Closing the book: 2012

Well, well, well...here we are, the end of another year. Some things have not changed, some things have and some things will never be the same. I definitely can look back at this year and appreciate it, but to be honest, I need a new year. I need a fresh start (even if only in my mind). I have had some great successes this year and some of the worst failures as well. I haven't posted much this year and its mostly because I haven't felt worthy of saying anything worth reading. I have spent most of this year running from God, running from what I know I must do to find the happiness that I know I want. I have come to grips with a lot of things over the past couple of days and really hope this year will be the one that I dream it will be. I am not a super reflective person...and I have a terrible memory, but I am going to try to recap this year in my life and hopefully help someone else that needs to be reminded of how much God loves us (them).



Here are some highlights (I believe we are to rejoice with each other, so I hope you can rejoice with me in this stuff).

1) My C-team went undefeated. That was cool.

2) I had the opportunity to do sports camps in Trinidad and Tobago in April, I learned tons about myself and will never forget that Spring Break.

3) We had the 5th annual Culbys. Okay, so back in May I did an awards ceremony for my students, each student got an award and I danced around and acted like an idiot for them. It is so much fun to do and it reminds me just how much I love teaching and working with students.

4) I had the most unreal worship experience of my life at The Vous Conference 2012 in June. I CANNOT WAIT to go back to Miami in June for that conference! Nothing I have been to compares to it.

5) I got a chance to take a group of high schoolers to Peru again! This year we had 3 SALVATIONS!!

6) I went to The Gauntlet 2012 with my church (NewSpring Church) and we had a great time. I hope that my guys were encouraged by me as I was by them. It is amazing to see God move in such an awesome way.

7) Football started...we had players accepting Christ at practice, things were going incredible. I felt the God was calling me to meet with some guys throughout the football season to keep the fire going from Gauntlet. I met with them a few times and felt that I needed to stop...but we had a somewhat successful year.

Here are some lowlights.

1) I dated several people that I knew I had no business dating and wasted another year looking in all the wrong places for the 'right one.'

2) I didn't finish my reading plan...I try to finish the bible in its entirety every year...that didn't happen this year.

3) I got really cynical at times this year.

4) I struggled with the same sins for another year, doing the same stupid stuff.

5) I got really mad at myself and frustrated in general this year.

Okay, so I say all of that to say this: This year can be different for me and for you! I know that the people that read my posts struggle with some of the same things. I don't know what you did this year that you would like to forget, but I KNOW that God can forgive you of it and HE will forget it (its as far as the East is from the West).

The thing I know about me (and believe about all Christians) is that the thing that is keeping you from the breakthrough you are looking for, is me (or in your case, you). Some of you are chasing all the wrong things and wondering why you aren't finding contentment in life.

We can change the World, our schools/workplaces, our families...but we have to change ourselves first.

AND...thats what I am planning to do in 2013.

LOVE YOU ALL, Thanks for reading.

Chase Culbertson