God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

It's that time of year when everyone starts reminiscing about the past 12 months. This week has been particularly reflective because I've spent a lot of time with people I haven't seen since August or May. We have done a lot of remembering, so I'm going to do a bit of remembering here.

January
-Started with a bang - and a great deal of fun over at the mob house. Yes, Cherilyn, I slept in your bed.
-Interim - ah, that sweet word. This is going to be one of the things I miss most about Calvin, but I'm pretty sure that the senior year interim was the BEST EVER - grammar with the VandenBosch and the VandeKopple, knitting at the J-Series in "my seat," doing 10 minutes of homework, and then doing whatever I wanted to for the rest of the night. Glorious!
-a little weekend with Renee in Chicago at a little event I like to call the Cubs Convention.

February-May
-This all gets lumped together because it was one big blur, sans a week in April. It was mainly marked by many hours traversing the distance between Grand Rapids and Holland, attempting to corral about 75 high school seniors on a daily basis, and learning a lot from master teachers. If only I could remember what I learned...
-Having the student teachers over to my apt for dinner. Good times had by all.
-Reading The Brothers K for HCHS book club. If you haven't read it, go read it now.
-Oh, and finding a job. That was a bit stressful.

April (that week that wasn't a blur)
-A week spent in the sun in Arizona with my fabulous family - a much-needed reprieve. The week involved family, a city with a population of 6, baseball, Opening Day baseball, and looking at a big hole in the ground for a few days (granted, that big hole was the Grand Canyon). Is it spring yet?

May
-The month that changed my life forever. I graduated from the illustrious Calvin with good ol' GW speaking at graduation. Saying goodbye to friends who have now scattered to the corners of the earth. Watching "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" on the KE lawn while getting wet by sprinklers. Staying up talking until 4:30am on the night of graduation. Saying good-bye to the Gammish and leaving Gamma behind. Hanging out with my friends and all of their family members at my house after graduation.
-Cathy and Chris's wedding - the "whole family," "Love Shack," and 9 people in one hotel room.

June-July
-Summer jobs - the reason why I went to college. Working at a small retail shop reminded me of why I was looking forward to my "real job". Going to multiple Cubs games. Major League All-Star Weekend. Road-tripping to see both Annas. Tuesday night baseball. Rec Center softball.

August
-Mississippi with the fam for a week to help those less fortunate than I. Playing Rook until all hours of the night just to gain another "wubble-you" or experience "total domination!" Helping Jorelle read.
-Moving. Enough said.
-Starting school. AAHHH!!
-Bethany and Daniel's wedding. One of the funnest (yes, I said funnest) weddings I've been to.

September
-Discovering the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, wandering up Lake Michigan with my bro trying to catch a picture of the surf at "just the right time."
-Cubs-Cards in the rain. Prior on the hill. Murton in left field. Dempster at the gate. No last out.
-The last Cubs game of the year at Wrigley - and the eBay ticket fiasco. Boo eBay.

October, November, December
-I guess the last few months have seemed unremarkable. Learning much. Grading much. The once-monthly meeting of "The 1st Year Teachers' Club." Winning fantasy baseball for the 2nd year in a row. Ushering with Emily. Andy's Jazz. Random dinners with the Lagerweys. Christmas trees. Marshall Fields' windows. Harry Potter 4!
-Jon and Tera's wedding. Seeing a lot of old friends.
-Singing in the Messiah. "Let all the angels of God worship him!"
-Christmas break with my nephew saying, "I won't give you a hug because if I don't give you a hug, you won't leave."

Okay, so most of you probably didn't read all of that. Or maybe even any. But even if you don't, read this: What I see in this list is God. God leading, God shaping, God prodding, God pushing, God giving joy, and God giving life, so that I may have life in the full.

God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good.

p.s. Do I get extra credit for using a semi-colon correctly in a blog post?