Around the new year last year, I was on a video call with two lifelong friends, sharing that it felt depressing to look at 2022.

We sat with our tears, knowing that outside of a miracle for my dad, who was battling acute blood cancer, a funeral was inevitable in the next year.

Death became a brutal reality by Easter weekend.

Still, 2022 was a full year of living for the rest of us. It's what my dad would have wanted.

And now it is time—in this space between celebrating the birth of Jesus and the beginning of a new year—for reflection and anticipation!

In the same way, my husband and I review our budget each month with our handy YNAB app, I try to review my commitments and the state of my heart—monthly, seasonally, and annually.

The Next Right Thing Guided Journal: A Decision-making Companion, was a motivating tool for reflection over this last year.

I kept a daily journal like usual but would also look over the guided journal's different lists and prompts to add a few more notes each morning.

Some of my favorite prompts in the guided journal are:

A Gratitude List
A List of Arrows
A List of Questions

There are also spaces to record what you read, watched, listened to, and made, along with a life energy list (life-giving or life-draining) each month.

As I share some of my 2022 reflections, I hope you gain insights and ideas for your own times of reflection.

These 3 Things Worked…

1) Reading Through the Bible Chronologically

My husband and I did the Bible Recap this year, which means we read through (or listened to) the entire Bible chronologically along with the short daily podcasts on the Bible Recap.

This developed such a great habit of soaking in a large portion of Scripture each day. I was often amazed at how the passages connected to our real-life scenarios.

My husband and I usually read and listened individually but it made for some good chats and daily accountability!

(I share what didn't work about this in my other list.)

2) Taking Risks

There were a number of things I did this year that I probably would have talked myself out of had it not been for my dad's health crisis and the grief of his passing.

Here are some examples:

Joining a worship team in the new year after being off for 12 years
A weekend trip with my sisters to Vancouver in February

Applying to a master's degree program
Going on a two-week prayer ministry trip to Brazil in October
Hosting the first-ever Canadian Gather 'Round retreat at my church this fall
Reading many books on trauma and grief and receiving counseling in these areas as well as going through a GriefShare group course

3) Praying with Benj Daily

Benj and I have been praying together each morning for a number of years and this continues to be a healthy and key practice in our marriage.

Interestingly enough, “what didn't work” is a flip or another perspective on “what worked!”

These 3 Things Didn’t Work…

1) Not Diving Into Questions

While I read through the Bible chronologically and appreciated the recaps, the pace didn't allow me to explore questions that arose.

Leading a book study on Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds, with our ladies' ministry this fall gave me new tools and perspectives on reading the Bible (blog post here).

I'm looking forward to slowing down my Bible reading and exploring questions in the new year.

I’ll also be led deeper into theological perspectives with my first seminary course starting in January!

2) Struggling with Boundaries

While my dad's cancer battle and passing gave me a new zest for life, I was numbing some of my pain through busyness. This isn't all bad. We need breaks from the agony of grief but as I managed an intense schedule it was harder to discern my next right thing…

Everything sounded good this fall and with not having to practice ‘no’ very much over the pandemic, I was on the role saying 'yes,' while convicted that this wasn't the integrity of soulful living I share and desire to live by.

Having done the hard work, over many years, to live slower it was crucial I became aware that I was losing ground! Especially after reading books like The Body Keeps the Score.

I've begun to find a better balance as the year closes and am so grateful for God’s grace to lead me back to living and breathing at a healthier pace again!

3) Relational Tension

My husband and I are an amazing team, as we’ve been gifted with the same strong, focused, determined personality. But when we aren't on the same page it can be a challenge!

We’ve grown immensely in conflict resolution over nearly fifteen years of marriage but times of tension still showed up on my guided journal's life-draining list over the year.

It certainly helped that we pray together each morning and that through past seasons of prayer ministry and counseling I've learned to look to God as my source of life when we are off and trust Him rather than trying to control the situation or outcome.

So while these times of conflict weren't something that “worked,” I see progress and growth in how I am responding in times of conflict. My husband gratefully agrees!

Finally, there is relief and anticipation with the start of a fresh, new year.

I'm looking forward to trying a few new things!

3 Things I'm Trying in 2023:

1) Creating a Rule of Life

In December, Jen Pollock Michel released a new book, In Good Time: 8 Habits for Reimagining Productivity, Resisting Hurray, and Practicing Peace.

Doesn’t that sound amazing?

I'll be taking four, one-hour weekly workshops, along with a good friend, this January as we learn to create a rule of life from Jen.

As someone who has been on the more controlling side of time, I need this grace-filled message and am excited to learn how to create a rule of life through these workshops and Jesus’ inspiration!

2) Growing in Resilience

Last year my motto was “do the next right thing in love” and this year I'm leaning towards the word:

Resilient!

To start off 2023, Benj and I are going to do John Eldredge's 30 Days to Resilient program under the One Minute Pause app, by engaging with beautiful ten-minute morning and evening sessions for connection with Jesus.

During the 30 days the website says you will learn these skills:

Mental resilience
Emotional resilience
Communing with God in the depths of your heart
Experiencing more of the Kingdom of God
Receiving a strength that will make you the most resilient person you know!

Some books on this topic that I hope to read this year, when not reading books for seminary, are:

Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times, by John Eldredge.
Building a Resilient Life: How Adversity Awakens Strength, Hope, and Meaning, by Rebekah Lyons.

3) Starting Seminary!

Yes, my first master’s level course begins in early January.

I have a decade to complete a master’s in leadership and ministry and may take that long with a starting pace of one course a term. I hope to share some of my discoveries from my first course on the theology of suffering and hope in the new year!

Of course, there are way more than three things that worked and didn’t work in 2022, and that I want to try in 2023 but narrowing it down is a great way to begin reflecting!