2013!!

It is 2013. What in the world? I still am just barely getting over saying '0 in front of the year.

This year is going to be such an adventure. I have never started a year off like this before-knowing what I will be doing in my life for the next year and a half. Starting in 54 days, I will be a missionary for Jesus Christ. Normally at the beginning of the year I know how much school I will do, what job I will have, and what classes I will take, but not much beyond that.

However, this year I know that (unless something dramatically crazy and revelatory and insane happens in the next 54 days) I will still be very single by next August. I won't be graduating like I thought before. I won't be starting a real life job. Instead, I will be serving the Lord. It's kind of a weird change. But definitely an exciting one. There are so many other unknowns to me right now: will my mission be extremely difficult? Will I be able to handle it? Will I be able to be an effective missionary? Will I like my companions? Will I be safe? etc. etc.

I'm not exactly sure what goals to set beyond February 27th, but I guess you do that on your mission. So far my goals have not been very focused. But as I have tried to prepare for my mission I have been struck with the urgency of that preparation. The MTC will be awesome. But 12 days there are not going to give me everything I need to be a missionary. That preparation started a long time ago and it just needs to hasten now. So that is where my goals will be focused, and most important I think is studying daily in the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, and reading Preach My Gospel.

And that is going to be my 2013 :)