Looking Back, Looking Forward, Living Today

How was your 2023? How will your 2024 be? Last week my post reflected the anticipation of new things as we entered 2024. Please read A “Good” New Thing if you missed it.

This week I want to encourage you to look back and reflect, as I am doing. What were the highs and lows of 2023? I remember wondering early last year what was ahead. I had a few ideas and plans, but I knew it was all in the hands of our sovereign Lord as to how those would pan out. What else would be a part of the 2023 journey?

I had some wonderful experiences with family, friends, and relationships within groups I lead or am a part of. We got to see our youngest great grand turn 1 and learn to walk. Just prior to that we also experienced a series of losses of family members including our sweet Yorkie Mo, known lovingly on social media as #MoDawg. We are still recovering from that and miss him every single day.

Right after this month of losses we enjoyed a hurricane-less fall vacation at the beach. Time to be quiet, think, study, and pray in our favorite happy place. I heard the Lord say, “Be thankful.” Thanksgiving wasn’t far away and my life group was walking through “Grateful”, a study to prepare our hearts for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, and more than that, for us to seek to be grateful throughout the year, in the highs and lows.

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So, now as I look into the future just to consider how God might lead and what He might choose to allow or cause to enter our 2024, I want to be excited about new things and grateful when those things are hard.

Each year I love to reflect back and ahead and commit it all to Him. What God does is always GOOD because He is always GOOD! He always has a purpose. That I can KNOW! This helps us face the present with hope and confidence in our faithful Lord.

Consider these verses: