2023: Newness & Renewal
2023 was truly a beautiful year.
God had told me to be available this year, and He definitely did bring a lot of opportunities, along with new growth, new friends, new places...there was a breath of fresh air and peace this year, and such a reminder of God's goodness. Shall we jump into 2023?
Adventures
In January my brother and I explored Concrete City in Nanticoke, PA - in the cold and amongst snow flurries. Though each concrete home was built the same, the varying degrees of damage and graffiti made each building a unique exploration. In May we walked through the Chambersburg Mall, right before it was officially closed, and at that point it was all but abandoned though the music still played through the otherwise silent hallways.
In the heat of July (90 degrees, to be exact) my mom and I spent the day in DC, walking at least 8.6 miles and having a good time together - my first time in the Library of Congress was definitely my favorite part.
Last adventure of the year was exploring the Alvira Bunkers with my brother in November. Again, though each bunker was originally identical, 80 years later each is a little bit different. Of the 149 bunkers once used to store ammunition during WWII, we only got to 16 of them....so many more left to explore! (Unfortunately, we did not wait until it was cold enough, and ended up finding and killing 6 ticks after we left...definitely a place to visit when it's below freezing!)
Montana!
Biggest of all adventures was my trip to Montana in September. I traveled with a friend out to Kalispell, MT to visit a friend of mine who is working at 100 Fold Studio in Lakeside. We flew to Spokane and drove across Idaho into Montana. Not only was there less traffic than here in Lancaster County, but the views were always beautiful! We entered Glacier National Park on the east side and drove through, stopping for photos and a hike on the Highline Trail, until we reached our campsite. The next day we hiked to Avalanche Lake and drove the rest of the way through, again stopping periodically. The varied scenery from one side of Glacier to the other was incredible. During the rest of the trip, there was time for relaxation, walking through Kalispell, hanging out with my friend's friends, and more.
Family + History
My newest niece was born in January! I enjoyed time spent with family throughout the whole year, including visiting with my 92-year-old great aunt. We had a family vacation in April, a fun day of mini-golf in August, and both Ellenberger and Brubaker family reunions in the warmer months. In the fall there was our annual Fall Vacation, which, incredibly enough, was our 20th anniversary year - when we started these fall vacations 20 years ago, I was 7 years old, which is the age of my oldest niece now!
This year, I learned so much about my family history (on my dad's side). While doing some lazy searching on something while typing up the genealogy that we have, to make it easier for updating, I discovered that the oldest building in Lebanon, Light's Fort, was built by my 7x-great-grandfather back in 1742. Intrigued, I did some more digging and scheduled a tour for my family to see the inside of this building that was built when George Washington was ten years old, and once served as a safe haven for many families during Indian attacks. That same day, we also looked through some old cemeteries that held many ancestors. (A fun fact...after doing some family line comparisons, it turns out that I am 8th cousins with someone at my workplace...all the way back to Johannes Licht, who build that stone building in 1742.)
In July, my parents and I visited my dad's cousin and his family. It was such a nice time with them, and also yielded a wealth of family history gems. While sitting at the table passed down from my great-grandparents, I learned fascinating stories about my grandfather (who I've never met) and other family members, and we were taken on a short driving tour to pass the farm where our first-generation-in-America Ellenberger settled, the farm where my great-grandmother grew up, and my great-grandparent's house (along with getting drenched when we couldn't outrun the storm while looking at a gravesite in the field of what was once an Ellenberger farm). Last but not least, I left their house with a bag full of my great-aunt's diaries, and it's been an incredible adventure reading them, both for general historical value (learning about V-mail in WWII, for instance) and for all of the nuggets of family history.
Friends
God has definitely blessed me with some lovely friends! And I've found that having the schedule that I do with my new job has greatly increased my ability to spend time with them. I went to bridal showers, baby shower, and a wedding, went to another Liederkranz Fest, went kayaking right as the sun began to set, and just hung out and enjoyed time with many of my friends. We even had a small HMS class hangout at this year's HMS auction - though only seven of us could make it, it was great to see each other and catch up after so many years!
Writing
I am so thankful to be able to take part in Lancaster Christian Writers. Besides the bi-monthly gatherings, I've gained friend/mentorships / small critique group with other writers and have had so many more opportunities for growth and connections opened up to me this year. It's been so encouraging and has helped me to focus more clearly on my writing goals.
I also took part in a 5-week writing Connect Group at my church and was pleasantly surprised to see how many writers attend my church! Also, due to a connection made at LCW, I ended up attending a concert where there were a Guatemalan singer, Portuguese folk dancers (incredible!), a Portuguese jazz band, and the main event of Vibrant Simplicity, where most of the songs were in Portuguese and a few in English. (The main singer and songwriter of Vibrant Simplicity is also a writer, and I enjoyed her poetry book prior to the concert.)
Work
Wow, I've been at my new job for over a year now! There was an adjustment process, especially since it is a totally new industry than working in restaurant, but it was great to learn so many new things! Getting to know my fellow workers has been fun as well, and I even got to enjoy pulling a couple small, harmless pranks ;) that were well-received. Overall, I am so thankful for the change of pace in my life and all of the other blessings that have come with this job change.
Here and There
To fill in the cracks of the year's main events...I discovered a love for diatomaceous earth (best way to kill ants...); took part in a deposition for the first and oh-I-hope last time; I suddenly had such an interest in flowers and plants and enjoyed making a garden and planting blueberries and cucumber; enjoyed the warm spring with some hiking; got a second library card (and you can keep Lebanon library books for a week longer than you can in Lancaster!); ate some delicious German food at Josie's German Café and Market; spent an unfortunate amount on car problems; turned 27 (wait...what??); and checked out Stoever's Dam park.
Music of 2023
Thank God I Do (Lauren Daigle), I've Witnessed It (Passion), More Than Able (Elevation Worship), Be Glorified (Lindy Cofer), Der König Kommt (DMMK), Vater im Himmel (Outbreakband), Überwunden (Joy&Markus, Gebetshaus)
Look What God Did
Most important, however, is what God did in my life in 2023. He is such a good Father, who wants to be with us and work in our lives! This year He used two different people speaking on "What's in my hand?" to stop and ask Him what is in my hand that I have in me to give, even if it seems small, and I gave Him more fully than ever before my writing to do whatever He wants with. Since then, He has led me on a journey of giving of my writing more freely. God gave someone at church a word for me, and when I prayed through that word, He lifted off a burden that had been placed on me by a past friend that I hadn't realized I was still carrying. Then there was the theme of glory - kabod - the weight of God's presence - that impacted our whole church, myself included. Ever since a certain prayer at our church, I've felt so much freer from fear and anxiety than I have in a long time. And truly, I could say so much more, because "He who has begun a good work in [me] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6); He is always near and always working.
This year has been such a blessing, and I can't wait to see what God wants to do in 2024!
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