Hello! 2015 has officially arrived. I can't get over the fact that I've had this blog for more than a year now. Even though I haven't been as consistent with posting as I had wished, it has felt amazing to have this corner of the internet to myself. I wrote a post last year about the resolutions and the mantras I was adopting for 2014 (which you can read here). Most of the resolutions were a complete failure, but the mantras were an absolute success. I really kept them in the front of my brain for the majority of the year, and I felt that made a difference for me. I went into 2014 wanting to bloom where I was planted, and I think I did. With the 100 Happy Days challenge behind me and more than a few incredible memories from 2014, keeping that in mind throughout the year made it a success. I've also embraced Hebrews 11:10 that I share there much more than I had before. While I still have control issues, I've slowly learned how to start relinquishing things and let God build me a city to look forward to. Since those turned out so well last year, I wanted to adopt a few new ones this year.

This year I've got a lot of decisions to make. I'm graduating in May 2016 with plans to go on to graduate school which means that I have to start the college search all over again. I've got to tests to take, countless college visits, and internships all looming in my future. While I'm trying to decide where to go, I want to be sure to keep an open mind which is why I've chosen the Emily Dickinson quote "Dwell in possibility" from above. You have to make a lot of lists and are constantly thinking about money, locations, and rankings. It's important to believe that you can go anywhere that you want to (budget and admissions allowing, of course). I'm one of the most indecisive people possibly on this earth, so I also want to be sure that I'm being true to myself when I'm making these big decisions. It is so easy to start drowning in everyone else's opinions and ideas about where they think is best for you. In the end, I have to be sure that I'm making the right decision for me, my education, and my future.

Secondly, I'm going to choose a religiously themed one like I did last year. Last year, I worked on trusting the Lord more, and this year I just want to love Him more. There are songs that I've sung too many times in church, and they start losing their effect. One of those has been "Victory in Jesus" up until recently. I took notice of a particular line in the chorus which says, "All my love is due Him." I don't know why that struck me as hard as it did, but I've been unable to get it out of my head ever since. I'm going to make a real effort to grow my relationship with the Lord this year. I've always been a good rule follower who has struggled a bit where this part is concerned. I'm making a conscious effort to put the Lord before me and to fall in love with Him.

Image Credit: Dwell in Possibility & To Thine Own Self Be True