Reflecting on 2021

 

I absolutely love this gorgeous graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Yes, these things tend to take me awhile. 

These reflection questions are from Denise Cunningham at RefreshHer.  If you are not familiar with Denise, she is a pastor's wife and a much-loved speaker at women's events.  Her blog is such a blessing -- a mix of spiritual counsel and solid advice on marriage, parenting, and homemaking.  She has some of the best recipes out there, too!  

I used these ten questions last year and the year before, and found them so helpful!   I like that they also ask about the year ahead.  So here goes:

1.  What hindered my spiritual growth last year?  What moved it forward?

If anything hindered my spiritual growth in 2021, I'd say it was not memorizing Scripture as faithfully as I've done in the past.  As far as what moved it forward, I would say reading through the Bible in 2021 and journaling as I went.  This really helped me with continuing to learn to apply God's Word to my life and it also once again showed me how the various parts of the Bible fit together.  Doing some Bible studies and attending a couples' retreat helped me grow, too.

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2.  What did God teach me last year?  

Probably one of the greatest things was helping me develop more of a servant's heart.  Although we have been serving in many ways in our local church for years, my hubby's retirement allowed us to serve in an additional way.  We were both so blessed to be able to help with maintenance at The Wilds of New England, mostly in spring and fall, before and after the camp season.  We both found great joy serving in this way and getting to be a small part of what God is doing there.  God gave me such delight in cheerfully and willingly taking direction from girls much younger than myself, and in cleaning bathrooms and sweeping up dead stinkbugs to His glory.

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3.  What did I see God do in answer to my prayers last year?

I saw God give wisdom and direction in many ways, including moving toward a merger with another church.  I saw Him help us begin to renovate a derelict building into a sweet family getaway place through many hours of hard work.  I saw Him provide for us and work out many details to take a granddaughter  with us to Nevada to celebrate another granddaughter's birthday.  I saw Him bring healing to a half-dozen friends who had been hospitalized with coronavirus.

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4.  To whom did I give my life the most?  Does this need to change?

I gave my life the most to God, to my husband and family, and to those we are seeking to disciple.  For years I have given hours of my life to teaching a women's Sunday School class, but partway through this year I stepped away from that as we began meeting with another church.  That has felt a bit odd, but I think in many ways it's been good.  I think I've kept a good balance of giving my life to others and I don't really see anything that needs to change in 2022.

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5.  What activities did I participate in that I need to repeat this year?  Which activities should I consider removing from my schedule?

Some activities I need to repeat include discipling younger believers, extending hospitality to many, volunteering at TWNE, daily walks with a friend, and maintaining my blogs.  As mentioned, teaching Sunday School got removed from my schedule partway through the year, as did cleaning the church.  There is a possibility of both those things returning to my schedule in 2022.

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6.  What books did I read last year?

A Cancer Battle Plan, by Anne Frahm
The Greatest Generation Speaks, by Tom Brokaw
Hope Again, by Charles Swindoll
We Will Not Be Silenced, by Erwin Lutzer
Shepherds Abiding, by Jan Karon

The first two of these were just some books I found on my parents' bookshelves that interested me.  I also dipped into a bunch of other books through the year and am partway through The Big Lie, by Dinesh D'Souza.

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7.  Did I spend too much time on social media, TV or videos?  Do I need to set limits for myself?

I don't watch TV and can exercise restraint with regard to videos.  I could easily spend too much time on Instagram and I absolutely need to stay on top of that.  Staying off Instagram until afternoon each day is a good goal.

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8.  What creative outlets did I enjoy?

Blogging, needlework, crafts, and cooking.  None of them to excess, but it's important for me to do something creative every day.

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9.  Did I get enough exercise?  What could help motivate me to do more?

I got quite a bit of exercise with walking -- but I would also like to incorporate a simple daily exercise routine.  I'm off to a slow start walking in 2022 due to some physical issues.  That in itself is motivating me to get with the exercise routine.

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10.  What area of my life brought the most joy?  The most frustration?

Most joy --  spending time at our little cottage, time with grandchildren, time in Nevada, serving at TWNE, crafting, getaways with my hubby.

Most frustration: housework!  Not being able (seemingly) to get organized or to incorporate workable routines as I would like to.  Obviously, this is an important goal for 2022 which I can hopefully achieve with my hubby's assistance.

Maybe you'd like to use Denise's questions yourself.   Even though we're more than a month into the new year, I found it very helpful to use them to reflect on 2021 and begin planning for the remainder of 2022.