One practice that has been helpful to my husband and myself is to look BACK before we look AHEAD. It has been helpful to remember how the Lord has been a rock through hard times and provided (sometimes just in time).
What Doing a Yearly Recap Has Taught Me About Life So Far
Often times when I look back I see how God used people to show me His love and His care too.
Another insight is the shifting of life seasons and how seasons open and close.
Seasons of life can feel like chapters in a book. A chapter might open with excitement, but soon a story loop is opened because of some kind of trial, job change, diagnosis, strain, or challenge.
Then there we are living in-between chapters where we are living by faith, not by sight…moving forward with the little light we have inch by inch.
And then suddenly a season or chapter of life can end. After so much worry, hardship, angst, excitement, or even straight fear. The season can shift.
Look back has given us a chance to zoom out a bit from the year and see a tiny glimpse of how God weaves our stories together.
Some moments this year were amazing, refreshing and some felt like FIRE.
God has been in and through it all!
Sharing simply to give you an idea of how you can sit down and reflect before you look forward and so you can see a little behind the scenes of how life gets crazy haha.
January: Baby Corrie was just one month old when my husband was working two jobs as he helped our church get into their new building, but was training with his new employer. Whew! It was long hours for everyone, but it was the change we felt called to make. Painted our guest room and converted it to Matt’s office. And one kiddo had a health scare, but had a clear MRI. Big answer to prayers!
February: We settled into Matt working from home for the first time in our whole marriage. I think Matt didn’t know the house could be that loud and openly wondered how I haven’t gone crazy yet. And I stepped away with the baby for a weekend at a prayer center nearby. The quiet weekend with the baby was balm for my tired soul after Matt working so much in January.
March: Lots of spring baseball, homeschool, and giving into the grove with Matt at home.
April: Our van that had been limping along finally kicked the can and we has just the amount we needed to by a used van with cash. A big answer to prayer, because I was very worried with our old van. God took care of it all! We took our new to us van on a trip to Charleston to visit friends and family. Matt and the boys ran the big bridge road race, so proud of them!
May: I took a restful trip with my Wild + Free co-op friends to Asheville and hiked with the baby on my back. So refreshing for my soul! We also bought baby chicks without a coop built! Matt’s grandparents celebrated 70 years of marriage and their 90’s birthdays!
June: Went to visit dear friends in Virginia that we knew from our time in L.A. as newlyweds. So fun to have our kids play together and go blueberry picking! Finally switched to a Light Phone after it set under my bed for 6 months in a box!
July: Went to the beach in Charleston with family. Visited friends there in Charleston too that we have known since our time in Athletes in Action at Univ of Tennessee. Sweet times! Then drove to Virginia to help co-host one of my bridesmaid baby showers.
August: Started working on the in home gym that my husband wanted to launch. Harvested our figs from our tree and made jam. Boys started their trash business where they take people’s trash to the street and bring it back on trash day. So proud of them! We made paper chains to visualize how many days Matt had for his busy season for work, so the kids could understand why dad had to work so hard for a couple of weeks.
September: Started reading Triggers book and it was timely help for Matt and I’s parenting. I started coaching a small softball clinic to build interest in starting softball at our local little league.
October: Found out we had lice! Seriously not fun and took over my whole life for a couple of weeks. Spent so much money getting rid of it with 7 people in the family. And started a gym in our basement. Not two events you ever want to go together. Then one of our daughters was hospitalized with a kidney infection. October felt like FIRE personally. Just felt a lot of headwind starting a big dream like the gym. First year, I started my Christmas prep in October and I am forever a fan!
November: Gym doing great and having so much fun with it! Got in the groove doing YouTube videos as well! We hosted Friendsgiving and family thanksgiving at our house, but the day before thanksgiving our baby had a febral seizure. ER trip, but she was ok. One of the scariest moments of my life, but we learned a lot from that experience. And one of our daughters was in her first play!
December: Our baby turned one and we installed a self closing door on the basement, which gave me so much relief from worry she will fall down the stairs! Matt and I took our yearly getaway to the mountains. The baby came along and we got to see snow! Had Christmas dinner with amazing friends for the second Christmas in a row, so grateful for good friends!
RECAP:
Traveling to see old friends and family was a sweet highlight. Lice and hospital trips was challenging. And starting the gym has created some sweet community not only for us, but for others, which I just love!
Before you jump into the New Year, consider sitting down and writing down your yearly recap.
The tool that helped the most with creating my Yearly Recap is this Couple’s Meeting Spreadsheet that my husband and I do as often as we can. When you get into the spread sheet you will see how one of the questions we ask ourselves is how did we see God move that week? What was a win? What was a loss?
Looking back at this sheet reminded me of so many details from the year that I has already forgotten.