2016: A Year In Review


2016 was a great year for me. Here are some of my highlights:

  • 2016 completes my first calendar year of following Christ, after having come to faith in March of 2015. I'm so grateful to God for the mercy He has shown me in giving me opportunities for great discipleship from godly leaders. I truly desire to be clay in my Maker's hands, that he might mold me into something lovely and beautiful, so that I may love Him more and love my neighbor as myself. The community of faith I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by is so absolutely essential to helping me along that path, and I can't wait to see what 2017 holds for my walk with Christ. 
  • I married the girl who is above and beyond the girl of my dreams. She's the dream girl I couldn't even have dreamed up because she's better than anything I could've imagined. My lovely bride Allison and I continue to gain in our intimacy and enjoyment of one another and she has been so important for my growth as a husband, friend, and follower of Christ. I simply would not be the man I am today if it wasn't for her, and she is a gift from the Lord for which I give thanks constantly. It is my joy and thrill to watch her grow each day. She is truly special, and I can't wait to see what our 2017 holds together. 
  • I got to spend more time with family than ever this year, as I went from working 3 jobs to make ends meet, to being able to work only 2 jobs. I love working with the kindergartners every day at my school, even though I'm the biggest kid there. I'm also so thankful for my summer and weekend job at the warehouse because I get to work hard and feel useful there. The family time has included the wedding, road trips, a marathon, Christmas, Thanksgiving, my parent's summer party, and so much more. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by the family that I have. I've especially enjoyed getting to know Allison's family deeper and being able to see my brother Sam twice this year. 
  • A true thrill for me was getting to have my little brother, Tavontae be a part of our wedding as well as just watching him grow. He's 13 now, and becoming quite a remarkable young man. The opportunity to be in his life for almost 5 years now is one of the greatest gifts of my entire life. 
I have this and so much more to be thankful for in 2016, and an immense amount of things to look forward to in 2017. Above all else though, my thanks and praise is to God who has redeemed my life from the pit of despair I had dug myself into, and has given me the gift of his grace, the forgiveness of my sin, and every spiritual blessing in my Savior Jesus Christ. When I look back on every good thing in my life, I cannot help but give thanks to the God who provides it all and has saved me by his sheer grace and mercy in Christ Jesus.

My goal in 2017 is to worship God all the more and to humble myself before Him so that I may be better at loving Him and His creation. The words of King David come to mind when my heart is full of praise:

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1 ESV)

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