There is something about the turning of a new year that brings me joy. A new year means new beginnings, and God knows that we ALL could use one of those after the year that we have had. I seriously can’t be the only one who is ready to give Twenty-twenty a big swift kick in the rear end.

2020 Brought Me

• Covid… NOT ONCE BUT TWICE!
• A National Toilette Paper Shortage!
• Quarantine with two very bored teenage girls!
• Two category four hurricanes including Hurricane Laura and all of her fury.
• An insane amount of unexplainable health issues which took a year to diagnose!
• An extreme amount of loss of some of the most precious people in my life.

2020 Also Brought Me

• The adoption being finalized for my youngest daughter.
• Clarity and direction about my life.
• The ability to set boundaries and expect people to respect them.
• Finally some real answers about my health!!
• A much deeper and meaningful relationship with my husband and two young daughters.
• Time spent with family!
• A successful garden.
• A tiny little backyard farm full of chickens!
• I learned how to bake sourdough bread… even though I can no longer eat it unless I find a wheat free recipe.

Looking Back

As I look back on this year I realize that I focused way too much on all the bad that happened. When you are living in the thick of things it can sometimes be difficult to remember to look for the blessings. I have always been this way, and I hate this about myself. I have learned to recognize God’s hand working in my life, but it usually takes me a minute to see it. In Twenty twenty-one I want to do better. I want to learn to see God in the moment and not just in hind site.

Looking Ahead

I am so very thankful for the lessons that I learned through all the pain of Twenty-twenty. My life song this season has been Scars by I Am They, because I have seen God use my scars and my pain for His glory. I just need to work on the “standing in confidence” part. I need to work on trusting God in the middle of my chaos, because He has NEVER failed me. Why is it that I always think the worst even though God has proven to me MULTIPLE TIMES that everything will work out in the end?

My Word For Twenty twenty-one

Do you ever focus on a word for the year? I love choosing a word that sums up what I want to focus on each year. Last year my word was “intentional” and focusing on that word helped me to stay true to being intentional with the time I spend with my daughters, the conversations that I had with them, and the healing that needed to take place after someone very dear to us broke our hearts and rocked our world.

This year my word is “focus.” This is a word that keeps playing on repeat in my mind. I will continue to be intentional about nurturing the relationships that I have with my daughters and my husband, but I will also turn my focus on seeking God. I want to strengthen my relationship with Him, and learn to focus on Him instead of the chaos. Recognizing His hand in my life during the hard times rather than after things get better will be what this year is all about.

A New Year Means New Beginnings

I have never been a huge fan of new years resolutions, but I do love a good reset. A new year means new beginnings, and I love the idea of a fresh start… a do over… and maybe a few goals getting smashed. This year I plan to smash a few personal goals for sure! I literally left my life in the city to move out here and live on this tiny backyard farm because I needed to find joy. Somewhere along the way I lost site of that, and it is time to get that back.

My Goal for 2021

• Put up a fence for goats.
• Clean up the yard and plant something pretty.
• Soak up the sun by reading a book on a blanket in the yard.
• Go on a road trip with my family to someplace beautiful and relaxing.
• Read through the entire Bible.
• Begin my wheat free journey, even if I fail from time to time.
• Be a better wife for my husband by learning how to serve him more.
• Cook more made-from-scratch meals.
• Grow something new. (I really want to grow loofah for some reason)
• Learn a new homesteading skill.

Move on out of here Twenty-twenty! Your time is up. There is a new year that is ready to take control. No matter what this year brings, I encourage you all to look for something good in the moment. We all need to learn to find joy no matter what our circumstances are at the moment. A new year means new beginnings, and God is bigger than any virus, any heartbreak, any failure, or any fear!

What are your goals this year? Will you share them with me?