Happy new year everyone! As we wave 2025 goodbye and welcome in the new year, it’s always good to reflect and think back on what’s happened these past 12 months- the good, the bad, and how you’ve grown or changed overall. Navigation~ ~Press the green flag (volume on for best experience!) to see 10 things God taught me this year. I’ll elaborate on each one below :) ~It’s kind of a slideshow, so feel free to sit back and watch it. Its pretty quick and doesn’t require any work :D ~At the end, there will be some sunset photos for you. I had to put my username over them due to rising plagiarism over scratch, please don’t remix or use any of them. Enjoy God’s beautiful creation! (Elaboration after credits) Creds~ Songs by JVKE and Forrest Frank, photos belong to me. Do not remix unless for music only, ask permission first. 10- "If you let someone think they're your best quality, they're just showing off your worst ones." This is something I came up with earlier this year. if someone tells you you'll be lost without them, or that your life will have nothing left to it, don't believe them. This means that they're taking over your life (or already have). someone who sees themself as the most valuable part of you is narcissistic and selfish- and if they see themselves this way, it's most likely showing that you're easily manipulated, a quality to watch out for. I let so many people do this to me for the longest time because I thought I should just go along with it and have them around, but I realized that anyone can take a wrong turn at any moment- and bring you down with them.
9-"Worship isn't a time to sing about yourself, it's a time to sing about God." I've been noticing this a lot lately- "worship" songs talk more about us humans than the specific things God has done. There's a lot of "I" or "we" in the songs, talking about us, rather than specifically praising all the things God does. 8- "Just because you don't like someone anymore doesn't mean you hate them. Don't let them tell you otherwise." People may try to turn angry on you because you don't like them all that much, accusing you of being "unloving" (especially if you're a Christian). this may make you feel guilty, but don't let it get to you. You don't have to be extremely fond of everyone you know, just be loving and kind and do what God wants you to do. 7- "That feeling is not romance- it's the true, genuine love of a friend. You just haven't felt it in a long time." This year as I made a ton of new friends, I started to notice a feeling. Only with the closest ones. I knew it wasn't romance for anybody because I'm taken and they were all just friends, but I suddenly came to a realization- it was just love. Love for a friend, because a friend loved me more than I had known in a while. I advise you all to find the friends who you can truly love and be yourself around, and who bring out the best in you. 6- "People will say what they want about your life, but don't worry- I know the whole story." This year I had a lot of untrue things said about me behind my back (and to my face). I had to come to realize that people have free will and can make up whatever dumb lies they want, but in the end, all that matters is God knows what's truly going on in my life, and He doesn't care what other people say. 5- "Love is not love- God is love." Ok but like I'm sick of seeing people (especially Christians) saying "love is love" when they're forgetting the fact that God is love (1 John 4:8), meaning it's not love unless you love God and do whatever God says is love (following his commandments). 4- "Some people mature, but some don't. It's not worth it to believe in the words of the childish." After being called "immature" for not saying inappropriate things or for not wearing inappropriate clothes (by multiple people) (yes they really said that), while I was out getting a job/doing my school/being active, I realized that only the childish would call someone out as "immature" for those kinds of things. They see themselves as "cool" because they do what everyone else does, but they know deep down that they have to defend that if they want to keep up their impression of themselves- so they take it out on those who don't conform to society. 3- "Gossip is meaningless. Don't get involved, and don't worry when others talk about you- having a partner is not a crime." This one is oddly specific but precisely what I learned. I've been gossipped about for nearly my whole life and I'm perfectly aware (yall aint slick lol) but this year it was worst of all. Multiple different people said disgusting, untrue things about my relationship solely because something I said that they misinterpreted (and because of false accusations someone shared to the world). People also spread rumors about me- even people I didn't know. Their goal was to make me feel like I was doing something wrong by having a boyfriend, but I had to realize that that isn't what God wants- God wants me to pursue a happy Christian relationship with someone I love who believes in Him, and that's exactly what I have. I couldn't have it any better. 2- "People who say infants can't have faith until they're older are forgetting one thing: God can do anything." I've been hearing of churches thinking babies or small children shouldn't be baptized until they're older because they "do not understand" and don't really have faith. (Just to be clear I was 2 years old and in love with baby Jesus and Baby Moses alright) But if that's the case... you're doubting God's power, aren't you? This year I did a deep dive into baptism and what it really is, and while I can't share it all here because it's a whole research paper that's too long, I can in fact confirm baptism is for everyone and infants can have faith. 1- "In the end, people won't like you because you follow my ways instead of theirs. And that's okay." This is pretty self explanatory. Facing the backlash I've had from so many people this year for my faith has only caused me to grow stronger- and find people who share my mindset. It's truly a blessing that God put me through so many hardships this year, so that I could learn from them. Overall I’ve made new friends, grown with my current ones, found an amazing job, and taken on leadership roles that are preparing me for the future. While I can confidently say this was the hardest and most draining year of my life, God used it to show me so much that has forever changed who I am.
