Happy birthday to me! Last Saturday we celebrated my 17th birthday, and even though I've had a couple of days to let it sit in, it still feels kind of surreal. If I'm being honest, It's very bittersweet to think about how old I am and what's to come as a new chapter of my life is about to begin. I tend to resist reflecting on this milestone because that requires me to face the hard things that I've walked through this year and the scary things that come with growing up.

But right now, I'm sitting down and I'm praising God for this past year. Every day, He has woken me up and chosen to give me breath within my lungs. Every day, He has provided for my every need and chosen to cover me in His love. God has been good, every day of my life, and no circumstance will change that.

I want to share with you 17 blessings that the Lord has lavished on me throughout this past year, and really just settle in His kindness to me. I am honored to be able to live and breathe in the presence of such a holy God, and I am humbled to remember that He chooses me and loves me. I'm His daughter and His student and His partner, and that is a blessing beyond measure. I want to step back and recognize the people and the experiences that are evidence of His goodness, and I want to remind you of those things too.

1. Stillness in the presence of God. I've grown to appreciate and cherish the moments of quiet, soaking in the presence of the Almighty God and just being with Him. It is the still waters that refresh my soul.

2. Moving my body. Movement is an expression of worship, and being able to have a healthy body that I can dance and run and walk in is a gift. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and that is so divine.

3. Music. Music has always been important to me and my relationship with God, and I am just so grateful for the ways that the Lord speaks and connects with me through the power of song.

4. Laughter. It speaks for itself - the joy of being doubled over in laughter is unmatched.

5. Surprising love. When your heart gets broken, sometimes you become fearful of opening up again. But sometimes God surprises you in unexpected ways, and I'm so grateful for my special person, who has become my safe place and best friend. :)

6. Deep conversations with my mom and dad. It's been a blessing in this season to be able to talk through some of the hard things with my parents. Some nights, I sit on the living room floor and pour out all the things I'm stressed about, and simply being able to use them as a sounding board is a gift.

7. Learning to ask for and receive help. This is something that is so hard for my prideful heart to accept, but the Lord has really been pruning me and showing me the blessing on the other side of vulnerability. This was visible in the physical struggle of being in the wheelchair, but also the spiritual and emotional struggles of anxiety and spiritual warfare.

8. Coloring (lol). I've walked through a lot of anxiety this past year and coloring has been one of the releases that I've discovered. It's been a fun hobby to pick up and has surprisingly been a calming way to help me slow down and connect with Jesus.

9. The authority we have in prayer. I'm so grateful that I no longer belong to a spirit of the world, but to the Spirit of the Almighty God. He has anointed and covered me in His presence, and therefore my prayer and my worship carries weight and power through His strength. This blows my mind in awe of my Father.

10. The sky. Every sunrise and every sunset is evidence of the artistry of God. He so carefully paints every sky, but He even more intentionally handcrafted you and I.

11. My prayer journal. My prayer journal has been a huge blessing to me and has been a really important tool to help me connect with God. It's evolved into a warfare weapon, and I'm so grateful for how the Lord has used it to speak to me.

12. Chapman. Chapman has always been a super important person in my life, and I'm beyond thankful for her. But this year, as she stepped back from a coaching position, she took on a new role in my life, and honestly became quite the safe space. When I was deep in anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, she was the person and classroom I would go to, and I cannot find the words for how much she means to me.

13. Nana and Papa. My Nana and Papa have always been constant, and I am so grateful for how active they are in my life. They show up to every event and are like second parents to me. I know our closeness is not the norm, but it is the biggest blessing!

14. Unlocked a love for early childhood. This year I've had some super fun opportunities to take more education classes and even start working at a preschool, and those little ones really just light up my heart! It's a passion of mine and a blessing to be able to work with kiddos. :)

15. Flowers. Plain and simple, flowers are one of my favorites of God's creation, and they illustrate His beauty so well.

16. Academic successes. This past year I've found myself celebrating some serious academic wins, from getting 100% on math tests and a 31 on the ACT. They were unexpected successes but major blessings!

17. Cancun! This summer my family and I were able to go on a week long vacation to Cancun, and it was such a beautiful and relaxing trip. We lounged by the pool, ate yummy ice cream, and made memories to last a lifetime, and I'm so grateful.

Clearly, God has been good to me. I could go on and on about little things that are evidence of the Lord's kindness, but I just want to take a moment to recognize these things. This has not been an easy year in the slightest, for so many reasons, but I am so grateful that the Father has not left me. My Almighty God and Yahweh have not stopped fighting on my behalf, and every day I wake up with little blessings to remind me of His character. He is good and constant and faithful, whether my circumstances look like it or my emotions feel like it. I am praising the Lord for that!