A new year, A new start, and a new me!

 It is January ninth and the state officers are back in business! This past two weeks being home has taught me a lot about myself and where I want to go with my life. December 18- January 2^nd The State Officers had a break to go home and enjoy time with family and friends; I done exactly that. I hung out with a lot of different friends over break and a bunch of my family members! It was nice stuffing my face with a smorgasbord of food, but it was also enlightening. Early one night I had just got back from playing a great game of billiards with my best friend Branson. As I was pulling into my driveway I looked down to the barn to see if anything had changed in the past six months since our election. I then realized that it was the first time I had ever really looked at my show pen and saw neither steer nor heifers in the pen. There was absolutely nothing in the pin or anything remotely close to the barn. At that moment had finally sunk in.  For the past ten years of my life there had always been a steer or a heifer roaming around or starring at me with caring eyes. Nothing at all. I then started to reflect on everywhere I had been and everything I had seen.  It’s astounding to me how much I have grown in this short period of time. It wasn’t just that fact I had moved out to serve my favorite organization. Nor was it what title I had. It was about the experiences and memories I had which I am so very thankful for! I count my blessings every night before I lay my head down to rest that I get to serve Indiana FFA.

                After that moment in time came Christmas day! It is my favorite holiday of the year! Not because of the gifts, or the Fried shrimp my family makes, or the paper wade fights we have, or the competition of the famous CB box (Every year my Great grandma Carmichael has a tradition that is over two and a half decades old. Grandma puts names of every family member in a hat. Then the youngest in the family draws two names for the coved 1975 midland CB radio box. Whoever receives this box or its replica have bragging rights for the year and get to sign the box) But it is rather about being with Family. But this year was a little different. During summer challenge of this year my great grandma had been stricken with a rare form of staff infection, which later ended her life. This Christmas was bittersweet to say the least. As we were handing out gift this year every own keep looking for the CB, to see if it was to ever reappear.  During the beginning of the Christmas present exchange my uncle lee handed everyone a present which was from my great grandma Carmichael.  As we penned up the room began to fill with tears of laughter and joy. My grandma had always put back money for Christmas. Every member received a present that was equal in cost to the other. After she passed my grandma, my uncle, and my aunt Connie didn’t know what to do with the money for her last Christmas present. Christmas Eve day it came to my uncle that everyone should have something that would last a lifetime, a bible. I remember growing up, every night before my grandma went to bed she would read out of her old bible for an hour or so. She was strongly rooted to her faith and was a charter member of my church. It got me to thinking about how much I have strayed over the years from god. I talked about him a lot in speeches and in conversation but I never really read anything from the bible. I never truly followed god’s word until now. My new year’s resolution is to become a stronger person and an even stronger Christian. Although FFA is not a faith based organization, our roots are based in belief of a more positive world. For the second part of my year of service I will be more of the leader that I wanted to see being a chapter officer. I want to reach even farther out of my comfort zone and I hope you keep me too it. That’s it for now. Keep believing in yourself and keep believing in something bigger than yourself. God bless and happy new year!