenient for me.

2) Give myself whole-heartedly in every relationship I’m in – as a daughter, sister, girlfriend, friend, church member, etc. I need to set a Godly example & show Christ’s love to everyone.

3) Write more. It’s such a good release for me, & I don’t do it often enough.

4) Play cello more often. It came so naturally to me, & I’ve let that gift go for the past year & a half. It’s time to use it again.

5) Be more creative. God blessed us with the ability to use our imaginations, & to work & make things. He gave us free thought, & I feel like He wants us to use it in every way we can. Whether it’s writing, painting, photography, cooking, whatever… I want to be more creative & use my free thought & creativity to glorify Him.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2011 (:

#RH2011,

Sydney

Car Crash (12-29-10)

“It’s all because of Jesus I’m alive.”

This is true every day. The fact that we wake up every morning is God’s decision. But Sunday morning in church, that statement meant so much more to me.

Wednesday night when I got back from Ponca, I drove to Laker’s. We hung out for a bit, then loaded up the car – clothes for a couple of days, my cello, his guitar, presents - & left to go to Shawnee to spend Christmas with Momma Burrough, Becc, Blake, Ethan, & Rachel. We’d been talking about it for over a week, & were super stoked.

We had City & Colour playing. Laker & I were talking & having a pretty peaceful conversation. We drove 6 blocks & stopped at the red light on 10^th & Broadway. The light turned green & we drove forward. Next thing I know, I’ve got an airbag in my face, my ear is ringing, & smoke is coming from the front of the car. At first I didn’t know what happened, but then I realized airbag = wreck. I looked over at Laker & asked if he was okay, then realized I was breathing out some kind of dust or smoke. Laker jumped out of the car & ran around to check on me, & I looked up to see the big truck that had hit us, & two guys running towards us from the car behind it. They asked if we were okay, while I was still trying to piece together exactly what happened.

I got out of the car right as the fire truck pulled up. An ambulance arrived shortly after, & an EMT started questioning us. Aside from a seatbelt burn, some bruises, & some raw skin on my nose from the airbag, I was fine. Laker complained about chest pains, so the firemen took his vitals. The police arrived, & the guys who had checked on us gave them an account of what happened – It was a “left turn yield on green,” & the other driver didn’t yield, he just drove straight into us. Laker’s car was totaled, but it was the other driver’s fault so Laker doesn’t have to pay for the damages.

Looking back, all I can think about is how fortunate we were. The fact that the whole front of the car was dented in, & both airbags went off… It could have been a lot more serious. We made it out with only bruises & burns. God was definitely looking out for us.

If I got anything out of this experience, it’s that I can’t take anything for granted. Things can change in an instant. We are so arrogant to make plans & expect them to always succeed. Also, the people in your life are irreplacable. If something had happened to Laker, I don’t know what I would have done. Don’t take anyone for granted. Appreciate every minute you have with them, & live every moment to the fullest.