I think one of the most important things we can do this time of year is to look back to both celebrate and reflect. And while I think it is important, it is hard for me to do.
I want to charge forward into the planning and the new and the growth. But new growth will never be as effective if you haven’t first reflected on where you are coming from in order to see most clearly where you need to go.
So I’m taking a bit of time on here to celebrate and reflect. I hope you enjoy it.
January:
I spent most of this month digging deep and learning the art of reflecting well and then setting intentional goals. God did some deep work in my heart during all the reflecting. And I wrote a post that came from a really deep, good talk my husband and I had one evening about my heart in ministry.
February:
This was a hard month. I battled internally with crippling fear all month. It was a time of digging in deep with Jesus and learning to let Him be my comfort. I also took my first ever Influence Network class and was rocked by the message Jess Connolly shared.
March:
Mexico…what else is there to say about this month? The days in Mexico were a much needed change of pace and worked some healing in my soul. And I fell in love with that beautiful country all over again. I can’t wait to go back again this March!
April:
With my birthday and Easter and a whirlwind trip to Washington State this month was crazy, and I was preaching hard to my heart! I began to fully see light at the end of a long winter in my heart.
May:
I started this month with my husband gone at a conference and me just barely home from my visit with family. So I was reflecting again on what it means to love my family and yet to obey God’s call to live on the other side of the nation. At the end of this month, God broke my heart open over the people He’s placed in my life. Then my husband got ordained and we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.
June:
This first month of summer was all about the beach! And it was a time of clarifying my purpose in blogging and taking hold of what I felt God had called me to write, and I wrote a lot on those topics, including this post that was burning in my heart. And I processed through truths that I had learned through my rough winter season with “An Invitation to Trust” and “A Promise Redeemed”.
July:
Early on this month I shared my go-to marriage advice. And I refocused myself in the middle of the year by calling myself, by calling us back to Jesus, only and always Jesus. Also, we house sat for friends and ate both too-many and not-enough burgers and watermelon.
August:
This month I wrote one of my favorite additions to my “Church Planting Is” series. And this month I finally hit the point of feeling fully free from the fears that dominated so much of my winter and spring, and I poured those truths that had helped me so much out over and over. The end of August we spent back in Washington again for our friends’ wedding and to see family. It was a wonderful summer finale.
September:
This month was crazy: adjusting back into my busiest tutoring schedule ever and trying to find time to write every second I could. I felt like I couldn’t write words fast enough this month, there was so much passion pouring out of me. I wrote “Falling in Love” and talked about my pet-peeve with cliches. Midway through the month, we celebrated two years of living in Florida and I reflected on our trip back to Washington in August.
October:
I did it again…write for 32 days that is. I almost broke down near the end of the month, asking God why He had asked me to write about something that I still struggled with so much. I wrote about my goal, my theme, for the year:
Work Hard + Rest Well
November:
November was a blur for me. I started the month full of energy and excited to post about other things, including what is probably one of my all-time favorite posts I’ve written. But toward the end of the month, I just got exhausted…and I wouldn’t find out why till a week before Christmas. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our church family, and I finished up the month with my Black Friday Thankful List.
December:
I started this month tired, and with a scary and exciting announcement. My husband is starting a business! Exhaustion was fogging my brain and I was desperately trying to enjoy the Christmas season. Then I got really honest, twice, right around the time I found out why I had been so tired. Yep! We’re having a baby. Next August, and we are thrilled…and I’m learning to rest a little more.
I am so excited that by the end of 2015 we will be a family of three and for all the changes that will come in that process. However, we appreciate your prayers for health and for God to prosper our business and work things out financially by the time little Baby Sinks arrives.
Happy New Year!
Be Blessed
<3
