As I sit here at home, waiting for this year to fade into the past and for a new year to emerge, I reflect on 2024. It was a good year, but not without challenges.
Earlier in the spring, I was washing my porches and planting flowers. I hadn’t felt well for weeks. I assumed I was suffering an onset of a Crohn’s Disease flare, but I felt well enough on that day to start planting and preparing for Spring. While washing my porch, I took a tumble down the steps. Our steps are wooden and not too steep. I didn’t suffer any significant injuries, just scrapes and a few bruises. The following week, I was diagnosed with a terrible case of Shingles. Here I am seven months later, and I’m still suffering lasting nerve issues from those Shingles.
The spring and summer months could have been better, but I have no reason to complain. I have friends with severe chronic illnesses that are far worse than mine. Even with chronic health issues, I’m grateful for my health.
In July, the ladies in my family enjoyed our annual summer beach trip. This year, we chose Panama City Beach, Florida. Sometimes, we couldn’t get in the water because it was too rough, but it was still a great trip.
In October, our church home group enjoyed a short trip to the mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We played putt-putt, raced go-carts, and ate a lot of food. It was almost like being in college all over again.
Thanksgiving was a fun night with extended family. We don’t get together as much as we used to, but catching up on everybody’s lives is always a blessing.
My husband and I love watching our immediate family grow. Our granddaughter turned 2 in November. TWO! Wasn’t she just born yesterday? Wasn’t her daddy just born yesterday? Time does fly.
Last month, our daughter said YES to her boyfriend, now her fiance. My husband and our son are happy to get another man in the family after years of being surrounded by girls.
The Christmas season was so much fun! Christmas lights, parades, movies, family gatherings, babies, toddlers, and kids all waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve night. Some family members were sick so they couldn’t join us. They were missed, but we look forward to seeing them come Easter.
Looking back over 2024, there were ups and downs like every year before, but the one steadfast truth that never changes is Jesus. He is still Lord – always was, always is, and always will be my constant source of peace in the chaos of life and my strength when I am weak. I’m reminded of a scripture verse.
The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB)
For His compassions do not fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
What about you? Were there challenges in 2024 that tested your faith? What joys filled your heart with gratitude? (Tell us in the comments.)
As we look forward to the new year, let’s focus not necessarily on common “resolutions” but on personal spiritual growth. Here are a few things we can all work on together.
Ways to Focus on Personal Spiritual Growth
- Deepen your prayer life. Commit to setting aside time each day, preferably in the morning, but any time works. The main goal is to become consistent. A consistent prayer life will draw us closer to God.
- Read the Bible daily. Some people commit to reading the Bible through each year. It’s a big commitment, but it’s worth it. I’m reading the Bible through in consecutive order. I started well over a year ago, but I’m studying as I go, not just reading, to say I read it. The important thing here is, again, to become consistent. Spending consistent time in God’s Word helps us grow in wisdom and understanding.
- Serve Others. Look for ways to serve in your community. Volunteering in a local ministry, donating financially to a Godly cause, or simply serving your neighbor in everyday life are acts of kindness that reflect the love of Jesus.
- Cultivate gratitude. It’s hard to cultivate gratitude when we focus on challenges so much that we can’t see the blessings in our lives. One idea is to keep a gratitude journal. Throughout the year, write down blessings and moments of joy when they happen. Gratitude can shift our focus from what we lack to the abundance of God’s grace in our lives.
- Nurture relationships. Strengthen your bonds with family and friends. Encourage one another in faith. We were not meant for isolation. We were created for community. Don’t take the gifts of family and friends for granted. Thank God for them and encourage one another as God intended.
Embracing Challenges in the New Year
Change can be intimidating, even scary, but change brings growth. If your new year is beginning with challenges, remember the following verse from the book of Isaiah.
Behold, I am going to do something new,
Isaiah 43:19 (NASB)
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
God is always at work, creating new opportunities for us. Trust Him as you step into the unknown.
Praying for the Year Ahead
As we enter the new year together, let’s commit to praying for one another and lifting each other up. Let’s support one another and seek God’s will for our lives and in our communities. May we embrace the new year with hope because we serve a faithful God who holds our future. He has great plans for us!
Wishing you a blessed and joyful new year filled with God’s grace, love, and peace.
Tina
Looking for Bible study tools to help you organize your spiritual growth? Check out my resource page here to see recommended items.
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