
And just like that, I’m another year older – or as my dad would say, another year wiser. This past year was one of growth. After having lost myself a little in the hustle and bustle of life, it was a year to re-establish my priorities and work through some hard stuff to get to where I’m at today. I have no doubt this next year is going to be a good one, but first I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on year 28.
This past year held a lot of highs and some big lows. When I celebrated my birthday last year, I had just recently become a mom of two young children, was struggling through all things post-postpartum, and was navigating the foster care system. It is safe to say I was overwhelmed. I remember crying a lot this time last year and feeling lost. When I turned 28, I remember praying for a catapult year. A year where I could once again grab hold of God’s promises and myself as an individual. It took some soul-searching and honest reflections, but God never left my side as I rediscovered who I was in Him. I can see so much of God’s faithfulness and goodness weaved throughout my days this past year and I am so thankful.

One of the biggest lessons God taught me this past year was that perfection should never be a goal. Perfection is unachievable, and when we strive for it, we live in a constant state of frustration. I learned this past year that the more I am okay with the occasional disaster zone of a home, the third day of leggings, and the unanswered emails- the happier I am. I always thought if I could keep everything orderly and all my to-do lists accomplished, I’d be content. Wrong. It’s actually the opposite. The more I came to peace with knowing life was a little messy, the more freedom I began to experience. Letting go of the need for perfection allows me to be more present with my boys, more joyful throughout the day, and more committed to being the best wife. Going into this next year of life, I still love a clean house and am definitely still a strong type A personality, but that doesn’t control me anymore. It doesn’t dictate whether I have a good day or a bad day. I’m so excited for this next year because I know with this new mindset I can focus on bigger things, Kingdom things, versus the micromanaging of each day.
The other thing that I’ve really taken away from this past year is that life is short. I know this sounds cliche and it even pains me a little to put it in those terms, but it’s the truth. The older I get, the more I realize time is fleeting. Eternity is not as far as it use to be, and that has dictated my outlook on life. I wonder how much of this past year was spent on anxiety, worry, and frustration compared to how much time I spent making memories, and intentionally sharing God’s love. I hate to admit it, but if I had a record kept, I would probably be sadden by how much of my year was spend in a state of distress versus a state of gratitude and joy. I know life is hard, and for some, it’s really hard. We live in a fallen world so there is pain, and there’s a lot of it. I’m not discrediting any of that. But for me personally, the worry, anxiety and, frustration I willingly sat in last year could have been avoided. I’m thankful I’ve been given the insight to look back on this and learn as I start this next year. I would encourage you to ask yourself the same question. Are your days filled more with stress and anxious thoughts, or an unexplainable peace and joy. Even though many of my days were heavy, God was so faithful to patiently pull me through to realize all that I was missing.
Going into this next year, I’ve decided to chase joy. I am excited to fight for an even better year, and I know God is with me every step of the way. He blessed this past year of my life in so many ways and was so faithful. A professor at Biola once told me, “if you are doubting God’s faithfulness for the future, look back.” Although this past year wasn’t always the easiest, I can see so much of God’s goodness, and I know every experience was used to teach and shape me into who I am today. I’m running full force into this next year determined to go out of my twenties with gusto. 29 – let’s do this!
Out of all the ways God’s blessed me in my life, I see it most in the people He’s surrounded me with. As I reflected on this past year I couldn’t help but go back through the photos of this past year . Here are just a few of my favorites from this past year.











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