Year In Review/Plans For This Year

2008 is over my friends. It had it's ups and downs, but overall it was a good year.

Some good music came in 2008. I didn't buy near as many albums as I wanted to, so I know there's a ton of stuff I missed out on. But I did happen to get several great records. Out of those, here's my top 10.

Top 10 Albums for 2008:

10. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine

This is a really great album. It's very... different, but I like it a lot. It's good music for listening to when you want to ponder things or if you want to relax.

9. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

I have to say, I was a little dissapointed in this record. It wasn't what I was hoping. In my opinion, it's nowhere near as good as their previous records. But, even with all that going against, it's a wonderful album. Death Cab is that good.


8. House of Heroes - The End Is Not The End

Some of the songs on this record do kind of blend together, but as a whole, it's a great record. I enjoyed it much better than Say No More.


7. Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger

What can I say? I'm a sucker for piano rock.


6. Leeland - Opposite Way

I dig this band.


5. Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux

Never in a million years would I have thought I'd put a Fall Out Boy on my Top 10 list. Never in a billion years would I have thought it'd be this high on the list. Biggest surprise of the year. Holy amazing. This is a fantastic album. For serious.


4. Right Away, Great Captain! - The Eventually Home

Andy Hull is genius. He really made me feel what he was feeling. I really like artists who can do that. I really like this music.


3. Panic At The Disco - Pretty. Odd.

These guys are talented. This album is completely different than their first, which I also enjoyed. How they made such a drastic change and still made it sound awesome, and still made it feel like the same band, is amazing. They're just that good.

2. Jon Foreman - Spring & Summer

My favorite Jon EP's.


1. Relient K - The Bird And The Bee Sides

Whoa! Relient K is number one on my list! Who would have thought?! No, but seriously. This Album/EP/B-sides/whatever you want to call it is, in my opinion, Relient K's best work. It easily takes the top spot on this list. Amazing.

Honorable mentions:
Anberlin - New Surrender
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
The Killers - Day & Age

Standing Small - Oh Sweet Child (go check this band out now!)

Goals for 2009:

1. Read my Bible every day

2. Practice the piano 2 hours every week day

3. Get better at playing the violin

4. Get better at playing the guitar

5. Learn to play the cello

6. Better my prayer life

7. Have a better relationship with the Lord

8. Do a "big hard thing"

9. Stop procrastinating

10. Go to at least 3 Relient K concerts

11. Go see The Rocket Summer in concert

12. See Leeland in concert

14. Take really awesome pictures of bands

15. See Savannah and Gerry at least once every 2 weeks

16. Learn to play the blues (the genre, not the song. Although the song would be nice to learn)

17. Keep my room clean for at least 2 months

18. Not skip swim practice just becauseI don't feel like going

19. Graduate high school

20. Have a senior piano recital and not completely blow it

22. Get a scholarship

23. Not procrastinate on my homework

24. Be nicer to my little sister

25. Be more patient with my older brother

26. Become closer to my mom

27. Be more confident

28. Get a picture with Matt Thiessen and John Warne

29. Get Matt Thiessen, John Warne, and Jon Schneck to sign my shoe that already has Ethan Luck and Matt Hoopes' signatures.

30. Meet Drew Shirley and Tim Foreman

31. Witness to someone/lead someone to Christ

32. Make a new friend

33. Help someone in need

34. Be a better friend

35. Drive by myself

37. Save money to purchase something important

38. Not spend as much time on the computer

39. Read more books. Not just novels, but books that you get something out of when you're done.

40. Be a better person in general

Year in Review:

Some great things happened this year. I met my favorite band. I had my first actual job. I learned to drive. I learned a song I've been wanting to learn ever since I started playing piano. I made my first purchase over $250, a DSLR camera. I gained confidence. My uncle got saved. I grew closer to my family. My dad lost 70 pounds.

2008 also had it's share of not so great moments. Scary moments. Sad moments. Worried moments. But somehow, all those things seemed to work themselves out by the grace of God.

My family has less money than we have ever had, but through that we've grown closer to each other and learned to appreciate the more simple things in life. At the same time, I also learned that I'm a really selfish person. I often got jealous of other people who have more than we do, and that's the completely wrong way to act. The best things in life really are free. I think we forget that a lot. My Christmas was really good. I didn't get that many things, but that's not the point. Christmas is definitely not about things. More of our family members than ever were here during the Christmas season. It was definitely the best Christmas I have ever had. Stuff is not important. It's all going to burn up sooner than we think. This year I want to be more thankful for what I have and learn to trust in the Lord in everything.

I read a life changing book this year. It's called Do Hard Things and it's by Alex and Brett Harris. I strongly suggest that you read this book. It will change your life. As I was reading those pages, it hit me like a brick to the face. I am so lazy. I procrastinate all the time. I do nothing of any significance. And when I do, I don't try hard to do it the best I can. I don't want to do that anymore. This year I want to stop being lazy. I want to get my homework done when it needs to be done. I want to practice piano as much and more than I am supposed to. I want to read my Bible every day. I want to lead someone to the Lord this year. I want to do something big for the glory of God. I don't know what big hard thing I want to do, but I know I want to do something. I want it to happen this year. I'm not going to waste this year like I did last year.

Last year I did some things I'm not proud of. I didn't read my Bible as much as I should have. I acted selfishly so many times. I was jealous. I was depressed. I was envious. I was mean. I lied. I cheated. I hurt peoples feelings. I was angry. I gossipped. I thought things I shouldn't have thought. I did things I shouldn't have done. So many times I acted the way I knew that I shouldn't have. I know that's human nature, and that I am going to sin a lot this year (and already have) and fall into the same sins sometimes, but I really want to make a bigger effort this year to live my life to glorify God.

I love new years. It's like a fresh start. A second chance. Maybe I'll be writing this exact same post on January 1st, 2010. Who knows? But I have a strong feeling this year is going to be a good one. I hope the same applies to you.

Happy New Year.