Favorites from 2017

Hey y’all!  It is day 3 of New Year Blog Week, and today I wanted to share with you some of my favorites from this past year, in the areas of music, books, memories, blog posts, and a couple random things to conclude.  Photos will also be scattered throughout, because what is a recap post without pictures?! :)

MUSIC – Playlist

1 – Each Day I Live by the Galkin Evangelistic Team.

2 – Mercy Tree by the Galkin Evangelistic Team.

3 – Running the Race by the Bontrager Family Singers.

4 – Arkansas Traveler/All Hail the Power by the Bontrager Family Singers.

5 – All I Need by the Bontrager Family Singers.

6 – The Greatest Story Ever Told by Adam and Megan Morgan.

7 – See all of my Christmas favorites here.

Photos from a shoot my sisters and I did

MUSIC – Sheet Music

I Cling to Christ by Gina Sprunger is my current favorite hymn arrangement book to play out of.  These advanced arrangements are just absolutely beautiful!  I have never heard a prettier version of the hymn, His Robes for Mine.

Joys of Christmas by Gina Sprunger is a newly released book with beautiful, fun Christmas arrangements.  My most recent YouTube video features a piece I learned from this book this Christmas.

Toccoa Falls

BOOKS

I read some AMAZING books this year.  Here are three of my favorites:

1 – Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot.  This is one of those must-reads for every Christian.  This book is a testimony of the 5 missionaries (headed up by Jim Elliot) that went to Ecuador and were tragically killed while trying to reach the Auca people with the message of Christ.  A hard testimony, but one that Christians desperately need to hear.  The faith and boldness of the Elliot’s has challenged and convicted believers for many years.

2 – Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors.  Katie’s first book, Kisses from Katie, radically changed my life and my heart for missions.  I loved this “sequel,” of sorts.

3 – The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.  READ THIS BOOK.  This is one of the best books I have ever read.  It is definitely not an “easy read,” and it is so full of information that it makes your head spin.  But the evidence you will read about in this book is breathtaking and faith-building.  There are so many things in this book that Christians should know!  Just go read it.

POSTS

My personal favorite posts of 2017 on this blog include:

My Thoughts On // Pressing Forward

Pursuing Simplicity in the Way We Dress

The Power of Saying “Yes” in our Sibling Relationships

3 Ways to Fight Discontentment

10 Ideas for your Devotional Time

A Prince’s Sacrifice

Crescent shadows from the eclipse

MEMORIES

Oh wow… 2017 was filled with SO many memories!!  How will I ever choose my favorites?  Here goes nothing!

--- High School Festival at BJU.  I got to see friends, visit classes, eat in the dining common, compete, go to chapel, and much, much more.  You can see my classical final’s performance here.

--- Volleyball at the YMCA.  My team of 9 won a double-header one evening, with one of the opposing teams being twice our size in number.  We were thrilled!  It was great being on a team with a bunch of girls who all had a desire to learn and improve at the sport, and had a drive to win.

--- Singing with a huge choir back in June.  It was an incredible experience!

--- Getting stuck for an hour on a Ferris Wheel with my brother.  This was not planned, by us OR by those running the thing!  Selfies were taken, wort-case scenarios were discussed, and fingers were frozen as we waited ;)

--- Experiencing the solar eclipse in totality.  It was breathtaking.  How GREAT is our God?!!

--- Working as a pianist for a preschool.  The kids were SO adorable, and it was fantastic experience for me.

--- Visiting Toccoa Falls with my mom.  We primarily went to enjoy two volleyball games, and in between games we went to the falls and then to get ice cream.  The waterfall was gorgeous! 

--- Meeting a friend for ice cream to celebrate our birthdays, and then getting stranded under a table umbrella for several hours while rain poured violently and lighting split the sky.  We survived, although we were quite drenched at the conclusion of the storm :)

OTHER

Callicreative Duotip Manuscript pens.  These are the main pens I use for lettering, and they’re practically perfect!  They come in many pretty colors, with one side having a fine tip and the other, a wedged marker-like tip.

Worth it All blog, run by author Isabella Morganthal.  I love the regular encouragement she shares on her blog.  She also has an email magazine ministry for girls, has published four books with the fifth releasing THIS WEEK (um, I hope I was allowed to share that, Bella??) and has a YouTube channel as well ;)

I can’t wait to hear YOUR favorites from 2017!  Comment below!