2.0.1.3

We are almost completely done with the first month of 2013 and I still have yet to recap. Silly me. Highlights of 2012...

-Joining the 21st century by buying my first iPhone.
-Disney World for spring break.
-Watching some of my best friend graduate high school.
-Experiencing Camp Barnabas for the first time.
-CAMP with rbcstudents.
-A fabulous trip to Chicago.
-CAMP reunion.
-Leadership Summit.
-Starting my first day of high school.
-Homecoming.
-My 17th birthday.
-Winter Retreat.
-Christmas at Remingtons.
-Christmas.
-Cutting my hair short.
-Ringing in a new year.

The most important thing that came from 2012 though was the way I grew in Christ. It has been incredible and it's still a day to day journey, but the pain has been so worth it. I'm so grateful for the friendships that have been strengthened and the new ones that have been formed. I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!

Random-ness.

It's been awhile.

A lovely, short, sweet Christmas break was just what this girl needed.

Some crazy, painful, bittersweet, exciting things have happened in my life the past six months or so, and I'm so blessed to have amazing friends to experience those things with.

Our youth pastor, Nate, announced his resignation at the end of December and his last day on staff will be January 13th. As sad as we are to see them go, we are so excited for the Bocks and for what lies ahead of them!

The second semester of school is now two days underway, and I have around ninety days of school left. That is totally doable. Auditions for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying are coming up soon, so that's exciting. It' hard to believe that this is my last semester of high school.

This has been short and sweet, mostly because I'm extremely exhausted, so I'm signing off. Have a great weekend!

19 Days Worth of Thankfulness.

Day 1) I'm thankful for being born on this fine November day.
Day 2) I'm thankful for road-trips with my family.
Day 3) I'm thankful for family weddings.
Day 4) I'm thankful for making new friends.
Day 5) I'm thankful for the family across the street who trust me to watch their kids.
Day 6) I'm thankful for the ability to get an education.
Day 7) I'm thankful for the chance to worship with my friends.
Day 8) I'm thankful for new books.
Day 9) I'm thankful for being grounded, because I have privileges that can be taken away.
Day 10) I'm thankful for free Saturdays.
Day 11) I'm thankful for a creative group of students who love the Lord and talented friends.
Day 12) I'm thankful for Mondays, because they represent a new week.
Day 13) I'm thankful for the opportunity to help with Cinderella.
Day 14) I'm thankful for technology.
Day 15) I'm thankful for a mom who will go sit through a show with me, and listen to me complain.
Day 16) I'm thankful for late nights, because that means I'm busy.
Day 17) I'm thankful for people who keep life interesting and take interest in my life.
Day 18) I'm thankful for the chance to go to Italy with my best friend.
Day 19) I'm thankful for the new friends that I've made.

Creativity and Cliques.

     I've noticed that I like to alliterate in my post titles. Just a quirk I've noticed.

     Last night we had a church event called Creative Night. Our youth group met and then broke off

into different groups based on what we wanted to do creatively. The groups were music, drama,

tech, art, and dance. I joined the music group, and we were split up into even smaller groups. Half of

us went with Brian Opperman, and the other half went with Sean and Brett Killingsworth. I had the

pleasure of working with Brian, who studied at Hillsong and was part of their worship team for the

past few years. We were given Psalm 63: 1-8, and he just told us to write what the Lord was telling

us. By the end of the night we had a song! I wrote the first verse and the chorus, Brian wrote the

second verse, and Lindsey wrote the bridge. I'm so excited to see where this project is going to go and

how the Lord is going to use it!


     Today in class I heard the following conversation:

Jordan:: You know those posters for that church event? I just realized those are for my church!

Kenzie:: Oh really? When is that? I think I might go...

Jordan:: You shouldn't go. My church is really cliquey and no one is nice.
    

     This honestly broke my heart. How bad is the Church as a whole that it's own members are saying

"don't come here"? We as a body of believers should be inviting people in, not turning them away.

Homeschooling, Homecoming, and Hotrod.

      What a month it has been! School has gotten better, it's not great, but it's better. Here's a small recap of the things that have happened in the past few weeks...

1. I'm writing my research paper on homeschooling (creative topic choice, eh?).
2. Auditions for Cinderella have come and gone, and even though I didn't make this show, I'm so excited for all of my friends who did! I know it's going to be an amazing show.
3. I joined drama club today! Our first get together is this Saturday at one of the seniors house. We are doing a drive-in/barbecue/bonfire. It should be quite a lot of fun.
4. This past Friday was Nixa's homecoming. I went with an awesome guy, and enjoyed hanging out with my crazy friends. I sure do love them...
5. I'm watching Hotrod for the first time right now, and I must admit, it's kind of cracking me up.

       Sorry for the short post, but I have an English paper to write! Have a great week! :)

Hard.

Life is hard. School is hard. Friendships are hard.

You know what isn't hard? Having faith.

I hate school. I hate being surrounded by crap all day. I hate sitting in a classroom for 7 hours and feeling like I'm not learning anything. I hate that I hate it. All I want is to be a "normal" high-schooler. But I'm not, and people don't like that. I feel like people are judging me because I don't like their normal. But, you see, that's what they've been doing to me for the last 8 years. Making fun and judging my normal. I feel as if I were coming from public school to homeschooling, and I didn't like it, then that would be fine. However, that's not the case. I still don't know if I'll continue going to school. I'm strongly considering going back to homeschooling, but I'm still praying about it.

Through it all though, I have faith. I have faith that the Lord will reveal His purpose to me. I have faith that no matter what, His hand will be evident in my life this year.

Will you pray for me to follow God's plan? Will you pray for me to realize who my true friends are? Will you pray for me as I strive to do everything in the name of the Lord? Thanks, friends. It means the world.

Ramblings and Whatnot...

I'm halfway through my days of work this week! I worked yesterday and today, and I work tomorrow and Tuesday. After that though, I'm off for almost three weeks! My working buddy, Kristen, worked her last today, because she is headed back to Baylor for school.

I ordered my backpack online yesterday. That was weird. I haven't had a backpack since the second grade. I still have a few things to pick up before school actually starts, but I'm getting excited!

Our student associate, Jessica, is taking a new job as a 6th grade reading teacher this fall. I am so excited for her as she starts this new journey, but she will be greatly missed.

I'm hungry. All the time. I don't understand it, but I eat like a grown man.

This post is awkwardly short, but I'm going to take a nap. See you later, blogger world!