Happy New Year!

The 2007 Survey!

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Got a drivers' license. Set foot on the Grove City College campus.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
The New Year's resolution I remember was to memorize more Scripture. I did memorize more than last year, but not a lot more.
Yes, I'm making more. Given that all old resolutions continue to stand (e.g. I still want to memorize more Scripture), this year I'd like to keep a regular journal. Weekly, at least.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nora!!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, although some close friends lost loved ones.

5. What countries did you visit?
None! First year in a few.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you didn't have in 2007?
Holiness and an end of self-pursuit.

7. What date(s) from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
None in particular. Sometimes it's not the mountaintops that matter, but the climbing.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Pulling a 3.8 average GPA for the 2006-2007 school year, and taking 22 credits the following semester with a 3.6.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Lack of foresight in relationships.

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Actually not - I've hardly gotten sick at all this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A camera for my brother.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
David's. Susannah's. The Godspell cast's. Tim's.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Certain people's, including mine.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Buying food during long days at school.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Grove City College. Still don't know whether or not I'm accepted.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
"No Ordinary Love" by tobyMac feat. Nirva Dorsaint-Ready
"My Portion Forever" by Matt Papa
"Wait" by The Afters
"Smile" by Chris Rice
Note: It's quite possible that these songs will also remind me of subsequent years. Except for the first one, I think.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?:
Wiser, perhaps. I have less and I expect less. But I know better what I'm supposed to do. Not sadder.
ii. richer or poorer?:
Haha -- a lot poorer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Praying. Serving others. Playing the piano. Writing journals.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Internalizing. Being spiritually lazy. Actually, almost all my regrets are for things I should have done but didn't.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas with my family.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No. Yes? I don't know.

23. How many one-night stands?
None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
This question answers itself...

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
"Hate" is a little strong, but I'm leaning towards a yes.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
It's impossible to list only one thing. I learned how to sing. I learned how to read figured bass, to analyze any classical music and learn what makes it "tick," and I begun learning how to play jazz piano. I learned about Neapolitan flat II's and augmented 6th chords, and where they fit in the world today. This was a good, good year for musical discoveries.

28. What did you want and get?
Good grades.

29. What did you want and not get?
I wanted to get into Grove City in the fall, but that didn't happen.

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
Bella. (On DVD: Cars, Our Mutual Friend (so good!), Martin Chuzzlewit)

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 20 this year, but I don't remember what I did on my birthday.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I'd taken the battle for holiness more seriously and fought it harder.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Functional.

34. What kept you sane?
In a word, routine.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh, I don't know. I'm definitely a fan of Eduardo Verastegui from "Bella." Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley, of course. i'm currently supporting Mike Huckabee for President.

37. Who did you miss?
Tim

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Ellen K. and Alec S.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Know what you're doing before you do it.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember, when you walk
Sometimes you fall
So fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live

- "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)," Chris Rice